I watched a cab get hit by an 18-wheeler tonight. It was around 7:00 p.m. down 2nd Ave in the 60s somewhere and the street was all clogged. This cabbie pulled what would normally be a relatively harmless move when he tried to get over into the next lane. However, the 18-wheeler that was already in that lane didn't stop in time and hit him. I'm assuming the cabbie wasn't too injured because the truck driver jumped out and started screaming at him, and usually you don't scream at dead people, or even at people who are bleeding much. Of course, there's a chance he was hurt, but the trucker was so angry, he didn't really give a shit. He was saying, "How the fuck do you expect me to see you from up there? What the fuck is wrong with you? You fucking idiot!" I kinda felt bad for the cabbie, since it must suck to get chewed out two seconds after almost getting killed by a big fucking truck. Unfortunately I was in the flow of traffic, so I couldn't stick around to see what happened next.
Meanwhile, Times Square was a nightmare tonight. They've already begun setting up for New Year's Eve (part of which is shown above), and then they closed it off entirely so they could seal manholes and remove mailboxes, or whatever it is they have to do there. New Year's is the biggest money night of the year for driving a cab, but I don't even bother with it. It's too crazy, with too much traffic and too many drunk people puking in the cab. I'd much rather get drunk myself and puke in someone else's cab.
17 comments:
I love your blog, and I think you are a pretty talented storyteller. But the things that a cabbie might consider as a relatively harmless move are ususlly seen as brainless idiot moves to everyone else. The only reason I haven't killed a dozen yellow cab drivers by now is that I just ask myself "what is the stupidest fucking thing that this cabbie could do?", then I drive as though I expect him or her to do just that. About 10% of the time they don't do it, but ususlly that's exactly what they do.
Basically, this has made my driving a lot safer, but I can stop in a lot less distance than an 18-wheeler that weighs maybe 80 tons.
I couldn't tell from the pic, was it a left or right he made? And what the post above me wrote about "what is the stupidest fucking thing that this cabbie could do?" is to me, called defensive driving. Which is how I drive 9-10 hrs a day 5 days a week. It's like I tell people: there are about 13,000 yellow cabs on the street. If 35% drive like, well, they came from countries withouts lanes or paved roads that's over 4,000. Even though they're the minority that's what we all have to put up with.
i'm a retired trucker. iv'e seen some of the most brain dead drivers in you york city, more than any where else, even tho nyc don't have an exclusive on it. however, cabbies, (not all ) seem to think everyone is watching them only. trucks can weigh as much as 40 tons. try stopping on a dime with that kind of weight.
If the cabbie cut off an 18 wheeler, he got what was coming to him. Too often these people drive like the laws of physics, let alone civility, don't apply to them. The cabbie is expected to act like a responsible adult too. Maybe he pulled one too many.
I drive a truck for a living and can not believe the dumb things people do on the road. YOU WILL NEVER WIN WHEN IT COMES TO TRUCK VERSES CAR. We have to be defensive drivers ALL the time. Maybe knowing YOUR life is on the line the next time you cut off a truck or merge into traffic on a highway and not look because you are to busy talking on the phone or doing anything but driving your car will wake you up, but I doubt it. I have seen cars drive off an entrance ramp right under a trailer. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!
Estimates of 41,000 to 45,000 traffic deaths
occur every year within the U.S.. Walkers
and bikers account for 15% of the total
traffic deaths each year. Fewer than 9% of
those deaths involve commercial vehicles.
More than 80% of those accidents are the
fault of the non-commercial driver.
I was in a wreck (my first wreck) the day before thanksgiving, I was in front of an 18 wheeler that I thought was riding my butt, so I put on my blinker to get over into the right lane (I was going the speed limit, guess I needed to be in the slow lane!) I could get over, I had room, though I did get in front of someone. It pissed him off that I got over, so he sped up and tried to run me off the road! I exited to get away from him, and he followed. I ran off the road because of him, and a tire blew out. then I lost control and hit a 20 foot tree. I was in a coma for two weeks. I'm 19 years old. I just got out of the hospital 2 days ago, and I still need rehab therapy. I have a broken jaw and a brain injury. But I'm healing! It wasn't the 18 wheelers fault, I was a victim of road rage.
This trucker I hitchedhiked with warned me about cutting off a trucker.
"You might think, 'if he hits me, i'll sue him later... but you can't sue someone if you're dead!"
Anna
I dig your blog,COOL I've nothing bad to say about cabbie's . I'm a plumber and I'm on the streets alot. For the most part the cabbie's I've come across have been very professional. True you have your dummies, but I can't bitch.Thanks And God Bless YOU Al in Palmdale Ca.
Unless you had a camera recording the whole cabVStruck incident, you are unlikely to know the whole story.
I drove trucks for a decade+. And, Ive been hit in the rear by a truck that wanted to punish me for taking up space in a crowded lane. He tried pushing me into another car claiming I cut him off. But, I was very lucky and a CHPatrolman witnessed it.
This is the category of accident that insurance takes care of and its best to let them sort out blame and just learn to stay out of their way.
Then again, in Portland ORE, they just nailed a van cab driver for road rage that resulted in the death of a passenger.
"JUST BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!"
VULTURETRADER/PDX
Sorry! got to go with the truck on this one. Just wanted to say you have an interesting site, I enjoyed the read. I have been a visitor to NYC many times, so drive safely, I might be your fare. Keep up the good work and take care.
I'm all for the trucker screaming at the dumbass that pulled out in front of him.
I normally have 60,000 lbs on my back as I try to negotiate the traffic, and idiots that believe that 1st a big truck is slower than they are when rolling at the speed limit, and 2nd that we can stop on a dime because we have air brakes.
Just how fast do most people think you can stop 60,000 lbs thats doing 35 - 70 mph?
I told some guys in a pick up that pulled out in front of me and stopped, then leisurely moved into the left hand lane that next time I'd make a manhole cover out of their asses.
I always expect the other driver to be driving with their head up their ass, and allow them ample time to remove it and react to a given situation.
Road Rage: it's always there, but under tight control.
i just passed my cdl and i am learning the road drive....my apologies go out to all the 18 wheeler drivers on how i have been driving...but i should expect a taxi driver to be smarter than your yellow cab guy...duh...he is a proffesional driver.
I love the photos on your blog and you tackling the infamous NY cabbie phenom. It makes me a little homesick for NY. Personally, even for a NY cabbie, I think the move not a smart one. This past March 2006, I was pushed all the way under an 18-wheeler. I had to be cut out with the jaws of life and I'm still recovering.
www.13lifechangingevents.blogspot.com
Your blog is so interesting and I think I'm addicted to reading your posts. My husband and I drove into the city after a funeral in Jersey a couple of years ago. We were sitting at a light outside GC and there was one of those huge dump trucks next to us and a panel truck in front of us. I was watching a bike courier trying to squeeze between the dump truck and the panel truck and I'm thinking, that's not too smart of a thing to be doing. Just then the light changes and before any of us could react, the courier gets caught and run over by the dump truck. The driver couldn't see him. My husband lays on the horn, the panel truck driver looks in his side mirror to see what's going on and he jumps out and starts waving at the dump truck driver. It happened so fast that no one could do anything. The poor guy never said boo. The truck crushed his leg and mangled his bike and my poor 11 yo saw the whole thing. Soured him on going to NY for a long time.
Hello, nice blog you have... i really found it very interesting. I also have blog, would you mind if i ask you for a link exchange? Regards...
Most truckers think they own the road, I was ran off the road by a trucker, of course he just kept going not bothering to check and see if I was hurt, of course I was to freaked out about what had just happened to get the tag number and was closer to the back end so I couldn't see a logo, there were three state troopers sitting just a little ways down the road chatting so I thought maybe they will go after him, they didn't, after waiting 10 minutes one of them drove down and asked if I wanted to make a report, yes I want to make a report, they said there were to many trucks together at once and they were to far away to be able to know which truck it was for sure since I wasn't able to tell because I was closer to the back end of the truck when he came over on me, bs if u ask me, why do so many truckers think they can do whatever and not care about who they might hurt. My children could have been in there, it could have been much worse, thank god it wasn't.
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