Survived one of my worst fears!

[pennysmom09]

We were returning to Delaware from West Virginia after a family reunion in the mountains near Hinton, W. VA. We had to take the Washington Beltway, which we hate, but did okay on the way out early Sunday morning. However, coming back it was a little more complicated and we missed 495. I knew were were in trouble as MD 66 was heading right into the capital. Then the GPS directed us to 395, which also goes right through the capital. All of a sudden, a sign warning of a low bridge warning appears. Sure enough, the light flashed as we approached! Fortunately there was a shoulder so we pulled over and stopped, while 3 lanes of speeding traffic are flying by. We can't even get out to see if we would fit! We looked at each other with wide eyes!! So, I called 911. We had no idea how to get out of this mess. The dispatcher said not to get out of our vehicle, and wait for a patrol car. We had plenty of gas, and it was in the 90's.

We waited a few minutes, and suddenly a huge, beautiful, royal blue motorhome pulled up to the bridge in the center lane, and almost came to a complete stop, (I was sure this was going to be a disaster for us all) He had his flashers on, then very slowly inched under the bridge with a sliver of daylight to spare, and made it! There was a second bridge right after it too. We could see he was bigger than us, so after waiting for a break in traffic, we slowly pulled out and did the same! Whew!! Shortly after passing under the bridges, we saw 495 and got on. It was south and not north, but it didn't matter, we drove until our exit.

I wish we could have caught up with the motor home and told him he was our guardian angel!! I'll never forget the relief while watching it safely pass under the bridges. I'll never know if he knew the route, or he missed 495 too!

So, other than that nightmare, traveling a mountain hugging 2 lane road for 25 white knuckle miles, and crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge late on A Sunday afternoon with all the beach goers, it was quite a trip. Sure was glad to get home!!

[Crabbypatty]

They make an RV as well as a Trucker GPS. Most of the cheapo consumers ones do not contain the ability to route over height vehicles. Always travel with a map and follow the semi trucks, which is an easy way to do it. All the info on internet there really isnt anyway to get stuck now a days with a little planning.

[CavemanCharlie]

Farmboy666 wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

pennysmom09 wrote:

RobWNY wrote:
Did you recontact the 911 Dispatcher to let him/her know you no longer needed assistance so the patrol officer didn't go to your former location needlessly?

Yes! ITried 3 times and got put on hold each time.

You called the 911 emergency line three times and were put on hold each time? Ummmm ok.

You sound like thats hard to believe.

Hard to believe around here. But, not in Minneapolis/ St.Paul. I know of people that couldn't get through to 911 for a emergency. There was a concert that night and the whole 911 thing was so jammed up all they got when they called was a busy signal.

Sometimes you all make me happy that I live in the middle of no-where and don't go far from home. I have only dialed 911 3 times in my life and those times it is when I happened up on car accidents. No cell phones in those days. I had to drive to the nearest farm house and use their phone. One time the home owners were not home so I just walked in then found the nearest phone and used it.

Those days are over for most people. I still have a land line and a phone on the porch but, I am the last person I know of that has one.

To the OP. I'm glad you were smart enough to watch for the low bridge before you shaved off the top of your rig.

[NJRVer]

Wondering if the GPS has multiple settings.

On wife's Land Rover you can set it for shortest route, fastest route, or toll free route.

[mgirardo]

If your GPS's maps aren't up to date, they might route you wrong through DC. We had been up and down I-95 for years with our GPS. A few years ago, it kept trying to take us on 395. It took 2 or 3 map updates before our Garmin figured out how to get through DC.

Fortunately, we have never come across a low bridge that wasn't marked. In all our travels up and down the east coast, it seems any bridge lower than 13'6" is considered a low bridge. In some states, it seems anything under 13'9" is considered low.

-Michael

[Farmboy666]

RobWNY wrote:

pennysmom09 wrote:

RobWNY wrote:
Did you recontact the 911 Dispatcher to let him/her know you no longer needed assistance so the patrol officer didn't go to your former location needlessly?

Yes! ITried 3 times and got put on hold each time.

You called the 911 emergency line three times and were put on hold each time? Ummmm ok.

You sound like thats hard to believe.

[DiskDoctr]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
911 is for genuine *EMERGENCIES* !!.

Use a non-emergency number (some cities have a 411) number) - or the *BUSINESS* number for the agency you wish to contact..:W

Usually after business hours, calls to a business number are routed to the dispatch center -and/or- give the NON-emergency number for the caller to use.

~

Not most places around here. First words, "Non-emergency call" and it is handled, passed on, or put on hold until an available operator can handle the call. It is SOP to reach "local" police or the area's State Police.

There are certain events that require a report to local jurisdictions (which can be PA SP or a city's department) and the procedure specifically states, "Call 911 Dispatcher"

It may be different other places, but in much of the area I travel frequently, the Dispatchers are the central communications hub for certain reports. They assign number to it, provide their name/ID for the report, etc.

Granted, most of this is for non-public incidents, but I've used 911 services for anything that can affect public safety- accidents, road blockages, debris on road, stopped vehicles in lane of traffic, etc.

Just be quick to identify as non-emergency and go from there.

[Lynnmor]

RGar974417 wrote:
Coming back to Pa from SC we were on 95 and our GPS tried sending us into the HOV lanes.So I thought I would just stay on 95 but it took us into Washington. We could see the Washington Monument. I had my turn signal on for over 2 miles but not one person would let us in! Finally we saw signs for 95 and got out of the mess.I will never take 95 around Washington again.Ever!

Good choice! I see no reason to ever go back into that swamp. The GPS might have been telling you right, some will direct you using the information from road signs and not actually want you in a prohibited lane, if that makes sense. Using a turn signal in that area is a surefire way of telling the nitwits to keep any gap closed.

[wa8yxm]

I used to have a video tape of an oversize truck on I-96 in Livonia MI.

The truck cleared the bridge but the tarp on his load did not. Caught the tarp.

We turned him around cause there were lower bridges ahead. No damage, No ticket.

Took like 8 lanes of freeway to turn him around, we stopped traffic in BOTH directions.

[RGar974417]

Coming back to Pa from SC we were on 95 and our GPS tried sending us into the HOV lanes.So I thought I would just stay on 95 but it took us into Washington. We could see the Washington Monument. I had my turn signal on for over 2 miles but not one person would let us in! Finally we saw signs for 95 and got out of the mess.I will never take 95 around Washington again.Ever!

[Splashers3]

this story is why I ordered and should be receiving my Giraffe G4 height measuring unit this Friday (7/6)- which will tell me how high the overpass is....before I go under it. Our new 5ver is, at a minimum, 13'6". I haven't had a chance to measure it on level ground yet....I have measured it, but the ground wasn't level.

I'm getting it from Tweety's.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

pennysmom09 wrote:

RobWNY wrote:
Did you recontact the 911 Dispatcher to let him/her know you no longer needed assistance so the patrol officer didn't go to your former location needlessly?

Yes! ITried 3 times and got put on hold each time.

Needlessly.....:R

"Quintuple duh(s)- your original call (maybe yes, maybe no), but for sure the 3 more, plus "RobWNY"..:S

911 is for genuine *EMERGENCIES* !!.

Use a non-emergency number (some cities have a 411) number) - or the *BUSINESS* number for the agency you wish to contact..:W

Usually after business hours, calls to a business number are routed to the dispatch center -and/or- give the NON-emergency number for the caller to use.

~

[suprz]

3 dog nights wrote:
My rule, when in doubt, follow a trucker.

Good rule

[3_dog_nights]

My rule, when in doubt, follow a trucker.

[fireman41]

New York in general is bad at the hole bridge height marking. New York has a lot of 13'6" marked at 12'9".


Also some states will mark a bridge being low if it's under 14 feet tall.