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11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

11foot8.com

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Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#91
post #53

The Sidney Harbor Tunnel had a similar problem. They came up with an elaborate but successful solution.[1] There are detectors and huge flashing warning signs that light up. Then, there's the last-chance sign. At the entrance to the tunnel, pumps force a curtain of water straight down across the entire roadway. Then a powerful laser system projects a giant octagonal red STOP sign onto the water curtain, filling the e…

Why cant they put a swinging bar at the tunnel height some distance before the tunnel? The bar knocks the top of the truck and wakes up whoever is driving to the fact that the truck is too tall.

Just like the ones at parking garage entrances...

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#92
post #25
post #8

They ought to make it lower , so it’s most obvious that a truck won’t fit. Make it no more than 2metres, whatever that is in American, so that only cars can go through.

This is America. People have pickup trucks that have been raised to a height above 2m (about 6'6" in American)

A stock F-250 4x4 can be has high as 6'8" from the factory with out being lifted

A factory 2020 F-150 4x4 is 6'5" from the factory[1]

So I think you have you underestimation of the size of a truck. A common Lift would be 4in, and can go to 8in.

Your attempting to paint a picture of a "redneck" truck would be be a fully lifted, when lifting the truck you would then also add larger tires that would further lift the truck

So a Fully Lifted F-150 "Redneck" truck could be closer to 7'6" to 8' if not taller

[1]https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America...

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#93

I'd hate to be a truck rental company near that thing. Random weekend movers peeling the tops off your fleet. I'd have free-take-one warning maps with a big red X at the checkout counter.

IME, typically damage to the roof of rental trucks is not covered by standard insurance.

I briefly worked for a Budget in Canada once upon a time and they always reminded people not to take the truck through a drive thru.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it doesn’t matter that it “blended in” and wasn’t easily visible It's a MASSIVE bridge, right in front of your face, and bright yellow warning bar.

THE POINT IS that the height difference isn’t that “massive” as you describe it - LOOK AT ALL THE VIDEOS (that’s right: plural ) - it’s clear that the lack of clearance is not so obvious.

But if there’s any bridge coming at you, don’t you stop and think ‘will I fit under this?’

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#97
post #53

The Sidney Harbor Tunnel had a similar problem. They came up with an elaborate but successful solution.[1] There are detectors and huge flashing warning signs that light up. Then, there's the last-chance sign. At the entrance to the tunnel, pumps force a curtain of water straight down across the entire roadway. Then a powerful laser system projects a giant octagonal red STOP sign onto the water curtain, filling the e…

Why cant they put a swinging bar at the tunnel height some distance before the tunnel? The bar knocks the top of the truck and wakes up whoever is driving to the fact that the truck is too tall.

[deleted]

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how's that working out for them? 100+ accidents?

The bridge just shrugs the hits off it is very tough. So the damage and the problems are really for the trucks not observant enough to see half a dozen warning signs and lights. They are the ones who end up paying, not the railroad that owns the bridge.

There's a slightly lower heavy steel bar in front of the bridge to prevent people from hitting the bridge itself.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. And then you do it for a couple of hours concentrating on the road and driving the car between the lines nicely widthwise and you'll forget it when you need it most. I've done a lot of driving, some of it boxtrucks and larger and when you switch vehicles it is a thing that you need to remind yourself of constantly . The easiest solution would be to dig that road out to standard depth, the next best would…

Somewhat related to this is the problem of children being left in hot/cold cars accidentally. When our son was very young ( I often wondered if this was at the heart of kids being left in hot cars. Anyway, I forced myself to get into the habit of always turning around and checking that the car seat was empty before getting out the car, every single time, just in case. Of course, it never happened, but I can see how e…

That’s exactly why it happens so often. Most of us live (well, until recently lived) lives of quiet routine, and a quiet child in the back seat is surprisingly easy to overlook when that’s not your routine.

Re: 11 Foot 8 – The Can-opener Bridge

#100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

THE POINT IS that the height difference isn’t that “massive” as you describe it - LOOK AT ALL THE VIDEOS (that’s right: plural ) - it’s clear that the lack of clearance is not so obvious.

But if there’s any bridge coming at you, don’t you stop and think ‘will I fit under this?’

Not when 99.999% of your driving experience tells you that bridges aren’t a threat. These are primarily rental trucks, and people are not accustomed to thinking that their head is several feet below the top of their vehicle.
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