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And the glazing company vans with the rigging on the side of the van the sticks out another 1-2 feet. Please remember when you a rushing through a narrow gap!
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Seems to me that the biggest problem posed by scruffy old vans with ladders on the top are all the bent nails and screws that pour out of the back onto the road whenever the cowboy builder owner opens the doors.
I had a smile at the misfortune of two scruffy builders at the local tip.
They had arrived in an Escort van with side and rear skirts. It was so dangerously overloaded with old bricks that it sat down at the back so there was about 3 inches of clearance between the rear skirt and the tarmac. I watched them trying to reattach said skirt after passing over the speed strips in the approach road.
Unfortunately they were not spotted en route.
I too got a puncture last month from a self tapping screw.
Local sweeper truck came down the road today but swoops around parked cars at a quite a speed so guess what, lots or road gets missed.
Oh well at least my puncture was in the tread.
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No Dosh.
Do not decry/belate the Honorable Dwight Van Drivers of this world for painting the end of their ladders etc. There is a reason for this.
By law any rearward projection over 1.07 metres and under 1.08 metres has to be made clearly visible. How this has to be done is left to the driver. The favourite in my days was a pair of undergarments etc tacked at the end.
Over 1.08 metres - a specific end marker plate with side markers at various intervals depending on the length of overhang.
(MV (Con and Use) Regs 1986, 12th Schedule Para 3 and 4)
DVD
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Ah, Monsieur Van Driver. Am all too aware of said regs as I used to regularly buzz about this fair isle of ours with a variety of Kayaks on the roof. A high-viz vest tied to the end loops seemed to do the trick.
To the specific instances referred to in my opening post; the ladders are mere stepladders with no overhang at all. It seems to be little more than posturing by the type of bounder that probably still wears mirrored Aviator sunglasses.
Hangin's too good for 'em.....
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Certain companies use the colour blue on their ladders to categorise those ladders as tested as safe and constructed of material safe for use in areas of high voltage; the standard metal ladders do not mix with lots of volts and amps!
Cockle
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Aw,don't spoil it for me!
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ND as you are aware there are hundreds of threads on this site relating to speed cameras, police cars, unmarked cars etc etc. We all know they are out to get us whatever way they can.
But when you start imagining that the guy in the knackered white transit is really a police van in disguise, or someone impersonating a police officer, I think you need to take a holiday or lie down and chill out with a nice cold beer :o)
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It has long been my ambition to be a white van man, if only for a day or so, just to see from their point of view whether all our collective prejudices are real or imagined.
Would I drive blindly out of junctions and cut up all and sundry, or would I be subjected to other drivers deliberately not letting me out because I was a WVM?
I've said here before that I really haven't found WVM's attitude any better or worse than Mrs School-Run, Miss I'm-Painting-My-Nails-As-I-Drive, or Mr Suited-And-Late-For-A-Business-Appointment.
Got to give it a try one day... ;)
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Ms. 4 wheel taking the kids to school is the worst offender.
Concentrating on the kids not the road and imbued with unshakeable moral authority because she has kids in the car that it is YOUR duty to get out of HER way.
Guess what kind of car drove in to mine and then claimed it was my fault?
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A Smart Car driven by an elderly nun?
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because she has kids in the car that itis YOUR duty to get out of HER way.
Reminds me of the sickly 'Child On Board' sign I saw the other day with the even more vomit-inducing 'Please Be Patient' underneath.
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"It has long been my ambition to be a white van man, if only for a day or so, just to see from their point of view whether all our collective prejudices are real or imagined.
Just for information HF one plod driving school used to keep a collection of odd vehicles incl HGV so that trainees could experience life from the other side of the fence.
As far as I know this useful addition to the curriculum has gone west along with the traffic budget.
I'm sure those who regularly drive a number of different type of vehicles will support my observation that one is treated differently according to the shift in 3rd party perception dependant upon the type of vehicle driven.
As an aside to the No Dosh suggestion, why not an elderly car driven by a smart nun? Or could that lead us into dangerous waters??
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I'm sure those who regularly drive a number of different type of vehicles will support my observation that one is treated differently according to the shift in 3rd party perception dependant upon the type of vehicle driven.
Oh yes. Try moving between an A class and a 911. In the A class, people are polite and let you out at junctions. In the 911 everyone expects you to drive prattishly so will never let you out or in. So, either you drive VEEERY slowly in the inside lane so that you can leave at the next but one exit, or you drive, err, as they expect you to.
On the other side of the coin, approach someone from behind in the outside lane in an A class and they stay there. Do exactly the same at the same approach speeds in the 911 and they move over.
Once, even a BMW moved over to let me past. Honestly.
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As an aside to the No Dosh suggestion, why not an elderly car driven by a smart nun? Or could that lead us into dangerous waters??
Only if you try and drive onto a ferry that isn\'t there.
A smart car indeed....
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_672857.html
And there\'s more....
coastguard.members.beeb.net/Coastguard - Poole_files/story3.htm
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There's definitely a change in the way other drivers treat one, and the way I drive, according to the vehicle.
Battered 1987 white LWB diesel transit (sadly died last year): Never any trouble at all in finding a space to get into. People always leave you space, and get out of your way.
Driving style: slow, ponderous; takes forever to reach sensible speed - would cruise at 74, eventually, so swear desperately at anybody who causes you to lose speed.
Knowing what a pig they are to get up to speed, I always give van drivers the benefit of space that saves them effort, if I can.
1983 Mercedes W123, 2.3 litre estate. I've never driven so slowly in all my life. Life is for cruising. 70 on the motorway? Certainly. Moving off from traffic lights wheels spinning? Not likely! Friendly smile to and from all and sundry, smiling at driver of classic car, always let out with cheery wave and grateful thanks.
Tired but not battered 1983 Polo, 1050 cc. People always assume you don't care, so get out of your way.
1992 Audi 100 2.3 auto goes like stink. I thought it was the autobox on the Merc that made me drive sedately, but no, this is a monster car. Seems rude not to let it have a go. And it creeps up to racing car speeds on the motorway; frighteningly quickly if you let it. Thank goodness I didn't get the 2.6 V6 version...
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>>Just for information HF one plod driving school used to keep a collection of odd vehicles incl HGV so that trainees could experience life from the other side of the fence.
>>As far as I know this useful addition to the curriculum has gone west along with the traffic budget.
That is a pity, indeed, FiF. I would love that chance to try other types of vehicles. Being unable to keep up with ND's humour, however, I will have to retire from this thread for now.
;)
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It has long been my ambition to be a white van man, if only for a day or so, just to see from their point of view whether all our collective prejudices are real or imagined.
Along a similar train of thought, I went to the pub for lunch today, and was given a lift by a friend who had borrowed her step-dad's beemer.
From my point of view, she drove no differently than she does in her own Polo, so the answer is no.
On the other hand, at a busy junction in Alderley Edge, we sat for about ten minutes because absolutely NO-ONE would let her out.
I found it quite amusing, although it did confirm that I will never own a BMW. originally this was due to the perceived attitudes of the drivers, now it's due to the perceived attitudes of other drivers due to their perceived attitudes of the drivers. Something like that anyway. (oh, and they're SO common)
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