Advocacy & Safety - Junk on the shoulders

Last night I was driving my car along the road shoulder on my paper route, delivering to boxes, when suddenly 'out of nowhere' a trailer--one of those flat, black ones--appeared right in front of me, parked on the shoulder. I barely had time to swerve and avoid hitting it.

I couldn't help thinking that if I had been on my bike, I night not have seen it at all until I hit it--the headlight is so much dimmer.

It can't be legal to leave car junk parked on the paved shoulder of a highway, can it? Anyone have any trouble with this sort of thing?

Originally posted by Inkwolf
Last night I was driving my car along the road shoulder on my paper route, delivering to boxes, when suddenly 'out of nowhere' a trailer--one of those flat, black ones--appeared right in front of me, parked on the shoulder. I barely had time to swerve and avoid hitting it.

I couldn't help thinking that if I had been on my bike, I night not have seen it at all until I hit it--the headlight is so much dimmer.

It can't be legal to leave car junk parked on the paved shoulder of a highway, can it? Anyone have any trouble with this sort of thing?

Yes, yes yes!!

Now that Colorado has added "Rumble Strips" just about anywhere in the world they can put them, you are FORCED into riding with the nuts, bolts, old fenders, trash and other assorted detritus on the shoulder. They force you to ride there, but never seem to sweep it clean. Sometimes I wonder how some cars and trucks are still together when you see all the loose bolts on the road shoulder.

I ride past a scrap yard on my commute. Speaking of stuff on the side of the road!! For a half mile in either direction there is nothing but chunks of junk along the road. I swear half the trucks must be empty by the time they make it to the yard. Flat city!

Don't mean to be a jerk - but the trailer appeared "out of nowhere"?? Unless the trailer was _moving_, I can't understand how it appeared out of nowhere.

If you didn't notice the trailer on the side of the road, would you have noticed someone changing a flat - or would they have appeared "out of nowhere" as well?

I agree that the shoulders of many of the roads I ride on are full of debris and should be cleaned semi-regularly, but if I was to run into any of it (either in my car or on my bike) - shame on me.

Originally posted by Cat2
Don't mean to be a jerk - but the trailer appeared "out of nowhere"?? Unless the trailer was _moving_, I can't understand how it appeared out of nowhere.

If you didn't notice the trailer on the side of the road, would you have noticed someone changing a flat - or would they have appeared "out of nowhere" as well?

My, we're cranky today, aren't we? :D

Try driving along on a dark night and see how long it takles you to notice something black, flat, and two feet high in front of you where it has no right to be.

If you were changing a tire, I might think you came out of nowhere, if you and your car were both stealth black, two feet tall, and had no reflectors.....

Some yardcare guys that work near my office always park their trailer in the bike lane, on a hill, right before a curve. :mad:

Originally posted by Rotifer
Some yardcare guys that work near my office always park their trailer in the bike lane, on a hill, right before a curve.

Why have you not reported them to the appropriate authorities or at least plastered a warning message on the offending trailer? Don't get mad ... get even!

Originally posted by Inkwolf
If you were changing a tire, I might think you came out of nowhere, if you and your car were both stealth black, two feet tall, and had no reflectors.....
If you were changing a tire on the side of the road at night and you are not lit up, either with flares, lights, or a street light, you are crazy as H. E. Doubletoothpicks.

Don't get mad ... get even!

Just lazy, good idea though - especially since they are contracted by the County. Whenever I grab an espresso on my way to work and their trailer is there, I through the empty cup in.

Wouldn't you know it, a day after I responded about the trailer "coming out of nowhere" I ran into a HUGE hole on the side of the road while riding home in the dark (with headlight, of course).

Guess stuff *can* come out of nowhere when conditions aren't optimal...

Ouch! Hope you and your bike are okay! :)

Originally posted by blwyn
I ride past a scrap yard on my commute. Speaking of stuff on the side of the road!! For a half mile in either direction there is nothing but chunks of junk along the road. I swear half the trucks must be empty by the time they make it to the yard. Flat city!

Hey, blwyn, I think that's my garage you're talking about!

Originally posted by John E


Why have you not reported them to the appropriate authorities or at least plastered a warning message on the offending trailer? Don't get mad ... get even!

I'd leave a message for the trailer owner first, asking him to move the bloody thing, with an explanation as to why. If he still parks it there, I'd say that a few bumper stickers are all one needs. Might I suggest:

"Gay Men Need Love Too."
"How's My Driving? Call 1-800-GET-BENT."
"Death to America, the Great Satan!"
"Bad Cop! No Doughnut!"

...and a few other persecuted social groups will do wonders. I'd suggest laying heavily on the gay-pride stickers in the South, and see if you can find any pushing the Nazi party, the KKK, or whatnot in the North. Guaranteed to give the gent parking the trailer some unwanted attention from local vandals, and the "Bad Cop!" sticker is always endearing to the local police...