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The Law of Gross Tonnage

By lex, on March 20th, 2010

Illustrated landsman version.

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March 20th, 2010 | Tags: | Category: Small Stuff

10 comments to The Law of Gross Tonnage

  • SCOTTtheBADGER
    March 20, 2010 at 9:57 am

    Back in the days of the Great Liners, many Grand Banks fisherman died demonstrating that principle. There was even a horrid joke: ” How was your trip back to England ?” ” Dreadfully dull, only ran down one fishing smack, don’t you know”.

  • Quartermaster
    March 20, 2010 at 11:16 am

    I had that happen to me back in the 70s. Small cars were becoming common and a truck in the left lane saw something ahead I couldn’t and slowed. As a result I found myself easing past him and when I got even with his front fender he pulled over into me, not being able to see me. I tried to get away, didn’t, and ended up being pushed in such a way that I ended up being pushed down the road while slowly moving towards the drivers side of the truck. When I cleared his left fender and could see him, I waved at him. He then stopped, and got out. He leaned up against the truck and started shaking.

    What he saw was a cop at the site of an estate auction, with lights flashing. Instead of just aiding traffic flow, the cop ended up investigating an accident his presence caused. The truck had pushed me about 200 yards before he realized I was there.

    My wife’s hair started turning gray after that.

  • SCOTTtheBADGER
    March 20, 2010 at 11:28 am

    Glad you made it OK, QM. It probably would have been even worse today, with cars designed to crumple when hit. There are a lot of wee small cars out there that scare me. I’ve been to too many accidents in my time. I shall continue to drive pickups.

  • Kris, in New England
    March 20, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    I always get nervous passing 18-wheelers – and I don’t drive a small car anymore. I used to have a Honda CRX – going past those trucks on a highway in the rain was always an exercise in terror.

  • SCOTTtheBADGER
    March 20, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Friday morning, I was going down US 12, and I met a SMART car, with a Freightliner right behind him. I wonder if the Freightliner would heve even noticed, if he had run the SMART down?

    • Quartermaster
      March 20, 2010 at 6:05 pm

      Most likely he wouldn’t have felt it.

      I still drive a small car. In fact, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I bought a 1990 Dodge Colt with less than 110K miles on it and have been driving it since. I’ll switch back to my Suzuki Burgman 400 middle of next month. I drive 32 miles one way to work and use them both to save money. The Scooter gets over 60mpg, and the Colt about 32 mpg on the road. Since it’s mostly 4 lane to work, and light truck traffic, it works out well.

      I drove the Colt to see my son over Christmas then to Dayton, OH and Marietta, OH to see friends. Needless to say, I don’t hang around big rigs. I drive like I ride, as though they don’t see me. Makes me seem paranoid from time to time, but I’m alive and one piece. Maj. “Chaplain in Training” can tell you all about the alternative.

  • CdninQ8
    March 20, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    I’ve survived almost three years in Q8 in a Peugeot. I’m gonna begin driving offensively – I plan to purchase an H2 – let others do the defensive driving for awhile. (I’ve seen one SMART car on the road here. Tres idiot)

    • lex
      March 21, 2010 at 5:04 am

      Was there in 1998 and came about as close as ever I’d come to getting greased on a road we called “dead sheep highway” driving back to Ku City from al Jabber base. Passing a big rig in the “center” lane, another big rig coming the opposite direction. Which is when the car behind him also decided to pass.

      There was room for three of us. I really didn’t think that there would have been room for four. There was. Just.

      • CdninQ8
        March 21, 2010 at 10:39 pm

        Driving here has totally changed my idea of a “near” miss. I forget how crazy it actually is until we have guests and they nearly have a heart attack or three just getting from the airport to Salmiya. Never mind heading out to the camel racing track on Dead Sheep highway. ;)

  • SSG Jeff (USAR)
    March 22, 2010 at 10:21 am

    One of my army co-workers who is an Oregon State Trooper refers to that as the “Law of the lugnuts” – he with the most lugnuts wins.
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