Thursday, October 04, 2012

Giving Everyone A Heads Up

I've written two posts about the low clearances in New York - this one about the sign I saw heading to the Hunt's Point Market (see photo above), and this one about the signs on I-278, which snakes along the edge of Brooklyn, the famous bridge in full view as you travel along the interstate.

I did my posts for entertainment value, and to show the ridiculous conditions we often face while on the road.  My friend Marlaina, on the other hand, did an extremely serious post about a recent investigation spearheaded by Chuck Schumer, a New York State Senator. 

He's essentially blaming truckers for hitting bridges in New York.  Granted, it's kind of hard to deny any driver involvement, but in an area that's confusing when driving in a car, having to navigate in an 18-wheeler should be made easier by clear and visible signage, telling us where to go. 

She contacted both the Senator's office - who actually read her post while she was on the phone - and OOIDA's magazine Landline, who interviewed her and wrote up an article about her post 
on their website.

If you're a trucker, you're probably already aware of the low clearance situation in New York.  If you're not a trucker, you're probably going to be checking signs now, wherever you go, just to see what we're talking about.

In either case, if you see a confused trucker - give them a wide berth, don't ride their ass just in case they have to make a last minute move, and try to understand that you're not the only vehicle on the road.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2011:
A Big, Delicious Mess
2010:
Race To The Finish
2009:
The Way To A Man’s Heart Isn’t Only Through His Stomach
2008:
The Monarch Of Style
2007:
I Walked Around The Building For An Hour Looking For That Door
2006:
Home On The Range: It’s Not Just The Place Where The Deer And Antelope Play
2005:
Mina Clarkson

3 comments:

Gil said...

Be careful in Hunts Point. I was talking to a Frito Ly driver and said there is hot lead flying around these days.

ELH said...

Salena,first off,thanks for the heads up on your friends blog post, I've been a regular reader over there and really enjoy her postings..judging by the resp

onse she's gotten in her comment section, it looks like she really hit a nerve....something most of the general driving public would never think about.

Gil said...

There is a bridge just like that in Norwich, CT by the copper plant. I don't think it has been hit in a long time and is due pretty soon. There is another one closer to my house and it too is due to be hit. The two that I mentioned are railroad bridges that don't have that much use. The trucks were smaller when the bridge were built. The railroad wanted to raise the bridge closer to me and all of the neighbors went nuts as they didn't want more truck traffic. It is a big project to raise the bridges as great lengths or track have to be raised.