One angry trucker

[hedgehog]

Got behind a TT, 03:00 this morning, sb I-77 about 10 miles north of Beckley.

Was going to pass him/her but then he/she blasted a nb 4-wheeler with a some of kind of powerful, portable light, I've seen in most truck stops. (12v model).

I followed him for about 8-10 miles and everytime some vehicle approached him with the high beams on, the driver would shine the beam of light directly into the driver's eyes.

He went east on I-64 and I headed on to Virginia.

There was no ID on the trailer or I would have dropped a dime on this moron.

Anybody else seen this type of behavior ??

 

[fastman_1]

Yep I've seen it, Never be able to get a ID Off the truck to make a call,and never a Trooper around when you need one.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Yes have had this used on me as a T/T was trying to teach a car a lesson. What a stupid practice and I have always hoped to this day that they would get caught and lose their most precious possession their CDL.

 

[cheri1122]

I have not, and I hope someone in law enforcement catches him at it. I understand the anger at being blinded by an oncoming vehicle's bright lights, (a problem that's getting worse, as technology creates much brighter lights - not just on vehicles, but portable work lights, billboards, even night games at ballfields have some dazzling lights) but blinding the other person as well just doesn't seem like a bright idea (sorry, couldn't resist) to me.

 

[simon says]

I just give them a dose of their own medicine for a minute. Sorry, but some of these people have lost their driving skills, and their manners- but as we begin to realize these days, bad manners are not relegated only to truck drivers...nuff said!

 

[cheri1122]

..nuff said!

Sorry, Simon, but I totally disagree. Blinding a thoughtless driver may make you feel better, but is it really helping to have two drivers temporarily blinded by the light?
And have you never once failed to dim your lights in time? Cause I know I have, even though I'm usually good about it - stuff happens, sometimes.
Gotta wonder if the moron who the OP described would like having every little error of his magnified, so to speak....

 

[hedgehog]

In my 12 yrs of expediting, I' ve not seen or heard of this before, but I guess it's becoming more prevalent.

Like most bad habits in our industry, it will probably will spread with the help of the "Radio Rambos".

 

[BillChaffey]

It would seem to me if you try and Blind the vehicle coming at you, your asking this Vehicle to just maybe end up in your lane which doesn't seem to smart.

 

[highway star]

I suspect that most of the time people just forget to dim, as opposed to being intentionally rude. Haven't we all had a little "highway hypnosis" before? If you just look away from your mirrors for a moment it's over. Blinding them with one of those bazillion candlepower lights is rude and stupid.

 

[Turtle]

I've heard about this but never seen it from a truck. Living in the rural south where owning a pickup truck with an always-on set of fog lights, a gun rack hanging in the window covered with a deer drinking out of a stream, and a row of lights across the roof of the cab is nearly a rule, I've seen these yahoos get brights flashed at them to get them to either dim their brights or turn off the fog lights, and the standard response is 73 billion candle power of roof lights fired back at the oncoming car.

 

[nobb4u]

Actually in some states this is a form of road rage and is not just a minor traffic offense, some troopers will actually ticket you for blinking your brights at an oncoming car as this is also seen as a type of road rage. So one might want to think twice about trying this.

 

[hedgehog]

I think the theory is correct that some of us forget our high beams are on.

Also, the corridor on I-77 that runs mainly from Cleveland, OH to Charlotte, NC (and beyond) is a killing zone for deer usually Oct-Nov and April-May may also contribute to the problem.

However, blinding another with an ancillary type of weapon, such as a high-power beam of light with the intention of "punishing" the "affending on-coming driver" would be hard to defend in a court of law should there be a tragic outcome to this type of behavior.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

My t/t trainer used to carry one for the idiots that pull behind with their brights on, then stay there to blind him. Can't say I disagree with that purpose.

Usually, I shut my lights off and on real quick when oncoming brights are getting too close. And yes, those new halogens are too damm bright! But what I hate most is the construction zones that are down to one lane, concrete barriers on either side, and the work lights right in my eyes. If that isn't an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Turtle]

Yeah, the work lights are pretty bad. Once went through one of the PA Turnpike tunnels, construction just before the entrance, so those lights were bad enough, but right near the entrance, turned around facing incoming traffic was a "Care Bear" with his high beams on shining right into everyone's eyes. What a goober.

There are even a few State Police cars who's blue lights are just brutal.