Whenever I get annoyed at labor unions and think they're mostly inefficient rent-seekers, make work, etc. (which they tend to be, in declining industries), the counter-example of UPS comes to mind -- they're unionized, but in a stable or growing industry, and seem to have both fair (not too high, not too low) wages and great performance.
Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
81–90 of 132 posts
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
Non-optional bicycle lanes make this unavoidable and motorists still lobby for cyclists to be kept of ‘their’ road.
I think you wouldn't be downvoted if you just wrote, "Non-optional bicycle lanes make this unavoidable".
He might not have been downvoted if he hadn't said it, but it's not like it's a farfetched idea. In Toronto Mayor Ford practically made it a campaign promise to screw over cyclists, going out of his way (and incurring great cost) in order to rip out recently installed bicycle lanes. So it's definitely a political issue, and while there might not be actual bona fide lobbyists there are definitely voters who are anti-road-cycling.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#83I'm reminded of the one time I drove through New Jersey. Major arterials are all set up like interstates and left turns aren't an option. Usually you have to go further than your destination and take a right to get on an overpass that spits you out in the opposite direction on the arterial. It's very frustrating if you manage to get lost.
Or you make a Jug Handle turn.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#84Id very much like to know why they don't send a text+email prior to a physical delivery so I can confirm whether I will be home to take delivery and potentially offer a reroute address or simply say do not attempt, rather than the current approach of making three unsuccessful attempts.
if you are in a low crime area, they should be dropping it off whether your are home or not like they always did for me (fedex, ups and usps).
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#85I have a friend that is a UPS driver and he always rolls his eyes when somebody mentions this to him. UPS trucks definitely turn left. Sure the delivery order generally tries to reduce left hand turns, but on the routes that he drove he saw very little difference in the route when comparing them before this 'change' and after it. The biggest cost savings were done by reducing the driver and truck counts and paying th…
Actually if you read the entire article it addresses the fact that while UPS finds most left turns inefficient there are some instances where their routing software recommends a left turn.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#86In Denmark, the term højresvingsulykke (right turn accident) is common, meaning when a car, typically a truck, turns right and hits a bicycle. Lots of people are killed from this every year. One theory is that it is primarily foreign truck drivers who are not accustomed to the high number of cyclists in Copenhagen. When I initially saw the title, I was expecting it to be a mistake and actually say "Why UPS Trucks Don…
Lorries turning left is how cyclist die every week in here in London.
Cyclist deaths get a lot more attention that purely automobile deaths, because they are so rare, which makes them seem vastly more common than they are.
In fact, in 2013 there were 14 cyclist deaths in London. 6 of those were in a two-week period in November. That was shocking enough that there was political attention and increased police enforcement around intersections. I'm sure also increased media coverage.
9 of those deaths were from lorries, as you said. I'm sure the majority are also at intersections, as you said, since that's where most cyclists get hit by motor vehicles.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#87In Denmark, the term højresvingsulykke (right turn accident) is common, meaning when a car, typically a truck, turns right and hits a bicycle. Lots of people are killed from this every year. One theory is that it is primarily foreign truck drivers who are not accustomed to the high number of cyclists in Copenhagen. When I initially saw the title, I was expecting it to be a mistake and actually say "Why UPS Trucks Don…
When I initially saw your post, I thought that Denmark was driving on the left... but then I realized that much less countries then I initially thought are driving on the left side.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#88Id very much like to know why they don't send a text+email prior to a physical delivery so I can confirm whether I will be home to take delivery and potentially offer a reroute address or simply say do not attempt, rather than the current approach of making three unsuccessful attempts.
If you have the my UPS app they will send you a push notification to your phone. It is possible to reroute it with the app, but I've never needed to; since the UPS driver will most likely just leave it.
In my experience, only freight companies call ahead.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#89Could this inform urban planning? Shouldn't we ban left hand turns more often for everyone?
At least in NYC, they don't ban left turns, but the majority of streets are one-way; and they alternate street by street (or avenue by avenue). So you often need to put together 3 rights to make the left. There are exceptions (e.g., 42nd, 34th, and 23rd are all two way streets); but not too many.
Re: Why UPS Trucks Rarely Turn Left
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's generally a bad idea to "pass on the right", not just for cyclists (tho they are disproportionately harmed).
Non-optional bicycle lanes make this unavoidable and motorists still lobby for cyclists to be kept of ‘their’ road.
What are optional bike lanes and how do they differ from non-optional bike lanes?