No I do not mean among the stars. I mean area around my big ass truck. Time for a little trucker-educatin'. My truck, traveling at 55 mph will require about 450 feet to come to a complete stop when fully loaded. That includes the driver reaction time and vehicle stopping distance all in one. When traveling down a road like a US highway with random stop lights, the speeds are usually comparable to those on the freeways. Add in traffic lights and 40 ton trucks and.... You see where this is going. Then there is the consideration I make to stay in 5th or 6th gear and creep up to the red light at 20 mph or so in hopes it will turn green and I will not have to cycle through all 13 speeds again. These two things are why there is a large gap in between my truck and the vehicle directly in front of me. IT IS NOT A GAP THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED WITH YOUR SWERVING CAR! I do not leave it there so you can gain a 20 foot advantage on the "idiot" you just passed. If I am in the process of trying to fully stop and you pull into the gap, chances are another idiot will think that was a great move and join you. Between the two morons and physics, my stopping distance has just been reduced by 40 feet. Consequently, your vehicle may just be shrunk by a few feet as well.
On another note. I love it when kids do the "pull the horn" motion to me. It is a throwback to when I was a kid. I did it too. Biggest difference is I did not flip off the trucks who refused to blare the air horn for me. Sometimes I will give a pull on the cord. Most of the time I will not. It is not random either. There are unwritten guidelines for honking. NEVER in a neighborhood. Never on a crowded city street, in stop and go traffic, or while passing a police officer. Sometimes on country roads and the uncrowded freeway. ALWAYS when it is a girl who is topless. ( not seen that yet ) Have some decency and know where you are when commanding a driver to honk.
PS: I hate changing lanes.
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