As a line-haul trucker in the '80s, I was running TransCanada Highway 17 at night east of the Soo. The weather got progressively worse with a lake-effect winter storm rolling in when a 4-wheeler caught up to me on a grade. He didn't see the need to dim the high beams. (I assume a lot of drivers think the big trailers block all the bright lights).
I made every attempt to assist and encourage him to pass -- including slowing several klicks below the limit on the passing lanes -- but there he stayed, glued to my trailer, much too close and much too bright. After about an hour, we finally reached a 24 hour truck stop (Nairn Centre, by my recollection) and when he followed me into the parking lot, I was ready to get out and include his headlights in my tire check (thump-thump).
After taking care of business, I was relaxing with a coffee when a pleasant man approached my table and asked if I was the the driver of the truck in the lot, which he described. I answered affirmatively and he proceeded to thank me profusely for guiding him through the storm and getting him to a safe place. He was an American business traveler on a road he'd never seen in conditions he was not accustomed to. He even insisted on buying my coffee. I was humbled and the anger vanished.
Life has many unexpected surprises from which we can learn a lot from people with a different point of view.
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