Thanks to all for the off-list replies about my big 5 ton accident. I
appreciate the thoughts and the stories. I have been driving since 1968,
and drove a school bus for five years while in college and grad school. I
own a greyhound bus and an ex-army school bus, both of which I use for Boy
Scout and Church youth group trips (I have a Commercial Drivers License, and
keep current on it and on the maintenance for these busses). Last year I
drove the Greyhound to Mexico and this year to Alaska. I have been a school
bus driver-trainer. Through all these hundreds of thousands of miles of
driving, I have now been in three serious property damage accidents. One
happened when I was sixteen when some idiot made a u turn across my path on
a four lane hiway. The next happened two months ago when an oncoming driver
decided to pass someone and forced me off the road, clipping my rear quarter
panel as he went by.
Now, somebody has blown through a stop sign into the path (and underneath)
of my five-ton. I have had two pretty serious property damage accidents in
the last 6 weeks. I am, of course, quite rattled by this. I posted the
note to this list because of the obscene violence of an accident between a
military truck and a passenger car. You should all be aware of how much
damage you can do at only 35 mph. The bumpers on these trucks are very,
very high by modern standards. If I had been in my army bus, which was
built in 1987, I would have simply scooted this guys car to the side and
into the ditch. It would have done a lot of damage, and might still have
hurt someone, but I wouldn't have driven over the top of his hood (bonnet
for you socialists). I am now much more aware of why modern trucks have
such low bumpers on both the front and the back.
Again, thanks for all the notes, some about similar experiences. Please be
very, very careful out there! If my hobby had resulted in a death, no
matter what the circumstances, I could have never enjoyed it again.
Anybody got any front spring hangers for an M54A2? I need them immediately
($40 a day storage until I get this truck repaired). Insurance will cover
it, I guess, but I am the one who has to go fix it. Towing it to a large
truck facility will cost $1000. Fixing it in place will cost maybe $100.
Joe Garrett
cell 425-344-1402
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 08 2001 - 10:58:56 PDT