My Kerry bumper stickers ticked a semi-truck driver off yesterday.

[jedicord]

I was in the right lane at a red light, the truck (flat bed, carrying a bulldozer) was behind me. When the light changed I took off, he gunned it, drove around me and immediately swerved into my lane. I had to slam on my brakes HARD, they started smoking. The guy behind me almost hit me. I hit my horn, the truck slammed on his brakes. That's when I saw the "I support our President and our troops" sticker. He finally took off. Scared the __ out of me.

Think I'm paranoid? I do live in Texas, north of Houston.

[LiberalFighter]

1. Report his behavior to his boss...

if you know the company

If you have a Cheers and Jeers section in your newspaper use it for that purpose.

[SammyBlue]

11. I am a former truck driver

If that EVER happens again, you get the tag number, the trailer number and do two things:

1: Call his safety department and complain.

2: Call DPS and report his driving and that he almost ran you off the road. The fines are unbelievable for those with a Class A license.

Notice that Kerry's sticker pissed him off, but Covanent Transportation can have a painting on the back of their trailers saying "It's not a choice, it's a child."

Hence why I dont drive a truck anymore.

[WLKjr]

30. I see those Covanent Transportation trucks all the time on I-75 in OH

I have see those truck trailers with ads like that.

[candy]

2. A DU'er was proud of harassing someone with a Bush-Cheney bumper sticker

about a week ago.

Anyone who harasses someone while driving a car is NUTS!

[Calico Jack Rackham]

7. I don't recall any DUer

almost causing a potentially life threatening accident. Making a joke about someones bumper sticker and almost killing fellow motorists are two totally different things.

Methinks you need a little reality check.

[seabeyond]

8. there was a duer who did cut the person off

i believe if i remember the story, and no it is not something to be proud of and i dont think many people validated the behavior if i remember correctly. didnt spend much time in the thread

[candy]

13. Reality check,my ass!

It was on Route 95 in Connecticut and it was an older couple.

This was no joke,it was highway driving.

[Piperay]

25. It's true

I remember it well along with many other DUers, on the road driving is not the place to play games no matter what the political party affliation. :mad:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

27. Reality check-a semi is a lethal weapon

an exchange of words is usually benign.

[The Sushi Bandit]

3. Just carry a GUN.. they are legal in Texas, Right?

Or at least a can of mace!

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

5. Got that right.

I keep a .357 Magnum in my glove box. I would have zipped around the guy and flipped him the Hawaiian peace sign.

[camero]

4. Did you get his truck number?

Forget about calling his company, few if any actually do anything about it other than a reprimand from the dispatcher. A better thing for you to do would be to call the state police. They'll check him out at the next scale.

[jedicord]

10. Hindsight is 50/50

I was so freaked out, I didn't get it because he took off too soon. I had to sit there for a couple of seconds before I could drive again. If I had snap, I would have pulled over at the next turn off and called with the license plate number and waited for the police then.

Trust me, I'm kicking myself in the ass. They're doing new construction in that area, so I'm hoping to see the guy again. Hopefully I'll be prepared for him and have him try to pull that stunt again, then call the police and tell them about the first time too.

I've heard of other DUers having confrontations over bumper stickers, but nothing like this.

Man, I hate Texas!

[camero]

21. You don't need his license plate number

All you need is the number on the side of his truck that the company paints there for ID purposes. Just a little FYI in case you see him again. Just tell the police the company name and truck number.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. Call the police.

Of course, you need to have the prescence of mind to get the license plate number, but that's highly illegal, and it doesn't matter how Republican the cops are, they won't appreciate tractor-trailer trucks being used as weapons of intimidation.

[el_gato]

9. If someone tried that with me they'd get their ass kicked

[jedicord]

12. Yeah, if he had the balls to stop I would have confronted him

without a doubt. But that would have been stupid, 'cause I'm 120 lbs. wet. But then again, adrenaline is a wonderful thing!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

34. Don't have to be bigger

You don't have to be bigger than him. Just have to be able to run faster. Then run just enough faster that he doesn't give up until he has a heart attack!

[Stew225]

15. el-gato, I'm with you. I'd be in jail by now. eom

[ibegurpard]

24. I would have been sorely tempted to shoot out the fucker's tires.

:grr:

[rfkrocks]

14. People that use cars or trucks as weapons belong in JAIL

There is no second amendment that says you have a right to a license-it is a privilege given to people who are supposedly trustworthy driving multi-ton vehicles at high rates of speed-thousands of Americans die because of crap like this-report him next time

[jedicord]

16. Let's hope there's not a next time...

But if there is, I'm good to go. I'll be more on my toes, I think.

By the way, be careful out there. Apparently, this is war.

[rfkrocks]

18. amen to that

When you have a President who has nothing but division to offer us emotions run high- culture war and real war is all he stands for-who would have thought that putting a presidential bumper sticker on your car is an act of courage?-man Bush has screwed up this country royally-and BTW-your bumper sticker is an act of courage!-Take care

[mdguss]

17. Driving is to be taken seriously:

You can get hurt going 10 miles an hour, you can get killed at 25 miles per hour. Let alone 65...

Don't fool around with cars. They're to be respected. I-95 isn't the Indy 500--though lots of people act like it is. Race car drivers can run into each other (although they rarely do it on purpose) because they have cages of steel or carbon fiber, helmets, specially built carbon fiber seats, a car that is designed to crush upon impact to reduce G-Forces, roll bars to protect yourself in the case of a rollover, padding around the legs and neck to prevent injury, and most importantly a five point harness. The best race car drivers let the really aggressive drivers go--and stay out of their way. That's a lesson to be used on the street. If some idiot cuts you off and slams on the brakes, slow down and let them get far ahead of you.

A typical street car has a couple airbags, a shoulder-seat belt (which saves lives, but isn't as good as it could be), a crush zone on the front and rear of the car (but no crush zone for side impacts, though newer cars are better for side impacts), seats that are designed for both safety and comfort (keeping your seat in good condition is crucial to being well protected in an accident), and steering wheels that are designed to provide some padding in an accident--avoids broken ribs.

Average cars are safe for a fender bender at 20 miles per hour. If you use the safety devices properly (wear seat belts, use airbags properly, don't sit too close to the wheel, etc), there are relatively safe for highway collisions--although highway collisions are always dangerous and potentially fatal...highway collisions should be avoided at all costs through defensive driving.

That said, a tractor trailer can crush a car at even the slowest of speeds. They are heavy vehicles with long braking distances and giant blind spots. Too many car drivers cut in front of tractor trailer drivers, and don't leave enough room when following behind them.

Of course, there are tractor trailer drivers who think that because they are professional drivers they should own the road. One time when I was on the Pennsylvania turnpike, a tractor trailer tailgated me for 10 miles (the traffic in front of me, and to the side of me was all going the same speed--the result of construction). Impatient that I was leaving the proper following distance--12-15 car lengths at 60 mph, he began to flash his highbeams. I didn't do anything about it: there are police out there who pull over aggressive drivers--both in trucks and in cars.

But safety is first and foremost when driving or riding in a car. Always leave the proper following distance, always wear seat belts, never have an airbag activated if you don't meet the minimum weight requirements listed in your cars manual. Never put a child's seat in the front of the car. Check your mirrors before you make a lane change, obey the speed limit and be curtious to the people around you--even if they have a Bush/Cheney sticker--or the new "W 2004" sticker on their car.

[FlaGranny]

19. I agree with everything you said, but it reminded

me of when I used to drive in heavy traffic, no matter what speed - if you left two car lengths in front, it was immediately filled. You slow down to allow enough room and another car fills the space. You wind up going slower and slower and disrupting traffice flow. I have no idea what to do about that!!

[jedicord]

20. You're so right!

"...a tractor trailer can crush a car at even the slowest of speeds. They are heavy vehicles with long braking distances and giant blind spots."

Don't think me and my Toyota didn't have tightened sphincters?

If it had been a regular vehicle, I might have let him hit me. But this time, if I hadn't gotten out of the way, this guy would have creamed me.

[MadMichDem]

22. Geez, I thought

someone stealing my yard signs was bad.

Glad you're OK

[devilgrrl]

33. Welcome to DU MadMichDem!

:toast:

[wellstone dem]

29. and please remember

that the driver who screws up may be my daughter or another new driver....even if I'm in the front seat yelling at her she's not a perfect driver.

[Sugarbleus]

31. I agree. I don't think DUers or Freepers should be acting like a

fool on the roadways. No hanging out of windows gesturing or "calling people out" over bumper stickers. That is dangerous and junvenile.

If I saw anyone doing such a thing rightwing or leftwing, I'd call the authorities. I don't want to see people injured or be injured myself on our roadways.

If the original poster was threatened by the semi driver, he/she should report it immediately.

[jdj]

23. You're being paranoid. Friday is the day W. gets to play with the 'dozer.

It's last on his agenda for today after "make an ass of yourself about 50 different times at the Unity conference. Give him a break, he was just having a bad day (like Cheney).

[0007]

26. What were you driving?

Never mind you just said it was your Toyota.

[loudsue]

28. Ooooo. My cousin is a wingnut truck driver, stationed just N. of Houston

I'll never know if it was him or not, but he does drive a flat-bed most often. Sounds like something he might do!!

:kick:

[Chomskyite]

32. I give Bush-Cheney sticker cars some extra room

I have my Kerry sticker, and I drive a lot. So chances are I'm going to be driving around a freeper eventually. I give the W supporters extra room, in case they get the urge to do some roadside voter-intimidation.