Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

Ok so I was riding after lunch today before my next class and I started drafting a nice big fat dump truck. Everything was going fine we were getting up past forty but then he slows down and pulls over in the turn lane of course I pass him on the my right - his left but after I do he speeds up again passes me and honks. So, I grudgingly don't latch on and catch up and draft him again. About a mile later I think oh red light he's got to stop I can see if I can hide in his draft again and the "good" "safe" driver does a LA rolling stop that would do the best Hollywood Moviestar proud (he barely slowed).

I think he was told I was drafting him by another dump truck that was driving alongside us. Anyhow this same thing has happened before and it makes me frustrated - this has never happened in America- I have no clue why these truck drivers are so sensitive especially since you can hardly sue for money here anyway... well you can but it is hardly as effective in America. I think I am just goona have to get big and fat so I can't catch anything faster then those little put put tractors - then I be happier on the road.

[ddeubel]

I ride every day and I have learnt the "hard" way..........Korea or Columbus, a truck is a truck is a truck and a truck driver is a truck driver is a truck driver........

I now 'avoid" and watch intently, especially for the dreaded and magical "open seasame" -- the disappearing, reappearing door. Right hand turn specials and motorcycles/bikes coming the wrong way make my radar scream. The old cart ladies/men slow me down to nothing......I don't take left turns but do the sidewalk ballet.

My point being, your life is valuable. I discovered that lying in the middle of the street looking skyward as the traffic came to a halt in both directions........Don't draft!!!! or don't complain......

DD

[The Great Toad]

Drafting is dumb drafting is bad but it is love and speed and it is power but the power of speed on the back of a dumptruck is a bad thing to kiss

[pest2]

In America, the trucks always go too fast to motorpace off of. If you're out on some country road someplace in the middle of BFE, they usually just fly by going 100 km/h... Or if you get extremely lucky and come up behind one at an intersection and it is stopped, it's usually a garbage truck or something carrying hazardous crap in the back that will fall out and hurt you as soon as it gets up to speed. And because "speed" in USA is like 55mph, you have to have a really good jump to match the acceleration and alot of power to maintain the pace. Truck drivers in America dont SEE you because those trucks are huge. Korean trucks are usually smaller so they do see you. When they see you, they become annoyed and try to take you off the back.

In Korea, its great... I can be just cruising along a coastal road, heart rate at only 60%, and a bongo or tractor will go by only 10 mph or so faster than I'm going so that I can easily jump on him... if you're careful, you can just ride to one side or the other of this vehicle in case he turns or stops.... usually, the ones I've encounted don't care that im there or they're just amazed. I saved myself having to ride home 30 km into a straight headwind back home thanx to a dude driving an old tractor with a big corkscrew digger thing on its back...

One time in USA, I was trying to draft off of a garbage truck. It hit a pothole and a bunch of dirty underwear and smelly fish heads came out and landed in my face... never happens in Korea.

Am I becoming an apologist?

or if you're really cool like me, you can draft off of:

[noelinkorea]

drafting means tailing??? never heard it before...

[pest2]

[Karabeara]

What some call drafting, others call tailgating.

[sadsac]

Tailgating and drafting, not quite the same. Tailgating, some moron sitting on your rear trying to hurry you along. Drafting the conservation of energy by using the mass created by another vehicle to push the air out of the way and make movement easier. Swimmers do it as well.

[Demophobe]

Funny how toad speaks English now.

[pest2]

[mindmetoo]

[Hollywoodaction]

Speaking from experience, I'd say that quite a few of the truck drivers on the roads here don't have good control of their vehicles (I've noticed that they rely too much on their brakes, for one thing). I also doubt they all bleed the air out of the air tanks to get rid of the moisture every day as they should (not that every truck driver does that back home).

[ddeubel]

Ditto for bus drivers...............some buses are wrecks waiting to happen. Being the farm boy I am, I know a little about this and just watching a few of them as they scream along, tells lots............i'd think twice about getting on some buses here.

DD

[idealjetsam]

[Hollywoodaction]