This is an excellent reason for carrying your own dog clip for those trailers that only have the spring loaded catch. Most of these have a drilling for a dog clip anyway. This would prevent the cyclist being successful with the spring loaded catch variety.
I always check the clip and to see if the lever has not been pulled every time i return to the truck after a loo stop or coffee break.You never know if an ex employer has a chip on his shoulder and wants to get hus own back and see you drop a trailer.If it did happen, the first thing the boss would say is did you check it.?
toby1234abc:
I always check the clip and to see if the lever has not been pulled every time i return to the truck after a loo stop or coffee break…
Taught that on day 1. Even if I haven’t left the cab I still give a quick walk round, especially tyres and dog clip/5th wheel.
Rob K:
Winseer:
I’ve spoken to some other London-going drivers about this, and there seems to be a similarity in the modus operandi here.All take place on the approach to the same junction depicted in the picture…
C+E truck is on the right side, swinging out to take the sharp left turn toward loampit vale.
Cyclist A following in the right hand lane, moves to the right rather than the left, even though there’s not a lot of space.
ANother cyclist B,(doesn’t seem to be connected with the first in any way.) comes up the left side and moves into the daft position where the trucker has to stop because he’s going to drag the combination across the top of cyclist B otherwise. Cyclist B moves away, around the corner, no exchange taking place. Trucker might be cussing at having to check-up halfway around the bend.
Cyclist A, out of sight, out of mind at this point, is now pulling the red button (always seems to be on that side with the trailers in question so far) and on this latest occasion, shuffles up the side, and leans under the front of the trailer tugging at the handle as well. It won’t budge, because of the dog clip, which the idiot doesn’t seem to know how to negotiate before the lights go green/driver pulls away only to stall, because the brakes are on.
Cyclist then rides out the front, with some kind of slanging match between them and the driver (still in cab), before the cyclist quickly rides away, leaving the trucker to exit the cab, and push the red button back in before proceeding - on this occasion.
In my view, it could have been a lot bloody worse, with oddly enough, the most likely person to be crushed by any falling-off trailer the damned cyclist A who hasn’t got a lot of room to move until they get to the front of the cab!
Would YOU pull the pin knowing that the next jerk forward by the cab is likely to have the trailer topple on YOUR right hand side position, because the truck is halfway around a left hand corner FFS?
I’ve heard of “death by cop” but “death by trailer”? Surely it’s some kind of mis-adventure involving complete idiots, with only a partial understanding of the mechanics of trucks and trailers?
The cyclist A btw looked like to be of student age and of non-Caucasian extraction, but I don’t read too much into that necessarily. The trucker on exiting, looked like any of us - middle aged with a beer belly, but not of foreign extraction judging by the head shaking and “FFS” movements of his lips as he stabs the button back in, jumps back in the cab, and continues, just another day for a minority in the big city alas.
There’s nothing to report to any plod, because (a) the trucker isn’t making any kind of hanging around to make a complaint, (b) I assume there’s no camera on this junction, which is why it’s popular perhaps for this “activity”. and (c) I’ve got no cycle registration to give any plod who happens to ask me what I saw sitting 3 cars back, too far to hear any verbal exchange…
Cyclists should perhaps wear a high vis with a registration mark on it, like London marathon runners perhaps?
Would solve a lot of this type of problem. The great unsaid kind of road rage - from untraceable cyclists.Sorry but I’m calling BS. Pics or it didn’t happen.
1st instinct would be to agree with Rob but as an after thought was the trailer foriegn? I can’t remember using a single trailer where the red button was on the off side, and do foriegn tractor units have the handle on the near or off side (by the home location)?
toby1234abc:
I dont believe it.How would an anti truck cycling Nimby know where the red parking button is on a trailer or where the handle is to pull the pin and drop a trailer.
It would surprise you, some kids done it to the truck I was learning in just after the bloody instructor had said to watch out for em!
This is all boris’s fault you realise that dont you
Roadways have skelly’s with red buttons on either side, they are still using a few with ratchet handles, that’ll confuse them!
:
Euro:
What horrible stories!
I suppose we could use a padlock instead of a dog clip. Some trailers have their red button in a metal box which could be lockable.
…as if we didn’t have enough things to think about already.Padlocks where used for a while years ago, but got banned because they didn’t have the right British Standard markings…typical.
Sounds a good idea in theory until you lose the key 
Wiretwister, nearly all Skelly’s have the red button on the offside.
Sapper
If you pulled out a camcorder/mobile/tracing paper in a frame or whatever you use to take pictures with, and started pointing it at some perp upto no good, then what’s to stop them coming over and giving you a good bit of upset, especially if you are in a car?
Isn’t that other M25 road rage thread all about someone coming up and cracking their windscreen?
Big burly truck drivers need protection FROM “hoody little squirts riding bikes with no fear of any comeback from the law regardless of what they do” is what I’m suggesting here.
Even if presented with photo evidence, I can’t see the police doing much about it until blow one of Trucker Fred’s fist comes into contact with said cyclists smarmy face… There are already a few posts on this page that suggest what kind of impact is being suggested here eh?
My own worry is over-reacting in a situation that some have suggested doesn’t even happen, hence the need for discussion I think. 
i hope the biker pulls the pin and the trailer drops on the ■■■■■■■■ toe 