Thank You But No Thank You

I know this message will not get past the moderators. But I’m not going to be an active member going forward. I’m tired of the constant bullying from g-town. He criticizes me at every opportunity. Then other members pile on. G-town talks about the trucking truth charter, but he is the antipathy of it. He likes to denigrate and ridicule. He is arrogant and condensing to those of us who are trying to learn but don’t fit in his wheel house. I know he is a very prominent moderator, but my opinion is that he abuses his power. I’m not the only one he turns off, and negatively interacts with.

Okay Bruce, there you go. Your comments made it past the moderators. Now it is time to have a "Big Boy" conversation.

Unfortunately you don't sound real big at this point. We will try to help you get over your hurt self and be a better member here, just as we also want to do for ourselves. I remember in another thread you told us that you couldn't change who you are. Well, "News Flash!" You can. I have changed who I am for most of my life. I work on trying to be a better person all the time. I have come a looong way too. All the Moderators here try to be better Moderators. We know we aren't perfect - far from it - but when you tell us we are constantly belittling you then we would like to see some examples of why you feel as you do.

You know your comments are on moderation. Do you ever wonder why? Wouldn't you like to find yourself up to a better level of acceptance here? It is real easy. I will try to help you. Just tone it down with the constant one-liners. Give us a break. If we wanted a stand-up-comedian in here we would hire one. It is very distracting from our mission and goals. We are serious about this stuff. G-town is a serious guy. You are a clown. I actually think that is what you dislike about him. I know him personally. He is as warm and friendly as anyone you will ever come across. He knows his stuff though. He also wants others to know theirs. He is a great teacher and a great mentor.

I've got more to say, but I have got to take care of something job related right now. I will be back. Let's have a real conversation here. Let's try to act like grown ups and discuss some realities. Let's get out of our emotions and discuss this matter logically as mature adults who want to interact together as professionals.

Bruce, I am going to empathize with you. I understand that we all get a little rough around the edges at times. We need to have a conversation about that. But to be pointing out names and doing it the way you are is not acceptable. We have had our troubles with you. We have gone back and forth whether to have you in moderation or not, but when you are set free you just seem to get out of hand with your silliness. So we reign you back in. Here's the problem with your interactions in a forum like this... We can never tell if you are serious or not. That leads to a lot of confusion. I enjoy some fun banter at times. It is healthy, but too much is like drinking vinegar. You just want to spit it out. Vinegar is good for us, but we don't need to drink it.

You tell us you are "just trying to learn." That is great. We are just trying to teach and mentor. Recently it seemed you didn't appreciate some comments from G-Town. You even referenced them in a post we had to delete because it sounded so petulant. G-Towns remarks were accurate. We don't slow down at a red light before turning. We are required to stop first. That is the law. If you are trying to learn, then take the approach that says I don't know nearly enough of this stuff. I am going to be a sponge when I am interacting with those who know more of it than I do. That has always been my approach to learning. A student has to have a certain amount of humility in them to learn. They have to realize they need information, and the way they get it is to accept what is offered and then try and confirm it so they know they are getting accurate information and help. The worst thing a student can do is try to teach something they don't really understand.

I told you we like to see examples of what it is that is bothering you so severely. I am going to give you an example of how we can never tell if you are serious or not. Your constant joking makes us think you are joking all the time. That makes it very difficult to interact with you in a forum where there is no voice inflection or laughter to clue us in on your intentions. Here's a recent example...

You said this...

My EDL let’s me log off duty while I’m fueling. Please explain this to me.

Well, your ELD will let you do whatever you want. I don't get the comment. Are you serious or are you joking? You are the one with the brain. Your ELD is just a tool that lets you input data. You are responsible for knowing how and when to input certain data. It is no different than your paper logs. You put what you are doing there.

Okay, I am not trying to make this conversation about you. It needs to be about all of us. We all need to work on being better participants. Let's not get ourselves all butt hurt over differences in the ways we communicate. We all need to improve and try to do a better job. We don't need to point out each other's faults, but I want to help you interact here with us. We enjoy all our members here. We love the interactions, and they can certainly be diverse. We try to keep it so it is enjoyable and educational for all of us. It is no surprise that we get on each other's nerves at times. We are human and it shows daily.

Bruce, let's make an agreement. We will try to improve ourselves. You try to be a little more patient with us. Don't get butt hurt so easily. Think about the conversations that are bothering you and see if you can find something redeeming in them. Perhaps you took something wrong. Always give it time to sink in. That way you can see the nuance of the comments. I think we can do that and come out better in the end.

Bruce! C'mon man!

I thought I was the bully, certainly not G-Town.

Let's meet up somewhere soon and I'll buy you a cup of Get Over Yourself. We enjoy your presence here, and that includes your experience and insights.

I’m not the only one he turns off, and negatively interacts with.

Speak for yourself Bruce. When you do things like act like you have no understanding of basic HOS rules I’m glad G-town is around. When you have a least a year experience if I’m not mistaken. His criticism of you is warranted. Not to mention your constant “jokes” in probably 80 percent of your comments. Thick skin Bruce. Thick skin.

I completely agree with everything Old School said. One problem with all the jokes is nobody knows when you're being serious. Most of us are very busy with trucking and handling other priorities we have in life. For many, our time on the forum is limited. Your post that said your company was ok with how you logging the way you did was misleading to newbies. Those are log violations and will directly impact someone's career. If we don't address that in the serious manner that it is, how are we helping new/prospective drivers? There was another member who posted that they willingly violated HOS to make their delivery on time. We came down just as hard on them to show how serious that is. In my time on this forum G-Town is one of those that have had a huge impact on many drivers having a successful career. He's willingly given Banks and GreyBeard the opportunity to ride along with him when they were considering a career to see what it's all about. One thing to remember is that when most of us post it's not just meant for you. Sometimes you may think we're talking down to you but thats not the case. There's many future drivers reading that will never post or even have an account. Sometimes we elaborate more than we need to for that exact reason. Those unfamiliar with the industry don't know what they don't know. Most members of this forum will help anybody that's showing willingness to learn. Personally there's been some people here over the years I won't take the time to respond to. When our time is limited and someone keeps making the same mistakes by ignoring our advice and expecting a different outcome why waste my time. If you choose to leave the forum that's your choice but you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice.

None of us are perfect, nor do we claim to be. We've all made our share of stupid mistakes and many have shared them. That's how we learn. We VOLUNTEER our time here to help new and experienced drivers. We each have our strengths and our weaknesses. You may dislike the way someone delivers the information but it's still accurate. I'm honestly surprised to see this post from you. The nonstop joking, mixed with your construction background I thought you had thicker skin. To me, I don't care what someone thinks of me. I'm here to help others better understand this industry particularly in the types of trucking I have direct experience in. If someone doesn't like my posts I don't care. And for the record I've had other moderators correct me for wrong information before. I'm thankful for it. I would feel terrible if a new driver followed my advice and it negatively impacted their career.

I remember when I first started posting here, I had some uninformed opinions. Like most, I went to YouTube and Google reviews to get my info. I was set in them and I didn't want to hear anything different. I got it from Brett and GTown. They both let me have it and I felt like they were attacking and trying to bully me.

In the end,GTown offered to let me ride with him. He answered all of my questions and made himself available to me. He didn't have to do that and he's one of the people I credit for my success.

I like a lot of your posts, Bruce. You seem like a laid back fun guy and I enjoy that. You also double down when you're wrong. I remember one time I was explaining why a poster was frustrated about driving in Allentown, PA. You insisted that the driver could simply buttonhook the turn because that's what you learned. I tried explaining to you that it's physically impossible to do in that area and you continued to insist it wasn't even though it's an area I'm very familiar with because I did a lot of my training there and my wife's doctor is also in the area.

You're liked here. My only suggestion would be to be more open to criticism and not take it as an insult or attack. The goal is to be better and I've found the best way to improve is to be coachable and accept lessons from those with more experience.

I wish you luck, Bruce and I hope you continue to be a member of this community.

What is it with this internet craze of people always making a big post when they’re leaving a group of any type? I don’t think I’ll ever understand that. Could a person ever make a bigger statement of, I crave attention and if you don’t treat me exactly like I demand while I belittle whoever, I’ll throw a fit? Dude, you gotta realize that sarcasm, wit and humor sometimes don’t translate the way you want it to and you can’t get upset when it smacks you in the face. To quote Zombieland “nut up or shut up”. GTown did not hammer down on you or harass you in any way, you want to believe it but it simply isn’t true.

Wow! I may disagree with G-Town on some things, and sometimes poke fun. But, seriously BK?

On this forum, I hope I never come across as trying to educate newbies AS AN AUTHORITY. I'm not a Moderator and those who are, are designated as such for a reason. BK has posted at least one time as if he's an authority. Turned out it was...a joke?

To the Moderators here; THANK YOU! Your commitment is greater than most. This website, and industry, are better because of the feedback you give. Some of us may not agree with the way you present, but your profession is driving, not counseling.

Again to the Moderators AND ESPECIALLY G-TOWN; THANK YOU!

This isn't an airport. There is no need to announce your departure.

(Sarcasm right there.)

The thing is, the moderators on this site are here without compensation. They are giving their valuable time to try and correctly educate new drivers, in an industry where it can be difficult to get a straight (and correct) answer. I 100 percent understand their frustration in having to mod all your comments and posts. This industry requires constant learning. The second you think you know it all, is the day you screw up and kill someone. Mistakes happen, and people get taught incorrectly.

Have enough self awareness and humility to know that the discussion isn't always about you, or the initial poster. I read here for way longer than I have had an account. I point people here all the time. Why? Because the focus is on education and knowledge first, personality and fun second.

This isn't a site problem. This is a YOU problem.