What is some of your Pet Peeve's

[Jstpssng]

With the advent of winter, I have to say people who don't clean the snow off their car. I was going down the interstate this weekend when somebody entered from an on ramp, shedding snow as they went. I sped up and went around them. Had I been stopped for speeding the ticket still would have been cheaper than a new windshield.

 

[WinterDeere]

With the advent of winter, I have to say people who don't clean the snow off their car. I was going down the interstate this weekend when somebody entered from an on ramp, shedding snow as they went. I sped up and went around them. Had I been stopped for speeding the ticket still would have been cheaper than a new windshield.

I can't remember which year it was, probably 1994, as that was the year of the worst ice storms the greater northeast has ever seen. In any case, as the news tends to cycle and all glom onto one new emergency or another each season, that year discussion of sheets of ice and snow flying off the tops of semi trucks was a big subject. They were citing several fatal accidents, that were caused by ice flying off the top of large trucks, and either killing following drivers directly, or otherwise causing accidents.

If I recall correctly, some new laws were passed in the wake of that, requiring everyone (even semi truck drivers) to clear snow and ice of the top of their vehicles before hitting the highway. It seemed to have worked for at least a year or three, but like all things, attention to it has waned over time.

 

[Jstpssng]

In their defense, I don't know how an OTR driver can keep their trailer clean when parked in a snowstorm, and it would create quite a hazard for them to be up shoveling it off afterwards. (I've seen the physical condition of many OTR drivers. ) Yet there should be a way to get them cleaned off at truck stops. Then we could complain about increased shipping costs...

 

[WinterDeere]

In their defense, I don't know how an OTR driver can keep their trailer clean when parked in a snowstorm, and it would create quite a hazard for them to be up shoveling it off afterwards. (I've seen the physical condition of many OTR drivers. ) Yet there should be a way to get them cleaned off at truck stops. Then we could complain about increased shipping costs...

Yeah, it'd be a tough thing to pull on existing OTR drivers, who may already be late in their career. But it is a legit problem that needs solving, even if imposing it on new drivers first.

Of course, there are always these, which I know are installed at some truck stops:

They don't work on all trailer types, but would remove most of the snow from the most common and most troublesome flat-tops.

 

[Runner]

In their defense, I don't know how an OTR driver can keep their trailer clean when parked in a snowstorm, and it would create quite a hazard for them to be up shoveling it off afterwards. (I've seen the physical condition of many OTR drivers. ) Yet there should be a way to get them cleaned off at truck stops. Then we could complain about increased shipping costs...

They need to have de-icing stations at truck stops like they use for aircraft. Just kidding.

 

[masseyrider]

They need to have de-icing stations at truck stops like they use for aircraft. Just kidding.

Why kidding?

 

[WinterDeere]

They need to have de-icing stations at truck stops like they use for aircraft. Just kidding.

When looking at any risk, engineers are trained to grade them on two axes:

1. Probability of occurrence
2. Impact of occurrence

We obviously treat aircraft, because the impact of not doing so is very high, no matter what the probability of occurrence is. I'd argue that with trucks, if due only to the tens of millions of them on our roads every day, the probability of occurrence is extremely high.

Put otherwise, someone somewhere is getting a sheet of ice landing on their car, possibly thru their windshield. Obviously less newsworthy than a plane falling from the sky with 250 passengers aboard, but it's still a risk worthy of consideration or mitigation.

 

[Engineer42]

When looking at any risk, engineers are trained to grade them on two axes:

1. Probability of occurrence
2. Impact of occurrence

We obviously treat aircraft, because the impact of not doing so is very high, no matter what the probability of occurrence is. I'd argue that with trucks, if due only to the tens of millions of them on our roads every day, the probability of occurrence is extremely high.

Put otherwise, someone somewhere is getting a sheet of ice landing on their car, possibly thru their windshield. Obviously less newsworthy than a plane falling from the sky with 250 passengers aboard, but it's still a risk worthy of consideration or mitigation.

Impact. Key word.

 

[chiefcook]

Hospitals, Dr's offices and restaurants with cold water and no paper towels in restrooms.

 

[WinterDeere]

Hospitals, Dr's offices and restaurants with cold water and no paper towels in restrooms.

How about any bathroom with stupid electric hand driers in place of paper towels? The few that actually get hot actually work okay, but probably 9 out of every 10 just uselessly blow cold air.