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ELINVESTIG8R
Select Nomad
Posts: 15882
Registered: 11-20-2007
Location: Southern California
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Ahhhhh Rattlesnake. The Breakfast of Champions!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Baja Road Hazards
Steep grades like this widowmaker north of Santa Rosalia have claimed a LOT of lives. The gaurd rails are continuously showing new damage
every time I come through. This may be one of the most dangerous grades on the entire peninsula. El Diablo.
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Below you can see the smoke coming from the overworked brakes on this semi coming down the grade just south of Santo Tomas. This is an
inexperienced driver and a real hazard to himself and others.
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Here's a couple of wrecks ...they always seem to happen on curves below grades.
We've seen literally hundreds of these wrecks over the years since the highway was first built. Sometimes you're the first to come across them and
you always hope there are no fatalities, but unfortunately that's not always the case.
We have been amongst first arrivals to too many fatal accidents. Bad memories. Youngsters dead, because of some fools driving faster than they are
capable of doing...criminal.
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Then there are the straightaways...where one can see for miles ahead. Now the desire to really speed takes over. "Hey, It's a wide open
road...Let's see how fast we can get this baby going! That motorhome up there is only going 55-60..we'll blow his doors off!"
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I think that's what created this accident..the allure of a straight road..and speed.
This is a trailered SUV coming loose and rolling in the rocky desert. It was being towed by another SUV pulling it down the highway.
Another reckless driver..the Baja Road is full of them.
The tow-SUV was going way too fast, eractically passing and crowding another car, when the towed SUV busted loose and rolled about 6 - 7
times...flipping over and over out into the desert. Thanks be, there was nobody in the towed SUV..else they would have been mincemeat. The car that
has just been passed was spared from injury, but not from lack of trying by the idiot driving the tow car.
AND..it's a damn good thing it happened about 200 yards AHEAD of me..or I would have had the SUV through my windshield...crushing us all.
Y'now..I would love to see a marooon ALERT sign erected on these straightaways.  .
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I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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redmesa
Senior Nomad
Posts: 580
Registered: 3-12-2008
Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
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You are so right about the Santa Rosalia stretch...we recently almost kissed our xxxes good by. A curving, uphill section...meeting a semi...large
red pick-up pulls our from behind the semi to pass just as we meet the front of the semi...All we had time to think was "Oh! Sh...! this is really it"
. Luck with us, the pick-up almost loosing control was able to duck back behind the semi with maybe a few feet till collison. We did not speak for
50 miles...stunned silence.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Some Joys of the Baja Road...
redmesa, I feel your angst from your experience on El Diablo grade.
But on the other hand, I know that your next experience was probably one of great happiness..like some of these following from the
Baja Road.
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Carmelitas! Jesus Marie north of Guerrero Negro. A great spot to refresh, get some fuel if needed, and chow down on Carmelitas burritos. This
brings Joy to my heart.
Hola Carmelita! My usual tres, por favor? .
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Some here will recognize Carmelita's old van of many, many years.
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Now here's the new place. A sit-down even!
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Another joyous good spot to refuel the body. Just before the eagle monument at the Guerrero Negro Army base.
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A very great encounter with a date saleman near Viscaino. Ummm...those fresh dates are terrrrific.
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If you have kids with you..whatever thier age ...then you will love
the old-style carnival and new circus events that pop up on the Baja Road. This one was right across from the Pemex at Mulege.
...So, what brings joy to YOUR heart on the Baja Road?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
...So, what brings joy to YOUR heart on the Baja Road?
|
Primarily the country itself.
There are a few sharp turns in the section between catavina and el rosario where the road doubles back and climbs upward on a hillside dotted with
cardons and boojums. I always look forward to this spot with anticipation, especially during evening light.
Another great moment comes when you descend down the highway near Tres Virgenes and first see the blue Cortez. It is always such a welcome sight and
has such a calming effect on me. It's not only calming, though. It's also uplifting and hopeful and gives a sense of well being.
There is also that pullout on the left as you approach BOLA. The view of those islands is mesmerizing. Watching the light change on those islands as
the sun goes down is a wonderful way to spend an evening. I don't know if that counts as part of the highway.
The viewpoint above Juncalito on a calm day rates way up there as well. On our first trip to Puerto Escondido we thought this was just the finest
place. Our grocery runs to Loreto would often end up at this spot.
There are so many others. All due to this wonderful highway.
Oh yes. One other spot. It starts with a 'P'. It's a mountain of boulders in a relatively flat area that is sooo impressive. I never get tired of
looking at it. It's south of catavina.
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by Skipjack Joe]
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
...So, what brings joy to YOUR heart on the Baja Road?
|
Primarily the country itself.
There are a few sharp turns in the section between catavina and el rosario where the road doubles back and climbs upward on a hillside dotted with
cardons and boojums. I always look forward to this spot with anticipation, especially during evening light.
Another great moment comes when you descend down the highway near Tres Virgenes and first see the blue Cortez. It is always such a welcome sight and
has such a calming effect on me. It's not only calming, though. It's also uplifting and hopeful and gives a sense of well being.
There are so many others. All due to this wonderful highway.
Oh yes. One other spot. It starts with a 'P'. It's a mountain of boulders in a relatively flat area that is sooo impressive. I never get tired of
looking at it. It's south of catavina.
[Edited on 4-10-2009 by Skipjack Joe] |
Nice choices for Joy, Igor. I feel the same way about a couple of those magical spots on the Baja Road.
That high winding mountainous place between El Rosario and Catavina I like to call 'The Top of the World.' At the very top of the
tallest mount I have often camped for the night. A more beautiful evening you could not find. I'm afraid I've been guilty of stepping outside the
camper door and shouting ...like Jimmy Cagney.."Look Ma! Top of the World!" And the cops shot him to bits....ah, well, you had to be there.
Three times while camping at Top of the World, I met the same old dog who came to the door. I fed him and left water each time. He must have lived at
a nearby rancho and was looking for new compadres.
Also along that high stretch, there is a particularily tall and huge cactus way over on a distant ridge line that always catches my eye as we travel
past, and appears to be raising it mighty arms to the heavens. I call it Methusalah. It's like seeing an old friend again...and guess it is just
that.
I know that big hill of rocks, Igor. I have a photo of it somewhere, but will not find it today. It is close to this place though..Lake Chapala.
This year it's even got some water in it. I saw it once many years ago ringed with snow.
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We also camp in the boulder fields closer in to Catavina. The quietness really helps after a long day on The Road.
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Great spots to just pull off and find your own solitude in the desert.
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Of course you will remember this wash-out area just before Catavina. Flooded every rainy season for many years...
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This landmark is great for motorists and pilots alike..Las Tres Virgens. Shown here from the south.
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Then that first sight, Igor...
That patch of blue Cortez is a welcome sight when going down into El Diablo, the infamous grade north of Sta. Rosalia.
This trucker must have become enthralled with the sight and pulled onto the beach...who needs to rush? Life is good..and Baja sooths the soul.
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[Edited on 4-10-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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This entire thread was worth the Nomad membership
Thanks to Pompano and the rest of you.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by udowinkler
This entire thread was worth the Nomad membership
Thanks to Pompano and the rest of you. |
Yes, thank you all very much.
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2396
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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WOW ,,, thank you so very much
ken/jane
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Really great photo 'show & tell' Roger! 
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2396
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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very very nice,, brings back memories
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Well hey, you guys and gals..this is a thread about the Baja Road, so post away.
Tell us about your Road events. Lots of wild and crazy things happen while on that 1000 miles stretch, so share your memories here. Good...or bad.
The floor is open.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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This is from a recollection I wrote several years ago. The events took place in 1977. It seems appropriate here.
Little did we know that baja had one more surprise in store for us. Somewhere between Catavina and El Rosaria I looked in the rear view mirror and
noticed that the boat seemed a bit lower than it should have been. An inspection revealed that the frame of the trailer had cracked on the right side.
What to do? We were in the middle of nowhere. A car went by every 45 minutes.
We pulled the boat off and laid it by the side of the road. The trailer frame was lashed together with the spare rope. We decided to separate. Val and
Nadine would stay with the boat while Vera and I would go scouting for help. It seemed like a mad plan at the time as there was nothing but an
occasional rancho within miles. Nadine, who is actually an accomplished painter, decided not to waste time. She set up her easel and oils and went to
work.
Vera and I drove north looking for anyone or anything that could get us out of our predicament. We soon reached an SCT building and asked around. A
fairly attractive attendant gestured, holding her index finger an inch from her thumb, smiled, and walked out the back door. Vera pulled me aside and
asked me if I understood the gesture. It was their way of saying un momentito (wait a moment). She was far better than I in picking
up these nuances. After a lot of background verbiage she reemerged and offered to take us somewhere for the repairs. We climbed back into our Maverick
and drove off into the desert. Our vehicle weaved through fields of desert cactus and brush on a dirt road that seemed to go nowhere.
Finally, to my amazement, we came to a field with enormous mounds of dirt and the sound of heavy machinery. It was a mining excavation of some sort.
Our companion got out and explained the problem to one of the workers. He left us for a short period of time and then showed up with an acetylene
tank and proceeded to weld my trailer back together. I could not believe my good fortune. I offered to pay him for his services but he absolutely
refused anything from me. I pleaded some more but the man wouldn?t accept a dime. I soon understood tha my offers were actually insulting him. He
finally suggested that I might buy him a cerveza, and so I got him a six pack.
On the way back to the highway the lady asked us if we could somehow get her into the United States. She complained of being bored here in baja, that
life was passing her by. I couldn?t believe my ears. She was living in paradise and yet longed for the suburbs of Los Angeles.
By the time we reached our friends it was sunset. The desert was lit up with that golden glow we had grown to love so much. The glow we like to watch
on the Sierra Giganta every morning from our campsite at Pt. Escondido. Nadine was now working feverishly to get it all on canvas before the light
faded.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Igor, that is simply a wonderful Baja Road memory and your writing has me there in person...please continue if you have more.
I can relate to the woman who wanted to 'broaden' her bored life. I have lived in Paradise a long time, too, and every now and then search for
something that might be missing...but I still don't know what that is...Yet.
I'll get it right soon.
sigh...edit AGAIN for spelling..thunderation!
[Edited on 4-13-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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Mood: Skeptical
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I always carry the book, Magnificent Penninsula. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, I think.
The book is a virtual road map of the whole Baja Penninsula. Around every bend is a new microclimate with changes in terrain; geography, flora &
fauna, geology, landmarks, historical sites, hotels and restaurants. It also gives the KM markers to watch for that correspond with each section in
the book.
After a few trips, you look forward to terrain that you know is coming up. Each landmark is like an old familiar friend.
I am usually traveling alone and am fully aware of the attention the road requires, so I can only afford a glimpse as the scenery rushes by. If there
is a place to pull over, I often do just so I can relax and take it in. Sometime I would like to be a passenger and have the book open in my lap for
the whole trip.
The desert is so alive! You discover more with each trip. 
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Books of Baja
Good thoughts, Tony. Books on Baja. Over the years, I've collected many old Baja Road books, travel logs, diarys, and such. I'll readily admit to
being somewhat of a book nut about Baja. My bookcases in Coyote are chock full of them. All great reading and I would never leave home without some
when motorhoming back and forth. Makes for superb relaxation at your evening camp. Nothing like a stirred martini with some Gardner, ey what, ol
chap?
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One I particularily like to revisit is not about the Baja Road, but close enough..the Baja Sea Guide. It follows the shoreline and
frequently has references to the main road.
On the other hand, it is a sea-Road I have followed before..and intend to again. Making voyages.. land or water..there's little else.
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Truly a Joy of the Baja Road...Baja Books
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[Edited on 4-13-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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MECHANICS OF BAJA - La Moca
One of my great Joys ..yes, and sometimes a Sorrow.. of the Baja Road are the 'mechanics.'
As I drive south of the border, leaving highly professional auto repairs of America behind, and make my way south on the peninsula, I must confess to
a sudden rush of adrenalin if I hear a slight knock in the engine..a vibration in the steering column...a clunk in the tranny...brakes grinding on
metal going down El Diablo!
It becomes a challenge..a test of inspiration and innovation, a throwback to the days of my youth spent in blacksmith and tackle shops of western
North Dakota..which is a lot like southern rural Baja is today. Small towns and hamlets where you fixed the problem yourself if possible, but always
had one or two highly self-sufficient mechanics..masters of ingenuity. Back home the saying was 'fixed it with some baling wire and twine...she'll
run fine now' ..and this he did to your brand new 24-valve Cummins! Here in Baja it is pretty much the same. They are the same characters. You
either love em or hate em.
The only really difference is the lefse for lunch is called a tortilla.
To explain my love/hate affair with rural Baja Sur mechanics, I need to put you in my shoes..well, sandals then.
Many years ago, it was hard for me at first to accept these unique characters as 'real mechanics.'
I quickly learned that appearances don't count at all. Forget the spotless, almost operating room clean, mechanic shops in major city, USA. Like
this one in Lompoc, Ca. where I replaced a bad tranny..under warranty thank God.
The place was almost sterile...in more ways than one. I once spent a week in Lompoc one night.
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So okay, we are way south on the Baja Road now...and can you hear that new engine noise?.. my heart begins to beat faster, anticipating a possible
adventure.
This trip may be... the Mother of All Creative Adaptations...La MOCA! Ah...this is the BAJA ROAD!
No fancy hydraulic jacks, power tools, or crispy uniforms. Nope...here you can kill a rat, swig a few brews, and have a pidgeon crap on your head
while having that strange knock in your rig checked out.
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The place is incredibly filthy and dark, kids washing some intregal part of what looks like your electronic computer in a gasoline pail, smiling
knowingly at you, always a pregnant dog laying over in the corner, about 50 buckets and pails of some type of oil, a greasy tarp with thousands of
your engine parts on it...all taken off with a large vise grip, piles of rotors, gears, axles,....and some kid riding off with your crankshaft
strapped to his bike, returning God knows when. Y'know, fun stuff.
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To entertain you while waiting 3-4 days for your crankshaft to show back up, the other kids wash your car or RV with some greasy rags and brown water.
Makes no difference that you just had it waxed and it shines like a new penny...they climb up on it and grease 'er up good...especially the
windows...clean windshields in Baja are a magnet for kids.
Good thing there are more rats and brews.
Then you notice for the first time an elderly couple sitting over there in the shade of a mesquite tree. Their eyes are shut and they appear to be
sleeping. That dusty motorhome with the Iowa plates, no wheels or engine, and the goat on the roof must be theirs.
When the job is finally done and you have sobered up enough to talk coherently again, you settle the bill and wonder how the heck can that be enough?
All this would have cost you a mint in the USA, but here you feel you should press double the asked-for amount on the hard-working mecanico. But no,
all is good with the 'maestro' and he and family wave happy goodbyes to you as you drive away...back on the road to adventure.
Which brings us to that question many motoring visitors have asked me over the years...How do you FIND a good mechanic?
Well, you're doing the right thing, I say....you ask....you ask around town. Mexicans seldom do their own engine work and all have their favorite
shops and mechanic buddies. Also ask gringos who live in that area. Often the locals will show you or take to their best choices. Or ask a taxi
driver..they know everybody! If all else fails, you will have to make the rounds yourself, no sweato, it's easy. Just look alongside the highways
for the biggest shade tree. Sometimes you will come across the new, shiny, car dealership and 'authorized repair' and think you have found a real
gem...not always the case and indeed, in most cases, these will be the worst place to go. A really good mechanic in Baja will almost always want to
work for himself...makes more money that way, as the big shops do not pay very well, plus things cost more at the big agencies. Backyard mecanicos
seldom charge overtime and will work long hard hours to get your job done. Plus sending a family member to get a needed part by bus if need be. All
you need to have is patience. Remember that Iowa couple? They were still there when we went back in the spring. The old woman had opened a lefse
stand.
While you are waiting in the taller..garage...here's some tips:
Don't be afraid to get a good estimate...What will it cost? "Mas o menos, cuanto va a costar?" If a huge amount, get a written estimate...a
presupuesto. Sometimes you may have to pay a little in advance if there are parts to be bought.
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And keep in mind that Baja is a lot like rural areas in the US...some parts are not new, but 're-conditioned' or 're-cycled'. This photo shows a kind
of auto parts store' found on Baja Road.
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Checking new spark plugs always is a blast..all different brands and just 'slightly used', but they work! It's a good idea to stay with your car
while repairs are being made...the maestro will give it more attention personally, rather than let the kids tear at it...and you provide the pidgeons
a target, too. Keep a good eye on the amount of oil being added if you asked for an oil change..the last rig may have held 16 liters and the kid will
think it's the same for yours, too.
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Naturally, you will test drive..and if something happens after you are driving away, don't be afraid to take it back right away. It's expected..just
do it calmly and respectfully. I have never had anything but the most apologetic and quick treatment to get the job made good after bringing it back.
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Comparatively, in the US you call for an appointment and consider yourself lucky to get in within 2 weeks, then the bill gives you a fatal heart
attack. On a vacation trip to Acapulco once many years ago while college break, my VW camper engine stuttered to a stop on a lonely highway. A
ladies lingerie salesman stopped in his VW, quickly found the problem, and manufactured an unique set of points right on the spot, got me going, and
wouldn't take a peso for his troubles. We thanked him with all our hearts, then followed him to his hotel and paid for his room over much protesting.
A top day in our travel diary. Those custom points ran that VW all the way back to North Dakota.
The Baja Road has provided us with many years of such events...brakes, driveshafts, engines, tires, hoods flying off, you name it...emergency stuff.
I start to recall all the great mechanics I have met over the years driving The Road..and their particular specialties. Some are for brakes, some for
axles, some for welding, some for electrical, some for paint jobs, some for transmissions, some are for drinking beer with (Yeah, you know who I
mean.)
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Well, you get the idea...about the experiences with these genuine saints..or devils....the Baja Road mechanics.
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Know Any?
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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I had a water pump replaced by the Loreto mechanic whose shop is next to the water tower. His shop wasn't as messy as the one in San Quintin but I
really enjoyed the experience with him.
We couldn't find one to match my truck in Loreto. He kept repeating about Loreto "Es un pueblo!" as though apologizing for the lack
of car parts. Eventually he got a pump made for a different truck and added a spacer where needed and it worked just fine for years.
He was a bit of a foul mouthed individual, which I really enjoyed. He kept referring to my truck as a P-nche caro .
But what stayed with me all these years was the sage advice he gave me. Alex was 5 at the time and had thrown up on our sleeping bags a few nights
before. It came up during our conversation while he was tightening some bolt. He just smiled at me waving me off and said with a twinkle:
"Small kids - small problems"
"Big kids - problemas mas grandes"
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DanO
Super Nomad
Posts: 1923
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: Not far from the Pacific
Member Is Offline
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Driving tips from a truck driver
The following is from a post by a truck driver on another, non-Baja related discussion board (with a few of my own edits). The advice he gives,
however, is applicable anywhere in Baja, and he puts it very well.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Before we dive into how one can best avoid a fate worse than quick death, let's review some physics. Most passenger vehicles on American roads
typically weigh between 3,000 and 4,500 pounds. The biggest passenger vehicle generally encountered, the H1 Hummer, weighs just over 10,000 pounds. My
Freightliner, pulling an empty 53' dry van trailer, weighs between 32,000 and 33,000 pounds. Empty. Under Federal (and State) regulations my maximum
legal gross weight is 80,000 pounds, 20 times that of a minivan, eight times what a Hummer weighs. My tires weigh about 120 pounds each, and are
inflated to between 100-120 psi. Just my fuel tanks, when full, weigh as much as the average passenger car. If we get tangled up, whether it's your
fault, my fault or nobody's fault at all, you will lose. Every time.
It takes me longer to do anything in an 80,000 pound truck that's 65 feet long and bends in the middle than a car; accelerating, changing lanes,
stopping. Please bear that in mind.
Entering a highway in a car should be a simple process: use your acceleration lane to allow you to match speed with traffic. Jumping out into a
traffic lane at 40 mph in front of a truck going 65 apparently seems like a good idea to a lot of people, but I've never figured out why. Most
truckers will move over a lane if they can to give merging traffic a clear lane, but running alongside them in the acceleration lane assuming they can
or will, then having to brake sharply at the end of the lane (or darting just in front of them) is downright stupid. If you follow a truck onto a
highway it will seem like it takes it forever to get up to speed; it seems that way to the guy driving it too. The dumbest thing you can do is to pop
out from behind it without bothering to check on the traffic in the next lane that is already at speed. The extra ten seconds you have to remain
behind the truck is rarely fatal; the pop-out move frequently is.
There are two safe places to drive in relation to heavy trucks; behind them or in front of them. Beside them is a really bad idea for a variety of
reasons. First, it's much harder for the driver to stay aware of exactly where you are, particularly on the "off" (right) side, and you really want
the driver of any truck around you to know exactly where you are and where you intend to go. Running over you is terribly inconvenient.
Perhaps the top reason to avoid running alongside a truck is those tires I mentioned earlier. The majority of trailer tires on commercial vehicles are
recaps, inflated to 120 psi. When one lets go it can throw chunks weighing 50 pounds or more at velocities well exceeding the truck's speed, and
sounds like a grenade going off. Scares the hell out of me when it happens 50 feet behind me; it can (and does) knock the window out of a car that's
alongside, even if no rubber hits the car. If you are going to pass a truck, go ahead and get it completed. DON'T DAWDLE ALONGSIDE!
Trucks have a modern innovation many people are apparently unfamiliar with, lights down each side (and on each corner) that flash (cars have these too
but they are rarely used). These are known to professional drivers as "directional signals" or simply "turn signals". If you will watch carefully
these give you advance notice of where that vehicle is going to be in the very near future, which is a very good place to arrange to not be when it
gets there. They are NOT an indication that it's time to speed up so you aren't behind it; behind it beats under it every time. There will also be
times when you see a truck in front of you suddenly start flashing these "directional signals" on both sides at the same time. This configuration is
known as "emergency flashers" and usually means there is some bad sh*t of some kind ahead you probably want to hit as slowly as possible.
When traffic is heavy you will notice that trucks tend to leave a gap between their front bumper and the vehicle ahead. While this space may look
invitingly like it is custom designed to fit your car it is actually the driver's estimate of his safe stopping distance in case the traffic in front
stops suddenly. If you dart into that space and traffic does stop you just made his stopping distance fall somewhere between your headrest and dash.
This is almost always unpleasant. Should you need to move into such a space simply pull up alongside the space, match your speed to the speed of the
vehicle that defines the front of the space, find the control for YOUR "directional signal" (usually a stick protruding from the left side of your
steering column, push it up for "right" or down for "left", with a little practice you'll figure it out), and give the truck a moment to give you
room, they almost always will.
Sharing the road with trucks is a fact of life; EVERYTHING you eat, drink, sit on, work with or play with has to move by truck several times, from raw
material to delivery to the point of purchase, before you get your hands on it. The entire economy depends on there being millions of trucks in motion
24 hours a day. Dying under one is largely optional, and the choice is, for the most part, yours.
Folks driving the same road every day DON'T PAY ATTENTION!! Everything is routine, they make the same turns at the same places at the same time every
morning, without having to think about any of it, so they have plenty of time to review the paperwork for the 8:00 meeting or finish the sports
section on the way. Until something slightly out of the ordinary happens and they kill a pedestrian or drive under a bus that's running a few minutes
late.
The fact that I have managed to drive a truck for roughly 15 years without an accident, driving in whatever conditions and at whatever time is
necessary, is partially attributable to luck, but is primarily because I am fanatical about keeping track of every vehicle I can see, calculating what
the stupidest possible thing they can do is and having a response ready in case they do it. If there is a deer in the treeline alongside the road I
want to know it, not because it affects me just standing there but because it may not keep standing there.
By far the most important single thing any driver can do to maximize their chances of completing any trip, whether it's across the Country or two
blocks to the store is PAY ATTENTION! Drunk drivers and idiot kids with cars will both have a much harder time killing you if you have already noticed
their erratic driving and considered your options for getting out of their way.
No matter how good a driver you are, no matter how good your reflexes, no matter how attentive you may be bad sh*t can (and will, if you drive enough)
happen to or around you. No matter what happens, KEEP DRIVING! As long as you have control of your vehicle, use it. If you lose control, keep trying
because you just might get it back. You can quit driving when you're dead, but until them putting your hands over your eyes will NEVER improve the
situation, but will frequently make it far worse than it has to be.
There are three kinds of things you can hit with a car; things travelling the same direction as you, things that are not moving relative to you and
things that are oncoming. I list them in that order because that is the order of desirability for hitting them. Hitting something (usually a vehicle,
obviously) travelling the same direction is rarely fatal (unless the speed differential is extreme, in which case you weren't paying attention), as
long as that's all you hit. The most popular way to make this situation far worse is to then hit either a stationary object or an oncoming one by the
simple expedient of allowing undirected physics to determine the outcome by not continuing to drive. Even at high speed a simple sideswipe is not a
serious matter (if you aren't a piece of sheet metal) but I can't tell you how many times I've seen a few hundred dollars worth of damage turn tragic
because one (or both) drivers quit. NEVER QUIT!
Stationary objects are fairly easy to avoid hitting because, well, they are stationary. Some, like bridge abutments, are particularly important to
avoid hitting because they won't move even after you hit them. The number one way to avoid hitting this kind of stationary object is NEVER LEAVE THE
ROAD. No matter what is happening IN the road you will almost invariably make it worse by leaving any road at high speed. Hitting a deer or a dog or
ass-ending a car that pulls out in front of you is almost always less destructive than what happens if you leave the road, thereby entering an area
heavily populated with stationary objects we professionals call "not on the road".
The only thing worse than hitting a stationary object is hitting one that is oncoming, thereby adding your speed to it's speed to make the impact
truly spectacular. This is to be avoided at all costs. If, for any reason, you find yourself driving in the median of a divided highway STAY THERE.
There is nothing in a median that will be as painful to hit as coming out into opposing traffic will be.
There are two primary elements of "control" that you want to maintain, and use, when the sh*t gets in the fanbelt; steering and speed. GET RID OF
SPEED. No matter what kind of bad sh*t is about to happen to you it will almost invariably be less unpleasant if you are going less fast. When things
go wrong shed speed as fast as you can while not losing control. Jumping on the brakes with both feet in most emergencies is a bad idea because,
anti-lock brakes or not, it is a very good way to relinquish all directional control. Using your brakes to rapidly bleed speed, on the other hand, is
usually the best idea you will have all day when the fan blades get shmeared.
Many folks seem to think that they must drive at least the posted limit, regardless of conditions; these people are frequently known as roadkill. They
might get away with it for years, luck apparently having an affinity for the stupid, but depending on luck when travelling at 100 feet-per-second is
not my idea of fun.
Perhaps the most deceptively dangerous driving conditions present themselves when a road is freshly wet, especially if the weather has been dry for a
while. After a few minutes the accumulated oil and rubber and bug guts will wash off, but for those few minutes the road is as slick as it will ever
be without ice.
ANY less-than-optimal condition should trigger an immediate reduction in speed, whether it is rain, fog, snow, heavier traffic or livestock in the
road. At 70 mph you are covering almost 100 feet every second; at 50 mph it's closer to 70 feet. Go out into your front yard and mark off these
distances so you can visualize them, the difference can be huge. At the same time, the difference can be barely significant. Most trips by car are in
the neighborhood of ten miles or less; at 70 mph ten miles takes about 8 1/2 minutes. Cutting your speed to 60 mph for the same trip adds an entire
minute-and-a-half, ninety seconds, while increasing significantly your chances of completing it unhindered by death or dismemberment, both of which
are notorious for the delays they cause.
The time to chop your speed is NOT when you hit adverse conditions, it's when you see them. Every year we hear about horrendous chain-reaction crashes
involving dozens of vehicles piling up in fog banks. In somewhere between a million-and-a-half and two million highway miles I have never seen fog,
except where it was artificially produced, that went immediately from clear to thick. If you run into fog that reduces your visibility at all lose
some speed; if the fog clears you can resume your speed with the loss of a few seconds. If it thickens and you are going 50 instead of 70 that thirty
feet-per-second difference might well be a life-or-death difference.
There's an easy way to gauge whether your speed on sub-optimal roads is appropriate; swerve 6 inches either way. If you are afraid to do so because
you fear losing control, you are going too fast. A gazillion different things can happen that will force you to change position within your lane. If
you can't swerve by 6" you aren't really in control, you're a passenger.
If road conditions are less than ideal forget that you have a cruise control, TURN IT OFF! You need to be actively in control of everything, and
having your car trying to accellerate when you are busy avoiding an obstruction or evading a skidding car is not helpful...
You, or a family member, are more likely to be injured or killed by a driver talking on a cell phone than a drunk driver!! An individual driver on
the phone is slightly less dangerous than a drunk, but in the aggregate they are far worse because they vastly outnumber drunks, particularly during
the daytime. Their contribution to motor vehicle accidents is grossly under-reported and under-appreciated because, unlike drunks, there's a cellphone
in damned-near every car and truck on the road, so it's usually not even worthy of note.
Drivers with a cell phone stuck to their head are, like drunks, blissfully unaware of their surroundings. In polite company I call them
"cell-zombies"; most of the time I more accurately call them stupid motherf*ckers. If you are observant they are usually fairly easy to recognize.
They invariably stay glued in whatever lane they happen to start out in, even when a lane change would be appropriate or safer, to the extent of never
noticing an emergency vehicle behind them with flashing lights (until they bump the siren). Generally, their speed will gradually decrease, because
like everything else they aren't paying attention to their speedometer.
Drivers on cell phones, when they finally DO realize they must change lanes, are far less likely than the average driver to signal the change or
visually clear the lane they are moving into, and, since they frequently fail to keep track of where they are geographically, are more likely than
most to cross several lanes at once, having run past their exit while getting caught up on what Suzy is cooking for dinner. They are more likely to
run red lights because they don't notice them, and will invariably be the last to react to visible road hazards ahead.
I understand that in today's world it is almost unavoidable that even the most responsible driver will get/make fairly important calls while driving,
but it is fairly easy to minimize the chances that doing so will contribute to your hurting or killing someone. First, if the call cannot be cut short
within about a minute, get off the road. If the call requires that you give or receive detailed instructions or write anything longer than a phone
number down, get off the road.
While you are actually on the phone you have to consciously and aggressively compensate for the deficiencies celling causes, by forcing yourself to
remain hyper-aware of your surroundings and keeping your eyes moving, constantly, from the road in front to your mirrors to your instruments (as you
should anyway).
And for the Love of Corn, if you have a teenager who drives (that you want to keep around) find some way to get across to them that there is no way
that somebody who is, at best, marginally safe to drive on dry roads in broad daylight can pull it off when their feeble little addled mind is
absorbed with what they are texting or talking about.
The most dangerous car on the road is NOT the 1978 Cutlass Supreme with lots of Bondo and a 40-year-old drunk at the wheel; it's a Pontiac Sunbird
with 4 or 5 teenaged girls in it, most or all of whom are on the phone. The only way it can be worse is if the driver is texting.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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LaTijereta
Super Nomad
Posts: 1192
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I had a water pump replaced by the Loreto mechanic whose shop is next to the water tower. His shop wasn't as messy as the one in San Quintin but I
really enjoyed the experience with him.
He was a bit of a foul mouthed individual, which I really enjoyed. He kept referring to my truck as a P-nche caro .
He just smiled at me waving me off and said with a twinkle:
"Small kids - small problems"
"Big kids - problemas mas grandes" |
Joe.. You are talking about Ruben, who used own that shop and could fix just about anything on four wheels in those days.. Not the cheapest mechanic
on Loreto, but one of the cleanest..
He sold that property, and relocated out on the hwy, just south of town on the rightside.
Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin (1759)
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