Last Call: Truck Rules Edition

Kamil Kaluski

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There is a construction site right down the street from where I live. Two big parking garages were leveled to make space for two bigger buildings. It will probably look really nice when it’s done but it will create more traffic on an already crowded street.

In the mean time, if you drive a truck onto the work site you better obey these rather silly, if confusing rules that were probably written by a younger engineer. Alternately, the sign could have just said “Two Truck Limit” or something like that.

Source: universalhub.com

Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.

About

Kamil Kaluski

Kamil Kaluski

East Coast Editor. Races crappy cars and has an unhealthy obsession with Eastern Bloc cars. Current fleet: 4Runner, Integra, Regal, Lada

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12 responses to “Last Call: Truck Rules Edition”

  1. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Q.) Why do I find myself thinking of 10cc’s 1977 album “Deceptive Bends”?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d61181efd446f2c042379d40c98d24fdd07e2a9124de1bfd5fc055d9f40d3a3c.jpg

    A.) Because Jeff’s Wombat project is a deceptive Benz. The things I do for puns.

    Reply
  2. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Q.) Why do I find myself thinking of 10cc’s 1977 album “Deceptive Bends”?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d61181efd446f2c042379d40c98d24fdd07e2a9124de1bfd5fc055d9f40d3a3c.jpg

    A.) Because Jeff’s Wombat project is a deceptive Benz. The things I do for puns.

    Reply
  3. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    More likely written by the guy who had the job of sorting out the hilarity that ensues when three trucks attempt to occupy a space that only fits two.

    At the moment there’s a lot of construction in the city where I live. The dump trucks line the streets in designated areas just outside the CBD and are dispatched by radio every time a spot is empty. It’s a pretty slick operation.

    Reply
  4. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    It reminds me of the old Monty Python;s the Meaning of Life bit about hanging you coat on the upper peg unless your brother hasn’t sent his letter home

    Reply
  5. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    That sign is counterproductively wordy. It seems like the intent is a two truck maximum, but taken literally, it allows for any number of trucks.

    You can technically enter with your concrete truck if there are already 2 delivery trucks on the premises.

    You can technically enter with your delivery truck if there are already 2 concrete trucks present.

    If we take it to mean occupancy instead of entry, we can no longer start with 2 concrete trucks, but if there is one concrete truck on site, any number of delivery trucks can be there. The delivery truck max is only when there are no concrete trucks. Add a concrete truck = no limit!

    Reply
    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      No limit for other types of trucks that are not delivery trucks or designed to haul concrete. Maybe they are trying to attract monster trucks.

      Reply
    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      If you can write a doctorate thesis on a construction site sign, blame the sign. You’re right and this whole thing is delightfully silly.

      Reply
  6. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    I used to work in a building that was outside of a square formed by four streets. One of those streets was 4 lanes, went through to many other streets, and carried lots of traffic. The other three streets that formed the square connected only to each other. The street closest to our building was privately owned; part of our property.

    Delivery trucks would stop off at the warehouse located on the street opposite ours, then try to exit the area using our private street. Our building had a high wall to shield a roll off dumpster. The wall ended close to the intersection of the private road and one of the connecting roads. Also, that intersection had about a 3 foot high concrete buttress, protected by a steel pipe embedded in the ground.

    So, if a truck with a 40 foot or larger trailer tried to make a right turn at that corner, it would appear they could clear the turn, but that was an optical illusion created by some of the obstacles being below sight lines. In actuality, the right trailer tires would squeeze against the steel pipe, and the left front corner of the trailer would hit the end of the dumpster wall. Once that happens, it would take the driver about 15 minutes to back out of the situation, because there was very little room to steer the truck.

    The solution was to not turn right, but to turn left, and then make a circle in the lot behind our building. Occasionally, one of the workers would see an approaching truck and flag the driver to give that advice. But about 10% of the drivers copped an attitude, “I’ve been a professional truck driver for nine years, and I know how to make a right turn by now.”

    There was always a bit of satisfaction assembling an audience for those guys.

    Reply
  7. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    “Alternately, the sign could have just said ‘Two Truck Limit’ or something like that.”

    I agree the wording of the current sign has issues, but I’d also bet money it was put there to replace a simpler sign after someone had to deal with too many drivers saying “Oh, I didn’t think that ([type of truck I am driving] OR [type of truck I am not driving]) counted as a ‘truck’ for the limit.”

    Reply
    1. Tiller188 Avatar
      Tiller188

      Yup, my first thought was “this reads like it was written by someone who’s been burned a few too many times by ‘well, it doesn’t SPECIFICALLY say…’ loopholes.” On the other hand, though, smalleyxb122 above has pointed out that this actually has more loopholes than the simpler wording…so the solution now is clearly to add more specific cases to close the loopholes! …or maybe just a blanket “else” statement.

      Reply
    2. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      Best sign:

      ALL trucks stop here. Call xxx-xxxx for permission to enter.

      Reply
  8. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I’ve watched about 35 hours of documentary film shot in England during the 1960s. As usual, no matter what the film is about, I’m always looking at the cars. Around hour 33 it occurred to me that I had not seen a single Volkswagen Beetle, a car that in America is identified with the ’60s as much as Woodstock and overdosing.

    There aren’t really any imported cars of any origin, actually. When I watch Jacques Tati films from the same period in France the roads are full of Axis and Allies products alike. (“Trafic” is a carspotters dream.)

    Research tells me England began importing VWs in 1953, but you wouldn’t know it to look at street footage shot in 1967. Then there’s this, “The first order of 200 cars arrived by ship at Harwich in batches of 20, along with a crate of spare parts to keep them going for a while. There was still a large amount of prejudice against German products in the early days and on arrival at the docks, incredibly around 75% were damaged by vandalism.”

    https://www.vwheritage.com/blog/2013/10/31/60-years-of-vw-in-uk

    Reply