Time for a rant...
Ploughing my way up the M6 just north of J36 tonight, I came across a STUPID FOREIGN LORRY DRIVER in his 38T artic driving in the outside (3rd) lane of the M6.
Typically, he was trying to pass Mr 40MPH HGV in lane 2, who was overtaking Mr 39.9MPH HGV in lane 1, whilst going up a very long hill.
How damn ignorant can you get ?
How the hell can foreign lorry drivers get THAT far away from Dover without realising they aren't allowed in that lane, even IF it is their first time in the UK ?????
Oh, and he even gave me a V-sign for honking and flashing him !!!
Rant over.
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I sympathise, LD. Puts me in mind of the time, on clockwise M25 going up Reigate Hill, when we all had to move right out into lane 4, because 3 jolly pranksters, driving lorries painted in the livery of a well-known chain of dairies, thought it would be funny to sit 3 abreast in lanes 1-3 all doing slightly under 40. Nearly did myself a mischief, I laughed so hard (not). Law nowhere to be seen, sadly, although I did hear later that somebody had apparently noted the reg. nos. and had a word with the depot, resulting in life being made interesting for a time for those responsible.
Gives all the sensible truckers (the majority, IME) a bad name.
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I'd have been straight on 999 to Police with his reg, I'm sure they'd have been interested in pulling him and inspecting his tachograph records at least.
PP
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PP,
I don't think Plod would appreciate a 999 call being used to report a trucker committing a traffic offence.
Then again, I may be wrong.
Kevin...
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I'm sure they won't appreciate a 999 call, but if you're on the Surrey section of the M25, their number is 0845 125 2222.
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Well, as it is totally impractical to know the local number for every force area that you may be travelling through on the motorway network, I think reporting an HGV using lane three is quite acceptable via 999, after all, it is a complaint regarding the manner of driving of another road user, which ultimately could lead to an accident.
I have, in the past, reported several episodes of horrendous driving and also numerous pieces of debris on the motorway network, all by 999, and at no time have any police control room told me that I am wrong in doing so, in fact I have been thanked for informing them.
PP
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As PP says, the only way to contact the motorway police is thru 999. Just ask for the motorway police, and due to the wonders of mobile technology the operator will know exactly where you are and put you through to the correct ops center.
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So what do you say about the British driver in a Freelander merrily ploughing up lane 3 of the M1 last Saturday towing a box trailer? He pulled back to the middle, I overtook him moved back to the middle and had to slow due to traffic. Looked in my mirror to move to lane 3 and who was there? Yup Mr Freelander doing about 85 mph - nutter.
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I have observed over the past ten years the growing number of Balkan truckers on the motorways quite happily staying in the centre lane and not using the left lane at all, possibly because the roads at home are such that they tend to drive in the middle of the road anyway.
They are often to be seen parked nose to tail on the exit slip roads of the motorway service stations as they can’t, or won’t pay the parking fee to sleep over.
I have actually seen the police waking them up and moving them on – probably to the next rest stop!!
Bad driving behaviour is seldom curtailed and usually causes other drivers to feel “if you can’t beat’em, join’em”, thus we get a downward spiral resulting in traffic jams without apparent cause, slow moving traffic in bunches with long stretches of clear road between the bunches, and nutters with a death wish darting in and out as they please.
We just need to be more alert than ever and allow everbody else more safety space.
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....er but surely you aren't allowed to use your cellphone on the move? I can't imagine many drivers bothering to pull off at the next stop, find a working phone, delay themselves etc etc....
Ironic to do a citizen's patrol goodie act, only to get a ticket later from the ops centre.....
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Emergency use is specifically excluded from the new regs. Although whether this is quite an emergency is questionable.
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Full handsfree cradle, not the type that cost £10 and clip onto the air vent, but a nokia one, integrated with the radio, voice operated.
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Can vouch for the effectiveness of this kit, I used my bluetooth kit once to report a car on fire next to my street, after one push of the button and speaking "999" into the mic I was connected to the control room. Fantastic bit of kit. :-)
Blue
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