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Un-Yielding Stoooopidity.
Yesterday I almost wrecked our bus. We were northbound on the interstate, headed back to the house from a 4 day get together in Southern Oklahoma. It had been what most would consider a letter perfect trip, no problems, everything working as it is supposed to work (often a rare occurrence in the bus world). Traffic was heavy in most cases and in Okie City it got choked up for some reason? (too many people)
As we approached a critical turning point or junction in our trip, we were faced with the prospect of merging traffic, which was “supposed to yield to us” the faster moving traffic. Out of the corner of my eye, I see three cars heading in our direction, and I clearly remember thinking to myself, “there is going to be a problem here.”
Sure enough, the first two they skirt thru the yield sign and accelerate quickly to get out of our way, the third guy, the one with no brains, he decides to just blow off the sign and come out right in front of us. Now I am clearly in his view and I am bearing down on the exit and now him.
It doesn’t take a lot of time to get to the sticky part, where the rubber meets the road, you might say. Instead of using good defensive driving techniques I continue to bear down on this idiot, knowing full well, he is going to cause me problems. Knowing full well this is going to take a heavy application of braking power in order to miss him.
Clearly this is a mistake not only on HIS part but also on MINE.
At this point, we reach critical mass, on I am literally on top of this bozo and laying down a generous amount of air-horn and standing on the brakes. His wife turns and looks out the back of the pickup window and you can clearly see her saying something to the driver. (This where I kind of chuckle to myself, because I can only imagine what it is she is saying … Mostly likely yelling GAWD IT IS THIS HUGE BUS HARVEY! Or something to that effect)
We are now some 4ft (maybe less) from sending these this obvious bad driver … this callous law breaker to the Promised Land, and we are not talking an Elvis Presley CD here. It got rather dicey for a second or two, and frankly, it could have went either way. Fortunately for all concerned, no paint swappin and no trip to the ER, just another close call on the road. (I am however not unscathed in this matter … The wife is now a little bit miffed at me for teaching our parrot profanity and I have to attune for that sin)
Dr. Phil has a saying, “Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?”
This could apply here very easily.
I was adamant in being right (I had the right-a-way and he should have yielded to me, the higher speed traffic) which was my apparent thinking at the time, and clearly WRONG. On the other hand, I could have put him into the abutment and been justified, but I do not believe this would have made me happy?
If I had wrecked the coach, I certainly would not have been at fault from a legal standpoint, but clearly would have been upset and disappointed in this case. It would have been far too easy to have taught this _______ a lesson he would not have forgotten. But in the end, who would have been the clear cut winner of this contest of wills?
They say in life, everything is for a reason, and you should learn from the experience. This morning, over a good cup of coffee and looking back on it, it was a combination of two things.
- An idiot who did not yield and possess good driving skills.
- Another idiot in a big bus who didn’t practice what he preaches all of the time … Looking ahead, and utilizing good defensive driving practices.
Lucky for us … it worked out for both of us rather well and we walked away from it all. As for whether or not HE learned anything from it, well, that is debatable, but I know that I did. Guess all things work out for the common good, but often it sure gets irritating when you are on the receiving end of all of it.
Watch those right handers …
BCO
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22 Replies
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I feel your pain Oakie (spelling for Jon).
Similiar thing happened to me yesterday on the way to Music City. Running down the I-24 superslab and at an exit, a pick-up came screeming down the “get on ramp” and there was nowhere for me to go. Had a big truck beside me and another right on my butt getting ready to jump into the fast lane as soon as the other got past me. The numb nut in the pick-up ended up in a dead stop on the shoulder, the ramp was short and the big truck behind me didn’t move an inch.
Like the King says, you can’t fix stupid!
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Yeppers, not a good deal, really ungood man.
Mistakes on both sides of the wheel on this one, I for one, should have known better. Okies are some of the worst drivers in the United States, bar none. This guy had his head so far up his Wahzoo, he needed a plexiglass stomach, just to see where he was going.
All I did was enable him. Who is the King?
(I think I know, but I want to be sure, before I salute.)
BCO
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The King of Bling is Roger, the guy from east TN that owns a bunch of car lots and his phone number is BR549. When he shakes hands with you, be sure to count your fingers. You’ll see him at OKC and he’ll be the guy with pockets full of money.
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I know your story all too well. I hate to say it but I think driving test should be maditory every two years. 90% of the people on the road have forgotten what the drivers test manuals say about how to merge with highway traffic.
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Its bacause of this type of encounters I purchased A camera that records everything inside and outside of the coach. I had a Montgomery County, Maryland Police dive in front of me and slamed his brakes no, I was very lucky not to hit him.
if you hit a cop you know who would be at fault in any court. I feel that A camera should prove who caused the accident. If I had pictures if that cop I would have given a copy to the police chief.
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Can you post the web site for your dash cam ?
Thanks,
AL
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Seem to have struck a familiar chord with a lot of you, thank you for the replies. That is what makes all of this both interesting and informative, the comments. I did manage to get a shot of the offender for law enforcement, here it is.
Not really.
Jon and his lovely wife, Di, showed up yesterday inbound for Three Amigo’s and we invited them to stop by so we could (as Jon is fond of saying) sniff out each other and look over the coaches. We found them a nice serene spot on the Oklahoma Landscape with a gentle slope and they are currently residing just outside of Eagles Nest.
Jon also shares the same sentiments about un-yeilding drivers and poor highway performance by the majority of drivers out there. It could be indicitive of the high numbers of immigrants in the country now, we have a very large percentage of our population that are “first time owners of automobiles” and this could be attributing to the lack of driving skills by a lot of the populace. At least that is my take on it.
Today he said he is going to show me even more buttons and switches, I heard a rumor that they even have an electric dog polisher, but I have seen it. I have not checked the official agenda at this time, but I do believe it entails the cooking of some dead-animals (barbecue) and lying about our respective fuel mileage.
Will let you know.
Thanks for your replies,
BCO
(Oh yeah, thanks on the head’s up on the King of Bling. Now I know)
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Check out his wine celler. We managed to crack open a couple of his select wines while he passed through Santa Fe and lusted a bit over his great coach. He enjoyed a bit of the Lennon Sisters at our home while inbibing an adult beverage to bring him out of his shell of shyness. Unfortunately we were unable to join him on the voyage to the Three Amigos bash as the good wife is not up to par yet. Have fun.
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Alan,
Tell me more about the wine celler, all he has ever shown us is the beer fridge!
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Jim and Chris made us buy the wine (and beer) for them at the 3 Amigos rally.
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I purchased A SCI – DR200 Vehicle Black Box Camera and A SCI – SD1600 / 16GB SD Card thru, Spy Chest Inc 210 S Main Street Clearview Florida 32536 / wwwspytechs.com / email admin@spytechs.com / Phone # 850 682 0083 I will show mine to anyone at the POG rally. You can see your self outside and inside the coach and listen to the conversation inside the coach. WATCH WHAT YOU SAY (g)
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“He enjoyed a bit of the Lennon Sisters at our home while inbibing an adult beverage to bring him out of his shell of shyness.”
Shell of shyness … Uh huh, thank you very much.
BCO
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Al, Here is another excellent camera perfect for action films.. They are sold at Target, Best Buy, Etc…..
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Okie has raised a good point and I know I have been in the same type of situation and the end result has been similar, right down to the point where I was right, but actually very wrong.
The example Okie gives is typical in that it can apply to on ramps, lane reductions due to construction or manhy other cases where the traffic that has the right of way but the offender ignores who is right and when both parties will not yield the end result can be ugly.
With me, combine a day of driving and being tired along with a stupid driver who feels entitled to my space on the highway and the combination is going to end up bad. As drivers we get worn down by ignorant drivers who do not know how to merge, or who do not want to be behind the bus, and at some point we just throw away our courteous attitude and make no effort to compensate.
I get sick of drivers who force their way in and then do not accelerate, or worse, decide to hit the brakes. I get tired of drivers who pass and pull in too close. I get pissed at drivers who just have to pass, and then cut across my front bumper to get off at the exit. I hate the drivers that hang on my left rear so I cannot change lanes to pass slow traffic, especially when that slow traffic causes me to lose all momentum. I can go on, but I know everyone on this forum has exactly the same attitude I have, which is everyone needs to get off our highways.
It would be real easy to be critical of Okie and suggest he amend his ways, but the truth is I have been there, done that and have the tee shirt. And I wish I could promise to never do stuff like that again, but that ain’t going to happen unless I find a way to not let the idiots get to me.
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It would be real easy to be critical of Okie and suggest he amend his ways, but the truth is I have been there, done that and have the tee shirt. And I wish I could promise to never do stuff like that again, but that ain’t going to happen unless I find a way to not let the idiots get to me.
Jon,If you find the solution, patent it, bottle and sell it and you will be able to buy as many Libertys as your heart desires.
John
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