Nearly got hit by.....boat trailer!

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The guy driving the pickup truck passed me with plenty of room, but when

he

Quoted message said:

swung back into my lane, that ol' boat trailer swung like a bat out of

hell

Quoted message said:

and missed my left knee by about 6 inches is all! I yelled and shook my
fist at him, but I doubt he even knew he almost wiped me right off the

road.

Quoted message said:

What is it with people pulling trailers that they don't realize the thing
1.) sticks farther out to both sides than their pickup truck and 2.)

swerves

Quoted message said:

wildly when they swerve their truck?

still alive, but smokin' mad....

Pat in TX

I live about 4 miles from a major recreational lake and the big state park
where all the fishing tournaments are held. On weekends, I make sure my
routes take me away from the lake in the mornings when boats are being towed
towards it. If I'm out for an afternoon ride, I always try to avoid the
roads that all the drunk Bubbas will be taking after they've been outsmarted
by the fish. I learned quickly after I moved here that those bass boat
trailers are a huge danger. Well, actually, it's the dumbasses towing them
that are the huge danger, but you get the point. It's so funny to see a
$25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in front of a
$15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and sinking in value faster
than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too common sight where I live.

Bob C.

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The guy driving the pickup truck passed me with plenty of room, but when

he

Quoted message said:

swung back into my lane, that ol' boat trailer swung like a bat out of

hell

Quoted message said:

and missed my left knee by about 6 inches is all! I yelled and shook my
fist at him, but I doubt he even knew he almost wiped me right off the

road.

Quoted message said:

What is it with people pulling trailers that they don't realize the thing
1.) sticks farther out to both sides than their pickup truck and 2.)

swerves

Quoted message said:

wildly when they swerve their truck?

Here's a story of mine from earlier this year about nearly getting hit by a
boat trailer:

http://www.jimcarson.com/archives/000249.shtml

It's the first response to Jim's blog entry regarding Flying Wheels.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

psycholist wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

It's so funny to see a
$25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in front of a
$15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and sinking in value faster
than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too common sight where I live.

If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
definitions of insanity.

1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.
(Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on this one.)

2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).

Austin
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

AustinMN wrote:
|| psycholist wrote:
|| <snip>
||| It's so funny to see a
||| $25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in front
||| of a $15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and sinking in
||| value faster than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too common sight
||| where I live.
||
|| If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
|| definitions of insanity.
||
|| 1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different
|| result. (Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on
|| this one.)
||
|| 2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).

2) is not necessary. But number 1) is not unlike pedaling a bicycle many,
many miles. 🙂

"AustinMN" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

psycholist wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

It's so funny to see a
$25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in front of a
$15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and sinking in value

faster

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too common sight where I live.

If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
definitions of insanity.

1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.
(Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on this one.)

2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).

Austin
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

I'm not a "real" psychologist. I'm a psycho - list. I believe there's a
substantial difference, but I couldn't say for sure.

I have to agree with Roger. Cycling is pretty much doing the same thing
over and over and expecting a different result (to become faster). The big
differences I see are that I'm not matching wits with a fish and what I haul
behind me doesn't take up near as much of the road (though it's a little
more each year).

So Austin, how did you fare in the big flood? I have people in Owatonna and
I hear Austin got it pretty bad. We really dodged a bullet with Ivan down
here.

Bob C.

Roger Zoul said:

AustinMN wrote:
|| psycholist wrote:
|| <snip>
||| It's so funny to see a
||| $25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in front
||| of a $15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and sinking in
||| value faster than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too common sight
||| where I live.
||
|| If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
|| definitions of insanity.
||
|| 1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different
|| result. (Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on
|| this one.)
||
|| 2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).

2) is not necessary. But number 1) is not unlike pedaling a bicycle many,
many miles. 🙂

Actually, I'd suggest that pedaling a bicycle is exactly the opposite of
1). When I pedal my bike, I expect exactly the same result with each
revolution of the pedals - move my bike that much further ahead.

Jeff

psycholist said:

I'm not a "real" psychologist. I'm a psycho - list. I believe there's a
substantial difference, but I couldn't say for sure.

No, you'd need to be a psychologist to do that!

Jeff Williams wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: AustinMN wrote:
::::: psycholist wrote:
::::: <snip>
:::::: It's so funny to see a
:::::: $25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in
:::::: front of a $15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and
:::::: sinking in value faster than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too
:::::: common sight where I live.
:::::
::::: If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
::::: definitions of insanity.
:::::
::::: 1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different
::::: result. (Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on
::::: this one.)
:::::
::::: 2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).
:::
::: 2) is not necessary. But number 1) is not unlike pedaling a
::: bicycle many, many miles. 🙂
:::
:::
:::
:: Actually, I'd suggest that pedaling a bicycle is exactly the
:: opposite of 1). When I pedal my bike, I expect exactly the same
:: result with each revolution of the pedals - move my bike that much
:: further ahead.

🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do expect to
catch something 🙂
Else, why bother?

Roger Zoul said:

Jeff Williams wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: AustinMN wrote:
::::: psycholist wrote:
::::: <snip>
:::::: It's so funny to see a
:::::: $25,000 bass rig hooked to a $35,000 pickup truck sitting in
:::::: front of a $15,000 trailer -- all of it financed by debt and
:::::: sinking in value faster than a lead-head jig. That's an all-too
:::::: common sight where I live.
:::::
::::: If you're a real psychologist, then you know that fishing fits two
::::: definitions of insanity.
:::::
::::: 1) Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different
::::: result. (Thanks to my 14 YO son for pointing out the similarity on
::::: this one.)
:::::
::::: 2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).
:::
::: 2) is not necessary. But number 1) is not unlike pedaling a
::: bicycle many, many miles. 🙂
:::
:::
:::
:: Actually, I'd suggest that pedaling a bicycle is exactly the
:: opposite of 1). When I pedal my bike, I expect exactly the same
:: result with each revolution of the pedals - move my bike that much
:: further ahead.

🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do expect to
catch something 🙂
Else, why bother?

Right. They cast, and cast, and cast, each time catching nothing, but the
whole while, expecting to catch something. Doing the same thing again and
again, expecting a different result.

Austin
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

psycholist said:

So Austin, how did you fare in the big flood? I have people in Owatonna

and

Quoted message said:

I hear Austin got it pretty bad. We really dodged a bullet with Ivan down
here.

I'm not in Austin, I'm just north of the Twin Cities. I used to go by
AustinBoston, but when I moved west I decided AustinMN would work. Oh, and
I don't eat SPAM.

Austin
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do expect

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

catch something 🙂
Else, why bother?

Right. They cast, and cast, and cast, each time catching nothing, but the
whole while, expecting to catch something. Doing the same thing again and
again, expecting a different result.

Austin

Ah, but since they can't see beneath the water, they are hoping that a fish
is swimming closer to them each time they cast. IOW, conditions change:
they aren't the same each time.

Pat in TX

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do expect to
catch something 🙂
Else, why bother?

Because:

1) it's an opportunity to get out of the house and away from the wife and
chores

2) beer

GG

Fri, 17 Sep 2004 17:25:29 -0700, <[email hidden]>,

GaryG' garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com said:

Quoted message said:

🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do expect to
catch something 🙂
Else, why bother?

Because:

1) it's an opportunity to get out of the house and away from the wife and
chores

2) beer

3) Golf is for wimps.
--
zk

Quoted message said:

Right. They cast, and cast, and cast, each time catching nothing, but the
whole while, expecting to catch something. Doing the same thing again and
again, expecting a different result.

Austin

wow, look at you, you think a person never catches anything.

Pat wrote:
|||| 🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do
|||| expect to catch something 🙂
|||| Else, why bother?
|||
||| Right. They cast, and cast, and cast, each time catching nothing,
||| but the whole while, expecting to catch something. Doing the same
||| thing again and again, expecting a different result.
|||
||| Austin
||
|| Ah, but since they can't see beneath the water, they are hoping that
|| a fish is swimming closer to them each time they cast. IOW,
|| conditions change: they aren't the same each time.

No smart fisherman will cast over and over again to the same spot without
changing anything. You either present a different bait, use the lure
differently, or find a different spot. Fish hang out near structure, so
you must generally seek it out and then present something they might be
interested in.

GaryG wrote:
|| "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
|| news:[email hidden]...
|||
||| 🙂 Well, when people fish (based on personal experience) they do
||| expect to catch something 🙂
||| Else, why bother?
|||
||
|| Because:
||
|| 1) it's an opportunity to get out of the house and away from the
|| wife and chores

True. For me, though, I had no wife or chore to escape...I just wanted to
get outside. Now, however, I just go ride 70 miles.

||
|| 2) beer
||

That makes me fat 🙂

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jeff Williams wrote:

Quoted message said:

::::: 2) Investing $75,000 in order to catch $15 worth of fish (maybe).

one old fly-rod, box of ten $1 flies, one old smoker, brine, wood chips,
lighter fluid, charcoal, and a good knife. maybe $50 to catch the tastiest
thing there is :-) ...if it's not catch and release :-(
-a

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The guy driving the pickup truck passed me with plenty of room, but when

he

Quoted message said:

swung back into my lane, that ol' boat trailer swung like a bat out of

hell

Quoted message said:

and missed my left knee by about 6 inches is all! I yelled and shook my
fist at him, but I doubt he even knew he almost wiped me right off the

road.

Quoted message said:

What is it with people pulling trailers that they don't realize the thing
1.) sticks farther out to both sides than their pickup truck and 2.)

swerves

Quoted message said:

wildly when they swerve their truck?

still alive, but smokin' mad....

Pat in Tx

Hi, Getting back to the original poster's comments, a real danger I
see, is that in small towns/rural areas, most roads are only 2 lanes,
and the shoulders of the roads are generally not that good, to even
non-exisitant, so it sort of forces you to actually ride in the lane.

When an oncoming vehicle is about to pass by you, and you have traffic
coming up from the rear of you, this is where it can get real
dangerous. Being hard to see behind, (Especially when your paying
attention of where you are in the lane) it can be hard to know exactly
just how close the vehicle coming up from behind is to you. Most
drivers just don't seem that they are going to slow down, and wait for
oncoming traffic to go by, just because a bike is in thier path, and
will try to squeeze through.

Just regular vehicles pose a problem. One with a trailer of some sort
is very deadly. A very important consideration I guess, is to
carefully select where you are going to regularly ride if riding for
sport/recreation. Not an easy thing to do at times. Mark

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The guy driving the pickup truck passed me with plenty of room, but

when

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

he

Quoted message said:

swung back into my lane, that ol' boat trailer swung like a bat out of

hell

Quoted message said:

and missed my left knee by about 6 inches is all! I yelled and shook

my

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

fist at him, but I doubt he even knew he almost wiped me right off the

road.

Quoted message said:

What is it with people pulling trailers that they don't realize the

thing

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1.) sticks farther out to both sides than their pickup truck and 2.)

swerves

Quoted message said:

wildly when they swerve their truck?

still alive, but smokin' mad....

Pat in Tx

Hi, Getting back to the original poster's comments, a real danger I
see, is that in small towns/rural areas, most roads are only 2 lanes,
and the shoulders of the roads are generally not that good, to even
non-exisitant, so it sort of forces you to actually ride in the lane.

When an oncoming vehicle is about to pass by you, and you have traffic
coming up from the rear of you, this is where it can get real
dangerous. Being hard to see behind, (Especially when your paying
attention of where you are in the lane) it can be hard to know exactly
just how close the vehicle coming up from behind is to you.

That's one reason I use a mirror (the Take-a-Look model). It makes
monitoring overtaking traffic as unconscious an act as checking your rear
view mirror in your car.

Quoted message said:

Most
drivers just don't seem that they are going to slow down, and wait for
oncoming traffic to go by, just because a bike is in thier path, and
will try to squeeze through.

I ride on these kinds of roads all the time (narrow lanes, no shoulder). If
I see oncoming traffic, and I detect overtaking traffic in my mirror, I
drift left towards the center of the lane. If the overtaking driver is not
slowing down, I indicate for them to do so with my left hand facing rearward
and a shake of my head. Most of the time, this is all it takes and as soon
as it's clear I move to the right and wave them around. Most drivers
(especially the elderly) understand what's going on and seem to appreciate
my taking control of the situation...they often wave (with all 5 fingers!)
as they go by. However, tf the overtaking driver does try to pass me, my
position in the roadway forces them to swing very wide to get around me, and
I still have a lot of roadway to my right to move into.

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

Quoted message said:

Just regular vehicles pose a problem. One with a trailer of some sort
is very deadly. A very important consideration I guess, is to
carefully select where you are going to regularly ride if riding for
sport/recreation. Not an easy thing to do at times. Mark