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Another truck driver challenges the Longfellow from below and loses
By adamg on Tue, 11/16/2021 - 10:12pm
Rosabri Mejia came across the latest example of a truck driver disobeying the "CARS ONLY" signs on your finer Storrow Drive entrances and so getting caught by a bridge, in this case, the Longfellow. Judges give this storrowing low marks, because while the driver wedged himself in well enough to back up traffic, he did not majorly sardine-can his roof or spill any of his load on the road.
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Comments
Just wondering...is there a
Just wondering...is there a list of all the Storrowings for the past year or two? And any record of damage to the bridge/underpass caused by these frequent incidents?
The driver can always try again for better marks
Let’s just call this a practice run.
This makes me curious
Is there any record of repeat storrowings? Is anyone known to have storrowed more than once? That alone would be an accomplishment worthy of a place in the Storrowing Hall of Fame.
Have anyone considered the
Have anyone considered the possibility that "cars only" sign is extremely confusing to ESL speakers? Why not write "trucks taller than are prohibited" or simply no trucks"?
Why not
"If you read this sign you won't end up in big trouble"?
I don't think that much can be done when the maximum height signs are there, are not read, are ignored, or truckers don't effing bother to measure their load or check their routes.
As for "ESL speakers" (aside from ESL not being a language), getting your CDL does require a minimal ability to speak and read English and a testing of ability to read signage. The problem is "not reading" and "ignoring a sign with a number on it", not "not reading English well".
Edit: What part of all this is confusing?
Someone can correct me...
But I don't think most of the trucks getting Storrowed require a CDL. Most are box trucks with regular brakes, like anyone can rent.
But yes, even if using a driver's license from another country, you're expected to know enough of the local language to understand basic safety signs (most of which are pretty universal and have minimal text on them, like the example you posted that even has a truck with a slash through it, plus a thing that hangs down and bangs the roof of your truck).
A rubber "CARS ONLY" baby buggy bumper is NOT a standard sign
And it certianlly doesn't tell you that the bridges are too low for your vehicle. For that matter, nor does a sign that states "Danger Low Clearance" which doesn't give the actual clearanice.
Signs indicating vehicle restrictions should be placed WELL BEFORE the vehciles enter the roadway, and not as they're making the turn onto the ramp or after they've entered the ramp (CARS ONLY rubber babby buggy bumpers) or are on the roadway itself (most Clearance signs).
Username does not check out
So the sign posted above, which says CLEARANCE 10' 6", doesn't give the clearance clearly enough for your clearness, Clarence?
Not all the signs have actual clearance heights
That one does, but I think some others don't (such as at Charlesgate)
As of the last time google
As of the last time google maps went through, the Storrow EB ramp at Charlesgate doesn't have a clearance height.....but does have:
- 5+ separate symbolic signs - (truck with a red prohibitory symbol over it)
- At least 2 more "no trucks (in this direction)"/"all trucks must turn here" signs visible to each direction you could be coming from.
- And the actual point of no return (vs bailing out onto Back Street) has "Danger, Low Clearance", plus a hanging "Cars Only" sign that your truck will hit, plus a "No Buses or Trucks" sign, plus a symbol of a box truck hitting an overhead obstacle.
You're right that there's no exact clearance height before you enter the road, but it's pretty clear that you should not be there with a truck even if there wasn't a clearance issue at all.
(Storrow WB has a posted clearance height).
There are also the hanging
There are also the hanging chains and head-banger (yes, that's the technical term) signs, which speak the universal language of "you're too tall". So I'm not all that worried that non-native speaker drivers are a big problem.
A little more up the road
And some distance before the bridge ...
More headbangers, more cars only signs and graphic signs showing a truck hitting a bridge.
If you can't get any of that, you shouldn't be driving at all.
Those signs are on the outbound side
as are the ones you linked to in the earlier comment.
However, the truck photographed in this post appears to be on the inbound side. There is one place where you can make a direct right turn onto Storrow Drive (from Pinckney Street on Beacon Hill), and not encounter any CARS ONLY head-banging signs.
The most important sign
The key sign is right at the bridge, which is that the height of the bridge is 10 feet, 6 inches. Won't prevent the traffic caused by backing up, but it would prevent the accident traffic.
But even on Pinckney
There's a graphical No Trucks sign along with a No Left Turn sign before "Storrow" (actually David G. Mugar Way, fka Embankment Rd). At the offramp to Charles Circle, there is a sign indicating "TRUCKS and BUSES MUST EXIT." And there's a standard sign indicating the clearance immediately before the bridge on the inbound side.
So yes one wouldn't encounter a head-banger sign, but a truck driver would still have to ignore three separate warning signs to hit that bridge.
Ah yes, the TikTok Storrow Challenge
These damn youths.
Hahaha
These always make my day! Is that bad?