17:30 ish yesterday evening as I drove under the M42 (just past the Coleshill Highways Dept) I noticed 2 HA 4x4s parked up the restricted sliproad to the M42 north - almost far enough to be hidden, a third turned in to the same sliproad and a fourth was heading the same way a few seconds later (a total of 8 Officers).
OK they may be on a break but why all in the same place, near but not in the depot, and where they cannot get a cup of tea. . . . .
Oddly enough at this time the M6 southbound a few hundred yards away was stationary and there were problems (according to the radio) on the M6 North near Corley.
Blair's response to the petition includes the words:
"over 1000 Highways Agency Traffic Officers now help to keep motorway traffic moving."
So why were they not out on the M6 getting traffic moving? or is it just another "easy jobs for the boys" scheme
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>>"over 1000 Highways Agency Traffic Officers now help to keep motorway traffic moving."
Oh he's having a laugh. They may be helpful during an actual incident, although I have my doubts, but the rest of the time they cause total chaos - cruising up and down the motorway ((why don't they sit still and wait for a need to arise) sitting on the [police only??] humps and laybys on motorway hard-shoulders, appalling driving [2 of the idiots playing games on the M40] and just by generally getitng in the way.
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Another example of doing things on the cheap.
Traffic Officers are to road policing what PCSO's are to community policing. There to make Tony's figures look good, but ultimately ineffective, pointless and no substitute for properly trained, properly qualified, properly experienced police officers.
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and why doesn't he put 1000 more police officers on duty ? Because they cost more. And why do they cost more ? Becuase they get training and a prerequisite is a brain - seemingly both issues are avoided with the Traffic Officers. And WHY are they all driving large SUVs ?
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"why don't they sit still and wait for a need to arise"
Because they would have cold engines and one should never race a cold engine
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In this case the need had arisen but they were still sitting doing nothing!
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In this case the need had arisen but they were still sitting doing nothing!
How do they know that they're not driving away from where the need is going to be ? By driving they are putting more carsd on teh road (which Blair says is bad) by driving SUVs they're putting more pollution in the air (which Blair says is bad) and by driving things made up to look like polcie cars they're causing congestion (which Blair says is bad).
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"why don't they sit still and wait for a need to arise"
Because, annoying result that they cruise along looking like plod aside, part of their remit is to inspect the highway for damage and for debris that needs to be removed.
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Oh balls. They cruise along gossiping and strutting their hi vis jackets.. They'd only know there was something to be picked up if they ran over it.
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>>Because they would have cold engines and one should never race a cold engine
Yeah ? well by the same logic then perhaps they better trying thinking before they really need their brains.
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And will someone please explain to the other idiots on the road that;
a) they do not have the power to nick you for speeding (at least, not yet)
b) you do nto get points removed from your licence by going substantially *under* the speed limit while you are near them.
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...and that their vehicles have orange lights and police vehicles have blue ones. Not hard to spot the difference even from a very long way off.
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Even more fundamentally they have black/yellow battenburgs, plod have blue/yellow, seems to be difficult for some!
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"And will someone please explain to the other idiots on the road"
Backroomers. Just ignore them.
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Actually, the lights are only yellow when illuminated- when switched off they are clear glass, and can be confused with Police lights fairly easily. And no, I don't alter my speed for them as can spot them some way off, but then again I don't normally have to slow down for Police cars either as tend to cruise around 75-80.
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NOFM2R, would it be safe to assume you have little time for the HA? : )
They're named after a Bedford I presume.....
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Up here in Scotland, AFAIK, we don't have Highways Agency as such. However on the M8 we have "Incident Support Vehicles" that work for Amey who have the contract for maintenance on the M8, although having said that, Ibelieve the contract is more than just maintenance.
From what I have seen they are very effective. They do not use 4x4s, its all LWB Hi sided vans with fluorescent markings. They seem to do what you used to see the police do ie. wait with broken down cars, be quick on the scene with brushes etc to sweep up broken glass etc etc. When they are not doing that, they are cruising along at 50mph in inside lane.
Don't know what police think of them but my observation is that the police and them have a good working relationship.
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