Just want to recount a little adventure we had this morning. Had rented a U-Haul to pick up a piece of furniture and was heading east on 11th between Lewis and Yale.
Driving down the street easy as you please then BAM! Looked to the passenger side and saw that the window on that side was shattered and blown inward. I was covered in glass and my passenger was also covered in glass shards and bleeding. The large side view mirror, (which sticks out easily over a foot past the truck on either side) apparently hit a light pole in this area and the mirrors are the kind that flip back and inward and thus "flipped" into the side window hard enough to shatter it (had one of the little "X"s on it to show that it had probably been hit before).
Now I don't think it was anyones fault per say. But I do think that a lot of those poles in that area are too close to the street, some are right up next to the curb and even leaning towards the street side. If you have a big truck with those mirrors that stick out the sides... Have been paying attention to where the poles are in other parts of the city today and have yet to see any as close to the street as those in that area of 11th, though I am sure there likely are.
Notice the ones for instance in front of the Fed Ex and Coney Island for instance near Deleware
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.147813,-95.948053,3a,69.1y,74.95h,81.45t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sl-jVenPzg5uDeJfAD4hQaA!2e0
Result of uncontrolled growth...the poles were there before the street was widened - probably back in the 60's sometime. Northbound on Lewis, from about 41st to almost 21st is an adventure in trying to make a 7 foot wide car fit into a 6 1/2 foot wide lane....
Light pole and mirror's fault..
I think the light poles should beware.......
I've driven a multitude of commercial vehicles on city streets the last 3 years. The widest one was 8'3" wide and I assure you that was a trip! Most older arterials aren't much wider than that. The streets were, and are, designed to accommodate commercial vehicles driven by experienced drivers. The older areas where the roads were widened didn't include moving the poles. Try driving Pine from Peoria east to Sheridan. They are inches off the curb. Legally commercial vehicles are supposed to drive in the right hand lane for safety. But when its safer to not drive in the right hand lane you should move to the left.
Allowing everyday drivers to operate a box truck with air brakes and wide mirrors without much experience only benefits the lessor in that it opens a larger market of prospects.
I busted off a mirror in a McDonalds parking lot by parking too close to some rather stout bushes. Fortunately the mirror was designed to collapse into components that could then be snapped back in to place.
Quote from: AquaMan on June 16, 2014, 09:31:52 AM
Allowing everyday drivers to operate a box truck with air brakes and wide mirrors without much experience only benefits the lessor in that it opens a larger market of prospects.
I think there is also a component of marketing there - a small revenue stream with huge margins!! Charging the lessee for the damage....