Sometimes timing is everything.

Backing a big rig into a tight space such as a parking spot is no easy task. It takes a great deal of practice and skill to get good at it and to not hit anything on either side while doing it. Some drivers are better at it than others and some just plain suck at it.

Rookie drivers are notorious for backing accidents. It's the single most common accident rookies are involved in. The easiest way for them to avoid such an accident is to get their ass out of the seat and walk back to look and make sure they aren't going to hit the trucks on either side of the spot they are trying to back into. Sadly many simply won't do this easy and safe thing because they don't want the other drivers watching to think they're a rookie, or they're just plain lazy.

Of course backing into someone's truck sure doesn't make them look like a seasoned pro.

A few minutes ago I was walking out of the truckstop after getting a nice hot shower and some lunch and I saw this rig trying to back into the spot to the left of my rig. A quick glance showed me that he was inches away from hitting my truck and backing straight for it.

I quickly ran over and banged on his passenger door to stop him. At that point his trailer was less than six inches from my fender. Needless to say I was a tad pissed off. I yelled at him to get himself straightened out and set up  correctly because if he hit my truck I was going to be kicking his ass across the parking lot.

He pulled up, set up again, and started backing up again without bothering to get out of the truck to look at the situation. He was now heading directly for the hood of the truck to the left of the parking spot. I climbed into my own rig and laid on the air horns to stop him yet again.

I keyed up my CB and instructed him on what to do to get himself in the right position, but he failed to follow my intructions at all and instead made one more attempt to back into that other rig. I stopped him again.

At this point he gave up and drove on around the parking lot. One of the other trucks that had been sitting and waiting for this bonehead to finished whatever he was going to do then pulled up, set up, and backed smoothly into the space the bonehead couldn't.

Had I lingered any longer in the shower or over my lunch I would have been greeted by a smashed truck when I returned. Even another 30 seconds would have been too late to stop the rookie from smashing into my rig. That would have really ruined my day. And his.

I need a beer.