Dear House Haulers: You Do Not Own the Parking Lot

[Injun]

Yeh, that actually happened. I found a quiet spot between two halves of a double-wide with plenty of room for me to back in and a light pole at the back so the only way to get in it is to back in. And proceeded to back in. I saw the guy's mirror and was a foot away from it. Nevertheless, he started blasting his horn as if I was doing something wrong. I wasn't.

I finished backing in and, feeling a tad grouchy, went to find out what his malfunction was. He told me I couldn't park there, the rest of the (hot, loud and busy) parking lot was wide open. I said I'm already parked there, nobody else was going to park there and why did he care anyway?

He thought I was going to hit his mirror and those houses have a 15 foot backswing.

I said I'm tucked way back there and I was never anywhere close to his mirror. Besides, does his company really hire people to drive who don't understand the dimensions of those houses and can't control their backswing?

He was more concerned with that "other guy" on my right scraping my truck with the house. It's a near impossibility since I'm parked so far back with my 45' trailer and that other guy has to clear the truck on his right, so he'll be way out of the parking spot before his load swings around.

The exchange culminated in invitations from both sides for the other to go f*** yourself.

Seriously. Just because you drive big freight, you do not own the parking lot. If somebody wants to park next to you and obviously knows what they're doing, don't lose your head. If somebody is doing something stupid, by all means, speak up. If not, leave 'em alone.
_________________

I specifically chose that spot because I will be able to shut the truck down and open a window later. It's plenty wide enough for even a three-day rookie to get in it with no problem and I'm not taking a spot that another toter can get into. I'm not blocking a double or triple out of a pull-through. I actually thought I was being courteous by taking that spot.

So much for trying to think of others.

 

[Electric Chicken]

To be fair, you're a woman.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I know, I'm a dead man. It's cool I signed my will yesterday.

 

[r3gulator3]

Yeh, that actually happened. I found a quiet spot between two halves of a double-wide with plenty of room for me to back in and a light pole at the back so the only way to get in it is to back in. And proceeded to back in. I saw the guy's mirror and was a foot away from it. Nevertheless, he started blasting his horn as if I was doing something wrong. I wasn't.

I finished backing in and, feeling a tad grouchy, went to find out what his malfunction was. He told me I couldn't park there, the rest of the (hot, loud and busy) parking lot was wide open. I said I'm already parked there, nobody else was going to park there and why did he care anyway?

He thought I was going to hit his mirror and those houses have a 15 foot backswing.

I said I'm tucked way back there and I was never anywhere close to his mirror. Besides, does his company really hire people to drive who don't understand the dimensions of those houses and can't control their backswing?

He was more concerned with that "other guy" on my right scraping my truck with the house. It's a near impossibility since I'm parked so far back with my 45' trailer and that other guy has to clear the truck on his right, so he'll be way out of the parking spot before his load swings around.

The exchange culminated in invitations from both sides for the other to go f*** yourself.

Seriously. Just because you drive big freight, you do not own the parking lot. If somebody wants to park next to you and obviously knows what they're doing, don't lose your head. If somebody is doing something stupid, by all means, speak up. If not, leave 'em alone.
_________________

I specifically chose that spot because I will be able to shut the truck down and open a window later. It's plenty wide enough for even a three-day rookie to get in it with no problem and I'm not taking a spot that another toter can get into. I'm not blocking a double or triple out of a pull-through. I actually thought I was being courteous by taking that spot.

So much for trying to think of others.

What’s worse are the freaking Blades in Iowa (no offense @Sinister ). So many of them move through Iowa, that on more than one occasion Iowa DOT will come to make you move from a rest area to pull a blade truck in it. Iowa 80 advertises 900 parking spots but with the blade trucks up on the top half when their running hard I bet that capacity is cut in half. I have never had a driver of over dimensional shit lose it like that on me, but, when you stop to use the bathroom and you have a Diesel Bear tell you that you need to leave the rest area so they can park a blade. Err, I’m sorry. What the actual fuck gives him more right to a public parking spot than me? Still waiting for my answer on that one.

 

[Electric Chicken]

What’s worse are the freaking Blades in Iowa (no offense @Sinister ). So many of them move through Iowa, that on more than one occasion Iowa DOT will come to make you move from a rest area to pull a blade truck in it. Iowa 80 advertises 900 parking spots but with the blade trucks up on the top half when their running hard I bet that capacity is cut in half. I have never had a driver of over dimensional **** lose it like that on me, but, when you stop to use the bathroom and you have a Diesel Bear tell you that you need to leave the rest area so they can park a blade. Err, I’m sorry. What the actual **** gives him more right to a public parking spot than me? Still waiting for my answer on that one.

Somebody might steal 'em? I see 'em on Craigslist all the time.

 

[Mike]

What’s worse are the freaking Blades in Iowa (no offense @Sinister ). So many of them move through Iowa, that on more than one occasion Iowa DOT will come to make you move from a rest area to pull a blade truck in it. Iowa 80 advertises 900 parking spots but with the blade trucks up on the top half when their running hard I bet that capacity is cut in half. I have never had a driver of over dimensional **** lose it like that on me, but, when you stop to use the bathroom and you have a Diesel Bear tell you that you need to leave the rest area so they can park a blade. Err, I’m sorry. What the actual **** gives him more right to a public parking spot than me? Still waiting for my answer on that one.

Wonder what they would do if you were at the end of your clock for the day?

 

[r3gulator3]

Wonder what they would do if you were at the end of your clock for the day?

Same place I stopped to go to the bathroom, it was about 5pm there was another driver stopped. He was on his 10hr break. When I left he was still arguing with the diesel bear that was beating on his bunk when I walked out of the bathroom to be confronted by the other one. I dunno how that argument turned out. And I also don’t know how they could legally ask you to move whilst on your break. Public parking, Seems like entrapment to me but, what do I know.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Same place I stopped to go to the bathroom, it was about 5pm there was another driver stopped. He was on his 10hr break. When I left he was still arguing with the diesel bear that was beating on his bunk when I walked out of the bathroom to be confronted by the other one. I dunno how that argument turned out. And I also don’t know how they could legally ask you to move whilst on your break. Public parking, Seems like entrapment to me but, what do I know.

I'd say hold on let me get a hold of my bosses. See what they think of all this. AFAIC the DOT laws supersede their preference.

10 hour break is also personal time so I mean unless you're illegally parked...

 

[Hammer166]

Yeh, that actually happened. I found a quiet spot between two halves of a double-wide with plenty of room for me to back in and a light pole at the back so the only way to get in it is to back in. And proceeded to back in. I saw the guy's mirror and was a foot away from it. Nevertheless, he started blasting his horn as if I was doing something wrong. I wasn't.

I finished backing in and, feeling a tad grouchy, went to find out what his malfunction was. He told me I couldn't park there, the rest of the (hot, loud and busy) parking lot was wide open. I said I'm already parked there, nobody else was going to park there and why did he care anyway?

He thought I was going to hit his mirror and those houses have a 15 foot backswing.

I said I'm tucked way back there and I was never anywhere close to his mirror. Besides, does his company really hire people to drive who don't understand the dimensions of those houses and can't control their backswing?

He was more concerned with that "other guy" on my right scraping my truck with the house. It's a near impossibility since I'm parked so far back with my 45' trailer and that other guy has to clear the truck on his right, so he'll be way out of the parking spot before his load swings around.

The exchange culminated in invitations from both sides for the other to go f*** yourself.

Seriously. Just because you drive big freight, you do not own the parking lot. If somebody wants to park next to you and obviously knows what they're doing, don't lose your head. If somebody is doing something stupid, by all means, speak up. If not, leave 'em alone.
_________________

I specifically chose that spot because I will be able to shut the truck down and open a window later. It's plenty wide enough for even a three-day rookie to get in it with no problem and I'm not taking a spot that another toter can get into. I'm not blocking a double or triple out of a pull-through. I actually thought I was being courteous by taking that spot.

So much for trying to think of others.

The way I see it, if you don't want anybody Park in between you, you don't leave enough freaking room!

Wonder what they would do if you were at the end of your clock for the day?

I think this falls under the "the cop wins the argument on the side of the road" rule

 

[Electric Chicken]

The way I see it, if you don't want anybody Park in between you, you don't leave enough freaking room!

I think this falls under the "the cop when's the argument on the side of the road" rule

I dunno I'd at least ask him to give me a reason. Or try to find out where he's coming from in making me violate HOS to move. Maybe there is a legit reason for it and he can tell you what it is.

You can talk to most cops without getting combative.

 

[ironpony]

Wonder what they would do if you were at the end of your clock for the day?

Tell you to move... again.

Same place I stopped to go to the bathroom, it was about 5pm there was another driver stopped. He was on his 10hr break. When I left he was still arguing with the diesel bear that was beating on his bunk when I walked out of the bathroom to be confronted by the other one. I dunno how that argument turned out. And I also don’t know how they could legally ask you to move whilst on your break. Public parking, Seems like entrapment to me but, what do I know.

Its not "entrapment" unless they proceed to bust you afterwards, which is unlikely.

I'd say hold on let me get a hold of my bosses. See what they think of all this. AFAIC the DOT laws supersede their preference.

10 hour break is also personal time so I mean unless you're illegally parked...

Lawful orders from a LEO always supercede whatever your truck truckstop lawyering class on channel 19 told you. You are required to follow the cop's order by law. If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Tell you to move... again.



Its not "entrapment" unless they proceed to bust you afterwards, which is unlikely.



Lawful orders from a LEO always supercede whatever your truck truckstop lawyering class on channel 19 told you. You are required to follow the cop's order by law. If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

Yeah but the question is whether that's a lawful order.

"Move because someone else wants to park here" might not be.

Like I said, I'd wanna know why I'm being told to violate a law. AFAIK you can't be made to break a law without a damned good reason.

Cop behind you can't make you speed just because he wants to go faster either. He has to wait until you bump over whether he likes it or not.

 

[r3gulator3]

Tell you to move... again.



Its not "entrapment" unless they proceed to bust you afterwards, which is unlikely.



Lawful orders from a LEO always supercede whatever your truck truckstop lawyering class on channel 19 told you. You are required to follow the cop's order by law. If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

I don’t know how that works when you are legally parked in a public parking spot.

So by your theory if a diesel bear cuts me a ticket for my DOT bumper not being 102” wide. Even though it leagallt doesn’t have to be because I have a fixed rear axle in the set back position on my trailer I should just pay the ticket even though the law says I am in the right?

 

[Mike]

Lawful orders from a LEO always supercede whatever your truck truckstop lawyering class on channel 19 told you. You are required to follow the cop's order by law. If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

My question is, would this truly be justified as a lawful order? Police can’t just tell you to do whatever they want and force you to obey.

There is no emergency taking place, just somebody else wanting to park in a location for their break, just like you already are.

It would seem to me that the responsibility falls on the company moving the oversize load to secure a parking place ahead of time, rather than simply force somebody to move in the middle of their 10 hour break.

Getting closer and closer to 30 years out here, and honestly have never been told to move from where I was legally parked for a break.

If I am 5 hours into my break, forced to move, I am either having to restart my 10 hour break or hoping I can somehow get away with personal conveyance. If I do use personal conveyance, my rest has been significantly interrupted, and I am now a hazard on the road trying to make an on time delivery. If I simply deliver late, that can cost me a significant amount of time and money, all because another driver wanted my parking spot.

I can promise you, this isn’t a situation I would quietly submit to. Most likely, I would simply let them know I was on my break and violently ill with the flu and 100% unsafe to drive.

 

[Duck]

Lawful orders from a LEO always supercede whatever your truck truckstop lawyering class on channel 19 told you. You are required to follow the cop's order by law. If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

Key word there is "lawful". The question is whether a cop can order you to break the law, even in a non-emergency situation.

If the rest area has a tanker truck on fire and a cop beats on your door and yells to GTF outta Dodge, you're not gonna hesitate but that's an emergency.

Making room for @Sinister to park is not an emergency.

 

[Mike]

If you're out of hours, get his name and badge number, and note it in your log.

To add to my above post, this simple answer doesn’t work.

If my 10 hour break is interrupted, I move and end up in an accident, I am facing all sorts of legal issues and “the cop told me to” isn’t going to get me out of it.

 

[ironpony]

Cop behind you can't make you speed just because he wants to go faster either. He has to wait until you bump over whether he likes it or not.

Uh, huh. When he turns on his lights, are you gonna sit there, and flip him off?

I don’t know how that works when you are legally parked in a public parking spot.

You have to obey all lawful orders by a cop, including move, NOW! All government units have some sort of obstruction or interference with a police officer law, and that's what you run up against when you PO one of those guys. Those laws are misdemeanors, but it's enough to land you in jail.

So by your theory...

It's not a theory. Try mouthing off to a cop about how he can't make you do anything...

...if a diesel bear cuts me a ticket for my DOT bumper not being 102” wide. Even though it leagallt doesn’t have to be because I have a fixed rear axle in the set back position on my trailer I should just pay the ticket even though the law says I am in the right?

Take the ticket, because the side of the road is no place to contest it. A courtroom is, and if you're in the right, you'll be vindicated.

It would seem to me that the responsibility falls on the company moving the oversize load to secure a parking place ahead of time, rather than simply force somebody to move in the middle of their 10 hour break.

Oversize moves under the laws governing that... the key is there is a law. The cop is there to ensure the move is done safely... so there's your answer.

Getting closer and closer to 30 years out here, and honestly have never been told to move from where I was legally parked for a break.

Neither have I.

Key word there is "lawful". The question is whether a cop can order you to break the law, even in a non-emergency situation.

Same answer I gave to @r3gulator3 - see how far you get mouthing off to a cop. The last guy I vaguely knew who tried it got himself arrested, jailed, and truck towed while under load. Prime sent someone to recover the truck, and the dumbazz got himself fired, plus a hefty fine.

 

[Mike]

Oversize moves under the laws governing that... the key is there is a law. The cop is there to ensure the move is done safely... so there's your answer.

We move under laws as well. Laws require us to stop just as laws require oversize to stop.

 

[Mike]

It’s insane how much people do simply because a cop told them to do it. The reality is, it doesn’t work that way.

Only one time in my life have I been harassed by a cop in a rest area. I had pulled in and parked, headed to the bathroom as the officer showed up beside me and said he was going to do an inspection. This was in Pennsylvania.

I proceeded to the restroom.

Came back, cop insisted he was now going to inspect the vehicle. I told him to let me know when he was done, I would be taking a nap.

He informed me I needed to assist him, I informed him I didn’t need to insist him.

He pressed the issue, I pressed back with my response.

He tried to argue and threaten, I proceeded to ignore him. Eventually, he gave up and left. Why? Because he had zero right to pull me off my break and inspect me, and had zero ability to force me to assist him.

I would never refuse to assist in an inspection at a weigh station, or if directed into a location for an inspection. Do this to me when I am off duty? Good luck.

 

[Duck]

It’s insane how much people do simply because a cop told them to do it.

Reminds me of the Milgrim Experiment.

From Wikipedia:

The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram. They measured the willingness of study participants, men from a diverse range of occupations with varying levels of education, to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience. Participants were led to believe that they were assisting an unrelated experiment, in which they had to administer electric shocks to a "learner." These fake electric shocks gradually increased to levels that would have been fatal had they been real.

The experiment found, unexpectedly, that a very high proportion of subjects would fully obey the instructions, albeit reluctantly.

Milgram experiment - Wikipedia

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