making my way up the Hamsptead hill at 10.30 am on my pushbike , I was passed at great speed by the biggest rigid lorry possible , must have been 15 tons odd if not more. This thing nearly knocked me off the bike, and then proceeded to weave like a sports car to avoid oncoming traffic, in the process knocking branches off high trees.
I caught up with the thug at the next traffic light , began berating the moron driving the truck ( he looked the type to usually drive a one headlamp old BMW ) , but he gave me two fingers and screamed off at speed again
I noted down his reg - it was liveried and belonging to a well known firm in the soft drinks business - am still seething 3 days - this guy will kill someone.
What to do ? police won't be interested until he actually kills, I am sure. I am prepared to make a statement , but will plod just laugh me off ??
Edited by Pugugly on 15/09/2008 at 19:38
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Been there, done that (as the victim, I hasten to add.)
If it makes you feel better (it may), get in touch with regional or national head office, make a personal visit if you can. Submit your complaint.
Regional manager will then either administer a rollicking where it is due, or promise to do so and have a jolly good chuckle about you with the driver behind your back. You will never know which outcome prevails. C'est la vie.
There are all manner of childish forms of revenge involving anonymous tip offs to various official bodies, and ordering of deliveries of horse manure, mail order catalogues (kinky or just plain annoying!) But at the end of the day - life's too short, time to move on. Today you were the statue, tomorrow you'll be the pigeon.
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get in touch with regional or national head office
The best way to ensure this gets dealt with correctly is to speak to the transport manager at whichever depot the vehicle is based - for a large, well known company their head office will be able to tell you which depot from the registration number or the area the incident occurred in - because they will have an Operator's Licence which can only be held by someone of "good repute". The Operator's Licence can quite easily be revoked by a VOSA Area Traffic Commissioner for such incidents as this (or at least it will be taken note of, and brought up in any future, more serious, case), therefore it is very much in the transport manager's interest to deal with it now and prevent any recurrence.
If you don't get any joy from that, the next step would be to contact the Area Traffic Commissioner at VOSA yourself, VOSA Area Office contact details here:
tinyurl.com/6gnop3
Hth.
Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:34
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Good link, am acting on it
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the biggest rigid lorry possible must have been 15 tons odd if not more.
It depends on the number of axles. 2-axle rigid trucks can have maximum gross weight of 18000 kg (17.7 tons) whilst 4-axle rigid trucks can have a maximum gross weight of 32000 kg (31.4 tons). See tinyurl.com/5an23m
Edited by L'escargot on 15/09/2008 at 07:45
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When I enter the reg number into askmid.co.uk, it comes up as a ' Mercedes Axor 2528 LL '
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We had a problem with milk tanker drivers using our lane as a cut through, even tohough it is designated as a no-through road for HGVs. I contacted the depot where the tankers are based and eventually sent an e-mail to the traffic manager.
I promptly received a replay apologising for it's driver, assuring me that our lane was not part of their fixed route for the farms involved and promising that the driver would be reprimanded. Consequently no tanker has since used our lane.
Transport companies it seems can listen to complaints from the public and take the appropriate action, don't be reluctant to get in touch with them.
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Mr. Snail, the weathers fine this week, fold your anorak away.
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Mr. Snail the weathers fine this week fold your anorak away.
scribe, it's no good talking in riddles. You'll have to explain what you mean.
Edited by L'escargot on 15/09/2008 at 21:22
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it was liveried and belonging to a well known firm in the soft drinks business -
They may well use a contractor to supply the trucks - few big firms run their own fleets - and the driver could even be a contractor to the contactor!
What that means is the drinks company would have no hesitation in dropping the driver - there was a post on PistonHeads from a truck driver that if someone calls one of those "how's my driving" numbers and makes a complaint he automatically gets dropped for 3 days without any appeal.
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I called the company and passed the details , let's see what happens. Their customer support appeared to britvic it seriously . What was noteworthy was the driver being a bully at the wheel , but when I stopped my bike next to his truck, he waited for the lights to change before
flicking the archer's salute and speeding off ..
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When I enter the reg number into askmid.co.uk, it comes up as a ' Mercedes Axor 2528 LL '
25 tonne gross weight, 280 horsepower, LowLiner chassis.
Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:33
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My Transport Manager has the perfect answer to that scenario.
If anyone complains about any of us he makes us call them, on the office phone, with everyone else listening including him, and apologise to them profusely for our inconsiderate driving.
I've never known anyone do it twice!
Pat
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Reading the OP carefully; he was passed "at great speed" by a 6-wheeler LORRY going UP a hill, but managed to CATCH UP with the THUG at the next traffic lights?
How many Weetabix did YOU have for breakfast?;-)
Gotta ask, mate,were you either wobbling or daydreaming? Are you sure the truck didn't have to swerve to miss YOU? I personally try to give cyclists as much room as possible in my truck but it's very rare they notice me till I'm alongside them; a few years ago I used to tap the horn as specified in the Highway Code, but that got me more abuse than nods of thanks so I gave up.
If you genuinely WERE "buzzed" by the truck I apologise and no it shouldn't happen, but from my own observations many cyclists don't bother with all-round observation and also tend to weave going up hills which can catch passing drivers out.
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Harley, if you knew the road ( North End road running into Whitestone Pond ) you wouldn't be doubting me. About 250 metres up from the buzz the road narrows and comes into a mini roundabout ( no lights , he was delayed there ) where it levels out - top of the hill . Then , about 200 metres past that is a serious traffic light where the miscreant was stopped, Ist in line- and I caught up with him .
You'll be surprised at how fast a cyclist can go in short spurts. I can do over 25 mph on flat ground.
Whilst scribing , had a call on mobile this afternoon from the company concerned, asking if they can pass my number ' to the relevant department ' - I said ' with pleasure ' . Let's see
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also Harley, if this truck packs 280 bhp as somebody else alludes, what's 40 mph up a hill when empty ??
And please don't tap the horn when passing a cyclist - it can induce a coronary. At the same time I have no time for cyclists who go out at night without reflective clothing , helmets , lights , listening to their friggin' ipods . They are muppets .
and as for weaving, as a London motorist of 22 years' experience and a cyclist of about 5 , I can tell you that cyclists have to weave as only us can see the broken glass, screws , loose manhole covers, squashed squirrels and other detritus lying about 2 feet from the kerb .
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also Harley if this truck packs 280 bhp as somebody else alludes what's 40 mph up a hill when empty ??
With my anorak on, 280's a bit on the low side for 26 tonnes gross. Know that road myself from some years ago and I'd say 30's more like it, but I'll concede that when a big 'un passes you close it seems much faster than it might be.
And please don't tap the horn when passing a cyclist - it can induce a coronary.
Never used to "pip" when passing, but when I was coming up behind cyclists; especially if there's a couple of them riding abreast. In other words, using the horn for its proper purpose, as an audible warning of approach. As I said though, in recent times I've more often got shouted abuse or the archer's salute for my courtesy so I don't bother any more, sad to say. It's one example of the people in your comment below giving decent cyclists a bad name.
At the same time I have no time for cyclists who go out atnight without reflective clothing helmets lights listening to their friggin' ipods . They are muppets .
I couldn't agree more. With the advent of LED and other stuff, there's no longer any excuse whatsoever for a cyclist not to have decent lights. It's always puzzled me why parents will quite happily spend a couple of hundred quid on a decent bicycle for their kids, and then not bother with a tenner's worth of lights for it; not just kids either because this is one area where adults CAN set a good example.
I wish you safe riding; glad I don't have to cycle in London!
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The toot on the horn is a really difficult one. Possibly a lifesaver; probably "get out of my way"
If the cyclist is unaware of your presence then it can be quite welcome. OTOH if I've clocked you over the shoulder and heard an engine then a horn sounds as you get close behind it's easily interpreted as an instruction to pull in to the gutter and quite likley to get the a shouted response.
In town, with other factors in play- glass in the gutter, peds fooling on the pavement, opposing traffic and other cyclists on I-Pods a horn is inforamtion overload and that also sets off abuse or irrational swerve!
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;-D Harleyman!
Edited by scribe on 17/09/2008 at 00:17
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>>many cyclists don't bother with all-round observation and also tend to weave going up hills which can catch passing drivers out. >>
When I was being taught to drive, the instructor used to say "allow AT LEAST 6 feet when going past a cyclist to allow for wobbles etc". And I was driving a Mini, not a truck.
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