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A contraflowing near-storrowing
By adamg on Fri, 09/13/2024 - 10:27pm
Around 10:30 this morning, roving UHub photographer Phil B. came across an unusual sight as he headed inbound on Storrow Drive just before the Kenmore exit: A truck facing inbound but on the otherwise empty outbound side.
Couldn't tell you if it somehow drove that far down in that direction (which would be hugely impressive) or if they're in the process of moving it.
Around the same time, a state trooper radioed in that he was at the Bowker (the pile of spaghetti that is the Kemore/Fenway exits) dealing with an "overheight," so we'll assume the driver wasn't wrong-waying it by himself - if only because there was no evidence he had plowed into anybody else - but rather that staties had managed to get him on that side somehow to make it a bit easier to get the fool thing off the road on the side that even at 10:30 would still have less traffic on that side (especially if the onramps were also blocked) than on the inbound side.
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Comments
Was Phil B ….
….. using his phone while driving?
Look at the car on the right side of the photo
The one that would have been right in front of him. Notice anything about its brake lights?
Nice try.
But fail.
“Handheld use is allowed only if the vehicle is both stationary and not located in a public travel lane or a bicycle lane, but is not allowed at red lights or stop signs.”
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/hands-free-law-0
Ever hear of a dashcam?
Of course not. That would mean thinking outside your basement.
They do swivel. Also, passengers exist and take pics, too.
Like I said.
Handsfree is clearly defined by law.
The dubious disclaimer comes after the posting.
It’s irresponsible and distracted reporting to encourage this kind of behavior.
can't be a real law though
Because I like to play with my phone when I'm driving, and I'm not a lawbreaker, therefore it can't be a real law
(according to basically everybody, it seems)
Not possible
That would be against the law
Hey, I like that law (and would love to see it enforced at all)
but someone using their phone to snap a photo while stopped in a long line of stopped cars? I really can't give a shit about that.
You may when you’ve been been hit by someone doing exactly that.
I and others were inches from being hit by a distracted driver stopped in a crosswalk in traffic when the car in front of him moved and he was honked into a semi alert state by the drivers behind him.
Only our screams stopped him. He received a pounding on his exoskeleton.
I saw a cell phone distracted driver below me as I rode a bus ride give no attention to to road ahead. He must have been seeing the bus stop and start out of the corner of his eye. 3 traffic lights later he hit a pedestrian.
When that happens to you or in front of you, that may help you with the constipation issue.
Crosswalk on Storrow Drive?
Where is that?
Reread, sad little bunny.
.
I'm sorry
I know you have problems staying on topic - this post is about a truck on Storrow Drive.
Neither of your anecdotes is relevant
to the comment I actually posted.
Ok. Wait till you’re rear ended.
I was back fronted by a distracted driver backing up out of a stopped exit lane on the Mass Pike.
He was the one who needed an ambulance for anxiety, or so he claimed when questioned by police.
Just an anecdote. Do what you want with it.
I’m glad more concerned people than you make these laws. Maybe you do too. They give a shit so we don’t have to.
Seriously, I implore you.
Just read my actual comments if you're going to reply to them.
Make it make sense
The car in that case would have been moving.
The car in this case, the one that you're attempting to make a federal case about...was not.
Do you see the difference, or are you blinded by the sparks flying off that ax that you're grinding down to nothing?
It’s probably an interesting
It’s probably an interesting bit of knowledge: why it’s not being enforced; I have my suspicions, but I’m probably as much right as I am wrong.
It was actually a DSLR camera
It was actually a DSLR camera... I'll let you be the judge whether that makes it better or worse. Also I was stationary at that time.
Hands free is a very specific term.
You claim you were stationary but who would not? It a traffic lane, that is clear.
OK, you're totally right. I'm
OK, you're totally right. I'm 100% guilty of every offense imaginable. What is my sentencing, your honor?
Poor bunny.
They are doing auditions for dramatic artists in the Theater District. Please take the T or walk there.
Wow
You are in a poor position to be accusing anyone else of drama.
I see you've met one of our more prolific commenters
No job, no life, plenty of time to police Uhub and project like a multiplex.
Don’t you have some farm …
… chores to perform, Surly Gurl?
All set
Finished my chores in the morning.
Don't you have some maintenance to do on that real estate you inherited?
Or maybe you should look into non-oil non-car company investments for your trust fund?
“I'm sorry
“I'm sorry
By SwirlyGrrl on Sat, 09/14/2024 - 4:21pm.
I know you have problems staying on topic - this post is about a truck on Storrow Drive.”
Always fishing for personal info.
Always providing TMI about your little life.
Even your sweetheart, John, isn’t as needy as you.
Is this why you were thrown out of the amateur actor’s workshop?
It’s certainly a good reason you should never be a message board admin much as you’d kill to take over UHub. ;)
Have you considered therapy?
Have you considered therapy?
Ah ok, fun. Thanks for
Ah ok, fun. Thanks for keeping it at 11 at all times, Lee.
We are free to make judgement
We are free to make judgement calls and to govern ourselves appropriately. If one is attentive and stationary, snap a pic, if one is catching up on email in stop and go traffic that
may beis bad judgement.How can we get businesses
How can we get businesses with trucks that will or are at risk of getting Storrowed to get it in drivers' heads before they even start the engine to stay the bleep away from this giggling, hand-wringing evil?? Mass RMV laws revised more tougher to clearly warn before issuing licenses? GPS to be updated by asking how high the vehicle (or driver, or both) is before showing directions? Colleges and other institutions making it clear for students moving in? Man, the list of common sense suggestions to end this evil could go on and on. Whhhhaaaa haaaa haaa haaaaaa!!!!
it's not mostly students
Adam reported two weeks ago that there were no U-Haul storrowings during student move-in. That suggests the movable light-up signs saying "Trucks Avoid Storrow Dr." worked.
One problem is that too many people don't read signs, or any other instructions, including the various warning signs at the entrances to Storrow Drive. That's especially true if they don't (think they) need information--so the same driver who notices exit signs if they're looking for a specific exit, won't register those "low clearance" signs, or one saying the tunnel will be closed next week.
Since many storrowings involve business/commercial trucks (delivery of various sorts, and those unmarked box trucks), not U-Hauls rented to people moving in and out, maybe they should make the companies operating the trucks liable for some of these crashes. U-Haul isn't telling students where to take their trucks, let alone how to get there, but Acme Specialties is. If it starts costing Acme money to say "just ask GPS for the shortest route," Acme has an incentive to tell drivers to stay off those roads.
All Trucks, everywhere
I agree that we need to hold trucks liable for this sorta stuff. For not just storrowing, but other offenses too. Too much damage or issues are caused by trucks driven by ill-trained or not-caring drivers.
I know tractor trailer truck drivers are regulated, the issue is more these smaller box trucks. I think the laws are less stringent for those kinds of trucks, thus less experienced/ill trained drivers.
vs Tractor trailer drivers need a different license, special training, and are regulated by the fed and state. They have to log their trips, required to have special gps for TT trucks, so things like storrowing do not happen. And while once in a blue moon a TT truck ends up on Storrow or Memorial, its pretty rare, and most of the instances of storrowing are box trucks.
So maybe box trucks need to be regulated like TT trucks and drivers.
PS - i know a few TT truck drivers and they all say, the *last* thing they want is to get into any sort of accident. Since they are regulated, it becomes a paperwork nightmare, let alone worry you might lose your job. So they tend to err on the side of caution. (which is why they often let you pass on the interstate and are mostly courtesy drivers)
Rings true to me also.
The TT drivers have real training and have much more to lose than other types of drivers. Not that unscrupulous drivers and dispatchers don’t fudge the books sometimes. But that’s why you hear less about them causing crashes.
The problems with the big trucks on city streets is disruption of traffic, sight hazards, illegal unsafe parking, idling and destruction of pavement. But few crashes.
We definitely need better and stricter regulations and enforcement of who can operate what kind of 4 wheel plus motor vehicles on public roads. Wheelchairs exempt, of course.
Old schoolmate does DOT training
I sent her a bunch of Storrowing pictures for her "navigation" lecture. Some included tractor trailers getting stuck, and motor coach incidents.
LOL
LOL well its true.
I mean as I said, its does happen, but its rare.
And usually its a new driver or someone isn't using their commercial GPS as required.
Groan again
In 1983, I moved from Charlestown to Cambridge. I rented a smaller U-Haul vehicle in Cambridge. In the material the rental place gave me, there was a statement resembling "You may not drive this vehicle on Memorial Drive." I successfully moved without going on Memorial Drive. Why people can't figure this out or learn about it is way beyond my comprehension.
Trying to figure out...
Trying to figure out how the truck got there...
It looks like the pedestrian overpass at Silber Way.
There is another low-clearance pedestrian overpass at Bay State Road, outbound from this one, and just inbound from the B.U. Bridge. (According to Google Maps Streetview, the Bay State Road overpass doesn't have any signs indicating low clearance, or what the clearance is.) This truck is between those two overpasses. There are continuous guard rails in the median, with no breaks, between those overpasses.
All I can think of is that the truck was going outbound, managed to squeeze under the Silber Way overpass, then realized he couldn't fit under the Bay State Road one.
There are a couple of places between those overpasses, where the road widens for 100 feet or so, to allow cars to pull over in case of a breakdown. With the assistance of State Police, the driver could have used one of those pullouts to make a 3-point turn and reverse direction... then hope that he could again squeeze under the Silber Way overpass, as he is trying to do here.
That's one of my questions too @Charles Bahne
How did the truck get there in the first place and isn't getting stuck under a bridge a "Storrowing"?
Could be that the failed to Storrow going the right direction.
So went back for a second try. Practice makes perfect!
Get the fool thing off the road
Grandpa would be proud.