Been told I’ve been booked onto an Urban course and its all to do with bikes. Apparently part of the course requires me to ride a bike!! I’m a wagon driver but I’m going on a course to ride a bloody bike!!! Initially I genuinely thought it was a wind up but no it’s not. My question is are the people who ride bikes going to be sent on courses where they sit in a truck and look into the blind spot and see what they can see!!! Probably not! The world really is going mad. The only good thing i can see about this course is that it counts as 7 hrs towards DCPC.
Yeh we are being sent on a similar sounding course . Something to do with fors or crossrail can’t remember which
Coolrider:
My question is are the people who ride bikes going to be sent on courses where they sit in a truck and look into the blind spot and see what they can see?!?!!
Yes, the scheme run by the Met Police and TfL is called Exchanging Places, it works both ways.
We had to go on this course at a place in Birmingham.class room for watching videos about numptys on bike for 4 hours then ride a bike round town in the afternoon.we
Paid an extra £8 and got it entered into the cpc register.the instructors were very keen cyclists but listened and took in all the things we as truck drivers had to say and they
admitted that they too had learned something from the day by what moans and gripes
We had told them.
Interesting day to be honest but didn’t change any drivers views about cyclists.
I reckon it’s a good idea, it gives a driver a chance to empathise with a cyclist and if it saves just 1 life it will be worth it, and if you are getting paid for it, and/or it puts some time in for that bloody dcpc…result.
Admittedly most cyclists are numpties but you do see a lot of equally numptified truck drivers passing them just too close, and sometimes even young kids 
, so if only one of those guys learn something job done.
It would be interesting if the copper decides to ride at 25 mph,weaving in and out of the traffic at will,going through red lights,and mounting the pavement. The other copper at this point could join in,and they could chat two abreast. Whilst chatting on approach onto a roundabout with railings and a dedicated cycle path,they could choose to completely ignore it,thus causing chaos with the lane discipline as three lanes of traffic can no longer fit.
You know,just to give a more ’ real-life ’ scenario.
Relax man it’s only riding a bike, surely as a lorry driver you can manage that! A little bit of perspective won’t do you any harm either.
As for what you can see in a blind spot! I think the clue is in the name, that’s why it’s not called the I can see everything spot.
BillyHunt:
Relax man it’s only riding a bike, surely as a lorry driver you can manage that! A little bit of perspective won’t do you any harm either.
As for what you can see in a blind spot! I think the clue is in the name, that’s why it’s not called the I can see everything spot.
Don’t tell me, by your cocky attitude your obviously a cyclist!
Coolrider:
BillyHunt:
Relax man it’s only riding a bike, surely as a lorry driver you can manage that! A little bit of perspective won’t do you any harm either.
As for what you can see in a blind spot! I think the clue is in the name, that’s why it’s not called the I can see everything spot.Don’t tell me, by your cocky attitude your obviously a cyclist!
Well I bike to work, drive my truck, bike home. Does that make me a cyclist? Or just someone that rides a bike. This might surprise you but the vast majority are just normal people going from one place to another. Your attitude towards them makes them out to be some sort of demon. You might find it to be a bit of an eye opener to see what it’s like to be on the road, in traffic, on a bike. See how other road users treat you when most don’t even see you, until you do something that gets their goat that is.
Besides your a trucker aren’t you, ■■■■ it up buttercup.
Better have a trike for me then 
Was sat down on the old dock road having a break about 2 months ago. See a load of Travis Perkins lads riding down the road on bikes. Couldn’t help but giggle.
Good idea , but good for a laugh
Yep I own mountain bikes that I use offroad, but no way on God’s earth would you ever get me to ride a bicycle on today’s roads, even if my job depended on it.
If you did anything remotely that dangerous in the workplace, you would soon have the H&S bods on your back.
My question is are the people who ride bikes going to be sent on courses where they sit in a truck and look into the blind spot and see what they can see?!?!!
Sorry but it is the truck drivers responsibility to know if there is anything in the blindspot. An alert driver would notice a cyclist entering a blindspot area and act accordingly.
albion1971:
Sorry but it is the truck drivers responsibility to know if there is anything in the blindspot. An alert driver would notice a cyclist entering a blindspot area and act accordingly.
+1. We’re gonna have to stop being in agreement Albion. We do have reputations to maintain you know! 
As a pro driver I know constantly what vehicles/cyclists/pedestrians etc are around my vehicle at any given time through constant use of mirrors/windows etc. it happens very rarely but if I ever “lose” something from my mirrors I find it extremely disconcerting and would certainly never complete a maneuvre without either “finding” them or establishing beyond all doubt that they were no longer around my vehicle.
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yep I own mountain bikes that I use offroad, but no way on God’s earth would you ever get me to ride a bicycle on today’s roads, even if my job depended on it.If you did anything remotely that dangerous in the workplace, you would soon have the H&S bods on your back.
It ain’t that dangerous as long as you remain aware and don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. I ride many hundreds of miles each year, average 4 to 500 a month, on the road either training or riding in organised events and don’t even need the fingers of one hand to count incidents that could be described as even close to dangerous.
Coffeeholic:
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yep I own mountain bikes that I use offroad, but no way on God’s earth would you ever get me to ride a bicycle on today’s roads, even if my job depended on it.If you did anything remotely that dangerous in the workplace, you would soon have the H&S bods on your back.
It ain’t that dangerous as long as you remain aware and don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. I ride many hundreds of miles each year, average 4 to 500 a month, on the road either training or riding in organised events and don’t even need the fingers of one hand to count incidents that could be described as even close to dangerous.
I live in a country village. Three of my neighbours have been killed or maimed on cycles over the last 20 years. One killed by drunk driver on a Friday afternoon, one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life hit by an elderly driver that couldn’t see beyond the end of his bonnet and another that got killed crossing dual carriageway, by car going faster than he thought (driver not at fault - within limit).
Sorry but think I’ll stick with the towbar mounted carrier and the relative safety of the traffic free offroad trails. See way too many cyclists coming close to grief on the roads. 
LIBERTY_GUY:
Coffeeholic:
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yep I own mountain bikes that I use offroad, but no way on God’s earth would you ever get me to ride a bicycle on today’s roads, even if my job depended on it.If you did anything remotely that dangerous in the workplace, you would soon have the H&S bods on your back.
It ain’t that dangerous as long as you remain aware and don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. I ride many hundreds of miles each year, average 4 to 500 a month, on the road either training or riding in organised events and don’t even need the fingers of one hand to count incidents that could be described as even close to dangerous.
I live in a country village. Three of my neighbours have been killed or maimed on cycles over the last 20 years. One killed by drunk driver on a Friday afternoon, one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life hit by an elderly driver that couldn’t see beyond the end of his bonnet and another that got killed crossing dual carriageway, by car going faster than he thought (driver not at fault - within limit).
Sorry but think I’ll stick with the towbar mounted carrier and the relative safety of the traffic free offroad trails. See way too many cyclists coming close to grief on the roads.
Three in 20 years, one at own fault doesn’t seem bad odds.
I gave a friend who is a T4 paraplegic following an incident where he came off his mountain bike after catching a tree root on a trail.
Everything we do carries a risk but life would be boring if we always took the safe option, even walking down the pavement carries a risk as the Glasgow bin truck crash sadly proved.
Being seriously injured would ■■■■ but life void still go on and to my mind it’s better to have taken a risk and had fun rather than an ever stepping out if your safe comfort zone. Another friend in a wheelchair after an accident leads an ama I fly active life. He’s a Personal Trainer, Fitness Presenter around the world and an actor, regularly seen in the market in Eastenders.
Each to their own but I love road and off road cycling whatever the risk and I’ll continue to do it. Whatever will be will be and if it goes ■■■■ up I’ll deal with it and make changes, unless I’m dead.
Back in the day when I was fit having to cycle 3 miles to work and back I enjoyed it even in the crap weather, perhaps it was the exercise buzz but not sure I would be happy getting the lycra out for a cpc course. For humour purposes I might squeeze into it though.
Sure their are drivers who would not be comfortable or safe for that matter behind the handlebars but cant object to seeing things from a cyclists perspective.
For the crach though I wouldnt mind going on one of these urban courses, even if just to watch some chubby trucker try and get to grips with the physics of balance and 2 wheel perambulation, omg it would be hilarious…
the maoster:
albion1971:
Sorry but it is the truck drivers responsibility to know if there is anything in the blindspot. An alert driver would notice a cyclist entering a blindspot area and act accordingly.+1. We’re gonna have to stop being in agreement Albion. We do have reputations to maintain you know!
As a pro driver I know constantly what vehicles/cyclists/pedestrians etc are around my vehicle at any given time through constant use of mirrors/windows etc. it happens very rarely but if I ever “lose” something from my mirrors I find it extremely disconcerting and would certainly never complete a maneuvre without either “finding” them or establishing beyond all doubt that they were no longer around my vehicle.
A true professional like myself.
Coffeeholic:
LIBERTY_GUY:
Coffeeholic:
LIBERTY_GUY:
Yep I own mountain bikes that I use offroad, but no way on God’s earth would you ever get me to ride a bicycle on today’s roads, even if my job depended on it.If you did anything remotely that dangerous in the workplace, you would soon have the H&S bods on your back.
It ain’t that dangerous as long as you remain aware and don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. I ride many hundreds of miles each year, average 4 to 500 a month, on the road either training or riding in organised events and don’t even need the fingers of one hand to count incidents that could be described as even close to dangerous.
I live in a country village. Three of my neighbours have been killed or maimed on cycles over the last 20 years. One killed by drunk driver on a Friday afternoon, one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life hit by an elderly driver that couldn’t see beyond the end of his bonnet and another that got killed crossing dual carriageway, by car going faster than he thought (driver not at fault - within limit).
Sorry but think I’ll stick with the towbar mounted carrier and the relative safety of the traffic free offroad trails. See way too many cyclists coming close to grief on the roads.
Three in 20 years, one at own fault doesn’t seem bad odds.
I gave a friend who is a T4 paraplegic following an incident where he came off his mountain bike after catching a tree root on a trail.
Everything we do carries a risk but life would be boring if we always took the safe option, even walking down the pavement carries a risk as the Glasgow bin truck crash sadly proved.
Being seriously injured would ■■■■ but life void still go on and to my mind it’s better to have taken a risk and had fun rather than an ever stepping out if your safe comfort zone. Another friend in a wheelchair after an accident leads an ama I fly active life. He’s a Personal Trainer, Fitness Presenter around the world and an actor, regularly seen in the market in Eastenders.
Each to their own but I love road and off road cycling whatever the risk and I’ll continue to do it. Whatever will be will be and if it goes ■■■■ up I’ll deal with it and make changes, unless I’m dead.
Oh I’m not a total wimp… I do own a motorbike I use on the roads and would be far more likely to come to grief if I came off that at 60mph, leathers or not. Difference is I can accelerate away from danger and comfortably keep up with the traffic flow even on faster roads, so I don’t end up pushed into the gutter like many cyclists do, or have people trying to squeeze past gaps that simply aren’t there.