Last Wednesday afternoon I pulled into the clockwise Clacket Lane services at around 5pm,just stopping for a coffee and to let the traffic die down a bit.
Unusually,I had a Willi-Betz tilt trailer behind my blue & white Edwards Volvo.
I had only just been there five minutes when the man with the hi-viz and clipboard came walking towards me.I thought he was going to ask if I was staying for the night,but,he held up five finger’s and mouthed to me ‘five minutes and you have to go!’
Before I could ask him why? he had walked off,so I got out and walked after him and called him.He ignored me and kept walking,so I walked after him again and got in front of him.
I asked him why I had to leave in five minutes,seeing as I’d only just arrived.
He simply said ‘Willi-Betz are banned’,and walked off again.
So,I went after him again,and asked him why are they banned?
He said because of trouble with gypsies and Betz driver’s.
What do you mean?,I said.
Apparently some Betz driver’s had been caught on cctv selling diesel to gypsies and also smuggling.
I asked him if the police and HMC&E had been informed of these ‘alleged’ activities.No reply.
I asked him if gypsies are banned from stopping to use the facilities.
No reply.
Well,they wouldn’t ban gypsies would they,after all,they have far more right’s and civil liberties than any truck driver.
So I asked him how can Roadchef ban vehicles,or indeed whole companies,from stopping to use MSA facilities?
His reply was that the site is not public,but private property!
I then put it to him that all Betz driver’s are therefore tarred with the same brush!
No reply.
If there had been a police patrol nearby (never there when you need them) I would have asked their opinion on the matter,after all,how can they move a truck on from the site if the driver needs to make a legal rest stop?
MSA’s aren’t exactly available every few miles are they!
Whether these allegations are true or not,I don’t honestly know,I know there’s a certain stigma attched to the name of Willi-Betz,even the management recognise this,but to ban the whole company seems very extreme.
I have mailed the site manager about this and see if I get a response.
What are your thoughts about it?