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[STEMO]

Just watching a road rescue programme on telly. I would not do what you do for all the money in the world. Changing an offside wheel on the hard shoulder in the dark, pissing with rain, freezing cold. Suicide. My heart is in my mouth just watching.
Surely, for your own safety, you should try to hook it up and off the motorway before changing the wheel.

[Lazydocker]

Sometimes that isn't possible, especially if you're only in a Patrol van

[STEMO]

Sometimes that isn't possible, especially if you're only in a Patrol van

Just watched an RAC patrolman try to drag a two tonne 4x4 out of a ditch with a FWD VW van. It didn't work 



Back to the point. There has to be a better way. F****d if I'd put my life on the line for the sake of a quick fix on the hard shoulder.

[Lazydocker]

Sometimes that isn't possible, especially if you're only in a Patrol van

Just watched an RAC patrolman try to drag a two tonne 4x4 out of a ditch with a FWD VW van. It didn't work 



Back to the point. There has to be a better way. F****d if I'd put my life on the line for the sake of a quick fix on the hard shoulder.

That's why it's important people pay attention to flashing amber lights

[zirk]

Yep must admit last time I had a OS puncture on the M25 parked up on the Hard Shoulder, remember thinking FuŁk that I'll call the AA thats what I pay for, fully expecting to get lifted off the Motorway.

As most know can be quiet scary with the noise and Trucks blasting past only feet away. AA man turned up, trolley jack under car arms and legs almost dangle ling over the white line, 

Dont know how they cope with it now, with no Hard Shoulder anymore, or what would happen if the recovery guy refused to get involved with the repair. 

 

[Nick W]

Just watching a road rescue programme on telly. I would not do what you do for all the money in the world. Changing an offside wheel on the hard shoulder in the dark, pissing with rain, freezing cold. Suicide. My heart is in my mouth just watching.
Surely, for your own safety, you should try to hook it up and off the motorway before changing the wheel.

That was our policy, unless there was a bloody good reason not to. That usually meant that the car was too low to load on the truck without a lot of time-consuming extra work.


I rarely had more than a quick look at the fault on a hard shoulder, and that was to decide if it was worth stopping somewhere safer and trying to repair. But you rarely fix modern cars at the side of the road.


You missed it being the 15th job of the day, 20 hours into the shift.


I don't miss it


There is a good case for not changing your own wheel, but if you know it's going to go smoothly(no locking wheel nuts, proper wheel brace, adequately inflated spare, working jack - things we've all checked recently right?), then I would suggest that doing it is safer than waiting.

[Nick W]

Yep must admit last time I had a OS puncture on the M25 parked up on the Hard Shoulder, remember thinking FuŁk that I'll call the AA thats what I pay for, fully expecting to get lifted off the Motorway.

As most know can be quiet scary with the noise and Trucks blasting past only feet away. AA man turned up, trolley jack under car arms and legs almost dangle ling over the white line, 

Dont know how they cope with it now, with no Hard Shoulder anymore, or what would happen if the recovery guy refused to get involved with the repair. 

The recovery guy is trained not to even stop if it's too dangerous.


Other things to consider:
you would be amazed the number of  'lone women' who had 3 passengers. Not helpful when the job's been given priority, and we've rushed a truck with two seats there.
How the opps can you not know where you are/which direction you're travelling on a motorway?
Answer your phone!!!!!!!!!
Giving the correct car details is important.
When asked what happened, we don't want to know the car's entire history since you bought it 7 years ago.

[Lazydocker]

Yep must admit last time I had a OS puncture on the M25 parked up on the Hard Shoulder, remember thinking FuŁk that I'll call the AA thats what I pay for, fully expecting to get lifted off the Motorway.

As most know can be quiet scary with the noise and Trucks blasting past only feet away. AA man turned up, trolley jack under car arms and legs almost dangle ling over the white line, 

Dont know how they cope with it now, with no Hard Shoulder anymore, or what would happen if the recovery guy refused to get involved with the repair. 

The recovery guy is trained not to even stop if it's too dangerous.


Other things to consider:
you would be amazed the number of  'lone women' who had 3 passengers. Not helpful when the job's been given priority, and we've rushed a truck with two seats there.
How the opps can you not know where you are/which direction you're travelling on a motorway?
Answer your phone!!!!!!!!!
Giving the correct car details is important.
When asked what happened, we don't want to know the car's entire history since you bought it 7 years ago.

Still playing the same tricks as years ago aren't they!

[Lazydocker]

Just watching a road rescue programme on telly. I would not do what you do for all the money in the world. Changing an offside wheel on the hard shoulder in the dark, pissing with rain, freezing cold. Suicide. My heart is in my mouth just watching.
Surely, for your own safety, you should try to hook it up and off the motorway before changing the wheel.

That was our policy, unless there was a bloody good reason not to. That usually meant that the car was too low to load on the truck without a lot of time-consuming extra work.


I rarely had more than a quick look at the fault on a hard shoulder, and that was to decide if it was worth stopping somewhere safer and trying to repair. But you rarely fix modern cars at the side of the road.


You missed it being the 15th job of the day, 20 hours into the shift.


I don't miss it


There is a good case for not changing your own wheel, but if you know it's going to go smoothly(no locking wheel nuts, proper wheel brace, adequately inflated spare, working jack - things we've all checked recently right?), then I would suggest that doing it is safer than waiting.

To be fair, I had a puncture (proper blow out actually) on the M4 on the way home from Wales at just before midnight... Wife, 2 sleeping kids and the dog on board. Stopped for a quick assessment, then drove a mile slowly to a safer (long straight) location despite the potential to trash an 18" Sport Star, before changing it. Mrs LD was dispatched to call motorway control from the emergency box whilst I pulled the tools and spare out. They agreed that it was probably safer to leave the kids asleep as they were watching on the camera. Offered to send a unit but said it would probably be about 15 minutes so I told them not to bother as we would be gone.

But I know my equipment (no locking nuts, 3' breaker bar) only thing I didn't have was a trolley jack or space for the knackered wheel but I rammed it in somehow!

It was, fortunately, the N/S and I was well over on the shoulder (over the gutter!) but I was still acutely aware of the risk. Having done it for years you get very good at looking along the road as well as at what you're doing

[omega2018]

put out your warning triangle 100m away on the hard shoulder.  then a truck will hit it first and might wake up. 

having said that highway code says never use them on motorways but I think they mean never in the carriageway?

[Nick W]

100m is the recommended distance, although it seems a bit too far for me. Try and park the car at a slight angle, pointing at the verge if you can.


And you should never wait in the car.

[Lazydocker]

100m is the recommended distance, although it seems a bit too far for me. Try and park the car at a slight angle, pointing at the verge if you can.


And you should never wait in the car.

Agreed. However, it was weighing up the possible risks and deemed the safer option, even by the operator on the end of the emergency phone.

[Nick W]

100m is the recommended distance, although it seems a bit too far for me. Try and park the car at a slight angle, pointing at the verge if you can.


And you should never wait in the car.

Agreed. However, it was weighing up the possible risks and deemed the safer option, even by the operator on the end of the emergency phone.

That wasn't aimed at you, as getting two small children out of, and back into their seats would have taken you longer than the wheel change. Which means you're all in a dangerous situation for longer than necessary.

[Lazydocker]

100m is the recommended distance, although it seems a bit too far for me. Try and park the car at a slight angle, pointing at the verge if you can.


And you should never wait in the car.

Agreed. However, it was weighing up the possible risks and deemed the safer option, even by the operator on the end of the emergency phone.

That wasn't aimed at you, as getting two small children out of, and back into their seats would have taken you longer than the wheel change. Which means you're all in a dangerous situation for longer than necessary.

Indeed. Especially as they were dressed for bed (and I was in shorts!). I was just clarifying for other readers that there are circumstances where it makes sense, although not many.