Bus drivers and judging distance

[ClichéGuevara]

I used to travel a regular route by bus which went under a bridge. The bus was marked as being 14 feet 7 and a half inches high, the bridge was marked, 14' 7". I used to wonder how much difference the number of passengers made on its height.

We also had some buses around here with a specially shaped roof to get through Beverley Bar.

I guess a driver given a bus to go on either route would just assume the shift manager had checked?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I once took a load of telegraph wires down by, er, leaving the yard and driving half a mile or so with one of those HIAB lorry mounted cranes 30 foot or so in the air.

I also came round a roundabout in London once with a 14' trailer on to see a sign saying "14'3" Height Limit Ahead". Fine, I thought, plenty to spare, only to see another sign once I'd gone past the point where I could turn around. "NO ACCESS for vehicles over 30' long and 14" high". I went under very slowly while hanging out of the cab window watching the trailer.

 

[semislickstick]

Bus drivers and judging distance



… but how do you misjudge this space?

I dunno, is he normally an Audi driver, expecting the bridge to get out of the way?

 

[davefb]

I once took a load of telegraph wires down by, er, leaving the yard and driving half a mile or so with one of those HIAB lorry mounted cranes 30 foot or so in the air.

I also came round a roundabout in London once with a 14' trailer on to see a sign saying "14'3" Height Limit Ahead". Fine, I thought, plenty to spare, only to see another sign once I'd gone past the point where I could turn around. "NO ACCESS for vehicles over 30' long and 14" high". I went under very slowly while hanging out of the cab window watching the trailer.

gah..

Was rung by a mate last night in the pub, he was working his friday hgv .

"whats 4.2m compared to 14ft?"

they'd told him the height of his wagon was 4.2m, but the bridge was 14ft....... we gave the go ahead ( then checked using the phone caculators,, its about 3inch clear)...

Must admit, did wonder why they told him the metric height if bridges are marked in feet ?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Actually, that's more and more common these days. Increasingly trailers are marked up in metric while bridges are marked in imperial. That's what did for the continental Scania pictured under the 12' bridge further up the thread, I'd imagine. Nothing hones your metric/imperial conversion skills like hurtling towards a bridge signed at 14'3" with a trailer marked 4.3m ...