Some cross-modal (cultural?) enlightenment.

[Jakes20]

Hi

 

 

I thought I'll share with the forum, it might be worth something.

 

On Saturday morning I was riding on the N11 between Middelburg and LoskopDam. Not long after Kranspoort-pass I heard a truck coming from behind. The driver hooted, which left me thinking that it was really unnecessary as there were no cars coming from the front, and the road was wide enough to pass a bicycle without much effort. Quite a number of vehicles, including large trucks, had already passed me the morning - some of the trucks going out of their way to make ample space between us.

 

My first thought was to just try and keep my (left-most) line and let him pass, but with him a couple of metres behind me I got "that feeling" and went onto the gravel. The next moment the truck passed me in such a way that he would not have hit my elbow or handlebar, he would have wiped me out completely. I thought that his bull-bar was maybe 30cm from the edge of the tar.

 

The driver stopped at the Damwal-complex about 10km further where I caught up with him. Obviously some remarks were exchanged and some questions were asked and answered. He asked if I heard him "hit the horn" to which I admitted. He then went on to explain that he drives a big (8 ton) truck transporting dangerous goods which he just collected from CapeTown. It is not easy to "adjust" the direction of the truck as it is not, as I might think, a small car. There is only one way this operates: I hit the horn, you go off the road if you intend living after this day.

 

I tried to explain to him that the courts of the country are not soft on people killing cyclists deliberately and that he can expect some form of trouble continuing with this attitude. He was adamant: I hit the horn and drive straight on. You leave the road if want to live. Been driving like that up to now, no need for a change of way.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Jakes20

[Redline]

so what happens if he needs to swerve/brake/adjust whatever incase of an emergency? his theory does not make sense

[Minion]

If the driver cannot react and 'adjust' his direction in time then he is driving too fast for the conditions. Further, it is likely tthat he is not sufficiently trained to able to handle such a vehicle, especially if it is carrying dangerous cargo.

Yet one more example of the failure of our woefully inadequate driver education and licensing system.

[DJR]

Report his attitude to owner of truck / company

[Minion]

Report his attitude to owner of truck / company

I suppose that's worth a try. Unfortunately, I suspect that the owner is probably the reason that the driver is allowed/forced to drive in the way he does.

[DJR]

You are probably right, but when he finally ends up in court, a few complaints like that on the record can make it very difficult for him as well as for his boss if he did nothing about it. Somewhere in the future you might just save another cyclist's life. That's how I see it.

[urbanroyal]

That's a bullsh*t... .I would have fuc**d him up..