How to overtake a light rail vehicle and remain sane doing it.
June 17th 2009 10:53
For all of you who live in Melbourne or who have lived in a city that uses light rail vehicles or TRAMS as part of its public transport infrastructure than you’ll empathise with this story. Hands up all of you that have had difficulty overtaking one of these monolithic Goliaths. Now I know I can’t see you so please don’t actually put your hands up! Oh, and yes I do know what monolithic means!
Anyway, trying to overtake one of these goliaths can, at times, be an exercise in futility. Now I know all of you are now saying, yea, I know exactly what he’s on about. WELL TO ALL OF YOU I’M SAYING BACK OFF THIS IS MY STORY!!!
Now that all that is clear, picture this, that very long tram is travelling about 40/55kmh in the centre carriage way of my very narrow road. I must overtake it on the inside lane; Just as I’m about half way into my overtaking manoeuvre it decides to stop and a passenger has already walked onto the road in front of me. Needless to say I want to run this idiot down but I don’t want the reckless driving and manslaughter charge that would inevitably accompany such an act.
So I stop! The very long tram stops! The doors of the very long tram open and the stop sign pops out! The danger pedestrian signs pop out! The pedestrians pop out! It is all organised and choreographed. In the meantime all I can think of is how to overtake this bloody tram.
Once it starts moving I’ll shove it in first, drop the clutch, plant the hammer and hold on for dear life. It should be straight forward, my power to weight ratio is much higher then the trams. I can and will do it.
So it all starts as planned, I go for it and I’m through. Yea, tram be gone I exorcise you from my view! It is indeed exhilarating if not childish and pathetically immature.
But I confess to both.
No sooner am I waiting for the green light to appear a little further down the road and you’ve guessed it, the bloody thing has caught up to me and I need to do it all over again.
Pity is me for my mind can not cope with such stresses….
Anyway, trying to overtake one of these goliaths can, at times, be an exercise in futility. Now I know all of you are now saying, yea, I know exactly what he’s on about. WELL TO ALL OF YOU I’M SAYING BACK OFF THIS IS MY STORY!!!
Now that all that is clear, picture this, that very long tram is travelling about 40/55kmh in the centre carriage way of my very narrow road. I must overtake it on the inside lane; Just as I’m about half way into my overtaking manoeuvre it decides to stop and a passenger has already walked onto the road in front of me. Needless to say I want to run this idiot down but I don’t want the reckless driving and manslaughter charge that would inevitably accompany such an act.
So I stop! The very long tram stops! The doors of the very long tram open and the stop sign pops out! The danger pedestrian signs pop out! The pedestrians pop out! It is all organised and choreographed. In the meantime all I can think of is how to overtake this bloody tram.
Once it starts moving I’ll shove it in first, drop the clutch, plant the hammer and hold on for dear life. It should be straight forward, my power to weight ratio is much higher then the trams. I can and will do it.
So it all starts as planned, I go for it and I’m through. Yea, tram be gone I exorcise you from my view! It is indeed exhilarating if not childish and pathetically immature.
But I confess to both.
No sooner am I waiting for the green light to appear a little further down the road and you’ve guessed it, the bloody thing has caught up to me and I need to do it all over again.
Pity is me for my mind can not cope with such stresses….
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