Wheel Nut:
Johnny english pants, it has all been done before, it is a pity the search facility is still a bit lacking, there are some cracking threads about wombles and wannabe coppers
I’m no wannabee copper! I spent 7 years in the Royal Military Police, I took this job because I like helping people, not because I get a uniform and want to look like a copper, which I don’t. Johnny, have you ever spoken to a Traffic Officer to see what makes when tick or are you going on the normal vitriolic BS that gets spouted week in, week out. Because basically it’s getting a bit boring now!
jonnyenglishpants:
So the traffic officer should help, if he’s got a spare and a jack the i my self can’t see a problem. If you can’t help because of health and safety issues then your a waste of tax payers money.
Everyone I work with does help - if only by giving advice - “the jack goes this way up”, “no, turn the wrench the other way…”
Sometimes really tight wheel nuts are removed. Sometimes wheels that are corroded on are kicked off. We don’t want to be on the hard shoulder any longer than anyone else.
You don’t know what we do, but feel free to moan. This is the internet.
Wheel Nut:
That is what I said! though without the chip.
Sorry if it sounded like that, but some members on here sound off about us HATO’s being a waste of tax payers money when they don’t know half an a quarter of our role. I’m more than happy to fill in any gaps and educate as best as I can.
jonnyenglishpants:
oh and by the way greg as senior member you should know that a motorist is’nt allowed to stop on the hard shoulder unless it’s an emergency, helping another motorist could result in prosecution, how ever if it was a women with a child id take the risk. so the sad awful truth is yes they are a waste of tax payers money cause maybe their hands are tied.
This sums up the motorway network a Biblical overcrowded nightmare that successive govements have failed to address, i mean when was the last time you took notice of a matrix sign " animals in the road" yes there are animals in the road but they haven’t got four legs.
Of course you would stop and help a woman and child Jonny because thats the helpful guy you are, don’t make me laugh, would that not still be an offence as you rightly point out, oh and by the way it was a figure of speech, say for example you weren’t on the motorway, you would of course stop and help some poor sole with puncture wouldn’t you, you would never moan at the stupid place they had stopped or because you had to stop and wait before passing them. As normal on here the minority that come on and spout about other people when truth be known they know nothing about what they are passing judgement on. Before you again comment on things you don’t now about no i’m not a HATO
NOW i know why you took that job highwayman!!!
when an innocent party breaksdown on the hard shoulder,you insist that they wrap up in a "foil blanket!
(this is so their hands are also wrapped up)
then you insist due to health and safety they must stand over the other side of that hill(yeah yeah yeah)
is that when you then ransack vehicles for valuable items to be sold at the next"crosby"car booter!!!
no scousers were harmed in the making of this post,and any relevance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
buck73:
NOW i know why you took that job highwayman!!!
when an innocent party breaksdown on the hard shoulder,you insist that they wrap up in a "foil blanket!
(this is so their hands are also wrapped up)
then you insist due to health and safety they must stand over the other side of that hill(yeah yeah yeah)
is that when you then ransack vehicles for valuable items to be sold at the next"crosby"car booter!!!
no scousers were harmed in the making of this post,and any relevance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
You got me, bang to rights. For your information, it’s not Crosby, I’ve got a stall on paddys market on Great Homer Street.
Our vehicles don’t carry spare wheels because of the weight of all our kit.
Well leave the lunch box at work then.
Saw this guy the other day broke down on the hard shoulder struggling to change the tyre on his jag whilst two traffic officers whatched him. now call me mr anti establishment, but what are we paying for as tax payers…these guys are the biggest waste of tax payers money on the planet they cruise up and down the motorway in fancy range rovers and landrovers and when there is a problem they just stand about waiting for some one else to turn up. I my self would turn the 50 cal on them but i could’nt justify the price of the rounds
EDIT: Quotes taken out as no real reason for them to be ‘quoted’ force of habit
HATO’s arnt a breakdown service in that respect. they just make sure that the people who have stopped on the motorway are safe etc, keep them out of harm’s way…hmm…i feel like i have written this before…oh wait i have…    as has been said but the whole HATO subject has been done loads of times before…, it’s been beaten to death, shot,flogged, shot again, flogged even more and probably shot some more and given another beating just for good measure    Â
If you read half the threads you will find out lots of what they do etc etc. a while back the HATO topic turned very very ugly and people got banned because of it…i know search isnt working but the topics should be within the first 20 pages or so to browse through. You cant miss them.
If i had the time i would find them for you and post them on here  , but poor old Highwayman has taken some flak over the last few months and that’s just what i am aware of, i dont know what went on before i joined
Our vehicles don’t carry spare wheels because of the weight of all our kit.
Well leave the lunch box at work then.
Saw this guy the other day broke down on the hard shoulder struggling to change the tyre on his jag whilst two traffic officers whatched him. now call me mr anti establishment, but what are we paying for as tax payers…these guys are the biggest waste of tax payers money on the planet they cruise up and down the motorway in fancy range rovers and landrovers and when there is a problem they just stand about waiting for some one else to turn up. I my self would turn the 50 cal on them but i could’nt justify the price of the rounds
Is that not what the AA/RAC are for
HATO’s arnt a breakdown service in that respect. they just make sure that the people who have stopped on the motorway are safe etc, keep them out of harm’s way…hmm…i feel like i have written this before…oh wait i have…    as has been said but the whole HATO subject has been done loads of times before…, it’s been beaten to death, shot,flogged, shot again, flogged even more and probably shot some more and given another beating just for good measure    Â
If you read half the threads you will find out lots of what they do etc etc. a while back the HATO topic turned very very ugly and people got banned because of it…i know search isnt working but the topics should be within the first 20 pages or so to browse through. You cant miss them.
If i had the time i would find them for you and post them on here  , but poor old Highwayman has taken some flak over the last few months and that’s just what i am aware of, i dont know what went on before i joined
Don’t know why you have quoted what i said 1st part was a joke about weight of their kit,2nd part i simply stated that it was the AA/RAC job to fix the tyre,never said it was HATO’S job.
you now got the rest of the traffic on the motorway looking and not paying attention and interestingly most traffic on the motorway doesn’t anyway.so you need to get this guy on his way cause looking at this sorry scene has the Potential of causing a pile up.
And who’s to blame here Certainly not the guy broke down at the side of the road.If they crash then they have only themselves to blame for rubbernecking.
pecjam23:
Poor old Highwayman has taken some flak over the last few months and that’s just what i am aware of, i dont know what went on before i joined
Oi! Less of the “old” i don’t look at it as flak, I call it inter driver banter. You’re never going to get everyone seeing eye to eye. Someone sees something, but not the whole picture, next thing, we’re public enemy number 1. If I can dispel them rumours and set the record straight, I will. As you shower know, i’m ex Military Police, during the time I served, I developed the skin of a rhino and very broad shoulders. So I dont see it as grief, more like character building. So keep up the banter and keep the queries and observations coming and my colleagues and I will do our level best to answer them as best as we can.
pecjam23:
Poor old Highwayman has taken some flak over the last few months and that’s just what i am aware of, i dont know what went on before i joined
Oi! Less of the “old” i don’t look at it as flak, I call it inter driver banter. You’re never going to get everyone seeing eye to eye. Someone sees something, but not the whole picture, next thing, we’re public enemy number 1. If I can dispel them rumours and set the record straight, I will. As you shower know, i’m ex Military Police, during the time I served, I developed the skin of a rhino and very broad shoulders. So I dont see it as grief, more like character building. So keep up the banter and keep the queries and observations coming and my colleagues and I will do our level best to answer them as best as we can.
sorry i meant to say YOUNG highwayman…
My previous post probably came out wrong and in the wrong context. It wasn’t a sticking up for you post it was just saying what has been said about HATO’s in general before.
Again I apologise for any confusion caused and any misinterpretations that may have resulted from my above post.
jonnyenglishpants:
‘…whilst two traffic officers watched him…’
I can’t help wondering if pukka-plod would have done anything different …although (slanting off-thread) they hardly exist on the highway since the Chief Constables apparently don’t get the budget that both our funding pays for and which roads deserve.
“HATO’s arnt a breakdown service in that respect. they just make sure that the people who have stopped on the motorway are safe etc, keep them out of harm’s way”
In a minibus on the M6,by the Truckhaven junction ,with disabled passengers,unable to get out of bus.We had a blowout and limped to the hard shoulder,southbound.Rang the AA who organised tyre repair etc.After 1hour 40minutes,repeat 100minutes, Highways Agency vehicle turned up in front of us to guard rear.Had to carry on to next junction to turn round and get behind us.Their control had sent them to the M55!!!
The AA eventually turned up,changed the rear flat for the front good wheel then towed us off to Truckhaven where ATS was waiting.Not allowed to leave us with wheel removed while they took it for repair ,H&S.
H&S,don’t make me laugh,what about leaving us with no rear cover for all that time.It turned out to be some sort of peeing competition between the agencies"Not my job,send for someone else"
It was a sunny clear day,God knows what might have happened while we were parked up if it had been dark,rainy,misty.
