It is not often I lose my rag on the road… and even less often I will phone the Police about the antics of others on the road but tonight I have had one of the scariest things to ever happen to me in 24 years of trucking!!
Myself and a colleague left Venlo this afternoon and headed for home. Came off the ferry etc etc as you do… eventually as we come round the 25, we see that magic sign that tells us we are nearly home (have been out since last Sunday), The sign for Junction 10 and the turn towards Portsmouth.
We are now heading down the A3, incidentally we are both FULLY FREIGHTED (and a bit more 
) … both running at about 42 tonnes. We climbed the long climb up to the Devils Punchbowl at Hindhead and the lights were green. Now for those of you that don’t know this stretch of road, it is single carriageway down through a residential area and as you cross the border from Surrey into Hampshire, it opens into dual carriageway. At this point we are a mile from home 
Anyway, tonight as I lead the way down the single track, I let Stevie know there was roadworks and it was single carriageway all the way down (using the CB). As I entered the roadworks, doing about 45, I could see a group of workmen ahead behind the cones.
All of a sudden, one of the workmen shines a very powerful lamp straight into the cab and into my eyes!!! As I get close, completely blinded by now and hard on the brakes,he turns it away and I spot a worker standing in front of me!!! THEY WERE PLAYING ■■■■■■ ‘CHICKEN’!!! The guy jumped out the way at the last moment!! They did the same to Steve, my colleague!!
I was raging…We carried on into Liphook and looked to see if the usual Police car was about… for once, he wasn’t!
I have since phoned the Police complaining most bitterly at this action. As I informed the Police switchboard, those guys obviously have no idea what mayhem two fully laden artics can do if out of control. I am now awaiting a return call form Mr. Plod to see what happened and if they have attended the roadworks regarding this incident.
I have been driving 24 years but have never been so scared as I was tonight.
So now you know their game…go down that road again and play them at it 
Bet I’ll know who wins
and these were grown adults 
TheBear:
I am now awaiting a return call form Mr. Plod to see what happened and if they have attended the roadworks regarding this incident.
I have been driving 24 years but have never been so scared as I was tonight.
|Don’t hold your breath I’m still waiting for a call back regarding having somebody pointing a gun at me
people have tried calling my bluff in the past. the result often ends in the offending idiot requiring a change of underwear as he/she hears the increase of my engine revs 
Dogmanbodie:
So now you know their game…go down that road again and play them at it
I would, except for one little thing.
eg. Idiot standing in road trips over feet, falls flat on face. 44t truck runs over idiot with all 6 axles, idiot is consequently spread over all 4 lanes plus grass verges and central reservation and truck.
Idiots mate says “■■? Mr Plod, we was just working away n this great big truck just swerved all over the place n squished him. Torch? we aint got one, my other mates over there can confirm my story”.
As you have the time, date, location and other pertinent details of this event why don’t you find out who is running the roadworks at that location and go through their health & safety officer / safety officer.
Roadworks that I have worked in have needed one of these and they take this “pratting around” extrememly seriously.
I’m not sure whether VOSA would be interested if they do anything with road safety?
If you can’t find anything out ie whose running it then PM me and I’ll see what I can dig up. 
i would be on the phone to their company right now as it’s 24/7 operation,also i would be e-mailing there head office as well.but most importantly i would have put my 4 ways on stopped in the road works and got out and had a quiet word in his ear then smacked him.
kitkat:
i would be on the phone to their company right now as it’s 24/7 operation,also i would be e-mailing there head office as well.but most importantly i would have put my 4 ways on stopped in the road works and got out and had a quiet word in his ear then smacked him.
KitKat, it is ok to say that after the event… but I was honestly petrified and by the time I had full vision back, I was down the road a good way.
By the way, Kitkat and SME. thanx for that tip. I never thought of going thro their Office
KitKat, it is ok to say that after the event… but I was honestly petrified and by the time I had full vision back, I was down the road a good way
very true m8,any word from police yet 
if not call them now and ask what has been done about it
TheBear:
kitkat:
i would be on the phone to their company right now as it’s 24/7 operation,also i would be e-mailing there head office as well.but most importantly i would have put my 4 ways on stopped in the road works and got out and had a quiet word in his ear then smacked him.KitKat, it is ok to say that after the event… but I was honestly petrified and by the time I had full vision back, I was down the road a good way.
By the way, Kitkat and SME. thanx for that tip. I never thought of going thro their Office
A friends father is a manager for a lot of different bits of roadworks around the country and stuff. I didn’t realise the extend of his job until we chatted recently. Basically if this is pointed out to the office and you and your mate can back each other up with details then not only will they be chucked off site / sacked but they won’t be able to work for that company again, and in the industry word soon gets around…
And yes, I would have agreed with stopping, 4 ways on and getting out. At least then you would have publicised it at that point, as the Traffic Management are usually around watching the traffic and cones and stuff…
If there is a MSA nearby they often have offices there, or at the very least the local police unit there (if you have them in your side of the world ) should be able to give you details as their Motorway units would deal with them a lot…
Don’t forget to make an incident report to your boss, or at least put a report in. Unlikely they can do much but at least you have “covered all avenues” if it crops up.
Good luck 
Have you found out who is running the roadworks there?
google.co.uk/search?q=%2BA3+ … 1&c2coff=1
Might help…
Thats if youre interested in following it through… Personally I would because otherwise they’ll just carry on as normal… 
Thats if youre interested in following it through… Personally I would because otherwise they’ll just carry on as normal…
hopefully they have done.these muppets should be on the dole waiting to go up to court for stupidity.
i would have played chicken with all the cones down that stretch of road…might wipe the smile off their faces when they`ve got to put them all back… 
not only will they be chucked off site / sacked but they won’t be able to work for that company again, and in the industry word soon gets around…
Having worked within the tarmacing industry I can tell you that this would be an instant dismissal from any bona fide company, and yes, the industry is a very small world, I suspect they would end their careers laying dodgy driveways…
would have played chicken with all the cones down that stretch of road…might wipe the smile off their faces when they`ve got to put them all back
Trouble is that they wouldn’t have to put them back…
Woe betide the road worker who moves a humble cone without the express permission (preferably in triplicate summitted 365 days in advance) from the Traffic Management guys…
you can spot them, they are the ones asleep in the transit pickup at the end of the roadworks totally oblivious to the scattered cones and blown over signs 
Alright…keep your shirt on…