Signs of the Times - August 2016 - (Page 70)

Dostoevsky and the Crane Truck Self-delusion is a powerful drug. Photographer - Linda Berman Photography (lindabermanphotography.com). "Carhenge is three miles north of Alliance, Nebraska on hwy. 87 (carhenge.com) By Darek Johnson Any truck-driving activity is more than a job - it's a world by itself. It's driving home in the dark and tasting hot mayonnaise on the sandwich you didn't eat at lunch, finding that half-full bottle of warm Gatorade on the seat... It's also double-clutching into third, aligning the synchros, running up, clicking the splitter for top gear. And, it's knowing which sounds belong to the rig and to stop and check the one that doesn't. The Flying J walkaround... clearance lights, turn signals, tugging lines, thumping tires and, inside, saying "Hey, Bud" to other drivers while refilling your Stanley thermos. Back in the cab, it's the sweet smell of hydraulic fluid on your shirt, sipping coffee, calling home, saying "I'll be late and, yeah, I'm OK, really, just tired is all..." I n the next 20 or so seconds you may think I have a screw loose because, in this feature on crane-truck safety, I'm quoting a renowned Russian novelist - Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) - but only to make a point for crane truck drivers and operators. In Dostoevsky's book, "Crime and Punishment," the murdering antihero, Raskolnikov, sees himself as a superior person who can do things forbidden to others. Forbidden to others? What does this have to do with crane trucks? Simple. If you drive a crane truck (or any other vehicle) on America's 70 SIGNS OF THE TIMES August 2016 roadways, you, minute-by-minute, encounter Raskolnikov-type drivers who see themselves as superior people who do what is forbidden to others: blasting through red lights, speeding in school zones, passing on the shoulder and, oh yes, aimlessly texting... Self-delusion is a powerful drug. Highway lunacy Today, general drivers-license testing usually requires less than an hour and this test, amazingly, qualifies people to participate in a ground-transportation system that, worldwide, kills more than one million people annually. In addition, the pundits say modern car and truck buyers see vehicles as appliances and take them home without looking under the hood or discussing handling. Instead, they respond to jazzy car ads, demand Bluetooth and USB connections and zoom-zoomingly drive down the road. Washington Post writer Marc Fisher, in the September 2, 2015 issue, quoted Mark Lizewskie, the executive director of the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (Hershey, PA), who, when discussing modern car buyers, said, "Instead of Ford versus Chevy, it's Apple versus Android, and instead of customizing their ride, they customize their phones with covers and apps. You express yourself through your phone, whereas lately, cars have become more like appliances, with 100,000-mile warranties." Car smarts Worse, many drivers are senseless about tires, because few realize http://www.lindabermanphotography.com http://www.lindabermanphotography.com http://www.carhenge.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - August 2016

Signs of the Times - August 2016
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Why You Should Invest in a Color-Management Device
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review - Epson SureColor S80600
Technology Review - The AXYZ Trident
Shop Ops
Sign Museum News
New Products
Digging Deep
Writing on the Wall
Dostoevsky and the Crane Truck
Penn State Study Assesses Font Legibility
A Crossroads Celebration
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - August 2016