An article I wrote in May, 2007 (over a YEAR ago) is recently getting the attention of some blog readers, namely motorcyclists, who read (somewhere) in that article that I would commit murder (attempted murder, manslaughter, or whatever you want to call it) against a biker. Apparently, I need to clarify a few things and hope to do so with this follow-up. If you are unable to read, please have someone dictate this to you so that it makes sense. But read each line, not just the in-between lines.
There are a few points to remember which I’ll mention right at the start:
1. It takes skill to operate a motorcycle.
2. It takes responsibility to operate a motorcycle.
3. I love motorcycles, the freedom of the open road, the feel of the wind, even the many designs and customizations, and add whatever other excuses are out there.
4. As mentioned in the previous article, I give extra room to motorcycles when I see them. I do not open my car door to force a bike to hit it, or swerve into a lane occupied by a motorcycle.
I am not responsible for a motorcyclists failure to ride responsibly, or the motorcyclists lack of skill. A study performed by the University of Southern California analyzed accident data involving motorcycles in 2006. That year, almost 5,000 people were killed riding motorcycles. Nowhere in the study did it state that myself, or chicodawg.com, was the cause of these fatalities! So, don’t point your finger at me.
“As I drove along a rural 2-lane highway in a semi-truck (a few years ago), a small dot appeared in my left mirror. It was a motorcyclist - a “2-wheeler” as we call them - who sped up alongside my 53-foot trailer and decided to do a wheelie while passing me. Once past, he(?) slowed down and was soon alongside the trailer again. He sped up, doing a wheelie again, and passed me. He must have been showing off. He showed how ignorant and stupid he was.”
According to some of the comments I received, this type of riding is normal and accepted by most bikers. As motorists of larger vehicles, we are supposed to smile and allow these daredevils to do as they please. Motorcyclists have more rights than we do and we must do whatever is necessary to make them safe.
“While at a stoplight on a 3-lane road, a biker rode up between myself and another car which was in the next lane. When the light changed green, the biker cut in front of me and sped off in my lane. Hope he got there in time!”
Motorcycles are in the same classification as emergency vehicles (with lights and sirens on)…yield the right-of-way to them. In fact, you should have moved out of their way before the light changed green. When you see a motorcyclist on the dashed line separating the lanes of traffic (for the “rest of us”), they are in a hurry and more important than you…let them go!
Keep reading…on to page 2
In October, 2007, after being off work for a length of time, I began searching craigslist for hope. "Great Pay, Easy Work", "Make Money Fast", "We’ll Pay On Time" were some of the claims. A few who post on craigslist include MLM schemes, type-at-home garbage and the increasingly popular internet scam: "Make thousands per month and never leave your home". Most children over the age of 5-years know that doesn’t happen, or if it really does, they wouldn’t be posting on a free site like craigslist.
Therein lies the reason craigslist is visited by just about anyone … it’s FREE. Of course, it is also easy to use and provides a valuable service, listings of just about anything from just about anyone. This concept brews a negative effect at times. On craigslist, you can remain "anonymous" to the general, browsing, public. This doesn’t mean everything on craigslist is bogus or a pack of lies. While I’m merely saying that it *does* happen, there are many legitimate offers, for-sale items, and legitimate employers looking for responsible employees to fill a need within their company.
In October, as a responsible, but out-of-work, job seeker, I turned to craigslist and found a "legitimate" employer.
I responded to an ad for hauling freight in a straight truck. I have a CDL and experience on the road. My driving record is spotless. This was a perfect fit. The pay was good. For anyone reading, if you drive for a living you’ll understand: This was a "no-touch" type of job operating within Florida. Basically, drive, back up to the dock, open the door, let (whoever) load or unload the truck, close the door and drive away. Did I mention the pay was good?
After a short application and very informal interview, I was hired. The company built itself as a moving company (people movers) and was just branching out into hauling general freight. This side of the business was projected to be prosperous. Loads were already waiting on the board when I applied. "This one is going to Miami. That one is going to Jacksonville". On day-1, they explained that payroll, specifically the pay cycle, was changing from weekly to bi-weekly. They did not know when this change would take place. Financially, this would be difficult, but manageable. It was income, at least, right? It was time to get to work and the future looked good. This is a small company branching out into freight hauling, which is a risk, but based on our discussions, appeared to be profitable. The company is based in New Port Richey, Florida (NPR).
This company will only run "legal" (keep this in mind, below) - legal miles, legal weight… it’s all legitimate and based on DOT regulations. Anyone who has ever driven a truck over-the-road knows that even the large multi-million-dollar companies claim this and are totally bogus. Large companies will run their drivers into the ground (or the median of a highway), literally, regardless of safety or regulations. If regulations state you can drive 10- or 11-hours per day and you have driven that but a company has a "hot" load going across the country, you will get that load and continue to drive ("or else"). Claims of "get home often" are also bogus. I especially like the "Get paid more, get home more" lies. In this business, you get paid by the miles you drive - so, if you’re at home (more), you’re NOT getting paid (more)! Companies advertise this because it attracts new drivers and the turn-over rate for commercial drivers is extremely high. New drivers, who don’t know any better, will see these ads as factual. Once you get on with a company, leaving is like trying to cancel a cell-phone contract before the required 2-years is up… there are penalties in one way or another. The idea of working for a small company was a risk I took, but they claimed to be legal by-the-book and they were established as a moving company already.