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| 16 APR 2007 at 3:09am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | You probably did warn the truck driver. He saw you getting all excited with your camera and suddenly he focussed on the road ahead. yikes! who put that low bridge there?
I take my camera out with me too. Wonderful things, digital cameras.
PS you knew it wasn't a life threatening incident. I think you'd have pulled a toddler from the fountain rather than film him drowning, so don't beat yourself up about it.
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| 16 APR 2007 at 7:09am |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Not A Speck Of Cereal (16 APR 2007 2:20am)
So what does that say about me that I didn't warn the truck?
You could be a professional photographer!
I forgot my sig.
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| 16 APR 2007 at 9:29pm |
| Deleted User | Maybe if you tried to warn the truck driver he would have not noticed you. Anyways, you can build your own sign warning all people about that low bridge, so you will be doing something great for your town!
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| 17 APR 2007 at 3:50am |
| Deleted User | Some pics
[IMG]http://NotASpeckOfCereal.smugmug.com/photos/144427097-L.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://NotASpeckOfCereal.smugmug.com/photos/144427119-L.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://NotASpeckOfCereal.smugmug.com/photos/144427127-L.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://NotASpeckOfCereal.smugmug.com/photos/144427141-L.jpg[/IMG]
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| 17 APR 2007 at 7:22am |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | Like opening a can of sardines.
It's pretty weird really. It's not like the truck was just one inch too tall. The driver should have known it'd end up like that.
I forgot my sig.
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| 17 APR 2007 at 7:28pm |
| Deleted User | Yeah, it goes without saying that a truck driver is expected to know the width, height and length of his vehicle. Trust me, I have a truck driving license.
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| 17 APR 2007 at 10:45pm |
| Deleted User | Have you ckecked that the height marked in the sign is real? Maybe the bridge is x high, but the sign says x+2, and if the truck is x+1, the driver can't be blamed for that. Well it's just an idea.
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| 30 APR 2007 at 2:01pm |
snowtimeJourneyman
Posts : 1014
Joined: 28 JUN 2005
Status : Online | My guess is it's 9'10 in the middle of the arch but a lot lower at the sides. Ideally the bridge should have an indication of the zone of safe clearance in the middle or a sign saying only drive through here if your truck is shorter on the right than on the left!
*
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
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| 1 MAY 2007 at 4:22am |
| Deleted User | No, they pretty much always mark the bridges on right-side lower-part in this country. The drivers just ignore the warnings. It happened again two days ago and the sturdy bridge still stands. +1 crumpled truck.
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| 1 MAY 2007 at 8:40am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | I love this story. It's like Sherherazade...
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| 1 MAY 2007 at 10:45am |
MarkGuild Master
Posts : 3803
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Location: US, Georgia
Status : Offline | In the early days of record promotion of a band I wuz in (the D.D.'s), we traveled in an ex-Allman Bros. truck - a big ol' Ford F350 with a lift-gate in the rear. Twiggs Lyndon, our Road Manager, modified the truck - which we not-so-affectionately called the "Black-hearted Woman" - by knocking out the rectangular rear cab window and padding it so we could crawl through the hole to the "Sleeping Quarters".
The "S.Q." held four sleeper bunks plus a sling in the center part (which was actually part of the storage area). It slept five, and we took turns sleeping in the "The Sling". With only a wall to separate us, the massive equipment was behind the sleeping "area".
Our road crew consisted of Twiggs, a light man (John), and a sound man (Jeff Burkhart). Everyone helped with the gear. So that made five band members + three crew members = a total of eight guys in a truck with tons o' gear. It was a great way to tour - only because it saved us lots of airfare and hotel room costs. We were on a very strict budget even after having two Grammy-nominated albums and being the opening act for big-name shows.
Anyway...it was John's turn to drive overnight from one venue to another. John was a bit sleepy one night and misjudged the height of one of these quaint little stone bridges and peeled the top of the truck back like a sardine can. It also didn't help that the air conditioning unit for the sleeping area was on top on the F350 and Freon, dust, shrapnel and other toxic nastiness poured into the sleeping area.
Only the engine and cab part of the truck made it under the bridge (with road crew inside, natch) - the rest turned over (with us - the band members - blissfully asleep inside) and ended up sideways on the side on a cliff.
It was a rude awakening as we tumbled out - coughing and hacking from the fumes; flotsam and jetsam flying in our faces - and the screech of ripping metal exposing us to the pitch-black darkness of beautiful night skies of God-Only-Knows-Where.
911? Not invented yet. Cell phones? What dat? The best thing about this debacle was that all of our equipment was fine, and a little Yamaha dirt bike I had in the back still ran. So off I went to get help. I had no idea where to go, so I figured if I drove fast enough, a cop would stop me. Especially since the bike had no lights.
It happened. I was pulled over and we were able to get help, rent a truck, and get on to the next gig on time. I think the ticket for driving a non-street-legal bike was dropped, but I can't remember now.
But this is all just incidental info. I merely wanted to mention my little City of Decatur has a lovely and very old stone railroad trestle that is very similar to the one in Specky's picture - curved on the sides, with many tasteful warnings that trucks over a certain height have to turn around and go some other way. Tall vehicles must drive through the center of the opening or otherwise be scalped. If some semi's are v. v. careful, they can ease their way through the center of the aperture with an inch or two to spare.
It's funny...everytime I go under that bridge, I think how beautifully charming it is, with it's ivy-covered sides and handsome granite stones.
Please proofread your posts carefully to see if you any words out.
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| 1 MAY 2007 at 2:05pm |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline |
Mark
I love your stories. My but you've lived.
Our low bridges have chains hanging down in front so that if your truck touches the chains the noise will alert the driver. They must have these over there too, just not on your quaint bridges. Maybe it's time. Mind you, our bridges are a lot newer I guess.
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| 2 MAY 2007 at 4:19am |
| Deleted User | Great story Mark.
It happened again a few days ago. I didn't see it, but pass the aluminum remnants each morning (which are still there). I chuckle each time I see it.
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