Bin lorry driver

[HR17]

At around 8 ish this morning, I turned at the end of our road to be met by one of Dudley Council's finest bin lorries. Being driven by a guy with a mug of something in his hand. While he seemed to be managing ok with one hand occupied with a cuppa, I couldn't help but think what a f*&%ing idiot he was. It reminded me of the story in the news this week about a bus driver caught reading a book while he drove. He got sacked apparently, so I'm not sure whether I should ring the council and mention the above..........

 

[Colin_b]

At around 8 ish this morning, I turned at the end of our road to be met by one of Dudley Council's finest bin lorries. Being driven by a guy with a mug of something in his hand. While he seemed to be managing ok with one hand occupied with a cuppa, I couldn't help but think what a f*&%ing idiot he was. It reminded me of the story in the news this week about a bus driver caught reading a book while he drove. He got sacked apparently, so I'm not sure whether I should ring the council and mention the above..........

Have you put the video on youtube, that helps. Its probably a subcontractor, anyway, who will deny everything...

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

I saw someone brushing their teeth while driving down my road today.. and it's no minor road..

anyway this mght raise a chuckle:

 

[219]

I followed a guy who was driving a '10' reg W221 S350 CDI along the M8 at about 8 o'clock this morning .

Speed was an almost constant 70 mph in busy traffic , lane 3 all the way from Glasgow Airport , where I came on behind him , to the Stepps exit at the opposite side of Glasgow : all the way the driving was erratic as he was preoccupied with something he was reading/doing with head cocked down towards the passenger seat/centre console with only an occasional glance upwards towards the road every 5 seconds or so , then back to the obviously more important task of whatever he was doing . During the several miles I followed him , he weaved left and right , straddling into lane two numerous times and crossing the rumble strip on the right , often with sudden and erratic course corrections ; at other times there was sudden braking as he realised he was closing on traffic ahead . When he eventually decided he was leaving the motorway and moved over , I drew alongside and tooted to get his attention , making a gesture of exasperation 'what are you playing at ???' only to be met with a blank 'glaikit' expression ......

Hope I don't see him again , and hope it wasn't anyone on here .

 

[HR17]

I see people texting or talking on their fones every day and it drives me mad. Especially when they're obviously weaving in front of you, or so close behind you that you can't see their lights. I often email or ring the company if its a van or truck with a name and number on it to make a point.

 

[AANDYY]

Bin lorry

Yes, call it in, you could be adding to the list of other calls.

 

[d w124]

I saw someone brushing their teeth while driving down my road today.. and it's no minor road..

anyway this mght raise a chuckle:

Was it Mr Been?lol

 

[neilrr]

Why do all car manufacturers now routinely fit cup holders if drinking a non alcoholic drink is viewed as such a heinous crime?

Personally, I think it's not a big deal.

 

[markmifsud]

Article in todays paper about the police in Devon & Cornwall catching truckers on film cooking on a mini stove whilst they drive lol

 

[Druk]

He got sacked apparently, so I'm not sure whether I should ring the council and mention the above..........

Seriously: could you live with yourself if you did report the guy and then subsequently discovered he'd been sacked as a result? It's only really a minor transgression after all and something we're all guilty of at some stage in life. With the cutbacks councils are looking for any excuse to dump staff.
Good discussion point but not worth a sacking however I do consider phoning a much more serious matter. IMHO.

 

[Navy Boy]

I agree ref the drinking not being as serious but this is perhaps the only way of getting the message through to such people.

I recently had a stand-up argument with a contractor driving along with on the mobile whilst driving around the Royal Navy base where I work. Because I got really wound up with him in front of other civvie contractors guess who got reported to the RN Police and is still being investigated...

Yep, me!

Still, if it makes him think twice before doing it again then I've achieved my aim.

 

[Iain]

Seriously: could you live with yourself if you did report the guy and then subsequently discovered he'd been sacked as a result? It's only really a minor transgression after all and something we're all guilty of at some stage in life. With the cutbacks councils are looking for any excuse to dump staff.
Good discussion point but not worth a sacking however I do consider phoning a much more serious matter. IMHO.

Bet you wouldn't be saying that if he ran over your child. Driving without due care and attention spring to mind!

 

[stevieb15]

Bet you wouldn't be saying that if he ran over your child. Driving without due care and attention spring to mind!

That's a really emotive comment, but to extend the logic, I presume you also contend that, eating, smoking, changing radio channels, fiddling around for toll money, taking a sip of water should all be seen in the same manner.
I fear most of us are as guilty as the bin man, if guilty he is.

 

[martin_a]

Followed a Mitie van out of falkirk this morning. Chap was on the phone and had a tab in the otherhand which he eventually chucked out of the window.

Good quality law breakage there including smoking in a work vehicle, littering and potentially dangerous driving for having no hands on the wheel at all.

MV57FDV was the reg. Nearly called in to report him to be honest.

m.

 

[stevieb15]

Followed a Mitie van out of falkirk this morning. Chap was on the phone and had a tab in the otherhand which he eventually chucked out of the window.

Good quality law breakage there including smoking in a work vehicle, littering and potentially dangerous driving for having no hands on the wheel at all.

MV57FDV was the reg. Nearly called in to report him to be honest.

m.

I think it says much about you that you avoided that particular temptation!

 

[219]

I have found myself in that particular quandry a few times : do I call it in or not ?

I was contemplating it yesterday morning with Mr. S Class as he did seem to be driving negligently , and had similar thoughts re a motorcyclist who I saw repeatedly driving recklessly on a number of occasions before I eventually saw his bike smashed up on the M8 Whitecart viaduct .

I can only recall once actually doing it - when I saw a car full of youngsters driving over the Kingston Bridge with one hanging out of the passenger window with only his legs remaining inside the car - struck me as so dangerous that a serious incident was imminent . Oh , and another time , before the days of mobile phones , when I saw a Porsche driver , evidently very drunk , crawling along an A road at 20 mph and weaving all over the place from one side of the road to the other - called in from a phone box with his number .

 

[HR17]

If I hadn't been in a rush to get to work, and not wanted to contend with the horrific confusion it would cause being passed from pillar to post at the council, I would have called it in. I mentioned that I usually call if I see a van or truck with the number or website on it and I'd do it again. I'm not really that bothered about someone losing their job over it. I admit we're all guilty of drinking, eating, changing radio etc., but then I'm not a bin lorry driver with a mug of tea in my hand reversing through a residential area in rush(school!) hour. In order not to lose my job through driving issues, I don't use the phone at the wheel, smoke, speed or drive dangerously. Its not hard really is it.

 

[219]

I'm not really that bothered about someone losing their job over it.

I can understand that point of view , although I would never go out of my way to get anyone sacked .

That reminds me of an incident many years ago when , visiting a friend , we saw a gang of youths near my car parked in the street : one snapped the star off the bonnet and another 'did' my manual radio aerial which was extended .

Not wishing to confront them as there were about 10 of them and only two of us , we called the police who duly arrived within about 5 minutes . On pointing out the two 'suspects' , one of them turned out to still have the star in his pocket ! On the basis of this and our two statements the pair of them were arrested :bannana:

When the case eventually came to court , I had to appear as a witness and one of the questions the defence lawyer asked was along the lines of ' are you quite certain it was the accused you saw ........ because this could have serious repercussions on his job ' ; my reply - ' Yes , and he should have thought of that before he did it ' was met by nods of approval from the bench

The two of them were fined something like £60 apiece from memory .

 

[stevieb15]

If I hadn't been in a rush to get to work, and not wanted to contend with the horrific confusion it would cause being passed from pillar to post at the council, I would have called it in. I mentioned that I usually call if I see a van or truck with the number or website on it and I'd do it again. I'm not really that bothered about someone losing their job over it. I admit we're all guilty of drinking, eating, changing radio etc., but then I'm not a bin lorry driver with a mug of tea in my hand reversing through a residential area in rush(school!) hour. In order not to lose my job through driving issues, I don't use the phone at the wheel, smoke, speed or drive dangerously. Its not hard really is it.

Although I don't know you from Adam, I have formed the impression thats the way I'd like it to stay

 

[G.O'Rilla]

Although I don't know you from Adam, I have formed the impression thats the way I'd like it to stay

I think that comment, although an opinion, is really unnecessary and contributes absolutely nothing to the discussion in hand