[s-cars] Audi TT accident

[Alex Kowalski]

It was one of the most horrifying things I've ever watched and I've seen
some pretty horrifying things, including my own motorcycle accident.  That
truck moved almost as though it had a broken front suspension, and the guy
in the Audi really didn't have any warning.  Talk about having your life
erased before you even know what's happening.  What bothers me is that
16,000 pounds isn't overweight by a little -- it's really a crime.  This
wasn't the result of a few extra boxes of widgets.

I completely agree about lack of etiquitte and simple courtesy with trucks
(and motorcycles) though.  My father just bought a commercial truck for our
business and people *do not* realize that they can't cut you off without
potentially disastrous consequences.   Over the past few months we've had
quite a few near misses as a result of people's lack of common sense,
especially in close-quarters driving in places like the cross-Bronx
expressway.  People don't seem to realize that in many ways driving a large
truck is the parallel opposite of driving a motorcycle -- you move slowly,
you brake slowly, you turn slowly, and you are *big* which means there's a
lot more vehicle to keep track of.   And some of the truck drivers aren't
helping anyone with their excessive speeds -- ever been through Pennsylvania
on I-80?  It's a real eye-opener sometimes, especially in the rain.  I never
thought I'd be passed by a fully-loaded big rig going 80MPH+ in the rain,
and when it happens it's enough to make you check your shorts.

I have sworn off all political commentary on the List so I will leave the
last part about the south-of-the-border trucks for a different discussion
forum ;)

BTW to anyone o n the List who is still interested in the rear suspension
progress, I'm almost finished with that job.  Boy were the parking brake
cables a study in decay and corrosion.  "After" pics. will be coming soon at
the link in the sig.

Cheers,
Alex Kowalski
'87 5KCSTQ (almost back on the road)
'86 5KCSTQ (still powerless)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kowalskirsflickr/     <--  Photos of various
repairs as I do them

On 3/21/06, LL - NY <larrycleung at gmail.com> wrote:

> I made that point earlier. Just not sure why the rig swerved in the first
> place,
> but once he began to swerve, there was no chance on him controlling it. I
> posted this on the saab9-2X.com site and one of the posters there said he
> used be a long haul trucker. He said, even when everything met regs, a
> fully loaded rig (or bus) can stop reasonably (but by no means in car like
> stopping distances, he said roughly 5X a car's stopping distance, in
> proportion
> to speed, which as we know for cars increases with the square of the
> speed)
> in a straight line. Period.
>

</snip>