It said on the lines that I should have UK Passport, UK Driving License or Company ID with me. I had company ID, so it was all right. Or just I thought.
They said that my company ID does not look proffessional enough (somehow it’s good for airport security) and asked for whatever else I have.
I gave them my Polish driving license but they said it’s not good enough as it does not have my British address on it. So I gave them my UK Digital Tacho card (with my UK address on it and with my Polish driving license number on it). They said it’s not enough and asked if I have anything more. So I gave them:
my UK student card
my Interpreters ID
two fuel cards with my name on it
debit and credit cards with my name on it.
my European Health Insurance Card
They said they are not happy and that they do not let me on the site. And that I have to wait and when they will be less busy, they will try to find the solutions. I answered “no problem, I am paid per hour and it’s yous that desperately need the stuff I have on the back on my van, I’ll be in my cab” and went to read my (Polish! ) magazine.
It took them some time and the guy for whom delivery was turned up in another van, we shifted the stuff to his van and I was free to go back.
But it got me thinking. I asked them what if there is, for example, French driver delivering something from France, and he for obvious reasons does not have UK address at all. She said that they are not allowed to take such delivery and therefore all deliveries have to be made by British companies. I asked if it’s not discriminating foreign companies. She said “it’s EU rule we have nothing to do with it”. I told her, that it’s not true, as I already was in two French nuclear plants and one in Germany and I never had any problems with me driving British van and having Polish ID’s… She said that she don’t need to explain herself to me.
Fair enough. I am not bothered, I live here for 6 years and it’s first time my Polish ID caused any problem and I got extra hour paid for reading my paper - no problem for me.
But that got me thinking. Is is fair for the company to de facto say “only British companies are allowed to deliver to us?” (you can replace British with any other European country)?
Your friendly security guard was talking bollox. They often do…when I was doing some airport work the company couldn’t be ersed to sort out a company ID for me. Most places I went to were happy with seeing my passport but one or two (Swissair+somebody else,Hellmans?) turned me away as I didn’t have company ID, something I could knock up myself in 10 minutes! Go figure…
Well, it was written on delivery lines that I have to show them “one of the following: UK Driving license, UK Passport or Company ID with colour picture, employers and company data”. I had one of the following so I took the job. I guess it’s nothing to do with security guard, as it’s not her making rules there…
dessy:
Now!! Get that Polish License exchanged for a UK one at once!!
Why should I do it?
First - For UK purposes it’s as good as British photocard - I have to exchange it in 2025 (that what’s says of my British counterpart license I have with it) if I will still be willing to drive trucks then.
Second - because I made it some time ago, unlike British (or, actually, new Polish ones) it’s valid for unlimited period of time. If I exchange it to British it will be valid for 10 years, and then it will stay even if I exchange it back to Polish.
Third - If I got 12 points, British court can ban me from driving in Britain, but they cannot take away my Polish license, as they have no jurisdiction in Poland, therefore I can move, for example, to Ireland and start again with clear license
Four - They would charge me 35 pounds or so for exchanging my license, and then they propably spell it wrong or loose it, as far as my DVLA experience tells me.
Five - I am driving to Europe, I can’t afford to send my license to DVLA for weeks, as I constantly need it.
i’m not trying to be a [zb], or racist, however,
i don’t think anyone without british citizenship, and an absolute checkable history should be allowed access to a british nuclear power station.
if i was refused access to a polish nuclear power station, i wouldn’t be offended and make a fuss, i would understand that national security comes first.
dessy:
Now!! Get that Polish License exchanged for a UK one at once!!
Why should I do it?
First - For UK purposes it’s as good as British photocard - I have to exchange it in 2025 (that what’s says of my British counterpart license I have with it) if I will still be willing to drive trucks then.
Second - because I made it some time ago, unlike British (or, actually, new Polish ones) it’s valid for unlimited period of time. If I exchange it to British it will be valid for 10 years, and then it will stay even if I exchange it back to Polish.
Third - If I got 12 points, British court can ban me from driving in Britain, but they cannot take away my Polish license, as they have no jurisdiction in Poland, therefore I can move, for example, to Ireland and start again with clear license
Four - They would charge me 35 pounds or so for exchanging my license, and then they propably spell it wrong or loose it, as far as my DVLA experience tells me.
Five - I am driving to Europe, I can’t afford to send my license to DVLA for weeks, as I constantly need it.
so point 3 i think is the main reason you dont have a uk licence? you live here are obviously settled in the uk and are happy? but you have a loophole so are going to keep it? (fair enough)
this is what i dont understand about the law if you have a polish car doesnt it have to be transferred to a uk plate after 1 year why isnt a driving licence?
and to be honest with the terrorist levels in the uk as high as they are and so close to the olympics etc i cant see a problem with it other than the uk has so many terrorist cells already living in the uk as uk citizens!
war1974:
so point 3 i think is the main reason you dont have a uk licence? you live here are obviously settled in the uk and are happy? but you have a loophole so are going to keep it? (fair enough)
No. MY main point is point two - I am happy with having it valid to the end of my life, and I dont’ want to loose these “grandparent laws” Also: I don’t see the reason why should I bother to deal with DVLA and pay for that privillege if don’t have to.
I am settled in UK, I am fully happy, and since my Polish driving license is recognized here and in DVLA database (I have my British counterpart with bus provisional license and 3 speeding points on it) I am fully comply with British law, so I can’t see the issue here. Acutally I gave all these reasons as a joke
this is what i dont understand about the law if you have a polish car doesnt it have to be transferred to a uk plate after 1 year why isnt a driving licence?
Because, unlike like with the car, you don’t pay road tax for having the license, it just confirms that you can drive a car (or truck in my case).
and to be honest with the terrorist levels in the uk as high as they are and so close to the olympics etc i cant see a problem with it other than the uk has so many terrorist cells already living in the uk as uk citizens!
Yeah, but somehow I never heard about Polish citizens being Muslim extremists, which is not the case with Britain as you rightly pointed out… Maybe we should ban British citizens and let only Poles operate your nuclear plants? That for sure will make that it would be much slimmer chance of getting some Muslim extremist in
limeyphil:
i’m not trying to be a [zb], or racist, however,
i don’t think anyone without british citizenship, and an absolute checkable history should be allowed access to a british nuclear power station.
For sure when driving to goods in and back, under ■■■■■■, in a throughtull searched van sniffed by the police dog, I can do lot of damage - I can for example mess around with all that neatly stacked pallets I could see across the fence… I’ve been through these procedures before, entering Olimpic Village or some military places, including Faslane naval base when I was delivering to the Dutch submarine “parked” two boats from the British nuclear one - nobody had any issue with me being Polish.
if i was refused access to a polish nuclear power station, i wouldn’t be offended and make a fuss, i would understand that national security comes first.
I am not offended, I just wonder if that makes sense… I see it as another H&S getting over the head thing. And you would not be given access to Polsih nuclear power station, since we don’t have any, but you would had no problem to get to French or German one as I did (and as for French I wasn’t even escorted). I don’t think they were any terrorist attacks on French or German nuclear sites recently, so obviously their level of security is enough.
What I am concerned with is that the foreign hauliers who deliver to that place are not allowed to, so they have to pay some local haulier to deliver for last few miles… Is it fair competition?
war1974:
so point 3 i think is the main reason you dont have a uk licence? you live here are obviously settled in the uk and are happy?
Ah, and to clarify: I do, in a way, have British license - I have my photocard registered with DVLA, I have Driver Number, I have counterpart etc. As long as I am on British Land, they treat me like Full UK license holder.
kr79:
If you are living and working in a country you should surely have a licence issued by that country. Seems just a way to flout endorsements and bans.
Off course you are wrong. On both fields:
I don’t need license issued by this country:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022556:
A valid community licence issued on the strength of a driving test within the EC/EEA, will allow you to drive in GB for a set period. Alternatively, you can exchange your licence for a British licence.
Provided your licence remains valid you may drive in GB:
Car, motorcycle driving licence holders (ordinary driving licence):
until aged 70 or for three years after becoming resident, whichever is the longer period
Lorry, minibus, bus driving licence holders (vocational driving licence):
until aged 45 or for five years after becoming resident, whichever is the longer period
if you are aged over 45 (but under 65) until your 66th birthday or for five years after becoming resident, whichever is the shorter period
if you are aged 65 or over for 12 months after becoming resident
In order to continue driving after these periods, you must get a British driving licence.
And it do not allows me to avoid bans and endorsements:
For non-vocational drivers - it’s just less hassle. Every time they got speeding points, if they don’t have British Counterpart license, they go to the court, where they are fined more than just fixed penalty.
war1974:
this is what i dont understand about the law if you have a polish car doesnt it have to be transferred to a uk plate after 1 year why isnt a driving licence?
Because, unlike like with the car, you don’t pay road tax for having the license, it just confirms that you can drive a car (or truck in my case).
Yet, your avatars usually suggest otherwise, wasn’t your last avatar a van in a very similar position?
I know what the law is doesn’t mean it’s right. Same as the amount of non uk registered cars driving round the uk many look total heaps are they insured and MOTd. I know they had a big purge in Spain about this as many Brits seemed to think they could drive round in heaps they wouldn’t dream of in the UK.
waynedl:
Yet, your avatars usually suggest otherwise, wasn’t your last avatar a van in a very similar position?
Have you ever heard about sense of humour?
Anyway, you see the pictures, you don’t know what happened that my vehicle found itself in that postion, yet you already draw the conclusions I know you are trying to wind me up, but I would have to be serious about my avatars to make it work, so sorry, not this time
kr79:
I know what the law is doesn’t mean it’s right. Same as the amount of non uk registered cars driving round the uk many look total heaps are they insured and MOTd. I know they had a big purge in Spain about this as many Brits seemed to think they could drive round in heaps they wouldn’t dream of in the UK.
Luckily enough, the laws are not based on what YOU think is right. There are international agreements that the driving licenses from the EU and some other countries are mutually recognized - which is to stop unecesary bearocracy. This is why the tests and categories were unificated. You might not be used to that, as your country did it only recently, but in other countries the categories A,B,C,D and E are for years.
As for foreign cars in UK - my friend usually works here for 3 months a year, and she drivers her Polish car (which is off course fully legal). The amount of times she is stopped for the random checks by the Police is amazing and I would think you would be really need to be stupid to drive uninsured or unMOT’d car on Polish plates in Britain. The Polish plates are like a big sign “Police! Please stop and control this car!”.
Can we come back to main topics: so how about French truck that arrives to British Nuclear plant with load of 20 tons of some construction materials? Is it fair that they have to hire British company to deliver it for last few hundreds yards?
So because your friends doing it right it doesn’t mean everyone is. I live and work in London and the amount of forigen registered cars not just polish some in good condition some total wrecks is staggering.
As for the original point perhaps all forigen vehicles delivering to nuclear power stations should have to submit the drivers details 24 hours before the vehicle arrives on site.
kr79:
So because your friends doing it right it doesn’t mean everyone is. I live and work in London and the amount of forigen registered cars not just polish some in good condition some total wrecks is staggering.
Just as not every British car is up to date with its insurance and MOT.
As for the original point perhaps all forigen vehicles delivering to nuclear power stations should have to submit the drivers details 24 hours before the vehicle arrives on site.
It would be hard if I had 5 hours to make this urgent delivery…
And anyway: there were clear instructions what are the procedures, and I was OK with them - it’s just the security lady told me that my company ID does not look proffesional enough to her…
I wouldn’t let you on any British nuclear, military or government building. There ours.if you wanna deliver to sites like that I think you should be a vetted British national and I don’t care if it makes me Racist
nearly there:
I wouldn’t let you on any British nuclear, military or government building. There ours.if you wanna deliver to sites like that I think you should be a vetted British national and I don’t care if it makes me Racist
Too late I’ve been to several already But that brings another question. We are in NATO together. British ships visits Polish ports, Polish ships visits British ports. Say Polish submarine is in Faslane, should I be allowed to deliver to it or not? Or Royal Navy ship in Gdynia? Who should deliver to it, Poles or Brits?
to be honest i still think its a way of keeping your licence (sorry if this causes offence) but to me you could be caught for an offence say drink driving and potentially be banned, move like you say to ireland and start a fresh this is wrong totally wrong. its almost the same as foreign drivers who have accidents but are never seen back in the uk.
as for the no foriegners i delivered to the olympic staduim the other month i missed my slot by 10 mins it took 3 hours to gain access even with the guy who ordered the barriers asking for us to be let in and again it was several i am guessing chinese chaps who could hardly speak english refusing us access, but they have the security jobs they have i assume the 10 year work history and the cis badge so i sat and waited!
) magazine.
