My last drop was a site I do regular, it’s a nursing home’s car park down a narrow street & I have to reverse in for 300yds doing 2 90deg bends, hoping that no one wants to drive out after I’ve started the manoeuvre.
Yesterday, I couldn’t reverse in from my usual approach due to inconsiderate parking on the junction but judged I could do it approaching from the other way. No problem, I drove on a further distance to the next street that I could reverse into, I passed 3 & the road was getting tighter & tighter, till I found one that I could reverse into.
My head was on a swivel, constantly checking every mirror, I couldn’t see any peds & there were no cars coming either way. Just one parked car a little up the street I was reversing into that I had to pay a lot of attention too to avoid brushing it.
With the cab a good 2-3 foot still on the street I’d reversed off, I did a final swivel & put her in first to pull out forwards. I didn’t sense a bump or hear as much as a whimper but within moving 1 foot I’m staring at a very distressed womens face in front of the tax discs. I don’t know where she came from.
Before I could let out a loud “JEEEZUS ‘H’ CHRIST” I pulled the handbrake & gave her a full footbrakes release of air, I’m winding the window down to give her the full force of my anger at her stupidity, but when she finally emerges from inches below my windscreen . . . she’s pushing a pram !
My trucks an 06 so it doesn’t need a mirror above the windscreen by law, but I’m asking for one to be fitted Monday.
Jeez, that’s scary, had something similar when doing my artic training, turning left at a tight junction and silly cow starts to walk off pavement, thank god I saw her and someone pulled her back, just in time or the buggy would have had been under the trailer wheels.
Unfortunately, you cant fix stupid!!
We have to think for ‘stupids’ too.
Ive sometimes found myself standing up in the seat to look down towards the bumper before pulling away from peddestrian crossings etc, ive noticed that even if you stop about 20 feet from the stop line, in a busy street the stupids will cross the road right on your bumper its a bloody nitemare scenario indeed, Chas.
maybe it’s time we implement a operating procedures from the railway’s. what happen’s when ever a train move’s off again after being stationary? a ■■■■■■■ big blast on the horn…
don’t think all these stupid people might just notice a ■■■■■■■ big truck next to them…
once in Belfast while trying to reverse onto a particularly tight loading bay that required a 90 degree jackknife off a one way street I saw a pedestrian emerge from between the unit and trailer . the idiot had ducked down and crept between the truck and the legs of the trailer while I was trying to get it onto the bay. I nearly kicked him down the street - I couldn’t believe anyone could be that stupid but the guys on the loading bay said it was a regular thing and that they had seen a woman and pram on video doing the same.
philgor:
maybe it’s time we implement a operating procedures from the railway’s. what happen’s when ever a train move’s off again after being stationary? a [zb] big blast on the horn…
don’t think all these stupid people might just notice a [zb] big truck next to them…
Merc, MAN etc horns are hardly going to wake anyone up are they, they’ll stop in the middle of the road looking round for the austin metro that’s beeping
philgor:
maybe it’s time we implement a operating procedures from the railway’s. what happen’s when ever a train move’s off again after being stationary? a [zb] big blast on the horn…
don’t think all these stupid people might just notice a [zb] big truck next to them…
Merc, MAN etc horns are hardly going to wake anyone up are they, they’ll stop in the middle of the road looking round for the austin metro that’s beeping
its a bloody nitemare scenario indeed, Chas.