Just to get started I don’t mean actual handbags so don’t get all excited.
I had a pallet collection from junction 4 pallets on the m18. Got a postcode and the name j4 pallets west moor farm. So entered into sat nav and off I went. Ended up at a farm to find this is one of there places but not the one I needed to be at. Told by a lad who couldn’t speak a word of English that it was the other side of the roundabout near next and ikea. 5 mins later I find the place and see a driver who I thought was strapping up on the side of the road so went round him and entered the yard. Only then to be met by a 6’3 lad as dence as a brick shouting at me to join the que. I tried telling him I didn’t realise there was a que. not that he was bothered. Anyway I back out and on my way past the driver I seen strapping up I found out he wasn’t but un strapping. I told him what had just gone off
I was parked side by side of him blocking the road but my engine was still running and my drivers door opened as I was asked the other driver what was I supposed to do as I was collecting. Next thing I know the yard muppet comes trundling down the lane shouting n balling and to get behind the other driver. The driver tells me I can go in front as he’s on a break and was taking his straps off to save him time later. The muppet still shouting n balling at me thinking I would let him instead I gave him what for verbally n called him a ignorant pr!ck. I told him I hadn’t been before and I didn’t come to work to be abused by him.
This really got him flapping n kicking off. Taking photos of my truck and asking for my name. Told me he’s ringing my boss and all this. He then tried to keep me waiting as long as he could thinking it would bother me. I just laughed n told him it didn’t and I could wait all day or not bother collecting then as I wasn’t bothered.
I finally get in the yard n he makes only 1flt driver load me and says nobody is to help him or me.
So come on guys what would you do or have done in the past??
In my younger days that would’ve ended up in a punch up, different times then without the fear of somebody filming it or phoning the old bill, which also meant that people tended to behave a bit better, as there was always the possibility of ending up on your arse if you started getting lippy with someone you didn’t know.
Today, I would tell him to ■■■■ off and mention that I was paid by the hour and he could mess me about as much as he liked as I went on overtime as I pulled through the gates. That usually has a calming effect and results in a quick load/unload.
It was about 12 months ago I almost dragged a forkie off his truck for talking to me like that. Probably around the same time I ‘got battered’ by a cycling nancy
Now I just put my feet on the dash, pull back the chair and chill a while.
Got to love these idiots as when you give them verbal back they start ringing your boss and taking photos like they are the victim…
Had a fair few scuffles at work in the past,won’t be spoken to like crap by anyone…
I’m a far from a trouble maker but one thing I will NEVER be quiet over is when I’m verbally abused at work. Absolutely won’t take it, but nor will I be angry back, I just politely tell them I won’t be spoken to like that and walk away, usually does the trick. The key is to always retain the upper hand by not lowering yourself to their level!
I love getting stroppy gits like that. I calmly ignore them, walk to the office and inform the manager that they won’t be receiving their goods until the Herbert in question offers an apology. Stay calm with the office staff, and remember to ask the manager if they would be happy if I started swearing and being aggressive towards them. It will go higher up the chain, and you’ll get one of two outcomes. Either the hierarchy at said firm get wind they might not receive their goods, and order the nmw forkie to apologise, or they ring the supplier. If that happens, you have to explain it to your boss, and by explain I mean blow your top, this is key to your behaviour being excused. He will do his bit and smooth it with the customer, usually resulting in the apology desired
Taking photos of my truck and asking for my name. Told me he’s ringing my boss and all this
i love it when they do that, i give them the bosses number, then the phone in my cab rings, i answer and then to see the look on there faces , yes its me im the boss now ■■■ off
Probably comes from a local special needs centre, you don’t normally find odd bods like this about unless they’re ■■■■■■ or on drugs.
Used to be a schitzo type at one place i go, he could be in any frame of mind when you turned up, friendly one morning then hostile and utterly devoid of logical behaviour another, they did a spot drugs test one day and he was high as a kite…cheerio, don’t let the door hit yer arse on the way out…
The bod shouting like someone demented doesn’t come into work on a bicycle does he, still got his pretty lyrca ■■■■■■■ on too tight and strangling his danglers of blood, sound just like a road warrior cyclist the type found giving it large on youtube
I usually took the ‘calm down and let’s go and talk to your manager’ approach; but on one occasion I was in the yard of a big producer of ready meals, when this jobsworth started ordering me around. I tried explaining what I was doing but he wanted none of it.
I stopped the engine (I was slewed across the yard at the time, blocking everything) and got out. Stood up to attention (all 6 feet) and gave him the full sergeant major dressing down. “How dare you speak to me like that. You are of no importance and I will report you to… and so on” He tried to interrupt but I kept going and eventually he slunk off.
If i jump the queue or do something they don’t like I’m using the “I’m new to this” excuse and it tends to work Well I’m only 4 months in so definitely new for a good while yet
I wouldn’t however take anyone talking down at me or giving me abuse, far to old to be listening to that!
Thing is this was the 1st time I had been to this yard and I’m not one for keeping quiet if I’m talked to like crap. I rang my boss n he wasn’t bothered. I also told the company we was sub contracted to doing the job n they wasn’t bothered. I didn’t think they would be as its not a big job and I was collecting pallets that the company had bought so it’s in the pallet yards interest really to let me in there yard to collect them.
I remember a few years ago I got banned from arla Hatfield for having my reversing bleepers on. It was gone 9am and I couldn’t work out how to turn them off. I turned my lights on flicked every switch I could see and still couldn’t find it. Security was going mad n in the end I left it in reverse and walked off.
Thing is they could see I was trying to turn them off. I was trying to roll my truck as not to turn them on n still got shouted at. My old boss couldn’t find where to turn them off. Turned out they was wired wrong so always came on and nobody had ever taken notice.
The first time I had the pleasure of visiting farmfooods ■■■■■■■■■■■ I pulled up at the gate. You’d think I’d murdered a small child by the reaction of the security guard and the farmfooods driver who pulled up behind me! Apparently I should’ve used my psychic powers to realise the random assortment of vehicles parked amongst the cars up and down the estate was actually a queue.
When I was doing agency work a few years ago I used to fairly regularly drive for a small local firm that were part of the palletforce network. Anyway, on one occasion I had to make a delivery to a small firm called Hippy Chic, located in a small industrial unit just off of Taunton Road in Bridgwater. To get to it I had to back in off the main road while trying to avoid residents cars. I managed to get in and back round the corner to the small group of industrial units with no problems. Then while I was there, a local resident turned up and decided to park right where the trailer would cut in to when I needed to get out. I politely asked the chap if he would mind just moving along a few yards as I wouldn’t be able to get out once I was tipped (which was only going to be a few minutes as the forkie was already cracking on with it).
Well that was just like lighting the blue touch paper! This moron then refused to move and said I shouldn’t even be there and that he’d been on to the council about wagons coming in here. Again staying calm I pointed out that there were no restrictions on this piece of road saying I couldn’t be there and that I was just trying to do my job, and in a few minutes I’d be on my way. I also pointed out that everything he owns has been on a truck at some point and that he might want to think about that! He however, was having none of it and refused to move. By now my patients were being tried and I said look mate you’ve got two choices, you move or I drive over your car, it’s up to you! We then had a bit of handbags at ten paces and he still refused to move! He threatened to call my boss to which I replied don’t worry mate I’ll call him for you. I then rang my boss and told him I was dealing with a complete moron and that I was gonna drive over his car. No worries he said crack on. I then informed Mr moron that I had clearance to drive over his car. This still didn’t go down to well!
By now the forkie had finished unloading and when giving me my paperwork told me what I already knew, that the bloke was a ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■! I said don’t worry about it he’ll move in a minute! I then proceeded to do the curtains up, get in and fire her up. Once in gear Mr moron suddenly had a change of heart and proceeded to move! Bearing in mind he could’ve moved to about 10 different places he thought he’d be clever and then park right where my unit needed to go for me to swing the trailer round while shouting and balling about how he was gonna film me! Fill your boots I said. Unfortunately he didn’t park quite close enough, so I squeezed out with no problem giving him a nice wink and a wave as he stood there armed with his camera. Bellend!
I had my fair share of unhappy residents when doing convenience store deliveries, mostly with Tesco Express’s… filming you, giving your grief, making life awkward with parked cars etc. As it happens, I quite often sympathise with them and calmly explain this, but then make the point that i’m just trying to do my job & giving me hassle isn’t going to achieve anything. It’s not my fault Tesco have opened an Express store with ■■■■ poor access & no un-obstructive place to park and unload.
I’ve never been abused, but I had a forkie at Bargain Booze in Crewe actually sing a patronising rhyme to me about getting run over, because I was stood a good 5 metres away from the wagon behind a barrier rather than in the cab. It took all the willpower in the world for me not to blow my top then, but I’m a pretty firm believer that upsetting forklift drivers rarely does you any favours. It was my last drop of the day & this “i’m paid by the hour” thing is all well and good, but as a day driver I want to go home. I’d rather keep quiet & get tipped and thus home for a decent time, rather than make a scene and have my leave me sat there till teatime.
