Am i an old cynic?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

M4 w/b yesterday, 3 plods go flying past lights ablaze. 2 Volvo’s and an unmarked Beemer. 2 minutes later, just past J34 they’re on the hard shoulder and pull out again just behind me, and get into formation for a rolling road block. Probably just practicing but i’m keeping a wary eye out for anything unexpected up front. Couple of trouble free minutes later, by which time the motorway is completely empty behind me, i’m coming down the hill toward J35 and there on top of the bridge on the bend is a camera van pointing my way.

Now i was wondering if this is a deliberate ploy in these straightened times to generate some much needed cash for Dibbles Christmas do. Hold up the traffic, get the motorist nice and frustrated (on a friday too), take them to the top of the hill and then pull over and let 'em go. Straight into the waiting lens of the speed trap at the bottom.

Or were they just practicing? There were no incidents on the road.

2

They was probably trying to get some pennies in the coffers :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

3

does make you wonder.
also, we always here about the cost of an accident, in terms, of getting the emergency services there, etc. i got stopped a little while back, as they shut the slip road, for j30, clockwise on the m25.
it was a relatively minor 3 car shunt, but, for some reason, thet were working on the driver, who hadn’t got out of the seat, of their car, had a neck brace on her etc, (cough insurance claim anyone cough>)
this was all in the outside lane of slip road, even if they’d coned it, there was lenty of room, to creep by the inside lane, but, no, they shut the lot. sat there 30 minutes, in which time, 4 police cars, 2 hato’s, 3 ambulances, and 4, fire engines arrived at the scene, complete overkill, and most of said ambulances and fire engines, turned up, after i’d been there 20 minutes. just seemed to be no co-ordination, and a total waste of money. i reckon 2 police cars, an ambulance, 2 hatos and a fire engine, would have been more than enough, but what do i know. i understand, you’d prob need a fire engine with cutting gear, to cut the roof off the car, with said passenger and their neck injury, (prob whiplash at best, but cough insurance claim, cough) but other than that, the rest were not even walking wounded, they were all fine.
but hey, think i’m an ols cynic to.

4

Trust me when i say its just as frustrating for us HATO’s when we want to get traffic moving again, even if its only in one lane, but Plod says no. If its a serious injury or death i accept its now a crime scene but the times its just been a ££claim injury really gets to me.

As for the original question about the block, dunno, not seen that before unless there was a vehicle in the queue of traffic they wanted to stop but didnt want to scare them off or something??

Mick

5

Seen them few times on The M4 and M1 practicing the rolling road block, usually there’s an unmarked car as the rogue vehicle and four or more marked cars. Think they do it on a certain stretch because sometimes you’ll see a police van on an overbridge a little further on with a large group of police watching the exercise.

Luckily it’s always in the opposite direction to where I’m traveling, I’m all for them practicing but it only takes a small holdup like this to cause massive tailbacks.

6

oscardog:
Trust me when i say its just as frustrating for us HATO’s when we want to get traffic moving again, even if its only in one lane, but Plod says no. If its a serious injury or death i accept its now a crime scene but the times its just been a ££claim injury really gets to me.

As for the original question about the block, dunno, not seen that before unless there was a vehicle in the queue of traffic they wanted to stop but didnt want to scare them off or something??

Mick

ta for that.
yeah i suppose it can be a mare for you guys too. thought alot would be because of the "“insurance implications.” still think at times its odd, how emergency vehicles turn up, 20/30 mins after an incident, is already being dealt with? i know some of this, may be due to an essential bit of kit, but think a lack of communication could be partly to blame aswell.

7

Not on the motorway I know but recently near our base their was a minor shunt. I went past in a lorry and their was plenty of room for a car to pass beside me as long as everyone went carefully. Everyone was out of their vehicles and it was being sorted. 45 mins later I am on my way home past the same incident. After nearly an hour of queing I pass the site to find 3 police cars, 4 ambulances and 2 fire engines! Not only that but people were back in their vehicles!!!Now their was no damage to any property so the accident did not really need the police let alone everyone else.
What a complete waste of money but I suppose they were bored with playing pool back at base. Otherwise they were using the incident as a training exercise.

8

Dont forget the “incident response units” - whats all that about ? are they manned by gritter drivers waiting for the first frost ?

9

DaiDap:
M4 w/b yesterday, 3 plods go flying past lights ablaze. 2 Volvo’s and an unmarked Beemer. 2 minutes later, just past J34 they’re on the hard shoulder and pull out again just behind me, and get into formation for a rolling road block. Probably just practicing but i’m keeping a wary eye out for anything unexpected up front. Couple of trouble free minutes later, by which time the motorway is completely empty behind me, i’m coming down the hill toward J35 and there on top of the bridge on the bend is a camera van pointing my way.

Now i was wondering if this is a deliberate ploy in these straightened times to generate some much needed cash for Dibbles Christmas do. Hold up the traffic, get the motorist nice and frustrated (on a friday too), take them to the top of the hill and then pull over and let 'em go. Straight into the waiting lens of the speed trap at the bottom.

Or were they just practicing? There were no incidents on the road.

Welcome to the world of the grumpy old men!!!