| Author | Message | ||
     Whatever |
Please, please, please sign this petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/ikes-law-restrict- use-of-us-highway-129-to-non-commercial-vehicles I think anyone who loves riding in the Smokies can agree to this one... | ||
| Guell |
not this crap again, its on the 1125 board as well. It's a public road, not your own race track. And as I said in the other thread, the petition is a waste of time, e petitions don't do jack | ||
| Whatever |
Wow ! Really !  | ||
| Swordsman |
I've never been there, but why would a commercial vehicle take that road in the first place? Seems like the last place I'd want to try to navigate with a bigass truck. ~SM | ||
| Whatever |
Exactly my point... if truckers in 18 wheelers are jacknifing on this road it is a waste of State Trooper money to run out there every time it happens, not to mention a hazard for anyone who uses the road... including car drivers, other truck drivers AND anyone on two wheels. It really is a no brainer in my opinion... That said, I try to avoid it like the plague myself... but it was not too bad on a Monday in mid April... although I don't recommend doing it right after breakfast...  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It's a public road, not your own race track. It isn't about The Gap being a "race track". It's about the fact that because of the design of this road and the contours of the land, large, long multi-axle commercial vehicles are unable to traverse this road without crossing completely into the other lane. Nearly all of the curves on this road are blind meaning that even at reasonable posted speed limits you could round a blind curve and smack face first into a tractor trailer in your lane. The guy recently killed wasn't a "Ricky Racer" type. He was a very conservative rider. His speed was more than likely not "excessive". I don't know if these petitions do any good or not. I do know that representatives of the local Nashville Riders Group that was closest to Ike are pursuing efforts with the press to bring this to the attention of state legislators. The interesting part is that when the state cracked down on aggressive riding on The Gap, the truck traffic decreased. It reduced the hooliganism as well as made The Gap safer. That was the intent of this intensive patrol. I'm hoping that those who were responsible for the extra patrols and increasing safety will take this up as an issue of interest. | ||
| Jumbo_petite |
Done | ||
| Barker |
IMHO, the cops need only enforce laws that already exist, instead of escorting and turning their backs to the 18 wheelers. Its is a simple fact that a 18 wheeler can not navigate that stretch of road legally. See following statement: All vehicles are required by state law to obey any traffic control, including no-passing zones. The only exceptions would be if directed to do so by a law enforcement officer, or an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens on. The Tennessee Highway Patrol requires all Troopers to enforce laws equally and fairly. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me. I have also forwarded your email and mine to Captain Charles Laxton, commander of our Knoxville District. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks Stephanie Hamby Commissioner's Office Tennessee Department of Safety What I have seen is Tennessee Highway Patrol unofficial "no harm, no ticket" policy is for truckers only. Motorcycles and cars will be ticketed for this same violation even if no harm is done. Especially on the Dragon. It might help if TN puts the signs back up. They were taken down years ago. This one is on the NC side:  (Message edited by barker on August 10, 2011) | ||
| Guell |
I didn't mean to come off as harsh, my appologies if I did. Ive seen plenty of cars and bikes crossing the double yellow line, should they not be banned to? Perhaps make it a road for bicycles. I agree that an 18 wheeler has no business being on that without escorts, and I'm sure most truckers don't know what they are getting into when they take that road. My point is typically an e petition doesn't do anything. Write letters to the local politician expressing your concerns, emails, phone calls etc. | ||
| Slaughter |
This has been done to death. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/646206.html?1312814986 THINK before you put forward another worthless, toothless e-petition. THINK before you restrict "commercial traffic" If I were doing a motorcycle road test, I sure wouldn't want to be prevented from writing about the ride on the Dragon. If I were making a delivery to the Dragon's Den restaurant, I would sure want to be able to complete my delivery. If I OWNED the restaurant, I'd sure expect deliveries to be made. The e-petition is poorly worded and is self-defeating. "COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC" covers a lot of ground. THINK!! THINK before you blindly copy-and-paste... and certainly you do NO HONOR to Ike in trying to promote an impotent petition with nothing more specific than "commercial traffic" proposed to be banned. COME ON PEOPLE, THINK!!! The internet has become the WORST thing to happen to PRODUCTIVE action. | ||
| Guell |
^ yep | ||
| Pwnzor |
Most of the time, kingpin to rear axle length limits are imposed on that type of road. I don't recall seeing any such signage, but I wasn't really looking for it. I've ridden it a few times, and honestly don't care to repeat the experience due to the overwhelming squid presence on the weekends. My opinion on the petition is, it won't do any good. I wouldn't sign it even if it did. On average, truck drivers are the safest vehicle operators on the road. You will always get drivers from out of town who don't know what they're getting into when they take what they perceive to be a shortcut. Bottom line, to me, is it's a dangerous road, we all know it, and should act accordingly. Accept your own risks. | ||
| Barker |
+1 Slaugther | ||
| Two_seasons |
Whatever those semi's are hauling could be hauled by smaller cube trucks that could navigate that roadway. The local businesses and towns could be serviced this way. Here's another idea...any 18-wheeler needs to have an "escort" that would drive ahead of him within 1/2 mile to alert on-coming traffic of pending danger. Make the 18-wheeler pay for this service. And this service is only available between the hours of xx  x and xxx Monday through Friday...problem solved. | ||
| Whatever |
Whatever Steve... A personal friend of Ike posted this on her Facebook page, so I re-posted the link here... I don't know if she is the original author of the wording in the link... If you would like to send your criticism to her, I would be happy to send you her contact info. I think it is important to pay attention to the INTENT of a post. Not everyone is a rocket scientist like you are.  Carry on. | ||
| Slaughter |
The INTENT is honorable but it's the EFFECT that I'm concerned about. (It's the peeing yourself in a dark suit syndrome - might make you feel good but nobody will notice) This shit makes me grumpy. The internet seems to encourage folks to just copy and paste based on a couple of key words without regard to the actual outcome. | ||
| Court |
>>>>The internet has become the WORST thing to happen to PRODUCTIVE action. The Internet has given thinking and common sense a long vacation. | ||
| Etennuly |
I think it would become more of a moot issue if you protested to the Map makers and GPS mapping folks. They could stipulate on maps and GPS mapping that there are physical limitations that make tractor trailer use unsafe for that part of state route 129. After all, these are the people who lead a trucker into thinking it is shorter to cross the mountains there. The truckers read a map or follow a GPS routing that could easily have a warning posted stating that tractor trailers cannot legally traverse the corners. | ||
| Cowboy |
I dont know where to go on this subject---I do know that 1 18 wheeler pays more road tax than 10 bikes. you deside. on a different note. when I was running my big truck I got a 25% discount on my insurance if I agreed to stay 50 miles out side of Houston. Insurance companys may be the way to go. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Etennuly, If the truckers would go to the expense of equipping themselves PROPERLY, they wouldn't travel that road. There are GPS units with built in truck routing. There are paper maps published which specifically detail routes to completely avoid this type of road. They are sold at EVERY major truck stop and on Amazon, etc. Problem is, a lot of truckers have the mentality that their job is to mash the gas pedal and turn the steering wheel. It's a trade, an honest profession, and requires the tools of the trade. I don't hire drivers without the right tools. I need real drivers, not seat warmers. Carry on. | ||
| Two_seasons |
Char: You offer no ideas, just your own personal experience on this highway. Good for you. But, there is still a problem out there for other motorists the other 167 hours of the week. Did I get that right Char, 168 hours in a week?  My idea wasn't opinion, it was an idea. | ||
| Two_seasons |
By the way, the title of this thread is "Petition to restrict commercial vehicles from the Dragon" So I did indeed follow the intent of this thread Char. I offered an idea on how to restrict commercial vehicle movement on the Dragon! | ||
| Crackhead |
How about trying to peruse this another way. Find where in the DOT highway code that could be used to limit the length of vehicle (not just commercial) on that stretch of road. Then write a physical letter to the DOT or through your congressman, asking them to enforce their own rules. When you write the letter, word it in such a way that the agency needs to respond back to you. In other words, do you homework to find the loophole and exploit it. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Just an observation; If you are trying to get something done due to vehicles crossing the double yellow line, it would be highly advisable to not use video that shows the video taker crossing the double yellow line (such as the video posted on that site).... Typically states and/or localities have the ability to restrict certain vehicles from using certain roads. Why they haven't done so is anybody's guess. Most of the large vehicles have no idea what the road is like until it is too late for them to turn around. I would venture to say a very few large vehicle drivers know what the road is like, yet use it anyways for a multitude of reasons. (Message edited by Paint shaker on August 10, 2011) | ||
| Whatever |
My comment was aimed at Steve.  Sometimes I hate bulletin boards. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
My comment about the video was directed towards the video they chose to represent a "conservative" rider. The other comments were not directed at anyone in particular. (Message edited by Paint shaker on August 10, 2011) | ||
| Whatever |
The OTHER Steve (Slaughter)... Christ !!! | ||
| Froggy |
Steve Christ is on this board? | ||
| Slaughter |
WOW! I've been "blessed?" | ||
| Court |
All hail Steve . . .  (Message edited by court on August 10, 2011) |
