little yellow light on roof of m1009

[edgebar]

what does everyone do with that beacon on the roof?
kinda detracts from the overall look

 

[emr]

 

[Alredneck]

Its a convoy light for convoy escort duty!

 

[raiburn]

Mine is disconnected, but its still up there.

 

[wallew]

My buddy who is still in says they call them 'whoopee lights'...

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/60137-my-whoopee-lights-convoy-signs.html

CONVOY DUTY FOR SURE.

Come in real handy. Sometimes I have to block an intersection to let our larger trucks get through, especially if it's a turn with no signal. We can wait for as much as ten - fifteen minutes at some intersections. That really spreads a convoy of 10 - 20 vehicles out pretty badly. So we will block an intersection, let our convoy through roll through and then move on. With that many trucks in convoy, sometimes I'll stop in an intersection, get out and direct our guys to keep them moving through. Then back into the M1009 and to the end of the convoy.

I'm generally tail end charlie.

 

[niferous]

My buddy who is still in says they call them 'whoopee lights'...

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/60137-my-whoopee-lights-convoy-signs.html

CONVOY DUTY FOR SURE.

Come in real handy. Sometimes I have to block an intersection to let our larger trucks get through, especially if it's a turn with no signal. We can wait for as much as ten - fifteen minutes at some intersections. That really spreads a convoy of 10 - 20 vehicles out pretty badly. So we will block an intersection, let our convoy through roll through and then move on. With that many trucks in convoy, sometimes I'll stop in an intersection, get out and direct our guys to keep them moving through. Then back into the M1009 and to the end of the convoy.

I'm generally tail end charlie.

Just curious. How does a private citizen block traffic at a public intersection?

 

[Stan Leschert]

Just curious. How does a private citizen block traffic at a public intersection?

He just does it.

I have never seen an LEO come up and rain on the parade.

You have no authority aside from common sense,
but that is almost always enough to carry the day.

 

[oldMan99]

He just does it.

I have never seen an LEO come up and rain on the parade.

You have no authority aside from common sense,
but that is almost always enough to carry the day.

In Florida you see large groups of motorcycles (10-50) do this with regularity. No legal standing at all. Never been questioned by a LEO (Yet?)

Must be a LOT easier to stop traffic with a 2 1/2 6x6 army truck than a motorcycle...

Fancy blinking light or not...

 

[rango]

convoy lights, i think they look good





side note: anyone know where you could find the actual procedures for convoy duty? when i get my cucv i want to be able to pull convoy duty and know how to do it right

 

[niferous]

The whole thing just confuses me. I was in law enforcement and I can tell you I would have written a ticket for stopping traffic for a private convoy.

I know I'll probably get flamed but I just don't see where someone who is driving along to a meet or whatever has a right to make me sit at a light and wait so their buddies can go by.

Futhermore I was in the Army for a few years and I traveled in convoys after I got off active duty and I was in the Guard. We went from Bryan, TX to Ft Hood in about a 20-30 vehicle convoy and traveled through quite a few intersections along the way. Even with being the actual military we didn't block traffic so we could get through.

Typically a HMMWV in the front and one in the rear. They had signs on the grill guards that said "CONVOY APPROACHING" and then the one on the rear had one on the back that said "CONVOY AHEAD". Usually just tied them on with 550 cord before we left the motorpool. Convoy speed was typically 50 mph with a "catch-up speed" of 55 mph. Typically we had an advance party that would go ahead of everyone else to set things up as well. Usually in a GS Van.

Once again I know it seems fun and everything and maybe you're just doing it at light intersections and I guess for that I wouldn't have a problem. However if it was more of a busy intersection and were holding it up so ten trucks can get through that aren't on any official business I kind of have a problem with that.

Just my .

 

[wallew]

OK, let me help you folks out.

I've been 'stopping traffic' for all sorts of reasons.

At June this year, I went to pick up my second M1009 in Ft Riley, KS.

I got out of Colorado and was rolling along I-70 and came across a guy WANDERING in the left lane of I-70 east bound. I managed to wave traffic over to the right hand lane of the eastbound I-70 and got them to slow down while I corralled this guy and suggested he might be more comfortable back in his car.

I got him back into his car, had an opening in traffic and got his car, which had crossed the grassy medium and was facing WESTBOUND in the eastbound lane, I then drove it across the eastbound lanes and then parked it on the shoulder of the east bound side.

I had called my wife when we stopped and she had called the Kansas Highway patrol out of Hayes, Ks, which we had just gone through.

It wasn't two minutes when a KS H P trooper pulled in. I gave him the guys keys, the guys drivers license, and told him what I had done. The guy had either gotten dehydrated or perhaps heat exhaustion. But I turned him over to the trooper.

THAT'S the last instance before this one.

One of my first experiences was when I was working for Bechtel. I was part of the 'emergency response team' so when we had a bomb threat and they evacuated the building, I and two other team members rerouted street traffic away from the building, and got our employees vehicles out of the building as quickly as we could.

So yeah, if you are willing to risk your life, standing in traffic to stop a flow of traffic for what ever reason, MOST FOLKS will give the right of way.

I've done this when I find stray dogs on the street. I carry a small bag of broken dog biscuits that I use to get them to come to me. BUT YOU GOTTA KEEP THEM FROM BEING KILLED before you can do that. And I've stopped three lanes of 6th ave one morning to wrangle up two ST. Bernards. The funny part was two other people had stopped, gotten out of their cars and HELPED me round them up and once we had hold of them we immediately got the traffic rolling.

Total time elapsed was LESS than two minutes. And I always gets numerous thumbs up. Plus, I have been know to put MY VEHICLE behind a broken down vehicle - but I keep mine eight or ten car lengths back. That gives room for what ever vehicle comes up to help. I get out of my truck and wave traffic around the broken down truck.

I've been doing this my whole life. When you are doing the right thing, most folks do NOT mind. And those that do? Well, they are actually going to dislike ANYBODY who is willing to help those who need it.

N,

You DID actually click on the link and LOOK at my M1009? I also have both the 'Convoy Ahead' or 'Convoy Approaching' signs that I ALWAYS run on or the other.

I've had NUMEROUS conversations with LEO's around Colorado about this subject. NOT ONE agrees with you. Think about it this way. ANYBODY DOES SOMETHING STUPID AND HITS A DEUCE? THEY ARE GONNA AT LEAST HAVE A BROKEN VEHICLE. They might need medical assistance.

We avoid ALL of this buy US controlling the flow of traffic so we impact it as little as we can. But we do this only when we are going to or from a parade. Which means we are doing something for the public to learn yet again and see the big green iron rolling proud.

I stopped traffic on Saturday because we had been stopped by a train. Then the ongoing traffic came across to the light and then came to a halt waiting for the next light to go green. But they BLOCKED THE INTERSECTION and kept us from turning left and NOBODY was making room. So I resolved that and we rolled through and they closed up and STILL didn't go anywhere.

I always love when a LEO says 'that's not right'...

REALLY?

You would rather us endanger numerous motorist by spreading out 15 - 25 vehicles through stop and go traffic. That's just stupid. When we run convoy we are tight. It's difficult for people to pass us on two lane highways BECAUSE we run so tight. No we're not fast, but we get the job done.

 

[niferous]

That's fine I was speaking for my state and our laws. I can't speak for yours.

How does it endanger numerous motorists by spreading vehicles out?

 

[steelandcanvas]

Just curious. How does a private citizen block traffic at a public intersection?

I knew this was coming. Well written Jim. I have been a driver in our Club convoys with Jim helping to move traffic safely and quickly. He uses his head, it's not about a power play with a little yellow strobe light. He makes good, sound decisions with everyone's safety in mind. It's not much different than the escorts who do funeral processions. Don't stop doing what you do for us Jim.

 

[wallew]

Thanks jj...

You know I'm tail end charlie on purpose. ANYONE can lead a convoy.

You have to be willing to stop and help broken down members AND call the lead truck and tell them the problems if we encounter any.

And yeah, it's not an ego thing.

IT'S A SAFETY THING...

 

[wallew]

Niferious,

I take MY OWN VEHICLE, using my own money, my own fuel, etc. to run convoy for my club.

Now as an LEO, you want to take YOUR DAY OFF, take YOUR VEHICLE and run convoy interference for us FOR FREE? Come on down.

But you won't. But that's kewl. I expect you will still criticize those of us WHO DO EXACTLY THAT.