Corvette.C6-R

I'll get straight to the point. I had just gotten off an exit which leads to another highway and I'm passing this 18 wheeler which is in the right lane.. It was a small cab with a cylinder type trailer which was VERY DIRTY. The road merges into one and i'm still right beside him, I can't slow down because there are cars right on the trailer and I can't speed up because there are cars in front of us. The driver sees me of course but just speeds up and pretty much shoves me into the break down lane. So I'm just driving right beside him, I rev up to let him know I'm there.

I don't know why but he started bringing his rig closer to my car, so I'm sandwiched between concrete barrier on the right and his rig on my left. I hold my horn but to no effect. He gets within INCHES of my C6. By now the cars behind us notice and they slow down enough so I have room to slow down. I slammed on my brakes and got behind him. A second later and he may have made a sandwich out of me. I go to read his license plate but it's smeared with mud and dirt. I go to pull out my cell phone but I left it at home! So at this point I'm absolutely infuriated, I pull out ahead of him and slow down to about 40 MPH in a 60 and hope that someone calls the police. Meanwhile this maniac is right on me probably 1 foot away from hitting my car. I didn't want to risk him ramming me especially since I had no cell phone on me to call for help. I flip out the finger then gun it.

That's one of the reasons I love the power of the Corvette, it'll get you away from a nasty situation faster than most cars on the road. Thank god for the vette having such good brakes too!

Sorry I had to vent. I can't believe this happened to me. I probably shouldn't have given him the finger, but I was absolutely pissed off and let my emotions get the best of me. I'm so glad I didn't have a weopon with me because I don't know what I would have done. (to his tires of course)

iridelow

Here is what happens when you get hit and pushed 900 feet down the interstate by a semi truck. You are lucky, you had some where to go to get out of his way. I am lucky, even though I had no where to go!!! And yes... it happened in KY, so they towed my car off and put it in a barn..

danl72

Glad to hear you are OK and nothing happens. Some people are real aholes. He probably thought because he was in a truck that he owns the road. What a idiot.

NEV3R L8

*** holes

GotVett?

Truckers are out to get us, it appears. Glad you're alright. That sounds right out of the Brolin movie (can't remeber the name of it right now), where a rig chased him forever, until Brolin finally did him in.

If he had only had a vette!

sjLt1

Just wondering if your vehicle had onstar ?? Sounds like the trucker had road rage !

STEVE MC

I had that happen to me before but not in my Vette. The sucker tried to squeeze me into the breakdown lane because I flashed my lights to let him know I was passing him.

Sometimes they don't even see smaller vehicles and change lanes while your on their side. I guess he didn't like me flashing my lights. He definitely scared the crap out me.

phileaglesfan

A little road rage on both sides IMO (flipped the finger, slowing down in front of an 80,000 lb vehicle). One guy in Utah is currently in prison for slowing down in front of a truck for no reason.

Wayne O

It seems under the circumstances the trucker should have slowed down to let you complete the pass and give you room to get in the lane. It also seems (from what I'm able to discern), you sort of got yourself into a bad situation by passing the truck with no where to go (I understand, it can happen). Again, the trucker should have definitely let you in instead of forcing the issue and risking an accident. I'm glad it worked out (and neither you or the trucker was armed).

Salt

Glad you're Ok, Sorry you had to deal with another ahole with jealousy issues, the main thing is you're still here. Too many fatalities lately, did you see the last one, Vette head on with big rig, Sad. Take care bro, especially around big rigs, Salt

gota07

Your lights may have been misinterpreted. It's common for trucks to flash their lights at another that's passing to indicate they are clear and can pull back into the lane in front of the one flashing. Then the truck that just passed will flash the trailer lights as a way of saying thanks.

Gannet

Cite?

WHT

I don't completely understand your situation. Which of you were driving in the lane that was ending? It would be unusual for both lanes to merge equally.

Since you said "I can't slow down because there are cars right on the trailer" I would guess it was you. So, you were trying to pass the truck from the lane that was ending and he was not letting you in? If so, your are lucky that the police were not called, especially after slowing down in front of the truck. Some states take aggressive driving seriously.

Gannet

The answer to all these issues with trucks is very simple: don't drive next to trucks. Ever. Especially when you don't have any way to get "out". If that means you have to put on the brakes, or even stop in the middle of the road, do so. The opportunity to go around will come later.

To the OP: from your description, this is entirely on you. Yes, the truck driver was an ahole, but you put yourself in that situation. You started "passing" a turck that was on your right, but before you could complete the pass your lane ended and you had nowhere to go. Well guess what? You shouldn't have been passing in that situation. If your lane was ending weren't there signs up the road warning you of that fact? If so, you failed to plan ahead effectively. It sounds like everyone else in your vicinity managed to find a place to drive on the normal roadway. You were the only one that didn't. So, what are the odds as to who "screwed up"?

Glad you came out of it ok.

Oh, and lest you think I'm a holier-than-thou, I screw up all the time. :o

Zig

a quick flash of the lights is a very very common method of indicating it's clear.

drive like you are on a 'motocycle'. just because you can see them in their mirror doesn't mean they are looking at you. there's alot of trailer back there, if you slip into the blind spot (huge on trucks - and everyone needs to know where they are) it's best to just 'blast past'.

btw: glad everything worked out ok. now you've got a bit more experience in various conditions.

FloydSummerOf68

NEVER EVER drive next to a tractor-trailer rig...EVER

Glad you came out alright.

dvilin

This could have ended in many ways, it probably could have been avoided, and it can be debated from all points of view, the important thing is you were not injured, your car was not damaged and I assume you have vented to the point of being ventless. Now have a good day.

johnodrake

The Brolin movie was "The Car" (Stephen King movie) You are probably thinking about the Tank Truck stalking the family (Dennis Weaver) in "The Duel" Spielberg....

In a battle on the road, pay attention to the 'law of gross tonnage'...e.g., big rigs ALWAYS win.

A few years back, I was on my way to the Airport to pick up my boss and in a merge lane (I was in the through lane and the other lane was merging.) I was ahead of a box truck (me in a Jeep GC) and he simply drove in to the side of my Jeep. Then tried to say I drove into him....

GotVett?

on the movies and with you on the airport situation.

phileaglesfan

No link but I remember it being on the local news for a week. I guess the driver (can't even remember what kind of vehicle now) of the car and the truck had an issue with each other for the last few miles. The driver of the car decided to apply his brakes hard not realizing that laws of physics are against the truck. Truck jack-knifed killing the driver or at least seriously injuring him. I remember an update later saying the driver of the car went to prison (I forgot what charge).

I just try to keep my time around the rigs to the absolute minimum. He probably never saw the OP until the OP told the truck driver that he was #1. Regardless I'm sure the truck driver won't care much about the next Vette driver that he sees.