Sometimes Miata is NOT the answer

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-tanker-trapped-bn072907,0,7958873.story

No idea how this happened, but the driver was really lucky. Happened at the entrance to Port Everglades, the main petroleum distribution point in SoFla.

The same thing happened to my friend's neighbor years ago. The neighbor was ok, but said the car just got sucked under the oil tanker. I've personally never felt any suction and I drive past a propane tanking facility and all of their trucks on a daily basis. Hmm.

I bet that incident had a high pucker factor.

slantvaliant wrote: I bet that incident had a high pucker factor.

Looks like they may have left something in the seat...

Big trucks do have quite a large aerodynamic profile with a huge bow wake.

I once got sucked toward an 18 wheeler in the rain and ended up shooting down into the median at 70 mph. I wish I had a video of that little episode. No damage but WOW...talk about adrenaline!

If that was in an episode of CHiPs the driver would have run about 50ft from the car when the tanker exploded like Nagasaki, throwing him clear and making his sunglasses fall off.

if you think that is bad.. trying driving a big truck when another passes you. You first get pushed out of the way, but then once the "bow wave" passes, the suction between the two will try and pull both trucks together.

Worst was I was driving the "little truck" from work up to NYC. Little 14 foot Mitsu box truck. I was passing a truck on my right when ANOTHER truck went around me on the left... for a moment we were three abreast and the little mitsu was all over the lane as I tried despertly to keep in control

mad_machine wrote: if you think that is bad.. trying driving a big truck when another passes you. You first get pushed out of the way, but then once the "bow wave" passes, the suction between the two will try and pull both trucks together. Worst was I was driving the "little truck" from work up to NYC. Little 14 foot Mitsu box truck. I was passing a truck on my right when ANOTHER truck went around me on the left... for a moment we were three abreast and the little mitsu was all over the lane as I tried despertly to keep in control

Same effect when going by them pulling a trailer - I hate when they come steamrolling by me ona big downhill with a lot of speed differential. I feel like I'm trying to carry sheets of plywood over a tightrope into a crosswind.

This would have been a slow speed event. Very congested area, and probably the truck was turning into the facility, did not see the Miata, and turned right over the guy. His lawsuit will include new underwear and an expensive interior cleaning bill. Not much visible damage to the car.

I have seen that. Watched a girl try and make a right at a corner as a rig was going wide to make the same right. She evidently did not know the truck was also making a right or thought she could do it before the truck did,

The rear carrage rolled right over the front of her car, from driver's mirror to passenger hdadlight

cwh wrote: Not much visible damage to the car.

Huh? It just about ripped the windshield frame off. Who knows what the other side looks like.

anyone who rides motorcycle can tell you about the nasty aero effects of semi trucks. you can damn near get knocked off the bike coming up behind a truck, especially if there are already crosswinds.

What I meant about not much damage was that the body does not look bad. Windshield and top, not so good. But, a Miata colliding with a semi does not usually work out this well.

I HAD JUST PUT A BID ON THAT CAR ON E-BAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT!@#$#%^^*

What cwh means is, it's not much damage for some people, right mw?

andrave wrote: anyone who rides motorcycle can tell you about the nasty aero effects of semi trucks. you can damn near get knocked off the bike coming up behind a truck, especially if there are already crosswinds.

yup that was always an exciting part about my commute to work

Not a single offer for Locost donor.

Philistines.

I saw something similar once while driving home. A lifted Suburban somehow managed to get on top of the Miata. The Suburban's driver's side front tire was in the driver seat. Yes, you read that correctly. The Suburban must have rear ended the Miata and well... I don't event want to think about it beyond that...

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this yet...

The remains of the top could only be in the position they're in if the car was being driven with the top UP on a beautiful sunny day!!! Clearly not a "true" Miata owner.

I noticed that.

thats something that pisses me off. bmw drivers and the like with tops up on 70 degree sunny days. wtf??? if not now then when???

cwh wrote: Sometimes Miata is not the answer

Blasphemy...boo this man

andrave wrote: anyone who rides motorcycle can tell you about the nasty aero effects of semi trucks. you can damn near get knocked off the bike coming up behind a truck, especially if there are already crosswinds.

Yep, agreed.

And not once have I ever felt anything that was sucking me under the truck. Just buffets you around.

I had a major trailer incident passing a semi, the trailer got unsettled and started wagging the dog, ended in tears with the trailer and race car on the tow car.