Broke down recently on the A1(M) in Co Durham. Five mins later, at 7.10 am, pleasant chap stops his HA Discovery and asks me if I have help coming. I say I do - I'm told it will be an hour - and he takes my mobile number and says he'll ring in an hour and check everything's okay.
An hour later, the tow van man having been given duff info and thereby delayed by the motoring organsation, another call. Said info related, and the promise of another ring in another hour.
Just after 9 am, another ring (by which time I was in the tow van).
Very courteous, very helpful.
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They get a lot of flak from both the public and the 'old sweats' on motorway units. I've found them to be generally helpful and they certainly take a lot of the 'mundane' work off us. We have far more time for crime orientated work now. There are one or two 'wannabes' and jobsworths (as everywhere) but the vast majority just want to do a good job.
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mlf
Good to hear it as it is from the front line.
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I'm sure most of them do a good job, I just wish they'd stop closing motorways at the drop of a hat, or if someone has lost a wing mirror !
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I drive between 200 and 400 miles a day, largely motorway and I think the Highways Agency guys do a good job.
I have to chuckle though when other drivers see the hi-viz markings and slow back down to 70mph, see the words 'Highways Agency' on the bumper and then put the foot down and go back up to 90mph again
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At least if they do close the motorways temporarily, it doesn't take long to reopen it... Traffic certainly seems to move better on the motorways that I use these days?
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"I'm sure most of them do a good job, I just wish they'd stop closing motorways at the drop of a hat, or if someone has lost a wing mirror !"
Feel free to go and stand in lane 2 of a busy motorway and see what it feels like. Even small debris can cause a major incident. They (and we) do everything we can to keep the m/ways running smoothly.
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i recently went out on a highways patrol shift. and they really are like the angels of the road The amazing thing is that a lot of motorists arent in a break down service when they should be.
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Have you reported your good experience feedback to the relevant people?
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>>>>Feel free to go and stand in lane 2 of a busy motorway and see what it feels like. Even small debris can cause a major incident
I agree entirely.
On the few occasions when I have stopped on the hard shoulder it is quite scary when other vehicles are going 70mph+ faster than you.
Add on to that the distraction of an accident (or even so much as a set of orange flashing lights, let alone blue ones) to those drivers and it is potentially lethal.
I guess rubbernecking is instinctive and we have all done it but it just causes more accidents, more delays and more frustration
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I meant to add earlier (about getting the motorways open quicker after a temp closure), that it is easier for HA Officers to clear debris up as you often find them 'hunting in packs'. whereas the Police are often much rarer to find more than one on a stretch (no offence MLC - its since the budget cuts I guess .. have resulted in less obvious marked motorway police vehicles)
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