The Moment: September 30, 2008, approximately 6:10 AM PDT (Hint: The sun ain’t quite up yet so it’s still kinda DARK!)
The Location: 2 miles south of Interstate 80, four miles north of the thriving metropolis of Beowawe, Nevada on SR 306. (This is a two lane secondary road - one lane for each direction of travel, with no emergency lanes or shoulder. You know the kind: 2" between the white line and the edge of the pavement. Oh, yeah, and for future reference, please note that a critical fashion accessory has been added to this location: very purty double solid lines have been painted on the road surface to clearly indicate a ‘No Passing Zone’. They’re yellow and everything a discerning driver needs to make a statement.)
The Circumstances: Traveling southbound at the posted speed limit of 70 miles per hour in a 2006 Kenworth pulling a 48 foot tank trailer. Coming over the small hill just in front of me is a pair of headlights in the northbound lane traveling at about 70 mph. And just to the right of those headlights (from my perspective), what to my wondering eyes should appear? Why (it was not Santa Claus and eight tiny reindeer - that I woulda believed!), it’s a second set of headlights in the southbound (my) lane attempting to pass the northbound vehicle. Less than 270 feet* of clear roadway separate my rig and the northbound vehicle in my lane.
The Experience: Leaving the pavement at 70 mph, traveling down a four foot embankment, through 868 feet* of sagebrush in soft dirt, in a 31,820 pound tanker, that was not designed with extensive off-road recreation in mind.
This is something you’ll not want to do twice. Or, for that matter, even the first time. Trust me. It doesn’t even begin to meet the any of the criteria of entertainment.
The Purpose? I think it was in order to avoid a head-on collision. Or to save the lives of the other drivers (and, perhaps, passengers?**). Even if one of them was trying out for a Darwin Award, he ain’t gonna get it under the wheels of my rig!
Result:
[ul]
[li]Re-assured myself that the seatbelt functions properly.[/li][li]No damage to my rig.*[/li][li]No damage to other vehicles or property. I even missed the right-of-way fence, but only by 18"![/li][li]2.75 hours of my workday lost waiting for a tow-truck. The area is a little, ah, shall we say, remote?[/li][li]$368.28 bill from the towing company. [/li][li]$622.37 to replace the seatbelt. (Not damaged, just a recommended precaution after an event such as this.)[/ul][/li]
I think I’m gonna take it easy for the next few weeks.*****
Lucy
*No, this is not an exaggeration. And yeah, before you ask, at my employer’s request I had to go back and measure it … And draw diagrams. And fill out paperwork. Hate paper work. And diagrams.
**Don’t know. I was kinda busy at the time. Besides, I couldn’t see. There was a little bit dust in the air. And, like I said above, it was “kinda DARK!”
***No damage to my … self. Well, maybe a few bumps. And a bruise. Or two. And a strained muscle. Or three. But nothing serious. Honest Injun.
****I managed to keep the wheel side of the rig in contact with the earth. Okay, There were three marker lights out. But nothing serious.
***** It is entirely possible that I’ve pretty well used up the balance of my luck allotment for this year.