Red Tornado
Posts:159
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| 03/20/2014 02:08 PM |
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I live in Texas, which IMHO has the monopoly on diesel pickup trucks. Seems like almost every time one of them passes/comes around they kick it down and fumigate the rider(s) with fumes. Been wondering if this is really what is happening or just a figment of my imagination.
Could be that all drivers are doing the same thing and it's just the color/smell of diesel that makes it more noticeable. Could be that diesel pickup owners here are just meaner/more redneckish'. I know I've been told many times by these guys to "get off the road and on the sidewalk" ~ even though there's no sidewalk on the majority of my routes.
So I decided to canvass my co-workers, many of whom own either a diesel or gas pickup truck. The majority of gas truck/SUV owners said they try to give riders some room and usually coast by or keep even pressure on the accelerator. Even though some see a bike rider as an inconvenience they still seem to try to be decent about it. A few like to play with riders but the majority just want to get to their destination. The majority of diesel guys apparently enjoy "gassing" cyclists, who have no business being on the road anyway. Overall seemed to be a general disrespect/disregard/dislike for cyclists by the diesel crowd. A handful always gas it when they go around someone and never bothered to think about the exposed bike rider next to them; kinda cold but honest. A few guys changed their tune when they found out their co-worker is a cyclist. "Never thought about it from that angle" was a typical sort of reply.
Anyone else experience this or is it just in Texas? Other theories? |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 03/20/2014 02:28 PM |
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not your imagination
http://bikeportland.org/2014/02/13/man-claims-he-was-victim-of-intentional-smoke-screen-from-passing-truck-101412
read the comments. It's called "rolling coal" among other things.
If your hobby is gassing cyclists with yer pickup, it's a compensation issue and you need to see a psychiatrist or a lower-body plastic surgeon. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 03/20/2014 03:28 PM |
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| Yup, had that happen to me and a buddy. Pickup slowed down, truck down shifted, hit the throttle and belched black smoke. Some trucks sport window stickers with the aforementioned "rolling coal" slogan. |
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jrt1045
Posts:363
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| 03/20/2014 03:30 PM |
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my least favorite are the Dodge diesel pick-ups. I get the feeling that the purchasers of most Mopar, full-sized pick-ups have a little more Red Neckerson in them than the typical truck owner. mouth breather, meth heads basically
what about all the window stickers about strokin', cummin' and all that? |
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THE SKINNY
Posts:506
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| 03/20/2014 03:59 PM |
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| i heard that in the portland, oregon area, the greennecks rev up their hybrids when passing cyclists and zap them with static electricity. as far as diesel truck drivers, they've probably got no business owning such a truck. the biggest thing they haul is theirs and their girlfriends fat asses to the walmart and ayce buffet. they feel the large truck gives them a feeling of power which they don't normally have and they chose to abuse people with it. dicks. |
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| How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 03/20/2014 06:13 PM |
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Skinny, a big factor in me considering only a Prius was my past decade's experience of never even smelling the exhaust of one of those, despite having hundreds start up in front of me at lights, including many that were clearly early ones and therefore lots of miles. (I never smelled exhaust from an Insight either, but only two have started u in front of me. Honda should have called them "Otta Sight" 'cause you never see them. I notice the new ones are a dead ringer for a Toyota Prius!)
Ben |
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smokey52
Posts:498
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| 03/20/2014 08:01 PM |
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| speaking of Texas, maybe we could reach a deal with Russia. They give Crimea back to Ukraine, and we give Texas back to Mexico (but only if Ted Cruz and all the diesels go too). |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/21/2014 09:58 AM |
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Only if we Austin can become the "Luxembourg" of the Americas...
The rest can go. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/21/2014 11:00 AM |
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| Disregard the "we". |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 03/21/2014 12:01 PM |
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huck, Austin should pull a Brookline, Massachusetts. Brookine borders Boston and sits between Middlesex County and Suffolk County. Boston is the seat of Suffolk County. Wealthy Brookline wanted no part of lowly Boston (and apparently had issues with Middlesex County also). So Brookline left Suffolk County and joined Norfolk County to the south. (And yes, Norfolk County is entirely south of Suffolk County except for the little piece that is Brookline. Norfolk south of Suffolk. Entirely logical thinking by my forebearers, no?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Massachusetts-counties-map.gif
Cohasset MA is also a Norfolk County town despite being entirely surrounded by Plymouth County. Brookline and Cohasset are wealthy towns. So, huck, there is precedent. Perhaps you should approach the Colorado House about incorporating Austin. You could point out that this would help put Boulder in its place.
Ben |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/21/2014 12:10 PM |
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| I don't live there now, but from my time in Texas, I came to appreciate Austin. |
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Yo Mike
Posts:338
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| 03/21/2014 01:03 PM |
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| I've never been to Texas, but Austin is one of the few places there I would choose to visit. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 03/21/2014 02:17 PM |
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It's been 30 years for me since I've been there or anywhere in Texas...
Holy sh!t, I'm old. |
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Spud
Posts:525
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| 03/21/2014 02:55 PM |
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| Oh it's not a figment of your imagination there Red Tordado. Same thing happens here in Tucson. Funny, every %$#ing diesel burning mother#$%#ing dualie pick up that passes by me has a Texas plate. Go home ya gahd damn rednecks! |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 03/21/2014 06:00 PM |
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| Hey Red, which part of TX do you ride in? Everyone who hasn't lived in TX is full of opinions. I don't think they have any idea just how hugely varied the state is in terms of terrain, climate and culture. |
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