really an eastern problem as out here it is rare to see anything driving under 70mph
livestock: not responsible for splatters
[QUOTE=clanter;7810730]
really an eastern problem as out here it is rare to see anything driving under 70mph[/QUOTE]
I agree.
I’ve lived all over the country during the last 18 years of my husband’s military career. I lived near Lake Placid, NY until I was 16 yrs old. The road system in the east is just not conducive to “fast” travel with a trailer. Too many narrow curves and hills, too many trees blocking line of sight, not the never-ending straight flat treeless stretches of the Midwest/west.
And unfortunately, eastern drivers seem to be the MOST impatient in all the US.
The worst trailer pulling experience yet was a couple of years ago near Strasbourg, VA. We were head to a friend’s and had to turn from a wide, two lane highway with a shoulder onto a narrow two lane with no shoulder and a ditch on the right side. This meant I had to use the whole, narrow roadway to make the turn with our gooseneck trailer.
The drivers on the narrow road refused to give me any “slack” to make the turn. They actually speeded up to prevent me from even trying. Within a couple of minutes I had “locked” the intersection. I was blocking the eastbound lane waiting to turn. The westbound lane was blocked by people wanting to turn left onto the narrow road but who didn’t want to turn in front of me (I did have the right of way). A car on the narrow road wanted to turn left onto the main highway but could not do so because of cars on the main highway wanting to turn left. And there we were.
Finally my wife got out of the truck and blocked the narrow road by standing in the traffic lane (one putz in a black SUV actually threatened to hit her if she didn’t move; she threatened to call 911). The left turning car at the head of that cue made their turn and the balance turned right. I now had enough room to make the corner. I stopped and picked her up. I also imagined the “colorful” language of some of the other drivers, particularly the guy in the black SUV. 
The more “urban” the area the more likely folks are not going to understand the space requirements to turn larger vehicles. Maybe if local radio stations played less rock music and more versions of “Give Me 40 Acres and I’ll Turn This Rig Around” that would not be the case.
G.
I just drive like I would in a big truck, gotta get my ponies safe and sound from point A to B! People just don’t understand or have NO common sense. I blocked traffic at a shithook trying to make it through an underpass in Amarillo, TX. That was a clusterfck. Loooots of angry yuppies lol but what do you do when you have a long ass rig trying to make your way through one of the largest cities in Texas. Slow stops, slow starts, wide turns… I like to help out big trucks and horse trailers when other drivers are being jerks. Like for instance, if they’re trying to merge or switch lanes I’ll hold people off so they have a gap, little things like that (safely as possible of course). Otherwise you’re sitting there for ever or have to stomp your pedal to the floor to try and squeak in there. I get a laugh when I see cattle liners getting their butts rode or people being inconsiderate drivers, then the cows or pigs poop on them hehehe…stay back or feel the stinky wrath!
[QUOTE=red mares;7807978]
As the driver who’s probably tail gaited you at some point, no they aren’t effective.
Or at least as effective as those “Baby on Board” signs that I also ignore.
People stay away from dump trucks because the gravel they shed can chip or break windshields.[/QUOTE]
Why ignore? It’s not hard to not tailgate.
And if I recall correctly, the original purpose of the Baby on Board signs were so that people would know that there was a baby in the event of an accident, or other emergency that would require extraction, not to warn you to back off.
When I’ve known people who were not horse folks who I thought tended to ride too close to trailers, pointing out that pee and poop can and will come out of the trailer with no warning tended to make them shape up pretty quick.
[QUOTE=moving to dc;7810339]
I would have thought she was referring to the “pump sprayer on demand” except for what she posted (that I put in bold):[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. She’s Cray 
The liquid draining from this trailer is corrosive.
You know, it really stinks but people do it. I haul quite a bit on numerous long journeys as well as short ones and there is really nothing you can do. I pass on the left and move over when I get a chance. Yes im sometimes tailgaited while passing someone, but tough cookies. I keep speed limit and I have the right to pass and be in the road. Dont let it bother you. Just drive safely and use your signals.
It stinks but not much you can do. Dont let it drive you crazy because of stupid people.
Maybe try a little humor:
“If you can read this, urine line for a free car wash.”
I just purchased a bumper sticker that says" Am I driving too close in front of you?"
The Amish had a sign I really liked it says “I have two speeds; if you don’t like this one, you are really going to dislike the other one.”
[QUOTE=o0rxkxrox0o;7811645]
Why ignore? It’s not hard to not tailgate.
.[/QUOTE]
Please do my NoVA/DC commute for 2 weeks than see if you still find that statement to be true.
The BOB signs annoy me because I think everyone’s life in a car has value, not just the baby’s. ‘Caution Show Horses’ makes no difference to me since it takes a trailer just as long to stop with trail horses as show horses.
[QUOTE=red mares;7821437]
… ‘Caution Show Horses’ makes no difference to me since it takes a trailer just as long to stop with trail horses as show horses.[/QUOTE]
My husband is always saying something along the same lines, “What, do you drive different because you have show horses vs. nags?” He HATES the “show horses” signs. He’s not real fond of the “Caution Horses” signs, either, but I understand the usefulness of the sign for those drivers that have no clue what an “animal hauling” trailer looks like.
Saw a couple of bumper stickers on a pickup yesterday, driven by a kind of rough looking woman. Pickup had cap on back, and ladders on top. Bumper sticker on left had one of the shapely outlines of a woman and said," IF you are going to ride my ass, at least pull my hair". Bumper sticker on right said, “Wine me, dine me, 69 me”. No further comments…
I would advice of the potential dangers that could ensue-
“Caution Horse Manure/Urine may exit this vehicle at any time.”
[QUOTE=Trakehner;7807871]
One friend had a small nozzle hooked up to a windshield washer pump…thin oil could be vaporized behind the trailer if people got too close.[/QUOTE]
OK, I need this!! :lol:
And a train horn. My Dad has one on his truck, it’s so loud he beeped it at a friend who was standing on a flatbed, guy jumped so hard he actually jumped off the trailer and bruised his ribs. But I am proud of my last trip to Seattle and back, only used my horn three times educationally ;).
I just ordered a new trailer so I have been shopping for accessories and of course signs, so this is very timely. The site that sells the signs has some good points about making the back of your trailer more visible as all these signs are glow in the dark. One point was that some trailers are hard to tell if they are horse or utility and having the sign lets drivers know horses are onboard. Of course the drivers may not know the nuisances of hauling live animals.
http://cautionhorses.com/testimonials.shtml
I plan on wrapping my trailer with the DOT strips and adding signs on the back. If the signs keep even a small percentage of drivers off your trailer they are worth it IMHO. I think adding “please” to the sign may also go a long way! My only question is what color will look best on a pewter trailer?
Of all the anti-tailgating initiatives discussed I like the “mirrored back” the best. During the day it might present an “intimidating” enough picture to actually cause somebody to move back. At night the headlight reflection would likely do that job.
Which leads me to a question: does anyone know of rules that would prevent using such a thing?
G.
