You notice it as soon as you go out in the white (Punto) van. The courtesy of other commercials - in particular the other vans. You`re let out from junctions by white vans, sometimes a fellow van will stop and hold up a whole line of cars, just to give you priority in a difficult situation.
There is a comradeship of eye contact and waving out - tolerance of creeping along the inside lane and never ever being carved up by another white van. It also seems `invisible`to cars, beneath their radar and attracting no snorting or any attention at all.
The `same regiment` courtesy extends to other commercials too, to some extent.
Pop out in the other, car version of the Punto though and there`s a marked difference - it seems to be visible in the pecking order of cars and no longer a comrade to commercials.
The odd neck turns in traffic with the old Punto car and you occasionally detect that supercilious little lip curl of self satisfaction of being embedded , commode-esque, in the comfort of a `proper car`.
;)
Edited by oilrag on 11/11/2008 at 09:41
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Mere mortal drivers of ordinary cars are not as inclined to show courtesy to white vans as the large, usually unmarked, examples are often discourteous in the extreme. Often to be found embedded in the rear screen when you are in the second lane and overtaking at anything less than 90mph, charging through 30mph zones at 50mph plus, etc., etc.
Hence my brother's "schadenfreude" when the A69 was recently covered in black ice and the only "victims" in the ditch at regular intervals were, you've guessed it, large, unmarked, white vans!
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I've noted lorries be helpful (as much as is reasonable) when I tow a trailer (usually a car trailer with a car on it) behind my landrover. Never had it from white vans though.
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It's not the unmarked white vans but the ones where the original signing has been painted over that attract my attention. They're often driven by a bloke on the phone who has a sort of up-to-no-good air about him and look as though they're poorly maintained.
Wiyh apologies to all decent owners of white vans with the signage painted over.
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When I last had a bike 1980/2, you almost always got a nod of the head from other bikers. Does that still happen?
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I think it comes from the understanding that it takes a whole load of effort to wind a big van up to doing 60mph. You don't want to lose a drop of that if you can help it; and as a van driver you understand this.
I haven't really driven any of the new HDi-type engined Transits, which I guess drive much more like a car.
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I haven't really driven any of the new HDi-type engined Transits which I guess drive much more like a car.
They do indeed. Those new Transit engines are very powerful, and amazingly flexible. They don't accelerate at a rate which would be big news in a car, but they are a long ahead of the older vans.
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Your appearance here is a bit surprising NW.
Do you have a parallel life as a White Van Person (around full moon perhaps)?
I will let you know next time I need my path cleared of mimsers on the A12...
:o}
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I too have noticed this. Used to drive a variety of vans, purely for recreational reasons (stuffed full of windsurf equipment) and would get courtesy from commercial drivers. Still occassionally get it when driving our VW Transporter, when they don't realise it's a camper.
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"vans, purely for recreational reasons "
Same here.
Edited by oilrag on 11/11/2008 at 14:10
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yes very much so alive and kicking so to speak.i mean about the bikers .
Edited by harry m on 11/11/2008 at 15:05
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You notice it as soon as you go out in the white (Punto) van. The courtesy of other commercials - in particular the other vans. You`re let out from junctions by white vans sometimes a fellow van will stop and hold up a whole line of cars just to give you priority in a difficult situation. There is a comradeship of eye contact and waving out - tolerance of creeping along the inside lane and never ever being carved up by another white van. It also seems `invisible`to cars beneath their radar and attracting no snorting or any attention at all.
Yep, happens all the time, strange but true.
CBG
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I have to admit the Skoda has this feature.
Edited by Pugugly on 11/11/2008 at 21:10
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