hello all, just thought i would ask for a general overview from all you motorists out there on roadworks.
I am a tree surgeon and we recently had cause to take down a large roadside ash tree. we used traffic control to ensure the saftey of passing motorists, however the level of verbal abuse we had was amazing. the work was crucial to road saftey and we worked as fast as we could to minimise disrution .
any thoughts peeps?
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There have been other threads discussing roadworks and road closures. I recall that the opinion was the people didn't like main roads being coned off for a week for a few hours work to be done. The work you describe seems perfectly reasonable and I guess you got the abuse from some members of the large underclass of mannerless oafs who seem to populate this country and who have no manners, style or taste! That is a lot of people!
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i think you have hit the nail on the head , one driver ignored the fact both sets of lights were at red as we dropped a huge limb onto the road, he assumed his lights would change as opposite trafic was stoped, he could have been killed!!!
he pulled up and told us he would call the police , i pointed out jumping a red light is illegal, and we had 400 200 and 50 yd warnings, we had followed our duty of care,he drove off angry and confused, taking our cones out as he did.
the tree had caused 5 fatal accidents in the last three years, ironicly its removal almost caused fatality number 6!
i dont spend much time on roadside works, and do understand the frustration caused by poorley planned(and manned) roadworks, we worked fast and kept disruption to a minimum ( taking down lights at lunch time etc etc) whay is the world in such a hurry?
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It's about on a par with those motorists who get all het up if they have to wait for a minute or two when a lollipop man or lady stops traffic to let children and their parents cross the road safely.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Never had a problem with tree guys. They seem to work fast and clear up after.
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wow, cheers renault family, a refreshing way to restore my faith in society.
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"he pulled up and told us he would call the police"
You should have let him!
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There are always some idiots who think that the world revolves around them and consiquently everyone else should get out of their way.
The majority of motorists, I believe, are fine about roadworks as long as they can see work being done. It's lanes being coned off unneccessarily that riles us. A day of cones here and there to do valueable work is no problem, as is 3 months of lane closures on a motorway as long as it's worth it. But coning off a section of rush-hour M6 to park a Transit in isn't ok.
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Particularly if it has Plod-U-Like in it with a Kodak!
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however the levelof verbal abuse we had was amazing. the work was crucial to road saftey and we worked as fast as we could to minimise disrution .
Funny how when you put some people in a metal box on wheels they become agressive and can wait for nothing or no one. That very same person may well stand to one side out of coutesy when on foot and without the 'protection' of the 'suit of amour' Driving to work this morning I passed roadworks where a trench was being dug on one side of the road. The traffic lights had packed up - assume over week-end. No one trying to fix it as far as I could see. It was chaos - no one was prepared to wait and cars were trying to pass on the same single side with out giving way. Cones knocked out of way, horns going, gestures, scowls etc.
I can't even add that is a 'man' thing as the mums on the school run were getting into the spirit also.
Surely all roadworks are essential and even if you are doing something to make the road safer you are often still seen as a nuisance!
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yes i suppose its just the spirit of the age. oh well!!
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Tree surgeons are OK. Without tree surgeons I would still have two 50 ft sycamores in my garden.
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L\'escargot.
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yes i suppose its just the spirit of the age. oh well!!
Sadly it is worse than that. Whatever you do you are vulnerable.
A few days ago at temporary traffic lights at a road junction I had aggro. I was 1st to go on the green, turned right into the single lane but was then met by the contractors dumper truck driving towards me. I stopped, waited for him to complete his bit.
I set off again only to get to the end of restriction as the lights turned green for the reverse flow. A charming couple of females then drove directly at me. Of course I was totally in the wrong so she would not move over etc. etc. Foolishly I had the window open to suggest she move over. Yes I got a tirade of abuse and water from a bottle thrown at me.
We have lots of tree surgeons dealing with large trees and extensive pollarding along urban roads. I have seen these stupid impatient irks ignoring safety in my area.
You are trying your best so please ignore them as it is no use conversing with em.
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Somewhat off topic.
A mate of mine was travelling on a double-decker down a straight road in Oxford. The road had parking such that 15 or so cars were parallel parked on the other side of the road. Bus, proceeds forward pass these cars on his right. No traffic was coming the other way. Just as he is about to pass the penultimate car, a pick-up truck pulls out into the path of the bus which slams on the brakes. Verbal insults insue, with the truck driver ordering the bus out the way as he's "fed up" with having to put up with waiting for buses pushing and shoving their way around town. Eventually, with the prospect of waiting for Police to arrive, and with a timetable to keep to, the bus concedes and reverses all the way down the road, cars queued up behind passing on the verge as it went!
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Mike Farrow
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Somewhat off topic.
Just as he is about to pass the penultimate car, a pick-up truck pulls out into the path of the bus which slams on the brakes. Verbal insults insue, with the truck driver ordering the bus out the way as he's "fed up"
I've had similar in my car, the most recent one being last month where a woman pulled out of her drive into my path, and then expected me and the car behind to reverse back onto the main road.
I did as I have done twice before. I got out of my car, locked it, and sat on the bonnet of the car, telling her that I was in no hurry to get to my destination.
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I know how you feel about impatient motorists. You have a job to do and are trying to do it as fast and effeciently as possible, besides looking out for the safety of others.
My experience was somewhat similar back in October 1987 after the hurricane. At my parent's house we had lost about an acre of mature trees that were up to 100 feet tall. 4 of these trees had fallen over the road. Once the winds had died down (I had been up most of the night watching the trees coming down), I made an effort to make the road passable. There is always one person who rubs you up the wrong way. At the time I was sitting astride a large scots pine trunk (about 2 foot in diameter) that was about 8 feet horizontally above the road. Using a large chain saw just in front of my knees I was lopping 2 foot lengths off the trunk, for other people to move out of the way. Instead of being thanked for clearing the trees, I got verbal abuse because he was going to be late for work. All the other drivers and neighbours soon gave him a few choice comments before he returned quietly to his car.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to add to the thread.
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sp30, no you don't annoy me. So long as there's work going on and it's considerate - don't keep me there half an hour, well 15 mins, well 5, well...
John
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When I lived in London I used to know a dustman who reckoned one mouthful of abuse and threats per day was par for the course. And nearly always from some well heeled high achiever in a quality car.
I would have been tempted to empty the bins in an unorthodox fashion, but these types nearly always pick on someone whose job is at risk if they respond. You see the same people in Tesco's shouting at the checkout girls.
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Roadworks are a necessary evil. The gangs wrking on them are usually professional and polite IMO.
Hovever, there are a set or roadworks near me that do annoy me, well actually it's the contractors, who don't seem to believe in effective traffic control.
Both ends of the works have lights controlling them, but the sideroad joining in the middle does not. Hence drivers are allowed to enter from the side road with impunity causing delays half way down the road works meaning cars on green at the other end have to wait, or worse, coming face to face with contolled traffic.
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hello all, just thought i would ask for a general overview from all you motorists out there on roadworks. I am a tree surgeon and we recently had cause to take down a large roadside ash tree. we used traffic control to ensure the saftey of passing motorists, however the level of verbal abuse we had was amazing. the work was crucial to road saftey and we worked as fast as we could to minimise disrution . any thoughts peeps?
I wouldn't take it personally. There are some very aggressive and obnoxious drivers on the roads. I've been amazed at the level of verbal abuse I've had for no good reason. Apparently they are decent people when not in a car. For some reason when they get in a car, they are incapable of thinking beyond the end of their nose. I'm sure most people appreciate the sort of work you do.
Leif
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No Sp you don't annoy me but what does annoy me is those who set up temporary traffic lights and don't keep an eye on traffic flows so that wrong setting of the lights results in a huge queue one way and no queue the other way, or lights set so that only about three cars get through on green and there is a five minute wait while both are on red.
Actually I watched with admiration the other day some tree surgeons up a huge beech working with incredible skill (and bravery!!) with chain saws and all the correct safety harnesses etc and a big chipper thing without disrupting traffic about 20 feet away. Where are you by the way, I have some huge horrible cupressus things and sycamore that need removing and I'm not brave enough to go up the 20 feet to cut them back - and every year they add another 2 feet which makes it even less likely that I'll go up there! (Tree surgeon needed in E Midlands!!)
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No Sp you don't annoy me Where are you by the way,
we are based in asby de la zouch (ashby arborist services) in yellow pages(derby) but reply with your e-mail addy i will send you contact details. cheers ( and thanks for the support)
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You don't annoy me at all, doing a great job helping road safety. I suppose you've got rid of the wood by now? I only ask 'cos the weather's getting chilly, and the children are shivering....
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In front of one of the schools in Bollington there is now a crossing with lights, which work every time a child presses the button. This replaces a lollipop lady who only stopped the traffic when she had a herd. Some of the car drivers gave her such foul abuse that she gave up, and no-one else could be found to take the job.
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Recently had tree surgeon local to me,Lights up, but was surprised how many drivers defied and carried on when lights changed.You chaps do a good job so I`m with you all the way.Bit that gets me is those that take no notice and take there lives into there own hands,dont think you can do much about it apart from hope someone is not in firing line as trunk/branch falls.if they do not your fault is my oppinion
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Steve
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Mystifying, isn't it? I think that's just what some people are like these days, regardless of social class. I was watching Airline or similar the other night. Late passengers had missed their flight, which left on time. They gave the girl on the desk utter hell, even though she had transferred them to the the next flight for free! I was quite amazed. Certainly explains a lot of the peculiarly "assertive" driving you see, though.
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