Are Bosnian people stinks or what?

[orys]

I was driving northbound on A1(M) today just after M62 (with slag heaps of coal on the right) when I spotted a lorry parked on the shoulder with hazards on and two guys in hi-vis jackets waving desperatly on me to stop. I stopped and it turned that there were Bosnian truckers in trouble - they had windscreen smashed by bird.

They weren’t speaking english, but they were able to tell me “Bird in the window, help, call police”. I wasn’t sure if police is the best place to call, but I don’t have any number to Highway Patrol or nothing, so I just called 112, explained situation to them, warned, that guys do not speak english and then drove away.

But before I left them, I had some wee conversation with them (they are slavic, as me, so we are able to communicate on some basic level). They told me, that they tried to stop some vehicle for over 20 minutes and no-one stopped. Some lorries even pulled on the hard shoulder and slowed down, but when they spotted BiH stickers, they were joining main carriageway again and accelerating - two of them even showed them middle finger.

I wonder if that becouse english (british) drivers are affraid of speaking in other languages, or that was just simply racism? In both cases shame of these drivers - imagine you stacked in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Bulgaria when you can’t speak any local language or russian and when no-one want to help you.

I also asked, why they won’t keep driving, as I just seen some english lorry with broken windscreen couple of minutes ago, and they told me, that I can be sure, that first police patrol will stop them and they will have really deep problems. They told me that police like to pull them on side and searching for anything wrong with they vehicle and that it’s happening all the time when they are in UK. I cannot see nothing wrong with their lorry (It was about 3 yrs old MAN in very decent condition, nice and clean, they were wearing hi-vis and using triangle (how many of you carry triangle with you?) they do not stealing our (your ) jobs, as they were emlployed by Bosnian employer and we know, that accident can happens to everyone. If I would be VOSA or Police I would stop other vehicle, like some old Leyland, what I seen today - rusty scrap with two fat, dirty guys inside, snakeing from left lane to right and without back lights working (but they pulled caravan, so it wasn’t unsafe as caravan’s lights were OK). Is that racism?

[ellies_dad]

Was there a question in that waffle

[wheel_nut]

Orys, you already know the answer to your questions You are just a wind up merchant like the rest of us on here, except you do it in more languages

I dont expect that the drivers who passed your friends were driving to Europe eh?

[harry_monk]

I would stop in the UK if another truck driver flagged me down wherever he was from and do my best to help him, and when I’m abroad I automatically stop if I see a GB registered truck on the hard shoulder to see what the problem is.

Orys, I’ve been attacked by two Polish teenagers in Poznan with a baseball bat simply for “being English”, there is good and bad in every nationality so just get over it.

[olz69]

Orys in a lot of your posts you always seem to be disrespecting
british people and our ways You do know that if you are not happy
here with our way of life or the way we do things you could always pop
back to Poland with a one way ticket. And if you are going to start playing
the race card you would prob be best to shut up or put up! Since your first
posts about your injured back you have always been hard done by the british
folk who welcome you into their country and give you a job to suppourt your
family!!
wind up merchant or not maybe its your way of getting your true views
across and make it look like ya joking. My opinion.

[muckles]

Probably the reason most drivers didn’t stop is that they were on a motorway and therefore it would be an offence.
As for the driver who stuck their fingers up, well all nationality have their ignorant people.
There is a problem with certain countries hauliers who come to the UK, breeching alsorts of regulations, VOSA know this and use their resources to target trucks from those Countries, maybe Bosnia fall into that bunch…

[del949]

Orys,
a rascist retort would have been to castigate the Bosnians for killing a British bird!!!

[mr_b]

considering you spoke different languages you had a lengthy conversation ranging from ornathology to law enforcement to hand signals. Its like me understanding a geordy or scot!
Me thinks you’re winding us up.

[davepenn54]

Hey Orys, wherever these Bosnians were stopped with their broken windscreen, what could it be that they where scared off not the VOSA, not the Police, not the HATO I don’t believe it ■■

On the motorway A1(m) M62 Junction they would be a least 500/750 Mtrs; in whichever direction they walked, an emergency ‘free’ telephone service which I’m sure would also have access to an interpreter service. If they didn’t know how these things work in the UK or maybe couldn’t read a roadsign then they shouldn’t be driving on these roads but isn’t that why they are monitored and checked at every opportunity. Vehicles travelling to the UK from the new members states of the EU have shown a complete lack of understanding of the laws that govern hours, weights and vehicle maintenance procedures.

By the way I’m sure whatever it was you were looking at it wasn’t slag heaps, there are none at all around that area anymore. A Tory Prime Minister made well sure of that

If other drivers looked and then drove off then maybe they where a bit scared!!! If there were two of them Bosnian drivers who wants to risk getting done over by a coulple of ‘skanks’ from a distant land who could be out of the Country in a couple of days but maybe you can’t distinguish between people looking out for themselves and their own safety and the way you feel about being an immigrant to this Country, and being unable to accept that possibly thats just what the UK drivers who left the scene were doing?? LOOKING OUT for themsevles!!!

I can honestly say that as someone who obtained a Class 1 licence in 1975 I have helped numerous foreign drivers whilst on UK soil but have never once has that help or favour been returned by any other foreign driver and I have now made it a rule of thumb not to offer that kind of help or assistance to any of the drivers who now inhabit our roads and these drivers all seem to be mainly East Europeans and all the other Accession States that have unfettered access to our roads

If you look at the way you posted I think the PC brigade would call you a reverse racist You are here in this country enjoying employment and a good wage, I personally have no problem with that at all because I know you are doing a job that I wouldn’t get out of bed to do. It might seem the ‘bees knees’ to you but to me its that sort of job that is just a first rung of the ladder agency starter stuff

Hope you can get that big chip of your shoulder sooner rather than later because you have had a lot of support from the people on this site and I feel sure your recents comments and have only been meant to antagonise people.

[koop]

Why would one stop? Once i get her in top, the last thing i wanna do is stop!

[orys]

Heh…

I see that I just can’t touch some subjects.

But my only question was: are there all drivers don’t want to stop becouse they don’t like to help Bosnians, or when they saw Bosnians, they knew, that they won’t be able to help, or as davepenn just mentioned, which I haven’t been thinking about, that they were affraid of their own safety?

I must tell you, that I experienced a lot of friendly help from british drivers, some even stopped to ask, if I don’t need help when I was jumping on the back of my lorry to check something.

I also know, that there are morons among every nations - Poles, Bosnians, Brits… That just a truism.

I am a bit suprised that some of you think, that i maked up that story - but what point I could have? In fact I even don’t really care if you believe me - I just wanteed to share of what I seen, and what I thougt.

davepenn54:
Hey Orys, wherever these Bosnians were stopped with their broken windscreen, what could it be that they where scared off not the VOSA, not the Police, not the HATO I don’t believe it ■■

You can’t know. You never lived in one of THESE countries. I just tell you something: year ago I had a friend visited me, she just came back after one year in St Petersburg. We were stopped by police - just for control. She had almost a heartstroke and that was even before I told the cops, that I had forgot my documents at home.

That is changing, but still when I am stopped by police in Poland I am expecting troubles. Do you know that in Poland still many people call police officer “Mister Power” (I can’t translate this properly, I am affraid).

On the motorway A1(m) M62 Junction they would be a least 500/750 Mtrs; in whichever direction they walked, an emergency ‘free’ telephone service which

I haven’t seen any. And walking along motorway is nor legal, nor safe…

I’m sure would also have access to an interpreter service.

How do you think: how many of Serbo-croatian interpreters may be available at the moment?

If they didn’t know how these things work in the UK or maybe couldn’t read a roadsign then they shouldn’t be driving on these roads but isn’t that why they are monitored and checked at every opportunity. Vehicles travelling to the UK from the new members states of the EU have shown a complete lack of understanding of the laws that govern hours, weights and vehicle maintenance procedures.

Off course, I bet that all british lorries going to Turkey for example are perfectly aware about every single regulation in every country, what they must go trough. I was organizing expedition from Poland to Turkey only on cars and 4X4 and you would be suprised how long it took for me. And that was only Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Of course it’s good to know, but you can’t expect foreign drivers to know everything if ever locals aren’t aware of many things (like parking at the corners for example).

By the way I’m sure whatever it was you were looking at it wasn’t slag heaps, there are none at all around that area anymore. A Tory Prime Minister made well sure of that

I wasn’t sure that word, i checked that whith collins dictionary. I ment this hills of coal.

If other drivers looked and then drove off then maybe they where a bit scared!!! If there were two of them Bosnian drivers who wants to risk getting done over by a coulple of ‘skanks’ from a distant land who could be out of the Country in a couple of days but maybe you can’t distinguish between people looking out for themselves and their own safety and the way you feel about being an immigrant to this Country, and being unable to accept that possibly thats just what the UK drivers who left the scene were doing?? LOOKING OUT for themsevles!!!

I haven’t thinking about that, maybe becouse I thought, that keep my left door closed and engine running is enaugh and that I have only some construction glass panels at the back… But that can be a point. From the other hand I was hitchhiking a lot and I had never troubles in UK. And who is going to robbery with the artic lorry?

I can honestly say that as someone who obtained a Class 1 licence in 1975 I have helped numerous foreign drivers whilst on UK soil but have never once has that help or favour been returned by any other foreign driver and I have now made it a rule of thumb not to offer that kind of help or assistance to any of the drivers who now inhabit our roads and these drivers all seem to be mainly East Europeans and all the other Accession States that have unfettered access to our roads

I am happy to help regardless of nationality and I had a lot of help, and also a thousends of rides from nice people of my hitch - hiking holidays in old times… If you’ll met me when in trouble, I’ll do my best to help.

If you look at the way you posted I think the PC brigade would call you a reverse racist You are here in this country enjoying employment and a good wage, I personally have no problem with that at all because I know you are doing a job that I wouldn’t get out of bed to do. It might seem the ‘bees knees’ to you but to me its that sort of job that is just a first rung of the ladder agency starter stuff

I do not wanted to insult no-one. I just wandered why no-one stopped for them. Even if they were stupid and do not understanded british rules - in that case, they even more needed help

As for my job - take home pay last week 425 and 3* 35 for overnight on the top of that last week. Weekend at home. That’s not so bad for class 2 driver, who cannot do heavy lifting I think… And that job involving city centres, so I have chance for some sightseeing - I have nothing to complain. Of course if you have better job - that’s good for you and I wish you all the best with it.

Hope you can get that big chip of your shoulder sooner rather than later because you have had a lot of support from the people on this site and I feel sure your recents comments and have only been meant to antagonise people.

No, sorry that you thinked that and I hope I explained what I meant. If you become antagonised, I really sorry - that wasn’t my plan.

[homofaber]

orys, these things just happen. everywhere around the world. you just have to take them. and ignore them.
yes, there’s less truckers’ collegiality than there used to be. world’s just got busier and everyone has enough of his own troubles. imho & experience, there’s a bit more of that collegiality in the eastern part of europe than in the west. to what extent this is due to better tech. state of vehicles and better road assistance services, I do not know.
the bosnian guys got a trouble; they could have walked to the nearest phone a get help. despite they did not speak english, for they could get an interpreter. they probably did not know this, as this service is unique to britain. so they were trying to get a help some other way.
if similar thing happened to an english driver in bosnia, he would be in a ever deeper [zb]. the roadside phone, well known from their country would not be there. or it would be there, but not working. or it would be working but the guy on the other side would not speak english. so he would have to wave and hope. and who knows how many cars/lorries would just pass…

what happened is nothing unusual. so you’d better not be thinking about it too much.
and please, don’t talk about racism in this country… where you can’t even say someone is black or asian for itmay taken as a racistic comment…

and, in all fairness, honesty and friendliness; there’s a very good book I bougt recently: “watching the english. hidden rules of english behaviour” by K. Fox, anthropologist. It’s about £9 at WHSmith, but you can get it for a fiver on ebay. You’d better get a copy and read at least a bit.
I did get a copy and learned quite a few very useful things. The very first one was: only english people are allowed to criticise english things. whether it be weather or left driving or behaviour. they are english weather, english behaviour and english way of driving. however bad or good they are, they are english and only english people can moan about it. foreigners are not allowed to make any negatively-tinted comments on anything english. nor you can belittle english weather by saying “this is not a real cold/hot, it gets much colder/hotter in warsaw in winter/summer”. it’s like saying “mine is bigger than yours”.
so don’t make any comments on how english drivers reacted and what does english vosa do. mind your business and shut up. if you want to have a good time and make some friends, you have to play the game. to the rules. english rules.

If it needs stars it’s not allowed. L.

[homofaber]

Oh yes, and just in the case you’re wondering, I am not english or british either.
I’m slovak and was typing the reply above with a smile on face. So please take the “shut up” as a well-meant friendly advice from your next-door neighbour

[newmercman]

Orys, ANY proper driver would be aware of the regulations in any country they visit, especially something as obvious as an emergency telephone, that doesn’t require a bachelors degree in quantum physics! Those drivers should also be aware that it is illegal to use the hard shoulder unless it’s an emergency & finally if you want racism then drive a British registered lorry in Europe, then you’ll know what we have to contend with, you play the race card all the time here, it will never bring you equality mate, when in Rome do as the Romans do, that’s how you’ll fit in

[ragnarok]

I think the bottom line to all this is that the government has caused the bad feeling and resentment towards foreigners in the UK. An ‘open door’ immigration policy was always guaranteed to cause bother, as was the fact that policy would drive down wages and worsen employment conditions.

Just wait until all the Romanians and Bulgarians begin pouring in next year, especially now, when the economy has run into the buffers and work is getting harder to find.

New Labour are always keen to do what their pals in the City and CBI tell them to do, and those people have an insatiable appetite for cheap labour and keeping the working man under the thumb.

People in this country are feeling disenfranchised and the only way they can display their annoyance is directly to the outsiders who are flooding in. This is unfortunate as these people are only taking advantage of British Government policy.

[wiretwister]

orys:
On the motorway A1(m) M62 Junction they would be a least 500/750 Mtrs; in whichever direction they walked, an emergency ‘free’ telephone service which I haven’t seen any. And walking along motorway is nor legal, nor safe…

Orys please…the marker posts (blue and white every 100m) have a little arrow pointing to the nearest roadside assistance phone, and even our sometimes officious police force know that walking on the road edge to get assistance is acceptable. Walking for pleasure would not seem to be the reason in this case.

orys:

I’m sure would also have access to an interpreter service.

How do you think: how many of Serbo-croatian interpreters may be available at the moment?

If they had NO English then they really are thier own worse enemy. They may be uncomfortable with the language but, as you will have seen on this forum, people make allowances. Help - Lorry - Broken from a road side phone they could have been pin pointed and assistance sent. Not much use if you don’t know this but what about contact with thier home office? could they not phone there and get the office to arrange assistance?

orys:

If other drivers looked and then drove off then maybe they where a bit scared!!! If there were two of them Bosnian drivers who wants to risk getting done over by a coulple of ‘skanks’ from a distant land who could be out of the Country in a couple of days but maybe you can’t distinguish between people looking out for themselves and their own safety and the way you feel about being an immigrant to this Country, and being unable to accept that possibly thats just what the UK drivers who left the scene were doing?? LOOKING OUT for themsevles!!!

I haven’t thinking about that, maybe becouse I thought, that keep my left door closed and engine running is enaugh and that I have only some construction glass panels at the back… But that can be a point. From the other hand I was hitchhiking a lot and I had never troubles in UK. And who is going to robbery with the artic lorry?

With a single person the chances would have been improved but 2■■? I wouldn’t stop, my self preservation instinct.

[trux]

orys:
They weren’t speaking english, but they were able to tell me “Bird in the window, help, call police”. I wasn’t sure of the best place to call, but I don’t have any number to Highway Patrol or nothing,

Call the HAIL line number , they will pass it on to the relevant area teams,
or use roadside emergency phone that pinpoints exact location.

hope this helps

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[truckyboy]

ORYS…

1. Its not compulsory to use a warning triangle in this country

2. Do,your Bosnian friends expect the British drivers to carry spare windscreens

3. Why didnt they phone their boss to arrange a new windscreen/or even use their laptop, its always located on top of the dashboard, and is always switched on

4. British drivers are professional, and yes we do know the rules of every country we drive through, we ask other drivers, or look it up, and we invariably speak at least 2 languages…French//German.

We would happily help anyone whos in trouble, but as the Eastern Bloc companies are beginning to be our enemies, by stealing our work, i`m afraid that if they get in trouble, they are on their own, till another one comes along,
funny how you dont see one for ages, then 3 come along at once.

I admire you orys for at least speaking our language, and contributing to this site, and joining in the debates, we are not racist to people with the same colour as us (maybe i speak for myself) except for those who get on buses/trains/aircraft with a rucksack, and a chequered scarf, sweating profusely, looks nervous, and has a detonator in his hands…

[gurner]

[dreva]

take a leaf outa homofabers book orys and you wont be so up tight