Cement Truck

[grebmrof]

This past Saturday I had something happen to me while I was out for a ride that I never had happen before... 

I was riding north on a beautiful windy road and came to a stoplight at an intersection with a 4 land divided road (45 mph limit) and of course missed the light as usual.  I was first in line with a large SUV behind me, maybe 10 feet back.  Just before the light changed I heard a loud (even through my helmet, motor noise and ear plugs) air horn being applied with some urgency.  To my right is a pretty steep downhill section of road.  The light then changed to green, the horn continued an insistent blowing...I didn't move an inch and looked to my right to spot a cement truck looking like he wasn't going to stop for the red, I didn't move and watched...  The truck kept coming, going about 40 mph.  The traffic across from me...a bicycle and two cars apparently didn't realize what was going on.  The bicycle and the first car proceeded across the intersection, the second car froze (he saved his life!)... the bike and the first car made it to the center before maybe one second later the cement truck breezed through the red light and the intersection.  All of this took less than 10 seconds.  Somewhere during this time I glanced in my mirrors to see the SUV behind me had closed the distance to my back fender and was looming behind me...but at least he wasn't blowing his horn.  Once the cement truck cleared the intersection the light was still green and I proceeded through it and went on my way.

I usually look carefully both ways before I head through any intersection just in case someone is daydreaming and not going to stop for a red light or stop sign.  On Saturday I was aided by this guy blowing his air horn - he knew he had lost his brakes and was warning people.   My only regret is that I didn't trail that cement truck to thank him for the life saving warning.  I probably would have met him right in that intersection along with that second car had he not helped everyone by sounding his horn.  I think several lives were saved in those few seconds.  This will stay with me for a long, long time...I will never forget this one!  Look carefully before you cross any road, maybe look two or three times...
Tom

[ohiorider]

Damn!  Tom, I know that intersection well.  That is one steep hill going west on Mayfield.  Thankfully, you were observant enough to heed the driver's warning horn.   

Bob

[egschade]

In NJ people blow through red lights all the time as they "squeeze the lemon". Glad you heard and reacted properly to the truck driver's warning.

[Gliderjohn]

You never know. A gal was significantly injured recently near me when she was hit in an intersection by a car attempting to flee the cops.
Also been a couple of successful recent highway landings by disabled airplanes. Just never know what and from what direction the next threat may be.
GliderJohn

[Roebling3]

Back in the day 1950's I lost braking power twice. 1st time became a run away on a downhill @ no o'clock in the morning. The engine couldn't rev high enough to catch a lower gear. The vacuum operated 2 speed rear drive was in high range. I managed to crash the gear box axle by some miracle and catch low range. The tach didn't read above 6K. At some outrageous engine speed the fly wheel         eed the flywheel exploded with a serious uphill and soft shoulder ahead. I still get the sweats thinking about it R3~

[ratguzzi]

I have a motorcycle friend in Slidell, LA who had a "concrete" business and I got trashed for saing a "cement truck" A cement mixer was or or concrete truck but his point was "cement" was just ONE of the components to "concrete" I always got a chuckle out of it!
JB

[LowRyter]

When I saw the title, I pictured a Guzzi three-wheeler pulling a portable mixer.  My idea was funnier than yours.

I know it's happened when I hesitated to pull out on a bike and an unknown and invisible vehicles ran through the intersection.  Once I pulled out in front of Semi, he locked his brakes and blew the horn, I skedaddled across traffic and into safety.  No, I wasn't looking, I thought wrongly that the opposing lane had to stop.  Nope.  Pretty stupid of me.

Anyway, glad everyone made it ok>   

[John Croucher]

I have seen boats made out of lite weight cement.

[Tom]

👌  Glad you're okay.

[stubbie]

There's nothing that makes your panties wetter than looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a semi, brakes fully locked, smoke billowing from the tyres and the trailer sideways in the outside lane. Ask me how I know.

[geoff in almonte]

"Always look both ways before you cross the street"

Worked when I was walking everywhere.

Works now as a defensive driving technique.

G

[Stretch]

Situational awareness is all-important on a bike.
(As well as remembering that red lights and stop signs don't actually stop vehicles.....)

Glad you're all right, Tom.

                           -Stretch

[grebmrof]

Situational awareness is all-important on a bike.
(As well as remembering that red lights and stop signs don't actually stop vehicles.....)
Glad you're all right, Tom.
                           -Stretch

...never moved an inch, I was frozen in place until the drama had passed through the intersection, then I looked some more...phew!

[Texas Turnip]

WOW!

 It does happen , sounds like the truck had lost its air brakes , a loaded cement truck is really heavy .


 Dusty

Sultan, If he lost his air brakes would not his air horn not function?

I drove a cement truck for one day and realized it was safer to haul flammable.
Tex

[Dan Beaman]

Two years ago I drove those beasts. There's more than one air tank so you could lose brakes and still have the horns. To put things in another perspective, most of those carry 10 cubic yards of cement and 1 yard weighs 2 tons!! Then the truck alone weighs 16 tons. 

I'm glad you waited!!!

[Moparnut72]

The spring brakes should have kicked in if he lost air pressure but being able to stop that truck,  I don't know.
 kk