Truck Parking Policy / Bike Lanes?
- Thread starter Dana McIntosh
- Start date
CharleyHustle
Well-Known Member
I saw a cop today pull a teenager over for talking on a cell phone and driving, and the kid didn't have a proof of insurance to boot. He got off with a warning.
Police know full well that UPS drivers are some of the most traffic law abiding citizens out there. They see us everyday, they are out there everyday and know what we go through and for the most part give us a wide birth.
If you want the "policy" to change, I would suggest you get some of your biking buddies and get up a real good head of steam and barrel head long into one of those UPS trucks parked in the bike lane. If you could break an arm or a leg I could guarantee the practice would end.
Police know full well that UPS drivers are some of the most traffic law abiding citizens out there. They see us everyday, they are out there everyday and know what we go through and for the most part give us a wide birth.
If you want the "policy" to change, I would suggest you get some of your biking buddies and get up a real good head of steam and barrel head long into one of those UPS trucks parked in the bike lane. If you could break an arm or a leg I could guarantee the practice would end.
moreluck
golden ticket member
I love the fact they can look on a person's cell and tell if they were on it when they ran into you. People only seem to learn the hard way!
The bicycle guy around here really pisses me off. He rides completely in the wheelie position all the way to my store.....he's like 41 and should know better. Then he goes in the store, gets his coffee, grabs a magazine from the rack and sits down and reads it.
He then finishes, gets up, puts the mag. back and heads out. If I was a manager, I would ask him....did you pay for that mag? If not, then put it back. He's a real A-hole.
The bicycle guy around here really pisses me off. He rides completely in the wheelie position all the way to my store.....he's like 41 and should know better. Then he goes in the store, gets his coffee, grabs a magazine from the rack and sits down and reads it.
He then finishes, gets up, puts the mag. back and heads out. If I was a manager, I would ask him....did you pay for that mag? If not, then put it back. He's a real A-hole.
MaceFremonti
Well-Known Member
Hello Dana,
I am a 22 year Metro DC driver and I'd like to give you some perspective on delivering and parking in Northwest D.C. An "average" day for me in years past was delivering 250 packages to 115 different addresses. This was considered an "8 hour day." Which "gives" me about 4 minutes to complete each delivery. This time takes into account the time to park, select packages, proceed to address, get signature, return to vehicle, and proceed to the next stop. Up until a few years ago we (fellow DC drivers and I) - for the most part - had the time to park in locations up to a block or so from where we had to deliver and not worry about losing too much time. That is no longer the case.
My "average 8 hour planned day" is now over 350 packages to over 210 addresses. My allowance for each stop bas essentially been cut in half to 2 minutes. We are constantly harassed over our production speed. If your route is primarily commercial you pretty much HAVE to be done before the close of business at 5 o'clock. None of us go out of our way to block the bike lanes or to double park on New York Av at rush hour but when it is 100 degrees outside and you have 10 60lb cases of paper to deliver to the middle of the block you double park and deliver it.
That's not meant as an excuse but these days that's just the nature of doing business in D.C. when you work for a company that is concerned with ONLY the bottom line. PERIOD. Check out some of the various threads in this forum and you may gain some very interesting insight into what it is like to work for Brown.
As a funny side note on my very first day as a driver back in 1990 a delivery supe looked at me while we were driving to upper Northeast and asked, "Do you know how to park in D.C.?"
"Uh...Not really...", I said expecting some profound wisdom to follow.
"Like this!", he said and stopped in the middle of South Dakota Ave and turned his blinkers on!
BTW what part of D.C. are you in?
I am a 22 year Metro DC driver and I'd like to give you some perspective on delivering and parking in Northwest D.C. An "average" day for me in years past was delivering 250 packages to 115 different addresses. This was considered an "8 hour day." Which "gives" me about 4 minutes to complete each delivery. This time takes into account the time to park, select packages, proceed to address, get signature, return to vehicle, and proceed to the next stop. Up until a few years ago we (fellow DC drivers and I) - for the most part - had the time to park in locations up to a block or so from where we had to deliver and not worry about losing too much time. That is no longer the case.
My "average 8 hour planned day" is now over 350 packages to over 210 addresses. My allowance for each stop bas essentially been cut in half to 2 minutes. We are constantly harassed over our production speed. If your route is primarily commercial you pretty much HAVE to be done before the close of business at 5 o'clock. None of us go out of our way to block the bike lanes or to double park on New York Av at rush hour but when it is 100 degrees outside and you have 10 60lb cases of paper to deliver to the middle of the block you double park and deliver it.
That's not meant as an excuse but these days that's just the nature of doing business in D.C. when you work for a company that is concerned with ONLY the bottom line. PERIOD. Check out some of the various threads in this forum and you may gain some very interesting insight into what it is like to work for Brown.
As a funny side note on my very first day as a driver back in 1990 a delivery supe looked at me while we were driving to upper Northeast and asked, "Do you know how to park in D.C.?"
"Uh...Not really...", I said expecting some profound wisdom to follow.
"Like this!", he said and stopped in the middle of South Dakota Ave and turned his blinkers on!
BTW what part of D.C. are you in?
Wrong the only thing ending would be the person ability to ride a bike. IF you hit a park car your at fault whether your ride a bike or driving a car especially if you hit it from behind. Just because UPS says it was avoidable doesn't mean it was the driver fault according to the law.
CharleyHustle
Well-Known Member
I was just making a little joke that UPS wouldn't do anything about blocking bike lanes until someone got hurt. But now that you said this I think for "policy" to change someone will have to get killed.
I'm sure sitting in traffic doesn't help either...
Were these tickets in the UPS package car or your personal vehicle?
Nope what are they going to say you can't park on the street anymore.
If someone rear ends a UPS truck parked or moving and gets killed they should move to the top of list of Darwin award winners..
BrownArmy
Well-Known Member
we could bitch about cabbies .. I'm sure we ALL hate THEM
I have a particular hatred for cabbies: they are the distillation of the general driving population.
They're either driving like it's 'fast and furious', or they're driving like they're having a stroke.
Plus they take my parking spots...
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
When I'm riding my bike and someone is in my way I simply go around them. It doesn't pay to go all "Madera Guy" on someone.
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
My family went to DC last summer. We really enjoyed it and they have an excellent subway system.
Brownslave688
You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Brownslave688
You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
Around here they ride in packs on hilly winding back roads. It's really amazing we don't hear more stories about them getting killed because of this stupidity.
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
I don't know if it was a corporate wide policy, but over here they told us to park at least 4ft away from stationary objects if at all possible. That could easily justify the 4 ft from the curb as there are many stationary objects (parking signs, bicycle racks, trees, etc..) found along curbsides
old brown shoe
30 year driver
I would think 4 feet would give you plenty of room to ride your bike by for the length of a truck.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
The 4' he is talking about is between the pkg car and the curb. I would have to think that the pkg car would be partially blocking two vehicles so going around on the right would not be an option.
old brown shoe
30 year driver
We don't have bike lanes in this area. They just run down the middle of the street and are a safety issue for the most part. Many have a real attitude and act as if the cars are on their roads.
BigBrown3605
Well-Known Member
If people don't like the way we do our job, then apply for UPS, become a driver, and we will see if YOU will park a block away and dolley 30 boxes of copy paper in 100 degree heat.
brownmonster
Man of Great Wisdom
I went to Madison yesterday. Bikes and pedestrians rule the roost around the UW campus. You need to spin your head like an owl when driving around there.
Similar threads
