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safety tip: avoid pickups full of stuff...

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Deleted member 23845

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All,

A safety tip reminder: when you see a pickup or other vehicle (trailer) full of stuff, packed to the top, with informal ropes and such, or no attention to securing the load: avoid, get out of the lane, slow down, pay attention.

Happened to me yesterday on 59 frontage road in Sugar Land. White road maintenance truck pulled out in front of me in U-turn lane, speed up rapidly, and out came a huge black trash container caught by wind blast. Thing bounced hard, and fortunately did not end up in my lane. My Guzzi performed a classic emergency maneuver, and I had a nice pucker moment.

That is all. Carry on.
 
This is especially important to remember at the end of the month as people are often moving then. I have a fear of poorly loaded trucks and trailers spilling their load. I always accelerate and pass them.



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I've had several close calls like that, it's scary as ****!:eek2::eek2:
Best place for vehicles and loads like that is somewhere behind me!
 
Years ago, I got pulled over by a Harris County Constable for speeding while trying to get from behind a pickup full of motor parts and running with the tailgate down. As we turned onto 96 from 146, I moved into the left lane and sped up to go around him. The Sweet Ol’ Boy in the truck sped up as if he was racing me. I dropped a couple of gears and pinned it not knowing there was a Constable behind me. She pulled me over and was really mad, hollering at me, “I can’t believe you did that right in front of me!” as if I had done it on purpose to disrespect her. It took the better part of a half hour to convince her I was only trying to get away from the truck about to drop a load of engine parts. I really wanted to throw it back at her for not doing something about the obvious potential hazard the truck was imposing, but it wasn’t a good idea as she didn’t recognize there was a problem. Fortunately, I rode away without a ticket.
 
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I was riding down FM 1431 in Round Rock a couple years ago. Ahead I could see one of those semi-sized garbage containers they park at construction sites. It was ahead of me going in the same direction. As I was catching up to it, it looked like liquid was sloshing out of the back of it and splashing on the road. Got too close to it before I realized it wasn't liquid, it was panes of glass lofting into the air and smashing on the ground. I had thoughts of catching up to the driver but decided I wasn't willing to risk it.
 
CyclePilot said:
I was riding down FM 1431 in Round Rock a couple years ago. Ahead I could see one of those semi-sized garbage containers they park at construction sites. It was ahead of me going in the same direction. As I was catching up to it, it looked like liquid was sloshing out of the back of it and splashing on the road. Got too close to it before I realized it wasn't liquid, it was panes of glass lofting into the air and smashing on the ground. I had thoughts of catching up to the driver but decided I wasn't willing to risk it.
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Man I try never to ride behind glass company trucks or those painter's van with 10 ladders on top of a roof rack held on by the drip edge. A piece of plate glass between the chin and the shoulders would get front page of the City State for sure. Headline: Ten extension ladders fall off van on I35 on motorcyclist wearing improper open faced helmet.
 
Also not much fun if you're in your 4-wheeler but pulling a trailer, to suddenly have a mattress come at you like a 150 lb spinning pizza box. Don't ask me how I know.... :eek2:
 
the thing i fear the most are semi truck tires...the ones laying in the road are bad, the ones that explode in front of you are deadly.
I had one pop in front of me while riding a honda ST1300 on I H-10. just managed to dodge the pieces, the car behind ended up with a broken windshield.
 
I had a near death experience on I-35 in Hillsboro, 70mph and bumper-to-bumper. A truck threw a tire carcass that came loose and came spinning toward me at what was probably a closing speed of 100mph or so. I was able to adjust my Altima's speed slightly so that the tire caught the leading edge of my hood instead of either smashing into the grill or head-on into the windshield. No damage except a broken wiper blade and a black skid mark that buffed out.

I was SO glad I wasn't on the bike.
 
Good advice. I generally do that even in my truck. I've had things come at me. Watched a tire tread peel off a 18 wheeler and wiz past my head. I don't like to follow those close either. Some times its hard to avoid, but I try.

My brother ate a 6x12 in the front of his vehicle off a truck. It was an insurance nightmare getting it fixed. It punched his radiator and AC condenser. The shop they suggested fix it installed a new one AC condenser and insisted when the AC didn't work it was not there fault and they weren't going to fix it under that job. They wanted money from him directly.
 
weekend_warrior said:
My brother ate a 6x12 in the front of his vehicle off a truck.
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There are some funny insurance quirks about that particular situation. I learned the hard way years ago when, driving out of downtown Dallas in bumper-to-bumper 60mph traffic, an entire muffler and tailpipe assembly suddenly appeared in front of me at point blank range. The truck ahead of me cleared it, but the bottom of my Datsun took a bashing, including a ripped gas tank. Total repair cost was $380 dollars - that's 1980 dollars, not 2018 dollars.

I turned it in to my insurance company expecting to pay $50 deductible on my comprehensive. Nope, it was $250 deductible under collision. As it turns out, the rule was this - if debris hits you before it hits the ground, it's comp; if it hits the ground first, it's collision. Who knew? :shrug:
 
tshelfer said:
I had a near death experience on I-35 in Hillsboro, 70mph and bumper-to-bumper. A truck threw a tire carcass that came loose and came spinning toward me at what was probably a closing speed of 100mph or so. I was able to adjust my Altima's speed slightly so that the tire caught the leading edge of my hood instead of either smashing into the grill or head-on into the windshield. No damage except a broken wiper blade and a black skid mark that buffed out.

I was SO glad I wasn't on the bike.
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:eek2:

Pretty sure I would've had a skid mark that wouldn't buff out.
 
jbird710 said:
Years ago, I got pulled over by a Harris County Constable for speeding while trying to get from behind a pickup full of motor parts and running with the tailgate down. As we turned onto 96 from 146, I moved into the left lane and sped up to go around him. The Sweet Ol’ Boy in the truck sped up as if he was racing me. I dropped a couple of gears and pinned it not knowing there was a Constable behind me. She pulled me over and was really mad, hollering at me, “I can’t believe you did that right in front of me!” as if I had done it on purpose to disrespect her. It took the better part of a half hour to convince her I was only trying to get away from the truck about to drop a load of engine parts. I really wanted to throw it back at her for not doing something about the obvious potential hazard the truck was imposing, but it wasn’t a good idea as she didn’t recognize there was a problem. Fortunately, I rode away without a ticket.
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The belligerent cops are the ones that usually stop you for nonsense reasons trying to get a rise out of you . Had a city cop out of Carrizo Springs try this attitude thing for a few miles 9ver the limit (I forget , wasn't a lot) . Played it cool and didnt rise up to his crazy attitude and only got a warning.
 
viffer07 said:
the thing i fear the most are semi truck tires...the ones laying in the road are bad, the ones that explode in front of you are deadly.
I had one pop in front of me while riding a honda ST1300 on I H-10. just managed to dodge the pieces, the car behind ended up with a broken windshield.
Click to expand...

And you see cars just hanging around next to them :brainsnap. Ever seen a tire retread catapult?
 
tshelfer said:
I had a near death experience on I-35 in Hillsboro, 70mph and bumper-to-bumper. A truck threw a tire carcass that came loose and came spinning toward me at what was probably a closing speed of 100mph or so. I was able to adjust my Altima's speed slightly so that the tire caught the leading edge of my hood instead of either smashing into the grill or head-on into the windshield. No damage except a broken wiper blade and a black skid mark that buffed out.

I was SO glad I wasn't on the bike.
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Flew through the air like a flying noodle. Seen it and wont ever hang around trucks
 
Empty trailers too. Once had an empty flatbed landscaper trailer particle board bed lift out once the truck got up to speed and come sailing like a knife through the air.
 
Drive in the Metromess long enough & you'll see one of everything. How about flying barrels? Years ago, we were commuting into downtown Dallas. I was behind a flatbed truck carrying a bunch of empty barrels, or gas drums. The retaining chain broke, and about 15 barrels were suddenly bouncing and sailing everywhere, like some gigantic Donkey Kong game. Incredibly, I didn't hit anything or see anybody else do so, but it was amazing how all those cars scattered everywhere, and managed to avoid each other.
 
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