| Author |
Message |
    
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 02:19 pm: | 
|
did you just say Slaughter Christ?
isn't that a death metal band from the 80's? |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 02:47 pm: |
|
Maybe they could just put in a low overhanging sign or light standard...
 |
Kyrocket
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 02:52 pm: |
|
Or a couple of low bridges to nowhere. Maybe with a Yosemite Sam or Snaggle Puss saying you must be this tall to ride this road. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 03:03 pm: |
|
Sunny is closer to Christ than Steve... DAMHIK. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 03:05 pm: |
|
SS tortures innocent cats.  |
Drkside79
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 03:09 pm: |
|
I hope Char kicks some of you in the nuts. |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 03:59 pm: |
|
Back when I was designing actual weapon systems, the group SLAUGHTER was popular. I had an underwing 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launcher and somebody had gotten the title of Slaughter's, "STICK IT TO YA" - and pasted it on the side of the launcher. We kept it for the duration. |
Badlionsfan
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 07:19 pm: |
|
Curiosity question, being on both sides of this issue. How many accidents involved commercial vehicles on the dragon last year that required emergency response personnel (cops, firemen, paramedics, etc)? How many for motorcycles?
Point being, in the days of cash strapped communities, money talks. You start making noise about banning specific vehicles, you can lose control of the direction it goes. Be careful what you ask for. |
86129squids
| | Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2011 - 02:42 pm: |
|
I've escorted trucks through several times through the Gap, as have many of the locals/regulars here- Killboy regularly posts the truck pics, and goes out of his way to thank/promote those who make the effort to escort. It's just the right thing to do, plus just putting the Dragon aint too bad either...
A couple of times the driver got out at the end, eyes as big as saucers, wanting to know how much further to expect such curves... dispatch had just given him the shortest route. Unfortunately there's no other way for commercial traffic to reach this part of western NC.
I wish they'd put up some serious signage to warn everyone. Be safe, keep the rubber side down! |
Gohot
| | Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2011 - 10:57 pm: |
|
Come on, who ya'all kidding, its a frikin race road, pure and simple, problem is cars and trucks use it too. Hell there's just as good of roads elsewhere here in NC. maybe not as long, but just as twisty and well built. |
Sifo
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2011 - 08:09 am: |
|
A couple of times the driver got out at the end, eyes as big as saucers, wanting to know how much further to expect such curves...
I've always wondered how many of these truckers are return visitors to the Dragon. I bet not many come back a second time unless they absolutely have to. There really are no good alternative routes though for short range loads. |
Lightstick
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2011 - 09:16 am: |
|
Maybe somebody should start a petition to make US 129 safer for interstate traffic; and re construct the road without so many dangerous curves? Isn't that what U.S. highways were built for?
How many motorcycles crash on that road on any given summer weekend? Sounds like an ideal opportunity for "Stimulus Money" to make a safer highway. |
Sifo
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2011 - 09:26 am: |
|
Maybe somebody should start a petition to make US 129 safer for interstate traffic; and re construct the road without so many dangerous curves? Isn't that what U.S. highways were built for?
How many motorcycles crash on that road on any given summer weekend? Sounds like an ideal opportunity for "Stimulus Money" to make a safer highway.
That would be my fear of this sort of petition. Fix it for truck traffic and make it NOT a race track for bikes all in one fell swoop. It's a politicians dream bill.
I'm not sure how much could be done to straighten that road out though. With enough dynamite they could make it a very different road though. |
86129squids
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2011 - 05:04 pm: |
|
Lightstick- ummm, HELL NO.
There's already legislative talk about building another INTERSTATE through the area, studies have shown that it would F up SO much of the beauty and uniqueness of the mountains here, plus it would enable TONS of nuclear waste to be shipped directly to Oak Ridge... I can't remember the exact name(s) of the project, but trust me- BAD IDEA.
God and His angels would weep and flail themselves if that happened. |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2011 - 09:20 am: |
|
OK my 02c worth.
I am a truck driver & I've ridden the Dragon a dozen times.
My credentials established, here goes.
If you don't know the area & your "truck friendly" GPS sends you down that route what can you do? it's not just a 3 point turn, when you're committed you've no alternative but to keep going.
I have a Garmin Nuvi 465T supposedly the mutts nuts for truck GPS, I still use maps though as it's a loooonngggg way from being perfect.
Different rig configuration would help, I'd get a Euro spec rig through without too much sweat, but 6x2 conventional tractors pulling 50' semis with the bogey at the rear just cuts in so much on the corners that you have to take it wide.
The simple solution to the problem of rigs on the dragon is this.
Any vehicle over a certain gross plated weight or dimension must be escorted or a serious penalty will be incurred.
With appropriate signage inc contact details & parking it would work very simply, as it does here in France & also Switzerland where twisty roads aren't uncommon to say the least.
There, no demonizing of truck drivers, no stupid alternative routes, no new roads, just a safe viable alternative.
Trucking is an expensive business & margins are very tight as I'm sure others can confirm, NO company wants to lose the sort of money we're talking about when a rig gets stuck or has an accident.
I agree entirely that 129 isn't a truck friendly route, but I've driven lots worse. |
Badlionsfan
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2011 - 10:30 am: |
|
Grumpy, don't ya think and empty set of pups with a single drive axle tractor with a 7 speed trans for less shifting would be kinda fun on the dragon?
Like this set--
 |
Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2011 - 02:51 pm: |
|
That'd do nicely, could whizz that through a treat.
Short shift to let the turbo do it's business & those little drags will just follow through like roller coaster cars.
Just a little weight to keep it planted.
Fun fun fun. |
|
