23Sep18 78.80 Average mpg $3.85/mile
I'm finally back to work full time and it was a pretty good week. I only had 4 round trips to work because Monday I spent the night in the truck after driving most of the way to Albuquerque to swap trailers. Wednesday night I got a little rain on the way home.
Now to start with one of the regular features that I plan. This first is my top 7 list. Why just 7? because 7 is a prime number, some consider it lucky, it makes the list more important and I couldn't think of more. This list is inspired by the incredible amount of stupid that I see on the road every day. Yes, I have seen every one of these things multiple times.
Top 7 driving rules that Captain Obvious should not need to say:
7 - When you merge onto the freeway you need to merge.
6 - Apply your signal before you change lanes, not after.
5 - Everybody is trying to get there, not just you.
4 -Slowing below the speed limit when you see the cop does not 'average' it out.
3 - Don 't assume the car in front of you is going to run the stop sign.
2 - Speeding up to avoid the tailgater only means that you are driving faster while being tailgated.
...and the number one rule that Captain Obvious should not need to say is...
1 - Driving close to a semi is dangerous.
While all of these should be self explanatory let me be Captain Obvious and explain them.
7 - You are required to merge onto the freeway. Traffic that is already on the freeway does not need to accommodate you. If you are on the freeway, especially on a motorcycle then you want to move over if at all possible. That does not mean cutting off someone in the next lane. If the vehicle is getting on slowly and it is apparent that you will need to slow then by all means slow down. But if someone has to slow down or move over for you and then you suddenly speed up because now the lane is clear, then you need to stay off the freeway forever and accept that there are a lot of people that hate you. It's simple, accelerate to freeway speeds on the acceleration ramp picking your spot out as soon as you can. You don't want to pick a spot between two cars that are only a few feet apart because then you will be in front of a very dangerous driver and they will be mad at you. Stay far, far away from tailgaters at all times because they are moronic, competitive imbeciles that don't care about anyone but themselves. The most important thing about merging onto the freeway is to never, ever expect a truck to speed up, slow down or move over for you. You can adjust your speed much faster than a truck can and you are but a fly on his windshield so don't try to intimidate a trucker into fixing your bad merging habits for you.
6 – This one is extremely simple but more than half of the drivers in Arizona signal AFTER they change lanes. Yea, I'm confused about it too. I have no idea why people do that.
5 – It's not called rush hour because you are pledging a fraternity. The more drivers constantly change lanes, cut others off, tailgate and block others out, the later EVERYONE is going to be.
4 – You are doing 70 in a 65, you see a cop, swerve into the right lane and slam on your brakes. The only thing that can come of that is that you will be rear ended right in front of the cop and (hopefully) he sees the whole thing. If I'm on my bike I will probably want you to be arrested. If the officer was going to pull you over for 70 then he already got you by the time you slam on your brakes. Keep going and take the ticket you deserve. Oh, and those drivers that do the same thing when they were going 70 in the 75? Please get off the road.
3 – If you do this please stop driving. one guy actually pulled up next to me at the next light and started screaming at me. Another rear ended me and when I got out to see what his malfunction was, he said “I didn't know you were going to stop”. Well, we have the answer on the malfunction. There was no damage that time but when riding be sure to keep an eye on the mirror for people that should not be driving at all.
2 – Another one where the perpetrator needs to just stop driving. As for what to do when a criminal like this is on your ass, there isn't much you can do, except try to minimize the possible damage and encourage the moron to pass you. Do not try to block out a moronic idiot with a bike. Just let it go by if at all possible. Slow down, some idiots get a clue and back off, some get closer. If it does, put on the hazard lights and watch for other hazards. Get off the freeway at the next exit if you are in the right lane. On a bike move far to the side of the lane to minimize the danger. If you are riding in the car pool lane move to the left and if it decides to pass without leaving the car pool lane, let it. Don't change lanes, particularly if the moron is so close that you can't see what's coming up in the next lane. Also, swapping lanes at the wrong time could confuse it, remember the tailgater is particularly stupid. The idiot usually gets tired of being stupid and goes around you. It goes without saying that if you are riding slower than the average traffic then you should be to the right, but for most tailgating, moronic, criminals that doesn't seem to matter.
1 – If you knew how hard driving a semi is you would not pass on the right, tailgate, hang out on the left and if someone put a gun to your head and told you to cut off a semi, you would take the bullet. These truck move around, tire pieces come off, other people are so scared of being stuck behind one that they take chances and swerve around them in unpredictable ways. Following one too close means that you can't see anything that's in front of the semi. You may not see what's coming up, the truck driver may be looking to change lanes soon and you don't know why. They often have to change lanes relatively quickly due to debris, cars on the side and other unpredictable things. You don't want to be on either side, or too close behind a truck at any time. Most truck drivers drive like everyone else, they may not signal before changing lanes. I, myself try to avoid signaling when someone is about to pass because they often slow down and stare at the pretty flashing light in the middle of the trailer. But if that light starts flashing while you are passing, hit the pedal on the left a little harder, that truck is coming over whether you are there or not. Keep in mind that if you force a trucker to choose between running you off the road or hitting a cop or tow truck driver, you are going for a ride. It's not just about teaching the stupid a lesson, it's about who is more likely to survive.
Ok, that's my first top 7 list. I'm expecting to make it a regular, yet random feature.
Thanks and stay upright!
