How Did He Know?

People assume a lot of things when it comes to Truck drivers. Most of it is of a negative nature, but this is something that doesn't normally affect me.

I have also met many people who are truly grateful for what drivers do and go through with this industry. In fact, it is not only the small children in the backs of cars who want you to blow the horn. I have also encountered many others who will blow their horns and wave with glee when they see little ol me sitting up in that seat, driving my life away. People of all ages and social classes. My favorite is the the grandmotherly type who will point and wave and smile, yanking on her husbands sleeve until he notices me too. They give the biggest smiles and the friendliest waves.

Last night, on my way home, I encountered a vehicle with someone in it who made an assumption that drives me crazy.

On the final stretch of interstate on the home bound journey, there is a construction zone that places the Truckers in the two LEFT lanes. I am cruising in the middle lane with not a care in the world as I start to gain on the car in front of me. I move to the left to make the pass, assuming nothing out of the ordinary. I have 5 miles until my exit. Plenty of time to complete my task. Once I get halfway around the car, they speed up. We ride like this for about 2 miles. Thinking they will slow down, I remain in the left lane, intending to complete the pass, because this car has been unable to maintain a constant speed from the moment I first noticed it several miles back.

Nearing the sign indicating that my exit is looming just a few miles ahead, I turn my blinker on. I assumed that they would do one of two things. 1. Accelerate to give me room behind them or 2. Brake to let me in front of them.

They did neither. With only 2 miles left to go, I begin to slow down in order to fall in behind them, so I can move to the far right lane. At this point there is another Truck now in the middle lane behind the car. I tell the Trucker my intentions and he slows dramatically to allow me room to make my move. The car also slows to match my speed. I brake even harder, and with my blinker still clicking away, so does the car. The Big Truck has given me plenty of room, so I brake even harder and fall in behind the car.

At this point, he slams on his brakes. NOT ONCE, but Twice. This action quickly eliminated any comfort zone I had left for myself while merging in behind him. Thankfully, there had been no vehicles in the far right lane, as I had to quickly dive to the right to avoid hitting the car. I just narrowly missed a collision.

The car then slows down, so he is right beside my cab. Horn blaring and gesturing wildly, he tells me that I am number one, in a not so pleasant manner. I slow even more to let him move on, now running about 20 mph under the speed limit. The other Truck driver moves to the far left to avoid all of this and passes both the car and myself. He then merges back into the right lane, needing to make the exit himself. At this point, the car speeds up and passes both Trucks and gets in the right lane. He then proceeds to slow us down to a crawling 10 miles per hour down the exit ramp, which is rated at 45 and is almost a quarter mile long. He sits at the light and the rest of us turn right.

It is over.

How did this guy know, that I would do everything I could to keep from hitting him. How did he know that I would not just slam into the back of him while he was braking with such frenzy out on the interstate. Why would he assume that I would be able to avoid him. Had I been loaded, we would have needed paramedics to pull him from the wreckage or a crane to upright my truck and trailer.

I am not sure if he thought I was trying to intimidate him, by trying to pass, or signaling a lane change, but if he had been able to maintain a steady speed, I would have just rode behind him. If he had been in the Restricted Truck Lane, this would have never even been an issue. Was he just stupid? Maybe just easily intimidated by 18 wheelers? Did he has a deathwish?

I will never know, but I wish idiots in cars would leave the big trucks alone! We have the capacity (with our size, weight and momentum) to cause death and destruction in mere seconds, and we cannot always react as quickly as you think we should. This guy made an assumption and as a professional Truck Driver, it is my responsibility to make sure he was safe while in my vicinity. I did my job.

I can't wait to see the video....... *sigh*