Armagedon:
Andju a far simpler solution to what ails you is stop buying,period,the UK does not produce,my Euro colleagues come to this country because we import soooooo
much,not i can assure by choice.The life for a lorry driver in the UK is dire.Your efforts are understandable,very much like someone who moves to the country and complains about the smells. I will NOT be signing your petition.
1 - I really don’t get your point
And
2 - how can any professional driver disagree with improved visibility?
Ok so I know I said I wouldnt post again…but if I am going to try and get this petition through then I need to be a bit less pathetic. Basically I know it is hypocritical to buy foreign goods in this country and then complain about foreign drivers being on the road delivering the goods and causing carnage…right Im going to say it im talking about the eastern block.I was trying to be diplomatic but really,whats the point.I dont really get the random post armageddon put on about me having a skoda, and then the one yesterday just peed me off…he had said this, as i had said on the post i edited, basically it would be better if they could drop their loads at the ports and let british drivers deliver them especially with our economy the way it is, it would create more work etc but i did say this tongue in cheek!.I knew I was taking a chance coming on here as I am not a lorry driver… im going to say lorry driver as i dont know whether im supposed to say LGV HGV or anything else and dont want to get drawn into something else that detracts from my point being here…the petition…last night I spoke to a lady whos grandson was KILLED by a foreign driver…it isnt a laughing matter…yes you do have to look aswell…i was caught in a genuine blind spot which apparantley the fresnel lens covers as my car was damaged from the passenger door back…that is how i have been told it can be distinguished as a side swipe…they dont work in the dark…but all in all if a foreign truck fitting one of these to his cab saves just one life then im going to carry on,and statistics show that they work in reducing accidents. Sign dont sign the choice is yours,im not doing this for fame and fortune…its taking up a lot of my time and its hard going…but at the end of the day I am a british citizen driving on a british road…i should be able to go on motorways etc without panicking every time i see a foreign lorry pull out on someone then Ive got to go past it…nor should anyone.So this is something i believe in and i have to see it through to a conclusion whatever that may be.
I have had some very nice, caring, kind ,responses on here which I am grateful for, if i receive negative responses unless it is genuine feedback on the lens i shall be ignoring these posts…plus i dont want to get on everyones wick with this thanks
Andju !
I will try and explain this as best I can.
A couple or so yrs ago the border control were giving out fresnel lenses like confetti at passport control. At that time just about every truck I saw had one stuck on the inside of their near side window. I have in fact used them myself a few times, and yes they work absolutely no doubt. BUT & here comes the point. They are used by sticking them to the inside of the passenger window, the problem is they protrude a few millimetres and when you open the window they get knocked off. After a few openings the lens loses its stickiness and it’s useless. So unless a driver is able to carry an endless supply it’s never going to work. Hence the whole trend died off again within a few months.
It could be that the idea can be refined, I don’t know. I for one would have a more permanent lens gladly. But maybe their are reasons this is not possible. Good luck with your campaign , but I feel you need to research things a little more.
Cheers. Turnip.
turnip:
Andju !
I will try and explain this as best I can.
A couple or so yrs ago the border control were giving out fresnel lenses like confetti at passport control. At that time just about every truck I saw had one stuck on the inside of their near side window. I have in fact used them myself a few times, and yes they work absolutely no doubt. BUT & here comes the point. They are used by sticking them to the inside of the passenger window, the problem is they protrude a few millimetres and when you open the window they get knocked off. After a few openings the lens loses its stickiness and it’s useless. So unless a driver is able to carry an endless supply it’s never going to work. Hence the whole trend died off again within a few months.
It could be that the idea can be refined, I don’t know. I for one would have a more permanent lens gladly. But maybe their are reasons this is not possible. Good luck with your campaign , but I feel you need to research things a little more.
Cheers. Turnip.
I had a solution for this…I cut away a tiny piece of the rubber so that It no longer got caught on the rubber…
turnip:
Andju !
I will try and explain this as best I can.
A couple or so yrs ago the border control were giving out fresnel lenses like confetti at passport control. At that time just about every truck I saw had one stuck on the inside of their near side window. I have in fact used them myself a few times, and yes they work absolutely no doubt. BUT & here comes the point. They are used by sticking them to the inside of the passenger window, the problem is they protrude a few millimetres and when you open the window they get knocked off. After a few openings the lens loses its stickiness and it’s useless. So unless a driver is able to carry an endless supply it’s never going to work. Hence the whole trend died off again within a few months.
It could be that the idea can be refined, I don’t know. I for one would have a more permanent lens gladly. But maybe their are reasons this is not possible. Good luck with your campaign , but I feel you need to research things a little more.
Cheers. Turnip.
I had a solution for this…I cut away a tiny piece of the rubber so that It no longer got caught on the rubber…
The rubber is there for a reason ! It stops all the crap going down into the window winding mechanism. As I’ve already said I’m sure a more permanent solution could be made but it needs more research.
Andju welcome back,we missed you where have you been?
And to fit a Fresnel lens…clean window…soak fresnel lens in water…using the blade of a knife raise a small portion of the widow rubber and gently edge a
corner of the lens into the space…then slide the lens down below the ruubber until you can move the lens into position…you then end up with the bottom
quarter of an inch of the lens BELOW the rubber…the lens will then dry and will not come off when the window goes up and down,but with the excellent
rear mirrors available today…well!
turnip:
Andju !
I will try and explain this as best I can.
A couple or so yrs ago the border control were giving out fresnel lenses like confetti at passport control. At that time just about every truck I saw had one stuck on the inside of their near side window. I have in fact used them myself a few times, and yes they work absolutely no doubt. BUT & here comes the point. They are used by sticking them to the inside of the passenger window, the problem is they protrude a few millimetres and when you open the window they get knocked off. After a few openings the lens loses its stickiness and it’s useless. So unless a driver is able to carry an endless supply it’s never going to work. Hence the whole trend died off again within a few months.
It could be that the idea can be refined, I don’t know. I for one would have a more permanent lens gladly. But maybe their are reasons this is not possible. Good luck with your campaign , but I feel you need to research things a little more.
Cheers. Turnip.
I had a solution for this…I cut away a tiny piece of the rubber so that It no longer got caught on the rubber…
The rubber is there for a reason ! It stops all the crap going down into the window winding mechanism. As I’ve already said I’m sure a more permanent solution could be made but it needs more research.
I know what’s It’s there for… I didn’t say that I’d cut the rubber off or anything…
Probably should have done what Armagedon suggested…
Andju, the bit where you said that foreign trucks could drop trailers off at the ports for Uk trucks to deliver may be an issue for the foreign trucks to get loads to go back in to Europe.
There would be thousands of foreign trucks parked at the ports in Northern France, and in the Netherlands waiting for a return load to an industrial area that exports more, ie Milan, Germany and so on, they may not run back empty as they have dropped their trailer off for the Uk truck to deliver, so they would have to return tractor cab only, or bob tail as we say or go back “solo”.
I used to stay in the port of Ouistreham in France and the firm sent loaded trailers un-accompanied over to me, a tug tractor would drag the trailer on the ferry and the same when it arrived, so i never shipped in to the Uk with my own truck, which gave me time to do the laundry, have some exercise, enjoy a slow meal without the rush of a fast turn around.
toby1234abc:
Andju, the bit where you said that foreign trucks could drop trailers off at the ports for Uk trucks to deliver may be an issue for the foreign trucks to get loads to go back in to Europe.
There would be thousands of foreign trucks parked at the ports in Northern France, and in the Netherlands waiting for a return load to an industrial area that exports more, ie Milan, Germany and so on, they may not run back empty as they have dropped their trailer off for the Uk truck to deliver, so they would have to return tractor cab only, or bob tail as we say or go back “solo”.
I used to stay in the port of Ouistreham in France and the firm sent loaded trailers un-accompanied over to me, a tug tractor would drag the trailer on the ferry and the same when it arrived, so i never shipped in to the Uk with my own truck, which gave me time to do the laundry, have some exercise, enjoy a slow meal without the rush of a fast turn around.
The argument for foreign trucks dropping their trailers in Dover/Calais for us to deliver or alternatively concreting over half of Kent to accomdate crossing dock warehousing for the several thousand trucks per day that arrive and leave the UK is no more a sensible argument than those idiots who use the argument of putting everything back on the rails and banning trucks from the roads as they dont like the noise or getting stuck behind a Tesco truck on the A15 doing 38mph. Both arguments are made purely by those who have absolutely no understanding of the economical situations that demand the current status quo to exist and have consigned railways and canal boats to history.
toby1234abc:
Andju, the bit where you said that foreign trucks could drop trailers off at the ports for Uk trucks to deliver may be an issue for the foreign trucks to get loads to go back in to Europe.
There would be thousands of foreign trucks parked at the ports in Northern France, and in the Netherlands waiting for a return load to an industrial area that exports more, ie Milan, Germany and so on, they may not run back empty as they have dropped their trailer off for the Uk truck to deliver, so they would have to return tractor cab only, or bob tail as we say or go back “solo”.
I used to stay in the port of Ouistreham in France and the firm sent loaded trailers un-accompanied over to me, a tug tractor would drag the trailer on the ferry and the same when it arrived, so i never shipped in to the Uk with my own truck, which gave me time to do the laundry, have some exercise, enjoy a slow meal without the rush of a fast turn around.
The argument for foreign trucks dropping their trailers in Dover/Calais for us to deliver or alternatively concreting over half of Kent to accomdate crossing dock warehousing for the several thousand trucks per day that arrive and leave the UK is no more a sensible argument than those idiots who use the argument of putting everything back on the rails and banning trucks from the roads as they dont like the noise or getting stuck behind a Tesco truck on the A15 doing 38mph. Both arguments are made purely by those who have absolutely no understanding of the economical situations that demand the current status quo to exist and have consigned railways and canal boats to history.
Julie, sorry to hear about your run in. I have one i was given for free at customs clearance. On a separate note be patient with the insurance. I was hit by a Polish truck who forgot to put his handbrake on whilst parked on the ferry! The 28th march and i am still waiting for them to admit liability!!!
mutley75:
Julie, sorry to hear about your run in. I have one i was given for free at customs clearance. On a separate note be patient with the insurance. I was hit by a Polish truck who forgot to put his handbrake on whilst parked on the ferry! The 28th march and i am still waiting for them to admit liability!!!
Maybe we should all consider using Polish insurance companies as British ones seem hell bent on admitting liability from the word go and not representing the interests of their customers in the slightest. A prime example being the case posted on here of/by Harry Monk.
toby1234abc:
Andju, the bit where you said that foreign trucks could drop trailers off at the ports for Uk trucks to deliver may be an issue for the foreign trucks to get loads to go back in to Europe.
There would be thousands of foreign trucks parked at the ports in Northern France, and in the Netherlands waiting for a return load to an industrial area that exports more, ie Milan, Germany and so on, they may not run back empty as they have dropped their trailer off for the Uk truck to deliver, so they would have to return tractor cab only, or bob tail as we say or go back “solo”.
I used to stay in the port of Ouistreham in France and the firm sent loaded trailers un-accompanied over to me, a tug tractor would drag the trailer on the ferry and the same when it arrived, so i never shipped in to the Uk with my own truck, which gave me time to do the laundry, have some exercise, enjoy a slow meal without the rush of a fast turn around.
The argument for foreign trucks dropping their trailers in Dover/Calais for us to deliver or alternatively concreting over half of Kent to accomdate crossing dock warehousing for the several thousand trucks per day that arrive and leave the UK is no more a sensible argument than those idiots who use the argument of putting everything back on the rails and banning trucks from the roads as they dont like the noise or getting stuck behind a Tesco truck on the A15 doing 38mph. Both arguments are made purely by those who have absolutely no understanding of the economical situations that demand the current status quo to exist and have consigned railways and canal boats to history.
I drive an english reg Lhd truck and at first I couldn’t get on with one of them lenses it was in the corner of my eye distracting me.
But after encouragement from other drivers as to the benefits I persevered and have to say they are really handy especially at roundabouts.
Although I do think a lot of fault still lies with the foreign drivers.
It’s a regular occurrence to see cars on the hard shoulder with rear quarters damaged and a foreign lorry behind especially on m20 or south side of the m25.
However I’m yet to see the same with an English lorry in France Belgium or anywhere for that matter.
I myself have done a enough miles in uk in Lhd or abroad in rhd to know that with the right care and attention these incidents are easily avoided
460MC:
However I’m yet to see the same with an English lorry in France Belgium or anywhere for that matter.
I myself have done a enough miles in uk in Lhd or abroad in rhd to know that with the right care and attention these incidents are easily avoided
I could upload photos of the Belgian car I side swiped near Ghent once but I dont want to embaress myself! A fresnel lense would probably have helped me see the car but it was before I’d been given one by UK customs at Calais. I dont consider myself to be a reckless driver but I genuinely didn’t see the car in my blind spot after checking 3 times and in the end pulled out to avoid a vehicle on the hard shoulder only to feel a bump and a car fish tailing away infront of me. It can happen to any of us if the circumstances go against us and we dont have aids to eliminate blind spots. After all, they wouldn’t be called blind spots if you could see the areas in question.
I wonder if that petition makes any sense… Britain cant make any law that will apply to FOREIGN registered lorries as to what they should have fitted and what not…
orys:
I wonder if that petition makes any sense… Britain cant make any law that will apply to FOREIGN registered lorries as to what they should have fitted and what not…
You are of course correct. So lets start counting what Britain can’t do due to its EU membership. Thats one.
BTW i think Fresnel lenses are great and they should be compulsory for every lorry. Mine is a god send . The circular refelctions can be confusing sometimes though, once i was about to take off at some traffic lights, i glanced at my fresnel and i couldn’t make out if it was a yellow car along side me or a giant banana !!! To late, whilst i was registering the info i hit the car in front up the bumper !!
this is the link again if anyone wanted to sign 
