Motorists Beware!

An ugly subject just re-reared its head at my workplace (chemical manufacturing). We inspect all semi tank trucks bringing in and taking out various chemicals. A tanker bringing in concentrated sulfuric acid was found to have a very significant leak. We reported the incedent and held the truck until the vendor could arrange for repair. This kind of **** pisses me off big time. The cheap ass truck line had probably been dripping sulfuric acid on every car it had incountered for 1000 miles. Someone should do jail time for this kind of crap. So - keep this story in mind the next time your beautiful Porsches are caught behind any tank trucks displaying chemical plackards.

That reminds me of an incident last year on I-10 out in the middle of west Texas ... no significant poulation anywhere for 100 miles ... single-truck accident, idiot fell asleep and crashed his truck, spilling 20,000 gallons of concentrated Hydrofluoric acid, closed I-10 for 2.5 days (200 mile detour) ... didn't even hear a blurp on the national media! If it had happened in New York City (or anywhere on the east coast) the media would have played it up like it was worse than Chernobyl!!! I kind of thought that driver should have gone to jail! And, his bosses should have been held responsible for sending out a single driver with very dangerous cargo! Seems to me that dangerous cargo should have two-person crews so there is no danger of a driver falling asleep when violating hours regulations!

------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Here is a story from Portland Oregon from the early 50's. My Dad was a Portland Policeman and he tells about one Sunday morning very early the radio dispatch started getting reports of a natural gas leak in Southwest Portland, well they started receiving more and more calls, well they called the gas plant (back then they made gas in Portland) and they showed nothing that would indicate a large gas leak. Well it kept getting worse and worse and the Mayor was woke up and the Chief of Police. Well about this time someone from the coke plant where they mfg. the gas called and reported that the truck that was delivering a load of onion oil to be used as the odorizor in the gas had showed up, guess what? Leaking a stream of onion oil.

Randy Jones
1971 911

I think that I may have been behind a similar truck in 1997. We had made a weekend trip to the UP in Michigan in our then daily driver, a V6 Accord with 15K miles. Rained most of the way there and back. When washing the car upon returning home, I noticed a spray pattern across the front edge of the hood with what appeared to be very small black specs. Some on the fenders, roof, lower doors on both sides, etc...basically following the pattern of airflow over the car. Turned out they weren't surface specs at all, but spots where something had eaten through both the clearcoat and basecoat. From 10 feet away you wouldn't have noticed them, but any closer and it looked horrible. My insurance company paid to have the entire car resprayed, but of course it was never the same after that. Never was able to figure out exactly what it was, but my best guess was a similar scenario as described above, i.e. a leak of something very nasty from another truck or vehicle, probably exacerbated by the spray of the rain. Could have been something as simple as someones's leaking battery, but just the same I now make certain to stay well clear of trucks, tank trucks in particular, when in the 911.

I appreciate the advice. Most of the leaking trucks around here are carrying oysters. Not too dangerous, I suppose.

I assume you know, Warren, that you're suggesting regulation. I agree with you though. Dollars (supply and demand) sometimes makes lousy market decisions on its own.

Oops, I was trying to stay away from politics, wasn't I?

------------------
'83 SC

Some things you just can't avoid. My problem here in Sacramento is semi gravel (dirt) haulers on the highway. I lost one windshield, had pits put in a couple of locations in the new one (about three weeks after new), and a nasty rock chip on the fender (gone since repaint). I wasn't even driving behind these things. In most cases I was either in the lane to the left or right of them and 3/4 behind. One rock scared the hell out of me. Actually saw it heading for the windshield and right at my head. Sounded like a gunshot when it hit. Looked like a boulder! One hit me as I was thinking to myself hey I gotta speed up and get past this damn truck.

------------------
Howie
79SC

tchanson - your story reminds me of another incedent that happened a few years back. We paid (big bucks) to have a few tank trucks of hazardous waste taken to a disposal facility. This was mostly organic solvents (= paint thinner). The driver hauled off a few loads and then disappeared. A new driver from a different company showed up. I asked about the change and found that the last load didn't make it to the disposal site. Seems the driver had a finacial interest in the company. It was raining when he hauled out, so he simply cracked the valve and let it dribble. The lank was EMPTY when he arrived. The paper trail caught him somehow. This dick was caught, how many get away?