At least he said sorry

**That looks like fun** · 22nd January 2013, 20:17

Yeah ok, I know not every motorcyclist in N.Z is on KB but if you hear someone saying how this nearly happened to them and their partner, for what its worth the truck driver stopped and admitted he had screwed up big time and he was apologetic.
So what happened I hear you ask

For those who dont know (and there may be one of ya at least) I drive one of them cool as

roadside mower things. (Its a mans toy

No offense ladies but it destroys shit in a way that makes me feel good. If your letterbox goes missing, I may know something about it. But I digress). We work in a team of four, A lead pilot then me in a side mount reach mower (thats technical talk for thing what roots letterboxes), a rear mount reach mower, then a rear pilot vehicle. We have signs, flashing lights and all that safety shit (we even have cones

).
We are a nusiance on the road, I know that

But we have a job, and it needs to be done. Travelling at 9 km/hr must frustrate other road users. The other option is to let the grass and trees grow right across the road and we can all stay home

So there I am, trundling North mowing shit and generally feeling destructive

When the rear pilot informs me a truck trailer unit is approaching from the rear. The pilots do that so we know whats happening around us and less people die

(letter boxes get no warning). Check the mirror and sure enough a big unit is coming around the second tractor and due to oncoming traffic is pulling in behind me. I am mowing towards a blind corner (about 50 mtetres away) and can see an area I can pull off to let the truck pass when he decides he is going anyway

At the same time the front pilot calls to inform us 2 motorcycles are coming. About this time the big "holy f*#k" goes around my head and sure enough, once the truck is fully on the wrong side of the road...... 2 bikes come around the corner

Sorry guys but my options were limited to stopping. Thats all I could do in the hope the truck would get back on his side of the road ASAP!!! It was ugly and I really didnt want to be there

It appeared the 2 riders were on tour and the lead rider (no insult intended) appeared to be a learner and fortunatly wasnt travelling at speed. No collision but a funny smell from my pants and probably the riders as well. I never saw but the rear pilot informed me later the lead bike was obviously shaken as they stopped in the middle of the lane after getting past the truck. Pulling off the road would have been a better option but then terror can help you make funny choices sometimes,.
Only plus to the whole thing is that when the truck driver got up to where the lead pilot was he stopped and made a pretty damn good apology. He knew he had screwed up. His choice worried him as well so hopefully he has learnt something from it.
Lets be careful out there

Oh yeah, and paint your letterbox in high viz if its close to the road please

**davereid** · 22nd January 2013, 20:30

Kiwis have this belief that if THEIR lane is blocked, then they may use the other lane, without further consideration required.

On the way home tonight, a car decided to call into a vege stall, and without bothering with indicators or any of that crap, they moved right, slowed down and then proceeded to make their left turn into the driveway. The row of cars behind dealt with it expertly, by changing sides of the road.

I found this disconcerting, as I was already on that side of the road.

Still, my big heavy arse, on my big heavy suzuki did a bit of off roading on the gravel verge, and we all passed without incident.

You must see this every day. I couldn't do your job, it would stress the fuck out of me.

BTW my tax demand arrives in the mail last week of Feb. Please get my letterbox, and my neighbours dog. Thank you.

**G4L4XY** · 22nd January 2013, 20:33

Thanks for the good read haha crackup. Lucky the story didn't get more gruesome eh. One more wiser trucker out there now and he can go tell his buddies (who probably wont give a toss)

**unstuck** · 22nd January 2013, 21:02

Tis why I gave up the roadside mowing. Got hit by a bus around the devils staircase and hit by a truck and trailer unit in the lindis pass. Can be a terrifiying job.

**Road kill** · 22nd January 2013, 21:15

Well you'd be the only lawn mower that ever pulled over for anybody.

Why don't you buy a fucking push bike an complete the set ya' cunt.

**Berries** · 22nd January 2013, 21:17

m

**gijoe1313** · 22nd January 2013, 21:21

Wait, did the rug match the curtains? Dang, getting senile these days without riding!

Or was I using my pornographic memory again about mowing lawns ...

**haydes55** · 22nd January 2013, 21:22

I vote for getting a revenue collector to be lead vehicle, if the cop or anyone in the mowing chain sees illegal driving they get a ticket. Overtaking on yellow lines, blind corners, speeding past mowers etc. and best part is most people breaking the law will be from the rear end so wouldn't see a police car. Imagine the donuts they could afford with all them fines!

**TheTengTheory** · 22nd January 2013, 23:11

I had a fairly scary experience recently involving a mower. Seems some drivers don't know what to do or do something then do something else completely different. Riding back from Hill Road a couple of weeks ago. Came up behind a car driving at 90kph. Car pulled over to let me pass, seeing I had sufficient space to pass before reaching the mower, I proceded to over take the car. Somehow, the driver mustive only noticed the mower after pulling over and decided to move back towards the center line

. Also completely forgot I was half way passing. So ended up riding over the centerline to avoid been shunted.

As life would dictate, a mutha fking land rover was coming the other way and ended up been the Mower then car centerline, me and oncoming SUV.

Dam near shat myself.

No fault to the mower...Just bad call on my behalf to overtake. I would get angry at the driver but....Should've anticipated that situation.

**onearmedbandit** · 22nd January 2013, 23:28

Originally Posted by davereid

Kiwis have this belief that if THEIR lane is blocked, then they may use the other lane, without further consideration required.

Hell yes they do. And I don't include myself in that group because I don't do it.

**GrayWolf** · 23rd January 2013, 01:45

Well it was obviously 'Truckies' day to F*CK UP bigtime Yesterday....
On my way out of Wellington Just South of Kaiwharawhara, (we pass beside the Ferry/SH2/SH1 turn off leading out of Wellywood running beside the 'Caketin').. Locals will know exactly the bit of road... Had to radio 'A box' (wellington's Main signal box) as a really pretty (used to be) lovely looking Kenworth cab style rig and lovely polished ali/stainless tipper bed, had decided to ram head on, one of the overbridge concrete support piers. Either he had been going way too fast, or distracted, and had no chance of turning right up the incline to enter SH1/SH2.... The trailer/tipper bed had jack knifed behind him with the impact and the bonnet had the pier squarely planted in the centre of the 'ex' chrome radiator grill.... Impact was hard enough that our track guys had to come out and spread sand from the pier across the shunting track leading into the Ferry terminal (15-20ft) Looks like oil and coolant had spewed violently across that distance, as well as I'd guess some of the 'bonnet' material...
The rig looked either fairly new, or was someone's pride n joy.... just hope the driver wasnt a 'hired hand' for a private owner.... Would love to have heard the explanation given to the Popo who attended.

**Dragon** · 23rd January 2013, 07:16

Originally Posted by GrayWolf

Well it was obviously 'Truckies' day to F*CK UP bigtime Yesterday....
On my way out of Wellington Just South of Kaiwharawhara, (we pass beside the Ferry/SH2/SH1 turn off leading out of Wellywood running beside the 'Caketin').. Locals will know exactly the bit of road... Had to radio 'A box' (wellington's Main signal box) as a really pretty (used to be) lovely looking Kenworth cab style rig and lovely polished ali/stainless tipper bed, had decided to ram head on, one of the overbridge concrete support piers. Either he had been going way too fast, or distracted, and had no chance of turning right up the incline to enter SH1/SH2.... The trailer/tipper bed had jack knifed behind him with the impact and the bonnet had the pier squarely planted in the centre of the 'ex' chrome radiator grill.... Impact was hard enough that our track guys had to come out and spread sand from the pier across the shunting track leading into the Ferry terminal (15-20ft) Looks like oil and coolant had spewed violently across that distance, as well as I'd guess some of the 'bonnet' material...
The rig looked either fairly new, or was someone's pride n joy.... just hope the driver wasnt a 'hired hand' for a private owner.... Would love to have heard the explanation given to the Popo who attended.

I saw the damage when I went home alot of people are going through things atm

other side of the motor way a couier van went into the barrier hence why there is lovely concrete blocks just before you get off to go down towards the train station/stadium

And on the way to pram there is a hole in the barrier on the 80km area between puka bay and paekok

**willytheekid** · 23rd January 2013, 08:22

...can I have a go on your mower??

...I only ask cos mines in the shop for "minor repairs"

...Stupid Fucking lawns!! (why u grow so fast AFTER I cut u?)

**unstuck** · 23rd January 2013, 09:14

Sidearm flail mowers are a little more complicated than your average push mower. I was lucky, I had one on the front and one on the back. Still good for starting fires in the central otago grass though.

**willytheekid** · 23rd January 2013, 10:53

Originally Posted by unstuck

Sidearm flail mowers are a little more complicated than your average push mower. I was lucky, I had one on the front and one on the back. Still good for starting fires in the central otago grass though.

Pffffft!...has engine (check)...has large spinnng blades of death(check)...I have no training at all (check)...what could POSSIBLY go wrong??

...damnit!