Abby Baafi, who came face to face with the ‘bomber’ in Tottenham Court Road has said police have told her they fear he could "blow the building up. He was specifically looking for me but I said ‘My name’s not Abby’
Can’t even tell the truth about her own name.
Err… So if an armed maniac with gas canisters strapped to them came looking for you would you put you’re hand up and shout “Here I am! Over here!” Just saying, that’s all.
I wouldn’t give people cause to do it in the first place.
By the way, I think you’ll find that “armed” and “gas canisters” will turn out to be figments of the imaginations of tabloid newspaper journalists, and the poor wooden-headed saps who unquestioningly believe every word they say.
Harry Monk:
In view of the fact that the media will be researching Advantage HGV over the next few days, and in view of the fact that TruckNet results tend to show up on Google’s first page, it might be an idea not to suggest that Advantage HGV are confidence tricksters, con-men, con-artists, rip-off merchants, charlatans, fraudsters or the like, in case provocative words such as these come to the attention of the media.
There’s no chance of that happening, too much truth in it for the rags
Harry Monk:
I wouldn’t give people cause to do it in the first place.
By the way, I think you’ll find that “armed” and “gas canisters” will turn out to be figments of the imaginations of tabloid newspaper journalists, and the poor wooden-headed saps who unquestioningly believe every word they say.
Just saying, that’s all.
Now that I think about it… He did manage to throw a awful lot of stuff about for a guy with gas canisters strapped to him.
The whole story does once again raise the issue of whether a prospective learner driver should use a broker or go directly to a driving school.
If such a person feels that his chances of passing the HGV driving test will be enhanced by paying the wages of a 27 year-old-saleswoman and the rent on an office in Tottenham Court Road then he should go to a broker, such as Abby Baafi.
To my mind, Abby Baafi does not fit the profile of somebody who would know anything at all about the haulage industry but who has simply been trained to extract the maximum amount of money from anybody who chances to call her.
gogzy:
why the hell would we be brought up in this?
because while we have had in the past to remove some comments about Advantage HGV for legal reasons we have endeavoured to keep as much as we can online… and Google loves us a quick Google search brings up the comments you all have written.
As a consequence this afternoon have been taking calls from various newspapers and TV and radio newsrooms wanting to understand the industry and what exactly the problems with brokers are/could be.
Wheel Nut:
Well if it isn’t Carryfast or Smashed Crustacean who has gone fruitloop, is there anyone else missing from rollcall?
Ricki, how many Michael Greens have you got on the database?
It seems as though Abby was well suited at Advantage, she lies very well, and I bet she isn’t even pregnant!
Sorry bud, I’m not missing for Appel so Greenie isn’t Me-me!
Typed on my tapatype as the keyboard & filing cabinet fall through the air…
Seriously folks, I was a tad disappointed at the LACK of detailed news coverage this all got today.
Even LBC only seemed to be interested in discussing “freaky experiences” starting with that bird who reckons she’s preggers… (I’m using as the “sure baz” face here…)
Not one news report mentioned the fact that the guy wasn’t actually armed with a proper real weapon, nor what his grievance actually was! Being clad in shimmering calorgas adamantine armour+6 doesn’t constitute a weapon!
It only gives protection to a certain extent against pot shots by SO19!
At the mo, guy paying out money and not getting the promised job seems the most likely explanation, as has been said by many on here already.
Some posts removed, please keep this thread on topic -
a lot of media are following this story, and looking at these forums for information. Hopefully it may lead to the whole training broker industry being investigated…
It wont help that if these forums and the comments on them are dismissed as not credible, because you couldnt resist making stupid comments about a persons looks or their chances of having a relationship.
All other off topic posts will be removed without warning, repeated attempts to post such comments will lead to comments being premoderated
these companies are only in business because people are taken in by them.
when i learnt to drive HGVs, i went to a recommended company. my grandad was a hgv driver, my brother is a hgv driver, i have other relatives and friends in the job.
do these people not have any friends? why don’t they ask other drivers?
or is it a case of people that have no idea what the job entails? do they think it’s an easy option after being made redundant from 25 years in the civil service?
we all know what these brokers are like. so why don’t they.
i would like to know a bit of history about this fella. i bet he is completely clueless about the haulage industry.
i do wish him the best of luck though.
john_london:
It’s about time the government looked in to these HGV brookers and agencies for that matter. Promise the earth then deliver nothing.
+1 all seemingly unregulated and a law unto themselves. If any panorama researchers are reading this then there is a programme in the making for you all right there.
limeyphil:
or is it a case of people that have no idea what the job entails? do they think it’s an easy option after being made redundant from 25 years in the civil service?
I think that’s about it. People get made redundant, having done the same job for most of their lives, are naturally worried about their futures, see these adverts in national newspapers promising a good income within a relatively short time frame, doing something which is simply an extension of something they can already do, namely drive, and think “Well, it must be genuine otherwise the Sun/Star/Mirror wouldn’t run these adverts”.
They may have a few thousand pounds in redundancy payments, and so it seems the perfect solution.
Newspapers go along with it because it brings in advertising revenue, to the point of running articles thinly dressed up as news items, flagging up the supposed driver shortage which we all know simply does not exist.
john_london:
It’s about time the government looked in to these HGV brookers and agencies for that matter. Promise the earth then deliver nothing.
+1 all seemingly unregulated and a law unto themselves. If any panorama researchers are reading this then there is a programme in the making for you all right there.
if i was to take your wallet, i would be arrested for theft/robbery.
if a company takes £1000 from your bank account instead of the £10 they should have, then they could be charged with fraudulently obtaining money.
so why the hell do the police not arrest the directors of these hgv brokerage firms for obtaining money by deception? there will be plenty of evidence from companies house alone.
Thinking about this, I can remember a company that may of been a broker like this advantage one being featured on the consumer program Fake Britain, where someone was duped out of their money can’t recall the name of that outfit though, but same scam of offers of employment at the end of it,
Going back over the years there was a lot of companies advertising this sort of thing, but they claimed that they would guarantee you a job and the way they worded it was misleading as it implied that they where the actual employer or sub contractor, not an employment agency with little or no work that advertises Ghost vacancies just to get people on their books
This brokering for training should be outlawed along with agencies getting away with placing misleading/fake advertisements for vacancies that never existed
I wonder if Mickey Green is related to the guy that wasted the staff of an agency down in Cardiff a coupla years ago? Funny thing is that I once threatened to throw the computers out of the office window to an outfit that owed me money when I was young.Got the dosh btw.
Just be aware, just because the marketing claims etc of some companies seem to us to be “Pie in the sky” it des not mean that they are doing anything illegal. many of these companies have been around a long time and have fine tuned their marketing to ensure they stay just on the right side of the law- for example:
Many of the claims that these websites make were examined by the Advertising Standards Authority in a recent adjudication asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudi … 51724.aspx and the company had worded it all in such a way it was legal…
Wether it is morally correct is something else.
Becuase they do tread a fine line, they are more than happy to take legal action against anyone claiming they are doing anything the wrong side of the line.
I would hate to have to remove this thread because people did not recognise that at times you have to be very careful about how you say things… in the same way they are with their claims on their advertising.
Abby Baafi, 27, who works at the HGV company, said: "I recognised him because he was one of our previous customers.
"He turned up, strapped up with gasoline cylinders, and threatened to blow up the office.
The officer said police were initially concerned that the suspect had explosives or flammable materials but a search of the scene confirmed he did not have any.
This [zb] Baafi should be charged with wasting Police time.
Abby Baafi, 27, who works at the HGV company, said: "I recognised him because he was one of our previous customers.
"He turned up, strapped up with gasoline cylinders, and threatened to blow up the office.
The officer said police were initially concerned that the suspect had explosives or flammable materials but a search of the scene confirmed he did not have any.
This [zb] Baafi should be charged with wasting Police time.
And making a false statement to the police, sure that carries 30 days in the clink
Just saying, that’s all.
) safe bet!
(I’m using 
