Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Markie on 14 November 2006, 10:11:40
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>:(
I am in a bad mood arent I.
My dads just called me to say he got forced onto central reservation by an articulated lorry who decided to swerve out and over take on the outside lane. Car and passengers are fine but he did say it was his police/ advanced driving that probably stopped being a fatal.
As you can imagine i am not happy - he has already reported it via 999 to police. They will look for the lorry.
But if he wants anything else done he has to APPEAR at the station. After calming down he is going to leave this.
But i am not. He has the index and so on and, get this, it was a superdrug lorry. I just happen to work for the company that owns superdrug. So popped an email off with my manager title at the bottom from my work email to the appropriate guy in distrubition DEMANDING this is dealt with or we will be appearing at station.
Result ( I Hope) he may not get charged but he may well lose his job as our drivers are outsourced and probably on weekly contracts. :y
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Good for you Mark :y The bully boy tactics that some lorry drivers use on motorways is a major cause of so many accidents and should be addressed.
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Mark,
Glad your dad & passengers are all okay.
You don't usually want to mess with them artics really!!
I'm sure Ronnie would have a persuasive way of resolving this issue!
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Mark,
Glad your dad & passengers are all okay.
You don't usually want to mess with them artics really!!
I'm sure Ronnie would have a persuasive way of resolving this issue!
...watch out Ross - was heading your way :o went passed Perth so i am assuming the next stop would only be inverness :(
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I normally have the greatest respect for Lorry drivers, particularly artic's, but..............
A could of weeks ago I witnessed a Russels' container lorry deliberately drive into the side of a Fiesta that was trying to merge onto the main carriageway. It wasn't at any ammount of speed so there wasn't a great deal of damge, but the fact remains he did it on purpose and I told the Police in attendance that.
I read him the riot act!! (before the Polioce arrived
What a dick!!
That reminds me, must fill in the accident report form..................
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I normally have the greatest respect for Lorry drivers, particularly artic's, but...............................
Why?
The vast majority I come across are arrogant bullies who drive with the motto of 'might has right' as in your case case of HGV vs Fiesta.
A few years back an HGV very nearly took a friend and her car out. She got the reg number of the HGV and the police caught up with it a few miles down the road. Despite the HGV's wheels full of friend's car's paint the police wouldn't/couldn't go any further with it! :-? >:(
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.....
I read him the riot act!! (before the Polioce arrived..................
..... it's fortunate that you're the size of a brick out house ;)
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Mark,
Glad your dad & passengers are all okay.
You don't usually want to mess with them artics really!!
I'm sure Ronnie would have a persuasive way of resolving this issue!
...watch out Ross - was heading your way :o went passed Perth so i am assuming the next stop would only be inverness :(
So do you want me to nip out onto the A9 with a stinger? ;D
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..... it's fortunate that you're the size of a brick out house ;)
It does have it's merits on occassion!! ;D
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;D ;D
Nah he will get a stinger when he gets back to depot - not a superdrug employee there apparently contracted in so hopefully unemployed for christmas and he can think of "what might have happened" if the driver behind was not 101% concentrating, perhaps older with slower reactions or perhaps an inexperienced driver.
lol Thanks for the offer though Ross ;) :D
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Good for you Mark :y The bully boy tactics that some lorry drivers use on motorways is a major cause of so many accidents and should be addressed.
QFT.
I personally hate it when you get lorries and artic's overtaking each other on dual carriageways. They take about a week and 200 miles to get past each other! Now that should be against the law IMO. No lorries in the outside lanes at any time (except when the other one or two have been shut off for whatever reason).
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Good for you Mark :y The bully boy tactics that some lorry drivers use on motorways is a major cause of so many accidents and should be addressed.
QFT.
I personally hate it when you get lorries and artic's overtaking each other on dual carriageways. They take about a week and 200 miles to get past each other! Now that should be against the law IMO. No lorries in the outside lanes at any time (except when the other one or two have been shut off for whatever reason).
It works in Europe (Belguim?)
Dual carraigeways? They even use 3 lanes when there's 4 of the bloody things! >:(
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You could always report the truck through the "hows my driving?" number as well just to stuff him up good and proper.
I doubt ringing those numbers does any good though, otherwise truck drivers with the stickers attached to their vehicles would drive better through fear of losing jobs.
I personally can't stand the attitude a lot of truck drivers have to other road users. Had one last night just drive out in front of me on a roundabout on the A1. It was clear behind me, but he just couldn't wait.
I prefer passive resistance. If a car is tailgating me, I wash my windscreen (and his too) and they always back off (for some reason the prospect of getting your window wet is worse than the danger of smashing into the back of another car!), with trucks I just pull in front and gradually slow down. They hate it! Then when it looks like they'll overtake you, gradually speed up. Do it a couple of times and they start to get irate. I can then speed off knowing that with a combination of me and his fifth bacon butty of the day, he's that bit closer to a heart attack!
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I prefer passive resistance. If a car is tailgating me, I wash my windscreen (and his too) and they always back off (for some reason the prospect of getting your window wet is worse than the danger of smashing into the back of another car!),
Sweet! Gonna have to try that sometime!!! ;D
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I prefer passive resistance. If a car is tailgating me, I wash my windscreen (and his too) and they always back off (for some reason the prospect of getting your window wet is worse than the danger of smashing into the back of another car!),
Sweet! Gonna have to try that sometime!!! ;D
This is especially effective with convertibles with the lid down ::)
I was nearly run off the road myself yesterday - by a hyundai getz! With what must have been the biggest blind spot in history, the standard horns, 3 x air horns and lights blaring seemed to do the trick, he looked so sheepish as he drifted back to his own lane and apologised.
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Pick on Truck drivers day is it.
Whilst i sympathise with Markiec and this situation i ask you dont tar every truck driver with the same brush.
As an LGV driver myself i agree that there are idiot drivers out there, Truck, Bus, Car or Cyclists.
But, what most car drivers do not realise is drivers of large vehicles need to command their side of the road and sometimes part of the other side of the road. This being not to take out lamposts, bus shelters, signs and of course pedestrians. You tell me where is the common sense of a car driver racing a truck to the next set of lights and then suddenly pulling in in front of the truck causing the braking distance to be considerably shorter which in turn is making stopping the truck harder. Also trying to sneak past a truck on rounabouts up the inside and then blaming the truck driver for naerly cutting him up. On the motorway or dual carrigeway a car staying on the outside or middle lane not keeping up to speed making it an offence to undertake. You see car drivers are to blame also.
Drivers moan about trucks but dont appreciate that if they were not on the road making early starts to get your supplies to the shops, garages etc you would all be moaning that your essential bit for your Omega is not in stock.
Im just putting this point over for all us truck drivers and not having a go at anyone so please bare this in mind whilst reading this. As i am unemployed at this moment and looking for work i dont agree with a driver getting the sack before xmas or any time, there are many ways of dealing with idiot drivers not making sure they are sacked for xmas. Things are hard enough without losing your income for the sake of a severe reprimand.
At the end of the day this time no injuries, rant over..
Spongebob.
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Pick on Truck drivers day is it.
Whilst i sympathise with Markiec and this situation i ask you dont tar every truck driver with the same brush.
As an LGV driver myself i agree that there are idiot drivers out there, Truck, Bus, Car or Cyclists.
But, what most car drivers do not realise is drivers of large vehicles need to command their side of the road and sometimes part of the other side of the road. This being not to take out lamposts, bus shelters, signs and of course pedestrians. You tell me where is the common sense of a car driver racing a truck to the next set of lights and then suddenly pulling in in front of the truck causing the braking distance to be considerably shorter which in turn is making stopping the truck harder. Also trying to sneak past a truck on rounabouts up the inside and then blaming the truck driver for naerly cutting him up. On the motorway or dual carrigeway a car staying on the outside or middle lane not keeping up to speed making it an offence to undertake. You see car drivers are to blame also.
Drivers moan about trucks but dont appreciate that if they were not on the road making early starts to get your supplies to the shops, garages etc you would all be moaning that your essential bit for your Omega is not in stock.
Im just putting this point over for all us truck drivers and not having a go at anyone so please bare this in mind whilst reading this. As i am unemployed at this moment and looking for work i dont agree with a driver getting the sack before xmas or any time, there are many ways of dealing with idiot drivers not making sure they are sacked for xmas. Things are hard enough without losing your income for the sake of a severe reprimand.
At the end of the day this time no injuries, rant over..
Spongebob.
I don't think anyone on here was insinuating that all truck drivers are bad - as I said in my post, some truck drivers. Also, it was more to do with motorway incidents whereby some truck drivers just pull out on cars (sometime with no indication) when there is little or no gap to pull into causing you to break heavily or swerve, often resulting in a bad accident. I've been driving for some 35 years and drove for a living for about 20 years, and consider myself a reasonably good and considerate driver, but I've had this sort of thing happen to me on so many occassions that I've lost count. Indeed there are good truck drivers out there but it's the bad one's that everyone remembers. I also totally agree there are some appalling car (and van) drivers out there too, but these aren't quite so threatening or intimidating as a 40 ton articulated truck when driven badly.
Thats my rant over and done with :-X
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I have to agree with Bob, I will if safe to do so change lanes and flash the indicating vehicle that is coming down a slip road or wanting to overtake. But the amount of LGVs that just pull out knowing that you will have to brake hard or swerve to avoid an accident so they dont loose that little bit of extra momentum they have on the vehicle infront is unacceptable
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Hit the nail on the head. Too many truck drivers seem to think that if they manouvre, everyone else will move out of their way. Its just annoying to me as I used to drive everyday on motorways and expected it, but how many people drive along the motorway either following the rules or half asleep (not condoning it, it's just reality!) or with little motorway experience and end up under their wheels.
There are some excellent truck drivers out there. They seem to be getting rarer though!
Funny enough, I'm, sure the vehicle you drive has some impact on the treatment you get from trucks. I used to get loads of courtesy from truckers when I was driving my old Landy (maybe it was the CB aerial on the roof!). Omega gets less I've found, unless you stay just behind and leave an element of doubt that you're a pig in blanket (unmarked plod)
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pig in blanket
I thought they were sausages wrapped in bacon?
On a more serious note, I think I agree with everyone here.
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Lets all remember that the truck driver today did cause an accident and if it wasn't for Mark's dad's skill it could have been really nasty.
If this guy owes his livelyhood to his skill and judgement on the road, then in my opinion 1 avoidable incident is 1 too many.
We all make mistakes but not at the expense of others lives - and remember he didn't stop, so either he didn't notice or he didn't care.
Hope your dad's ok.
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Glad car and passengers are ok i hope he does loose his job m8
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BTW i agree with bob aswell he is absolutly right
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Markiec.
Hope you didnt think i was siding with the truck driver i was not.
Glad your father and passengers are ok.
Bob i agree with you about truck drivers pulling out on people it happens to me also. I too have been driving for 32 years and i still see idiot drivers every day of all sorts. Today a car indicated right and turned left. Typical every day occurance.
I also think that trucks should be banned from overtaking on busy times the same as in Europe. Its so much better driving in Europe.
Anyway all the ranting wont stop the idiots.
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I'm glad that all concerned in the car were ok and sincerely,hope the driver in question gets the punishment he deserves.....BUT..
Whilst there are some HGV drivers on the road that don't have the sense they were born with there are a lot of very professional drivers out there (myself included)
I started driving just under 4 years ago (when I hung up my spanners!) and in that time I have come to realise how many inconsiderate and just plain rude drivers there are on the road....and dare I say it,most of them are car drivers.
They have no idea what its like to be driving something big,no idea how long it takes to get it up to speed and more importantly NO IDEA HOW LONG IT NEEDS TO STOP >:(
I've lost count of the amount of times i've had some halfwit in his BMW come hurtling past everyone and dive in front (in my safety gap) at the last minute only to jump on the brakes and wonder why we can't stop.
I had some guy tonight fly past me at a mini round about only for him to realise he wouldn't make it out in front of the car that was coming,so he locked up....where did I go??? I had to swerve round him COZ HE DIDN'T LEAVE ME ANY ROOM >:( he then had the audacity to give me the finger as if it was my fault :o
And the drivers who blatently ignore your indicator thats been flashing for half a mile on the motorway when you're trying to get past something thats going 1mph slower than you,now I know it doesn't sound like a lot,but when you're restricted to 56mph and it takes you half a mile to get up to speed,you get some idiot not letting you out,then you lose your speed,back down the box and another half mile to get back up to speed......then they wonder why we pull out on them (and please don't think i'm condoning unsafe driving)
Its most definately every man for himself on todays roads and i'm looking out for number one....Coz i'm bigger than you down there in your car!! LMAO!!!! ;D ;D
Cheers,
Roj (Hanson Tipper driver) :y
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Firstly im glad there were no injuries with this incident
I agree with most points...ive never driven trucks but i am a coach driver with 7 years experience...i dont be any stretch of the imagination condone this driver but as has been said there are problems all around
Ive said for a while that everyone who passes their test should be made to go for a day's driving of a large vehicle to make them aware of the differences between braking distances,turning circles etc etc....might make people think about it before cutting in front of large vehicles etc
However there are many thousands of very good truck/coach drivers out there but its always the minority the lets the side down ::)
In response to a previous post..all trucks over 7.5 tonne and buses/coaches other than minibuses are not allowed in the outside lane of a 3 lane motorway...which is really annoying when the slow lane is empty and there is some tw*t in the middle lane doing 45 mph...its illegal to go into the outside lane and its illegal to undertake so what do you do?
What i do not agree with on this point is the guy loosing his job so close to Xmas......if he is that bad a driver then fine get him off the road....but to get him sacked is not just going to affect him is it?? he may have kids waiting for Xmas...so while i dont agree on his actions i also dont agree on the possibility on his kids loosing out on Xmas....its not their fault....
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...its illegal to go into the outside lane and its illegal to undertake so what do you do?....
Heard a debate on Radio 5 Live the other day and apparently its only illegal to undertake if you change lanes to do so. (for example, move from behind the slow driver in the middle lane into the left lane and pass them)
If, however, the lane you are in is travelling faster than the lanes outside of you it is perfectly within the law to pass on the "wrong" side..
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Not according to Strathclyde Police....
I came along the M8 at around 0130 one morning to find a car doing 45 mph in the middle lane with not another thing on the road......i moved to the middle hoping to get him to move...it didn't work so i moved back to the inside and went past (coaches are restricted to 62 mph) out of nowhere poped up the Police and pulled me over on the hardshoulder by pulling in front of me and physically slowing me down!
He went on about how i should know better blah blah and how it was illegal to undertake.........he was ready for booking me when i pointed out to him that it was illegal to be on a motorway without wearing a hi-vis jacket or vest and he should have used his blue lights to stop me and not by the means in which he did and he should know better!! :-?
he told me,and i quote..."get back in your bus mate and f*ck off" :o
;D
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In response to a previous post..all trucks over 7.5 tonne and buses/coaches other than minibuses are not allowed in the outside lane of a 3 lane motorway...which is really annoying when the slow lane is empty and there is some tw*t in the middle lane doing 45 mph...its illegal to go into the outside lane and its illegal to undertake so what do you do?....
Does the M62 around Halifax at 6:00 in the morning not count then? I've been behind a good few of 'em in lane 3 at that time of the morning!!
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They have no idea what its like to be driving something big,no idea how long it takes to get it up to speed and more importantly NO IDEA HOW LONG IT NEEDS TO STOP >:( .......
Does this work the other way round when your're doing 70 mph (it's all you can do on the M62 at 0600/0630 - it's not just waggon drivers that are up at 0 silly o'clock ) going west down hill on the M62 and all you can see in your mirrors is some tw4t feet from your arse end in an HGV that's freewheeling/coasting/fuse pulled from the speed limiter down the hill cos they want to gain another couple of minutes. They seem to get up set when you slow 'em down to some thing like they should already be doing.
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I never at any point said its not done!!
i merely stated that its illegal for large vehicles to be in the outside lane of a 3 lane motorway....which it is!
The speed limit on a motorway is 70 mph...doesn't mean that everyone sticks to it!
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Does this work the other way round when your're doing 70 mph (it's all you can do on the M62 at 0600/0630 - it's not just waggon drivers that are up at 0 silly o'clock ) going west down hill on the M62 and all you can see in your mirrors is some tw4t feet from your arse end in an HGV that's freewheeling/coasting/fuse pulled from the speed limiter down the hill cos they want to gain another couple of minutes. They seem to get up set when you slow 'em down to some thing like they should already be doing.
Yip your right it should't be done but again as i said its the minority that gives everyone else the bad name....
Doesn't take away the fact that it is a different braking distance no matter what the circumstances..
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Yip your right it should't be done but again as i said its the minority that gives everyone else the bad name....
Doesn't take away the fact that it is a different braking distance no matter what the circumstances..
but it seems that majority of the HGVs are coasting down that particular section of motorway and there's no way they'd stop if need be, trouble is though when it's a car that they drive over the car driver is Donald Ducked!
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i totally agree with you mate.....still cant assume everyones the same though.
I dont do it but i guess ive got up to 51 people on board...killing that amount of people by being stupid,dangerous and totally un-profesional just doesn't bear thinking about!
I can honestly say that when driving the coach full of people i dont break the law or do anything stupid like that,that would put all those people in danger!
Even when the coach is empty i still stick rigidly to the law...it does take a lot of skill and ability to handle something of that size and with my mere 7 years experience of doing it ,i consider myself to be profesional in what i do......
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this was my daily driver!
(http://snap30.photobox.co.uk/30538191c7a0caac00eb8909420341ab9f3606b7951b397c47087f93.jpg)
:)
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this was my daily driver!
(http://snap32.photobox.co.uk/852130213cecfd9255f45d00514b0967893eca4f65683d8ae1ad550b.jpg)
:)
That looks to be even less economical than my 'daily driver'.
There does seem to be a bit more delay between a coach driver's indicators and steering wheel input ie indicate AS you change lanes than there is of an HGV driver. ;)
20 odd years ago ( :-?) when coaches were legally allowed in the outside lane of motorways we (a coach load of matelots) were travelling from 'Guz' to 'Pompy' we were travelling at really silly speeds - 100mph +) untill the driver realised that we knew how fast we we going. He slowed down some what after that! ;D ;D
PS How about a photo of your cars that pre-date all the electrickery sh1te that has to endured on the Omega (MONZA!)
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Coach is a 12 litre....think they do about 11/12 mpg!! :o
Monza's!! good old 6 pot cam in head...best all round engine GM (europe) ever made!!
(http://snap32.photobox.co.uk/1256331567a60488b165fb80335817c0ad0330203a02f86a7c312d40.jpg)
(http://snap31.photobox.co.uk/57810975812744110a61fe7805b1d59b3380c29f1a64a840c88f19d6.jpg)
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......
They have no idea what its like to be driving something big,no idea how long it takes to get it up to speed and more importantly NO IDEA HOW LONG IT NEEDS TO STOP >:( .......
Does this work the other way round when your're doing 70 mph (it's all you can do on the M62 at 0600/0630 - it's not just waggon drivers that are up at 0 silly o'clock ) going west down hill on the M62 and all you can see in your mirrors is some tw4t feet from your arse end in an HGV that's freewheeling/coasting/fuse pulled from the speed limiter down the hill cos they want to gain another couple of minutes. They seem to get up set when you slow 'em down to some thing like they should already be doing.
I had an artic pass me in the outside lane of the M6 a little while ago,all because white van man in the inside lane thought it'd be a good idea to play the old 'speed up,slow down' trick. I was gobsmacked coz I know that we're not allowed in the 3rd lane :o
Check their plates mate,coz i'd put a bacon sarnie on it that they're Johny Foreigners or Paddys....they seem to have thier own set of rules ::)
Anyway,i'm off to work,got a load of granite to deliver!!!
Laters
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;D ;D
Nah he will get a stinger when he gets back to depot - not a superdrug employee there apparently contracted in so hopefully unemployed for christmas and he can think of "what might have happened" if the driver behind was not 101% concentrating, perhaps older with slower reactions or perhaps an inexperienced driver.
lol Thanks for the offer though Ross ;) :D
My twopenneth for what its worth ...... we are all condeming the guy without hearing his side good or bad and then what about his family are'nt they allowed a decent christmas !!!
I personally think the main culprit is superdrug for employing agency workers instead of there own as the saying goes "if you pay peanuts you get monkeys working for you"
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No one is hurt, no damage to the vehicle. Thanks for the concerm folks :y
Some key points from reading through the thread
The move was a horrendous one with no considoratin for others.Dad being 25 years in Traffic Police probably saved this from being serious. He was doing in excess of 60 on a 70mph. So there is this drivers first problem - wheres his restrictor.
Secondly my old man was actually FORCED off the road. Luckily the central reservation was a wide one with no lip or he would have collided with barrier or mounted a kerb - who knows what next....
Thirdly the guy carried on regardless speeding and weaving in and out the traffic in excess of the speed on a notorious road, in the dark and in the heavy rain we had. An absolute lunatic!!
So sorry.... this guys is condemed and whilst i appreciate it may spoil his christmas i really dont give a dam, frankly he nearly wasted mine my wifes and my sons :( For my dad to call 999 tells me enough as to how serious this is. As an ex cop he wouldnt do this on a whim and he does not panic.
Ive followed the proper process to report him internally - its now up to his superiors to deal with. My hunch is that our policy on weekly paid, contracted staff is he will be released as we have no contractual obligations ( i use that term loosley) that is frankly his problem - we all have to from time to time face the consequences of our actions. Lets face it had a collision occured at that speed being sacked would have been the least of his problems - he would be facing jail.
However carless and reckless driving happens in trucks, in omegas :o by men, by women and even by police cars so guys lets not stereotype anyone APART from bad/ dangerous drivers. there are good considorate truck drivers out there.
However this guy consistantly abused his power - oh and lets be honest on the face of Tuesdays weather would anyone assume he had never done this before?
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Glad all are OK Markiec.
I'm sure nobody here wants to see anyone out of a job at this time of year but as a shop steward I can assure you from personal experience that there are people out there who seem hell bent on putting themselves in that situation no matter what.
The actions of this driver cannot be condoned by anyone, and we need to ask ourselves what if the next time he does something so stupid the other driver isn't as well trained/alert/experienced as Markiec's dad and it leads to a fatality. I'm sure nobody would want that on their conscience so his poor driving skills need to be reported to his depot management to be investigated.
Working for a distribution company myself our approach in the case of complaint or multiple accidents in a short period is to assess the driver, kind of an all day driving test which if failed results in the individual being banned from driving company vehicles until they have been given training to correct their faults by a member of the company's driver training team.
Hopefully this guy will be taught to drive safely before he ends up ruining his or someone else's lives with such stupid behaviour.