Tommytoes:
going all over the place just using the old paper satnav like, no mobile phones in them days either.
Bliss !
…Monday morning ‘‘Ring me Thurs/Fri when you’re empty’’
No ■■■■ trackers, your own boss with all the freedom that it brought…One of the reasons I started driving.
Then the rot started, got my first cab phone in 84, (but I was an owner driver at that time, so no probs.)
Then the job just eventually eroded to the cluster ■■■■ of rules, regs, setbacks and bullcrap, to what it has become today, with the ■■■■ hds who run it.
Tommytoes:
I was watching this documentary the other day think it was 60/70s and the drivers were stopping and all sleeping in these dormitories. going all over the place just using the old paper satnav like, no mobile phones in them days either. probably a blessing in a way depends who you work for but sometimes the dam thing doesn’t stop ringing.
When I started I had a week out with another driver. This was mid to late 70s. I dont think the word “mentoring” existed then. I think it was called “showing this young idiot the ropes”. Literally showing the ropes and sheets etc.
But since we were in a day cab Atki Borderer there ws only room for one (if that!) in the cab. So I had one night in digs at Noakes Cafe near Purfleet and one night at Jacks Hill.
Both clean enough, but not a particularly nice thing. I guess it was more acceptable/normal to those before me who had done National Service and were used to barracks etc? All much better when I had the comfort and privacy of a wooden plank in my own day cab Atki!
Didn’t do digs much, cabbed it most of the time.
I remember a b&b in Norwich one night, and an Hotel in Stockport where I got involved playing pool and getting ■■■■■■ with some contractor lads .
Had a few nights at Lincoln Farm digs after watching the strippers and ■■■■ films (how that place is different today in such ways …thanks to The God Squad )
And yeh…The old cliche of sleeping with your bed legs in your cowboy boots is correct.
Franglais:
Brindisi became popular in the early 90s when Yugoslavia went into meltdown.
A lot cheaper than the Superfast out of Ancona, but a lot more driving, diesel, and tolls. I shipped out of Brindisi and Bari to get to Greece. Always rather older boats than the nice Superfast boats. First time was on an old and small converted container ship. Another time it was a boat with half the signs in some sort of Japanese? script!
Bari into Greece was always the route i used to take…well…the three times i did it anyway…
I’m sure there’s a thread on this on old time page. If I remember right the English guy with a beard he met in Istanbul works for eat more chips mob now
.
…thanks to The God Squad