Bigger & Harman October 2018

Bigger & Harman October 2018

Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC BIGGER

DAILY

THE

DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road

TALES FROM THE 5 OCTOBER 2018 An Ode to a Great Road

From the quiet seaside town of Blaine, Washington, through the winding hills surrounding Shasta Lake, and down to the bustling San Diego-Tijuana sprawl, Interstate 5 is many things to many people. Freight, families, rock stars, and dreamers course though this artery every moment of every day. To some, it’s just a road or a way home. For my grandfather, the I-5 was an office, a livelihood, and at times, an adversary. My dad still remembers riding down the grapevine as a child. His father was a trucker based out of Medford, Oregon, who’d frequently make the run to Los Angeles. My dad got to tag along in the passenger’s seat. After hours spent on the vast flatland of the central valley, something would change in my grandfather. He’d grow tense as the Tehachapi Mountains loomed. My granddad would run through all the safety checks before they went through the infamous pass. And it was a good thing, too. Back then, the grapevine was even more deadly than it is today, with fewer safety ramps and fewer lanes to go around. From those harrowing early trips, the I-5 would remain an ever-present part of my family’s history. I’ve lived in three states, but never further than a few hours from the I-5. My grandfather and uncle drove professionally, transporting goods up and down it’s arching spine. My father shuttled two busloads of folks a day from Corvallis to Portland on that rainy, congested roadway. That freeway carried my sister 1000 miles to and from college and gave me a taste of what it meant to be on the open road.

I find it fitting that I now spend my days defending those like my grandfather who share a working relationship with the 5. Through the serendipitous events that led me to practice traffic law in the central valley, I get to talk to folks every day who have a connection to this singular freeway. They’ve seen both its beauty and its perils, and they know that it is far from being “just a road.” At the time of writing, I’m about to head to a funeral. A dear aunt just passed away up north, and I’ll be making the journey to pay my respects. I’m flying this trip, but in years past, it was the I-5 that brought my family together.

I’ve lived in three states, but never further than a few hours from the 5.”

Here’s to all the roads that connect us to one another,

–Mark Bigger

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Are You Using Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Wrong? COOKING OILS DECLASSIFIED

Not all cooking oils are created equal. Some cooking oils have distinct flavors, while others are suited for high temperatures. Every oil is unique. Here are six common oils and their best uses:

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL An often misused oil, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) should not be used for cooking or frying. It’s simply too delicate and cannot withstand high temperatures, which can damage the flavor, ruining dishes. Instead, use it as a finishing oil — drizzle it over pasta, salad, or bread. OLIVE OIL Unlike EVOO, standard olive oil can be used for cooking and frying. It can withstand temps up to about 460 degrees. In many cases, you can use it in place of other cooking oils — just be sure you’re using plain olive oil and not EVOO.

COCONUT OIL Better for baking than cooking, coconut oil is generally solid at room temperature. It can be used for some cooking, but like EVOO it doesn’t play well with high temperatures. Keep it at 350 degrees or below and use it as a butter substitute.

PEANUT OIL Great for high-heat cooking, frying, and deep-frying, peanut oil has a neutral flavor, so you can easily use it in just about any dish that needs a cooking oil. It’s also a more heart-healthy option than canola and vegetable oils. AVOCADO OIL When you need an oil to withstand high temps, this is your oil. It has a smoke point of 510 degrees, making it perfect for grilling and stir-frying. What makes avocado oil particularly unique is it can also be used as a finishing oil, like EVOO. It’s light yet resilient.

CANOLA OIL/VEGETABLE OIL A good option for high-heat cooking,

baking, and frying, these utilitarian oils are completely neutral in flavor, but they’re not heart-healthy. Vegetable oil is a generic mix of oils, including soybean, canola (rapeseed), and palm oils, making it the most inexpensive cooking oil.

WHAT IS CAUSING THE SHORTAGE IN DRIVERS?

Amazon May Not Be to Blame After All

You may have heard that, because of Amazon, companies are finding it difficult to acquire enough truck drivers for deliveries. It’s rumored that electronic logging devices, or ELDs, have cut into the hours truckers can be out on the road. However, it’s not the lack of hours that has companies scrambling for truckers — it’s the work conditions. Many are dissatisfied with what they consider extreme government oversight and regulation of their industry. Blaming Amazon for the shortage of truckers is not wholly accurate. Although the rise in internet sales and online shopping has led to more opportunities for local drivers with FedEx, UPS,

weigh stations, rounds the distance between axles down or up to the nearest whole foot. This means that a truck at 8 feet, 5 inches would be overweight at 8 feet, 6 inches or more. Hazmat drivers face hefty fines and misdemeanor charges for simple violations as well. Some companies will pay for the fines, while others only cover what is expected of them. Many fleet managers will terminate a trucker who is involved in a moving violation, even in their private vehicle. Every trucker or CDL holder knows you must maintain a clean driving record to get one of those jobs and fight every traffic ticket if you want to stay in the business. The attorneys at Bigger & Harman regularly appear in the California traffic courts. We believe CDL holders need experienced and knowledgeable legal professionals who understand that these conditions influence truckers’ opportunities for higher-paying jobs with better trucking

and the USPS, there are other problems. For one thing, there aren’t enough young people entering the industry. The pay is good — around $42,000 for intrastate truckers and $20,000–$30,000 more for OTR truckers — but the lifestyle isn’t appealing. Truckers tend to spend more time on the road than at home.

companies. Our experience with local courts, law enforcement officers, and the California traffic law means you get the representation you deserve.

Another problem is ticket fines. In California, the CHP, which runs the “chicken coop,” or

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Whether you’re going down the steepest grades on the Grapevine or driving through a school zone, there’s never a good time for a brake failure. So it’s understandable that compliance, safety, and accountability (CSA) violations involving proper brake maintenance are so severe. Violating air brake restrictions alone will get a driver assessed with 8 CSA points — 10 if the problems warrant an out-of- service (OOS) order. That’s the same level of penalty as a reckless driving charge. To prevent such disastrously bad assessments and protect your right to drive, it’s important to always follow through with thorough pre- and post-drive inspections. While assessing your brakes, make sure you aren’t buying into the following myths that are dangerously common in commercial driving circles. BRAKING MYTHS STOP THESE MISCONCEPTIONS IN THEIR TRACKS

HAVE A LAUGH

MYTH 1: NOT ALL PUSHRODS ARE MARKED.

PUZZLE

False: All truck brake manufacturers are required by law to use indicator markings. Checking for these built-in warning signs is your best bet to spot the need for an adjustment early and stay ahead of the inspectors.

MYTH 2: BRAKES CAN SLIP OUT OF ADJUSTMENT IN A SINGLE TRIP.

This excuse isn’t going to fly. An indicator visible enough to warrant a violation takes a significant amount of time. So long as you are doing regular inspections, there’s no reason to let this problem sneak up on you.

MYTH 3: ADJUSTMENTS CANNOT BE CHECKED WHILE BRAKES ARE HOT.

This falsehood has been around almost as long as we’ve had 18-wheelers, probably because it sounds believable. While it is true that stroke measurements are longer when the brake chamber diaphragms are hot, this does not affect pushrod indicators. Hot or cold, if an inspector can see those markings, you’re in trouble. The truth is that there’s no way around it; commercial drivers have to remain vigilant for brakes that need adjusting. Oversites happen, and that’s true of truckers and inspectors alike. If you need to correct a CSA score attributed to your DMV report, an experienced traffic attorney can help guide you through the hearing process. Our firm has assisted many drivers through this process.

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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER

Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

My Life on the I-5........................... PAGE 1

Understanding Cooking Oils and Their Uses.................................. PAGE 2

A Shortage of Truckers................... PAGE 2

3 Braking Myths.............................. PAGE 3

The Cat Who Steals Teeth............ PAGE 4

Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? The following week, Phil finally found his dentures. His son was settling in on the couch to watch TV, and as he went to wrap himself in an afghan, he felt something hard hit his hand. Lo and behold, Herbert Spencer had buried the teeth in the blanket. In the years after the dentures incident, the rogue cat stole many other small but important household items from Phil. In fact, the villainy occurred so often that Phil threw out the afghan to rob the cat of his favorite hiding spot. Now Phil holds on tightly to his teeth, just waiting to see what Herbert Spencer decides to purloin next. The Mystery of the Missing Teeth As Canadian resident Phil Bailey was preparing to take a shower one morning, he took out his dentures and set them near the bathroom sink. But when he got out of the shower, the dentures were nowhere to be found! He and his wife searched for hours, but as the time for work grew nearer, Phil was forced to leave the house toothless. He spent the rest of the week that way. During one of his frustrated commutes to work, he started to suspect that either his son was pulling a prank on him or that his cat, named Herbert Spencer, had sneaked into the bathroom, stolen his dentures, and hidden them somewhere in the house. Later that weekend, Phil (still toothless) traveled to the Tournament of the Bands to watch his son’s high school marching band compete. Unable to hide from friends and family his embarrassment at having lost his dentures, he explained his suspicion about Herbert Spencer’s possible mischief. One of his son’s classmates retorted, “What’s the matter, Mr. Phil? The cat got your teeth?”

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