Heading to my second drop this morning about 8am and it turned out it wasnt where I thought it was. A quick check online deduced I should have turned right at the lights about 150 yds behind me. Road was too tight to u-turn it so I thought ill go to the next lights round the corner, turn left and that brings me back down so I can come back to where I need to be. Nope, left turn on those lights was too tight for a car never mind an artic so had to turn right. two miles up the road (through rush hour traffic) and im not panicing but stating to worry about getting turned as all the side streets were too tight to risk. Another mile and I thought “Ah I know. Just up the hill here ill turn right, right at the asda and that brings me right down to my delivery point”.
20 seconds after this light bulb moment, it happened.
Rounds a corner and right there in front of me, with no warning signs on approach, was an arch bridge at 14’ 3". Quick glance at the height chart confirmed my fear. 14’ 10".
It was chocka with traffic coming down the hill and up behind me. No chance of a u-turn (too tight in any case), no side streets to take a chance on. Nothing. After sitting contemplating things for a few minutes, I looked at the side road about 50 yards back and thought my only chance here is reverse into that. My thinking was that when my fellow citizens see what im trying to do, they’ll give me a gap to get reversed in. Nope. Started going back but the traffic coming behind me (wide road with 2 lanes either direction) was oblivious to an artic with reverse lights, hazard lights & reverse beeper all going and kept squeezing past. Eventually (15 - 20 mins) I got back enough to start trying to turn which was even worse. Despite the trailer clearly turning, it wasnt enough to let the other traffic figure out what I was doing and they squezzed past anyway(many of them blasting the horn). The gaps in the traffic were few and far between but when one appeared, the other two were full. This went on for about 20 minutes with me back and forth to let traffic go, trying again, then having to pull forward and eventually I realised it was a no go and thought ill jump out and see if I can get up the side road and find a quieter place to turn. That road was even narrower and I had no chance.
This whole debackle had been going on for about 50 minutes by now and I was sweating like a Cypriot at an ATM.
I had to eventually go to the police station and ask them to send someone out to stop the traffic. They arrived within 5 minutes and blocked the road with their car, one stopped the oncoming traffic, the other stopped the traffic in the road I wanted to reverse into and muppet features here was able to finally get turned and get going with an already large traffic jam built up in all 3 directions
google.co.uk/maps/@55.89081 … 312!8i6656
Imagine that at 8 in the morning. I was at the bus stop next to the bridge before I could see the height limit so I had to reverse all the way back down
I can take a laugh at my own expense so thought id share my embarressing moment to let others know even the countries top drivers still have off days…
I drove up that side street one to deliver to the wee industrial estate on the right hand side, not realising there is nowhere to turn an artic once there. Great fun trying to reverse back out onto Maryhill Rd. Next drop was Cullen Packaging in Dawsolm Ind Est which is on the other side of the arch bridge, but fortunately my trailer was low enough to get under. But you’re right about there being no warning signs until you are past the point of no return. Though I reckon it is higher than it states though as the council used to go under it with their ejector trailers heading for Dawsholm. I’m sure they looked a lot taller than 14ft 3in.
I think we’ve all been there at some point, you did things right and eventually got out of a muddle. As already mentioned, no kittens squashed (most important) no harm done.
Probably quicker though to have kept it lit attempting the bridge…
AndrewG:
I think we’ve all been there at some point, you did things right and eventually got out of a muddle. As already mentioned, no kittens squashed (most important) no harm done.
Probably quicker though to have kept it lit attempting the bridge…
You know these busted tilts you drag around? Are they busted before you get them?
AndrewG:
I think we’ve all been there at some point, you did things right and eventually got out of a muddle. As already mentioned, no kittens squashed (most important) no harm done.
Probably quicker though to have kept it lit attempting the bridge…
You know these busted tilts you drag around? Are they busted before you get them?
Some are mate some arent, some of our ( ) drivers dont help…
damoq:
Though I reckon it is higher than it states though as the council used to go under it with their ejector trailers heading for Dawsholm. I’m sure they looked a lot taller than 14ft 3in.
Funny you should say that. When I was standing in the cop shop I saw a council ejector drive down the hill and wondered how he managed it as it looked too tall for the bridge
albion:
Makes the day interesting Snowman and makes the newbies feel better about their bad days
Glad to be of service!
AndrewG:
Probably quicker though to have kept it lit attempting the bridge…
Oh believe me, half way through I was seriously considering going for it!
Im sure the stated height is way lower than the reality. Problem is people dont ride the middle of the road there due to volume of traffic. Theres a few hits visible as you get near the kerb.
If you’d just turned left at the lights at Tesco, there’s an ‘escape route’, or even the left opposite the cop-shop then left again would eventually take you back to Tesco. Local knowledge though. It’s a ■■■■ of a place.
BTW, just be glad you didn’t drive up that side road. There’s another arch-bridge… but that one is a bit smaller. 9’3"!
That’s made a lot of us feel like it’s not just us,thank God.There are always loads of witnesses aren’t there.Not only that but you spelt debacle wrong as well!
Im sure the stated height is way lower than the reality. Problem is people dont ride the middle of the road there due to volume of traffic. Theres a few hits visible as you get near the kerb.
Probably posted it somewhere here before, bloke I delivered to 10-15 years ago used to be involved in marking bridge heights, he said before he retired the practice was always to drop 6 inches from the actual height, but times change as do people working for councils and that’s without whichever firm you work for adding a few inches to the indicators ‘to be safe’. Gamble on one or both being wrong and you get it wrong, it’s your job/ licence/ fine!
Used to be a bridge on a road I “could” have used to get to a delivery but I used to get a note attached in big letters not to go under the bridge even though it was marked a good 6inches higher than the trailer. What was wrong was that the road started to climb if heading the direction of the delivery and I saw what they meant one day when a guy got 46ft of his trailer through and the last 6ft imbedded in the bridge.
The-Snowman:
Heading to my second drop this morning about 8am and it turned out it wasnt where I thought it was. A quick check online deduced I should have turned right at the lights about 150 yds behind me. Road was too tight to u-turn it so I thought ill go to the next lights round the corner, turn left and that brings me back down so I can come back to where I need to be. Nope, left turn on those lights was too tight for a car never mind an artic so had to turn right. two miles up the road (through rush hour traffic) and im not panicing but stating to worry about getting turned as all the side streets were too tight to risk. Another mile and I thought “Ah I know. Just up the hill here ill turn right, right at the asda and that brings me right down to my delivery point”.
20 seconds after this light bulb moment, it happened.
Rounds a corner and right there in front of me, with no warning signs on approach, was an arch bridge at 14’ 3". Quick glance at the height chart confirmed my fear. 14’ 10".
It was chocka with traffic coming down the hill and up behind me. No chance of a u-turn (too tight in any case), no side streets to take a chance on. Nothing. After sitting contemplating things for a few minutes, I looked at the side road about 50 yards back and thought my only chance here is reverse into that. My thinking was that when my fellow citizens see what im trying to do, they’ll give me a gap to get reversed in. Nope. Started going back but the traffic coming behind me (wide road with 2 lanes either direction) was oblivious to an artic with reverse lights, hazard lights & reverse beeper all going and kept squeezing past. Eventually (15 - 20 mins) I got back enough to start trying to turn which was even worse. Despite the trailer clearly turning, it wasnt enough to let the other traffic figure out what I was doing and they squezzed past anyway(many of them blasting the horn). The gaps in the traffic were few and far between but when one appeared, the other two were full. This went on for about 20 minutes with me back and forth to let traffic go, trying again, then having to pull forward and eventually I realised it was a no go and thought ill jump out and see if I can get up the side road and find a quieter place to turn. That road was even narrower and I had no chance.
This whole debackle had been going on for about 50 minutes by now and I was sweating like a Cypriot at an ATM.
I had to eventually go to the police station and ask them to send someone out to stop the traffic. They arrived within 5 minutes and blocked the road with their car, one stopped the oncoming traffic, the other stopped the traffic in the road I wanted to reverse into and muppet features here was able to finally get turned and get going with an already large traffic jam built up in all 3 directions
google.co.uk/maps/@55.89081 … 312!8i6656
Imagine that at 8 in the morning. I was at the bus stop next to the bridge before I could see the height limit so I had to reverse all the way back down
I can take a laugh at my own expense so thought id share my embarressing moment to let others know even the countries top drivers still have off days…
No one had to go to court, no one had to go to hospital…so not really that bad a day.
JIMBO47:
Used to be a bridge on a road I “could” have used to get to a delivery but I used to get a note attached in big letters not to go under the bridge even though it was marked a good 6inches higher than the trailer. What was wrong was that the road started to climb if heading the direction of the delivery and I saw what they meant one day when a guy got 46ft of his trailer through and the last 6ft imbedded in the bridge.
Or to put a positive slant on it… he was a pioneer of the streamlined trailer
Is that the bridge that carries the forth and clyde canal over Maryhill Road?
Bandit country my son, how you managed to be there for more than two minutes without them stealing the air out of tyres I do not know. Except, since it was before lunchtime, the junkies would still be in a coma.
Most of us have been in similar situations Snowy, your redeeming feature was that you knew you had screwed up and recognised what you needed to do and got the old bill involved. I’m adamant that a large percentage of bridge strikes occur when the driver acts like a rabbit caught in headlights and his or her brain refuses to accept what their eyes are telling them and so ploughs on regardless.
) drivers dont help…
when a guy got 46ft of his trailer through and the last 6ft imbedded in the bridge.