Is it any wonder lorry drivers get a bad wrap. Just had a near miss with a ro/ro. This guy was overtaking parked cars which was bad enough as I had to anchor up, but he was also on his mobile phone. 5 minutes down the road and pull on to an industrial estate, I slow down and flash an artic out and low and behold he was talking on his mobile. Don’t us lorry drivers get enough grief on the road by the general public not understanding how difficult our job can be, without giving them something to moan at. Then there’s the other side where it’s irresponsible and dangerous. Do we deserve the bad rap we get? Love to hear some of your thoughts if we bring it on ourselves.
There are some right morons out there, drive a truck like their Ford Sierra Cosworth or XR 3.
Yep, if you find yourself on the ‘boulevard of broken mirrors’, watch out for Shearing drivers. charging round bends at speed, phone clutched to ear… total tools.
I saw one ‘driver’ heading along Euston Road one day last week with his phone clasped to his ear by the window, not a care in the world. Now they can do as they please as long as it doesn’t affect me, but it is quite unbelievable just how stupid a fair number of drivers are. Euston Road is covered in cameras and has no shortage of police about so why you would risk it there, I have no idea.
Whilst I don’t buy into the whole “using a mobile phone is as bad as drink driving” hyperbole, there are clearly places where its safe to do it and places where its outright ridiculous to even contemplate using one. Driving down a quiet motorway you’re hardly likely to cause an issue but trying to use one driving around a built up area is just plain stupid.
I’d like to nominate the Parcel Force puddle jumper who delivered to a farm I was delivering to today. As he drove out (I was waiting for him) he ran over and said “don’t try and reverse up Drive, you’re too wide (in an 8wheeler). I’ve just had a right bollocking for touching the grass and leaving wheel marks.” What he didn’t say was that he’d also taken the freshly laid kerb edgings out and rolled up some nice new turf.
He wouldn’t believe it I’d already been there twice today and had no problems.
He wasn’t even foreign ffs. Had to’ve been on the agency though. 
bigears:
This guy was overtaking parked cars which was bad enough…
Overtaking parked cars? WTF, that’s just downright stupid, he should clearly wait until the owners return and drive away before passing them. 
Coffeeholic:
bigears:
This guy was overtaking parked cars which was bad enough…Overtaking parked cars? WTF, that’s just downright stupid, he should clearly wait until the owners return and drive away before passing them.
He probably means the truck was overtaking parked cars when technically it did not have priority. Don’t you have to give way if parked cars are on your side and road is not wide enough for two way traffic?
098Joe:
He probably means the truck was overtaking parked cars when technically it did not have priority. Don’t you have to give way if parked cars are on your side and road is not wide enough for two way traffic?
Generally yes but they have to wait if you’re already passing them before they get there.
Muckaway:
I’d like to nominate the Parcel Force puddle jumper who delivered to a farm I was delivering to today. As he drove out (I was waiting for him) he ran over and said “don’t try and reverse up Drive, you’re too wide (in an 8wheeler). I’ve just had a right bollocking for touching the grass and leaving wheel marks.” What he didn’t say was that he’d also taken the freshly laid kerb edgings out and rolled up some nice new turf.
He wouldn’t believe it I’d already been there twice today and had no problems.
He wasn’t even foreign ffs. Had to’ve been on the agency though.
I was foreman on Serco Bins in Mk for a very long year & one of our drivers drove over a verge, ploughing it up, I had a discussion with the householder opposite the damage, they had 2 cars & used to park them either side of the road, creating a Chicane that the dustcarts struggled to get past, I asked them to park the cars on the same side, but they refused (knobs) so (because the council wouldn’t let us argue) we had to repair the damage & instruct the crews to walk the 50 yards to collect the rubbish at the end of the cul-de-sac.
The verge was repaired with nice turf, smoothed off & looking good, 2 weeks later a different driver drove straight over the same verge, starting the whole process again. Durrrr !
We had a workforce of Dimwits, a Council full of Dimwits & a city loaded with Dimwit Residents.
We also had drivers who wouldn’t think twice about driving a 24 ton dustcart over people’s lawns & gardens !!!
(I only lasted a year, longest year of my life !)
Coffeeholic:
bigears:
This guy was overtaking parked cars which was bad enough…Overtaking parked cars? WTF, that’s just downright stupid, he should clearly wait until the owners return and drive away before passing them.
Looks like I’ll have to wait another week for my neighbour to return from holiday before I can get home !!