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Truck Science

Category: Life

Published on Saturday, 22 May 2010 05:00

Written by Paul Roy

As any driver knows, when you spend too much time behind a windshield, especially a dirty one, you think about a whole bunch of different things, some important, some not so much. A couple of days ago, during a particularly long day behind the windshield I came up with these.

Have you ever seen those cell phone towers on the side of the highway that are disguised to look like trees? There is one along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Charlton. They are big, they are tall and they have what I guess are supposed to be branches on them, except instead of the branches being placed randomly, they are all in the same pattern, like an artificial Christmas tree. I honestly didn’t think they fooled anyone until one day I actually had one of my towing customers ask me what kind of tree that was. So being the ever helpful person I am I told her “It’s called a “Verizon Pine ma’am, they are indigenous to this area.”

As I drove through downtown Worcester (or Wistah if you are a local) I had someone run across the street in front of me, never a good plan when you run in front of a truck, but that is grist for another mill. Have you ever noticed that when someone crosses the street, especially when they are not in a crosswalk, they always run until they are in front of you then they slow down? You would think the person would run faster when there is more a chance they will get hit wouldn’t you? They look and see no one is coming on the side they are standing but you are coming on the opposite side, they run to the middle then walk. I don’t get it.

I hope someone out there can answer this question for me, I have asked engineers, traffic management people, even a State Trooper or two and no one knows why the chain link fences which are installed on the bridges that go over the interstates are curved on one side and straight on the other. I can understand why they are curved, probably to keep people from either tossing things over them or climbing them and jumping. If that is why they are curved then why only on one side? Some bridges have curved fences on both sides but there are some with a curved fence on one side. Look up at them on your next road trip, and if you know the answer to this conundrum, please share, just make sure when you look no one is stopping in front of you or we will meet sooner than you might like.

And then there is this, do you ever wonder why people who cut you off always give you that little wave like they are saying thank-​you? It’s not like you had a choice to let them go or not, they cut you off. Same thing when they pull half way across the street and you have to stop or risk hitting them or oncoming traffic. “Thank-​you”, little smile, and off they go. Or better yet, they cut over into your lane, especially if you are in a truck and they are playing “Beat the truck”, and then get angry at you because you almost hit them. I know, I know, none of my readers would ever ever ever ever do that.