Time to sit in judgement, Oppo

"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
06/21/2016 at 11:15 • Filed to: None

This is from this mornings commute. The facts are as follows:

- Approaching, I saw a high-vis vest in the middle of the road.

- I noted the occupant of said vest seemed to have no intention of moving (I was wrong)

- I also noted he had something stretched in front of him (turned out to be a tape measure).

Based on these facts, I decided to change lanes to avoid both him and his tape. As I did so, he apparently saw me and ran back across my path to the side of the road. As I passed him I got a “dafuq you doing” look from him.

So, Oppo, who’s the dick here? Or are we both just bad at reading people? Should I have swerved back into the lane I came from? (There are reasons why I didn’t—number one was I was pretty close, number two is that patch there where he was measuring is a pretty nasty bump. It’s not so bad in the lane I took, it’s a lot worse in the left lane, and it’s downright diabolical if you have to change lanes over it.) Should I have braked harder? (I had just passed someone and didn’t want to brake-check them. But should I have?)

DISCUSSION (40)

crowmolly > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:19

IMO, he’s 100% at fault.

1.) Pedestrian (even with the vest) in the road in a non-crosswalk.

2.) DOT(?) worker with no cones or signage denoting his possible presence in the roadway.

This is the type of thing that would probably make his supervisor flip out. You tried to do the best you could with the situation at hand.

FKA-RacecaR > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:21

Utility work in the road with no spotter or signs? I would say he's at fault.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:23

He (or his company) is a dick for not closing a lane he’s working in. You’re a dick for not slowing down for an idiot standing in the middle of the road (never assume that someone standing in the middle of the road is a rational human being). You’re both wrong. I’m apt to say he’s more wrong since he shouldn’t have been in an open lane and that if he got hit by someone texting that I wouldn’t feel sorry for him, but on the other hand, you saw him and initially tried to drive around him instead. I’d have slowed more, had a hand on the horn, another out the window with a finger in the air, and unleashed a barrage of curses.

Die-Trying > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:26

about the point when you centered up on the guy he got spooked, and ran for the curb..... his fault. probably a new guy........ shoulda had some kind of signage..........

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:27

He is at fault, you don’t go in the street without traffic control. I had a similar situation last week when two city workers decided to operate a water valve in the middle of the street, not a sign or flagger in sight. They were both bent over cranking on the valve and were not paying attention to traffic. This really pisses me off because all they had to do was pop up a couple of signs and get one of the guys to stand there with a hand sign and it would have been 100% safer.

jariten1781 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:29

No harm no foul. Legally you're in the good unless your state has some heavy handed workers safety laws. That said, after numerous close calls I treat humans in the road just like I do skittish dogs...that is, I don't pre-predict that they're going to do anything that makes sense so I immediately get off the accelerator, cover (not press unless needed) the brakes, and verify escape routes.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > crowmolly
06/21/2016 at 11:30

That’s how I figured it, but the look he gave me made me wonder if I could have done something else...

Takuro Spirit > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:30

At least you weren’t driving a Mustang.

crowmolly > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:32

What were you supposed to do, stop in the middle of the street for no reason and get rear ended?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
06/21/2016 at 11:32

Sounds OK to me. I did slow down, but I could have slowed more. I probably should have honked (that said you never know—horns often do the “deer in the headlights” thing to people).

But the gist is we both suck.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
06/21/2016 at 11:33

I think what he did was wait for a red light and not notice when it turned green.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > jariten1781
06/21/2016 at 11:40

Basically what I did was coast and change lanes when I saw him, and brake as soon as he started running back. Didn’t want to hammer the brakes for the reasons above. But yeah, I shouldn’t have made any predictions and cut it a bit close.

Speaking of dogs though... I had a bit of a funny experience this weekend. I pulled into someone’s driveway to turn around, and I hear someone yelling “nononoinsertdognameherenono”, look over and see this Chihuahua barreling down on me with the owner in hot pursuit. She had to come and pull it out from under my truck.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Takuro Spirit
06/21/2016 at 11:40

Me 1:Construction worker 0

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > crowmolly
06/21/2016 at 11:42

I could’ve swerved back where I came from, but I’m wary of that pothole. It’s caught me before.

That and I didn’t want to run over whatever he was dragging. I didn’t know it was just a tape measure until I played it back.

Tripper > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:46

Totes his fault. This seems like a situation where he looks up and thinks, “What the fuck is this guy doing?” and then you see him and think “What the fuck is this guy doing?”. No harm no foul here.

You’ve got to be on the defense when it comes to any sort of road workers though. First of all for their safety, but secondly because cops will almost always side with the workers. I went through a work zone under the posted work zone speed limit but there were some men really close to the lane that was not blocked off and a cop parked ahead of him. He pulled me over and screamed in my face! I started to explain that I was well under the posted speed limit and aware of the men at the road side. I quickly realized that was not a good idea as he quizzed me on workers names that have been killed in roadside accidents. He let me go after breaking my eardrums for a few minutes.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:47

He’s definitely at fault, but I would always slow down for someone standing in the road, not try to swerve around them. Either way he shouldn't have been there.

jariten1781 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 11:53

Heh, Chihuahuas are the worst. My grandparents had one when I was a kid. His name was Feo, they didn’t speak Spanish...was the name he came with. When my grandfather was informed a few years after he had him he just goes...”Well, it fits”. That dog bit me so many times I couldn’t even count them. Have multiple scars to this day.

And speaking of ‘this day’, there’s a Chihuahua that lives down the street whose owners perch it on the back of their trunk without a leash for whatever reason. Any time we’re walking my dog it will rocket off its perch and dash across the street in full on attack mode. Multiple times I’ve had to scoop it onto my foot and fling it back towards where it came from because if it actually attacked my dog it would be dead in moments (she’s not dog aggressive but will defend and has had ample practice killing squirrels, chipmunks, and even one freaking groundhog and opossum).

Damned Chihuahuas.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/21/2016 at 11:57

Rebuke accepted :)

smobgirl > jariten1781
06/21/2016 at 12:17

They just run free in my neighborhood. And yeah, one day I'm not going to lock the leash in time and my dog will get a nice taste of cannibalism.

Party-vi > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 12:22

No flaggers, no one else with him, I’d say he’s a dumbass. Also who uses a tape to measure the width of a road with traffic? That’s what wheels are for.

Kinja'd!!!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Party-vi
06/21/2016 at 12:27

The tape did strike me as funny. Probably why I didn’t pick up on what it was until I played it back.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > jariten1781
06/21/2016 at 12:33

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Im1bC…

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > smobgirl
06/21/2016 at 12:33

smobgirl > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 12:44

Hahahaha this. What I really don’t understand - one of my neighbors has lost 4 dogs since I moved in to coyotes and speeding vehicles, but none of the Chihuahuas ever disappear!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 12:54

Trust me, when I post my videos I get plenty of rebuke. Some of it I take into account and some I don’t

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/more-bad-omaha…

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > smobgirl
06/21/2016 at 12:55

Too vicious. And possibly couldn’t get within axe range.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/21/2016 at 12:58

Well, you either learn from your mistakes or repeat them...

...and frankly when I put something like this on Oppo I’m prepared for negativity even if I think I’m 100% in the right.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 13:00

Ain’t that the truth.

Chasaboo > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 13:24

Here in the colonies we spell judgment sans ‘E.’

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chasaboo
06/21/2016 at 13:26

Usually I add the colonial “u” (being a Canuck myself), but I think I’ll side with the ‘Muricans on this one.

Chteelers > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 13:30

You could have, you know, stopped. He’s dumb though for being out there with no warning signage.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chteelers
06/21/2016 at 13:33

Not with someone right behind me.

I could have slowed down more though.

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > Chasaboo
06/21/2016 at 13:37

I spell it with the e and I’m from Texas. Probably has to do with reading the Bible as a kid.

nucciOMG > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 13:59

Roads are for cars.

Sidwalks are for people.

People in road = dicks.

Cars on sidewalk = dicks.

Chteelers > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 14:22

Yeah, easy to armchair QB. You didn’t hit anything, so you made the right decision. Let him be mad for being a fool.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chteelers
06/21/2016 at 14:25

Honestly, I completely get why you said that though. First reaction is “duh, you idiot, stop”.

Nimbus The Legend - Riding on air like a cloud > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 16:22

misunderstanding ... neither of your are dicks

-this space for rent- > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 17:36

Dick is irrelevant. He’s not so bright to be working in the street without closing off a lane.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
06/21/2016 at 21:41

Juudgement? Damn maple Syrup Chuggers.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > vdub_nut: scooter snob
06/22/2016 at 07:31

Wouldn’t that be jüdgement? Sounds more Norwegian