Hombre:
Oh how I wish I could, nobody in their right mind would want to go there (except illegals). Sadly the work I do requires it. You can rest assured that as soon as I find another job which does not involve being in the UK I will be taking it.
I don’t blame you bud, the UK has to be about the worst euro country to drive in. Traffic jams, hassle, nowhere to park and only slop to eat in our third world truck stops.
Last saturday morning at about 03:30Hrs (3rd Oct) I was heading down the M40 just south of Warwick on my way to Poole docks to catch the Santander ferry when a couple of police cars came racing past all blue lights, sirens gongs and whistles blaring. Bugger I thought, bet theres an accident and I hope they dont close the bloody road as Ive a boat to catch.
A few Km further on I saw the incident in the distance, cleverly illuminated by dozens of flashing blue and red lights. And yes they had closed the road. Fortunately for me however it was on the opposite carriageway.
As i drew nearer it became apparent what had occurred - basically an artic had had a shunt of some description with a car, it was also clear that nobody was hurt as there were several folks standing around talking to the Imperial State Troopers and neither fire engines nor ambulances were to be seen. A minor incident therefore which should quickly be cleared away you might think. Wrong!!
A little further south they had closed the ENTIRE northbound carriageway to traffic, and the queue was already starting to build up. In all there must have been 9 police vehicles attending the “incident” either at the scene or providing road blocks etc… How much did this farce cost Warwickshires long suffering tax payers, businesses in wasted fuel, missed deliveries, etc… etc…
It is obvious that the UK’s police farces have become totally out of control and now just do as they like when they like without heed nor hindrance of the people they are meant to SERVE.
what you should do next time is STOP and ask them? instead of coming onto a forum to have a moan about daily things that happen to everybody!
On the railway, if someone jumps in front of a train, the railway gets closed. Used to be for at least 2 hrs normally 3-4 hours.
Over the last couple of years this has been changing so that now, where it is obviously a suicide, the railway is open much quicker, basically as long as it takes to remove the body and clean up. Normally the only witness is the poor train driver so they have a first hand account of what happened.
Why can’t this be the same on a road?
Where it is obvious what has happened i.e. witnesses etc, why do we need the road closed for hours and hours so that endless photographs and measurements can be taken that will ultimately tell the same story as the witnesses?
I can understand when there are no witnesses, or suspicions of illegality…but it does seem that these things are now approached with a guilty till proven innocent attitude i.e. someone must have been breaking the law until we can prove otherwise.
This is how it used to be on the railway…the BTP would roll up, declare it a crime scene then spend hours “investigating” only to end up with no more evidence than when they started and having to rely on the drivers statement when it went to Coroners court. Eventually the powers that be got on their backs and complained about the disruption and money wastage and the attitude changed.
On the railway, if someone jumps in front of a train, the railway gets closed. Used to be for at least 2 hrs normally 3-4 hours.
Over the last couple of years this has been changing so that now, where it is obviously a suicide, the railway is open much quicker, basically as long as it takes to remove the body and clean up. Normally the only witness is the poor train driver so they have a first hand account of what happened.
Why can’t this be the same on a road?
Where it is obvious what has happened i.e. witnesses etc, why do we need the road closed for hours and hours so that endless photographs and measurements can be taken that will ultimately tell the same story as the witnesses?
I can understand when there are no witnesses, or suspicions of illegality…but it does seem that these things are now approached with a guilty till proven innocent attitude i.e. someone must have been breaking the law until we can prove otherwise.
This is how it used to be on the railway…the BTP would roll up, declare it a crime scene then spend hours “investigating” only to end up with no more evidence than when they started and having to rely on the drivers statement when it went to Coroners court. Eventually the powers that be got on their backs and complained about the disruption and money wastage and the attitude changed.
Unfortuatley the Storm Troopers in this Country (when did you last see 1 in blue shirt & tie & not full black combat gear?) have far to much power in their grubby little hands and they make full use of it. Some even disregard the rules and go to far but you have no recourse of complaint, you’d be fighting a closed shop!
So not only can they (and do) close roads/divert traffic/cause disruption at will, they can arrest you for lookingat them the wrong way, which then leads to them taking DNA & entering you on the PNC and now your a criminal so they can now track you & your movements by your mobile phone & and all the bleedin’ CCTV around the Country (which they do have access to, every camera!). Lo & behold, even your local Council worker can then do that! YOUR A BAD GUY!
1984 doesn’t even come close to the truth & don’t give me the ‘if you’ve nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear’ malarky - they make to many mistakes!
A few years ago I was travelling towards Drew when in the distance I saw an accident happen due to bits flying into the air. Almost immediately the brake lights all came on and the traffic stopped as the road became blocked. Literally within 5 minuets I saw in my mirrors flashing lights from a police car. It went passed and within another 5 minutes the traffic started moving again. The police just got off their asses and pushed the offending vehicles off the road. Job done. None of this, “we have to investigate the incident” bull the UK police tossers get into.
The UK police force are a joke, useless and totally unfit for purpose.
mickyblue:
what you should do next time is STOP and ask them? instead of coming onto a forum to have a moan about daily things that happen to everybody!
You grown up enough to look for a job yet or are you still at school?
mickyblue:
what you should do next time is STOP and ask them? instead of coming onto a forum to have a moan about daily things that happen to everybody!
You quite obviously do not live in the real World with a comment like that - do you really beleive that: A) It is possible to stop on the motorway as and when you please? And: B) That they would be minded to give a civil and reasonable answer to a driver stopping without due cause on THEIR hard shoulder and wandering over to ask a polite question?? No, nor me.
If you did stop you would be given 3 points for blocking the motorway…
But the OP is exactly right. It has got progressively worse in the UK and is rapidly approaching gridlock. Ben Elton wrote a comic novel once about the UK grinding to a halt and that is what is happening. You need only drive onto a housing estate from the 70s to see that every household appears to have 3 cars where they used to have 1 and no more space that they had then. And it has to be said that the aggression is a hundred times worse than it was. People have to force their way onto the roads and this generates friction among drivers which causes the collisions and then gets the plod out to close the roads…
I used to be able to get home from Bristol in 1 hour 40 minutes, so 3 1/2 hours there and back was easy enough. The last time I did it it took 7 hours.
But they get such revenue from the traffic jams so why should they care?
bobthedog:
If you did stop you would be given 3 points for blocking the motorway…But the OP is exactly right. It has got progressively worse in the UK and is rapidly approaching gridlock. Ben Elton wrote a comic novel once about the UK grinding to a halt and that is what is happening. You need only drive onto a housing estate from the 70s to see that every household appears to have 3 cars where they used to have 1 and no more space that they had then. And it has to be said that the aggression is a hundred times worse than it was. People have to force their way onto the roads and this generates friction among drivers which causes the collisions and then gets the plod out to close the roads…
I used to be able to get home from Bristol in 1 hour 40 minutes, so 3 1/2 hours there and back was easy enough. The last time I did it it took 7 hours.
But they get such revenue from the traffic jams so why should they care?
Jeez. 7 hours from Bristol to Canada! And still you complain. 
. You should work at my place, the TM would love you.
Hmmmm, well although I accept that UK Police, governmental, & road system are far from perfect, I’d say they still stack up better than the Spanish versions.
It’s easy to critisise PC Plod. It’s also true that there are lazy, arrogant, useless, & corrupt coppers, just like there are lazy, idle, & dangerous truckers. The difference is if after an accident some kind of blunder is made to in the following investigation, or someone gets injured by passing traffic during the investigation, then there is usually all hell to pay.
A million lawyers,MPs, “community leaders” crawl out the wood demanding compensation, officers to be sacked, why didnt they do this, why didnt they do that ? They had a duty of care blah, blah etc. All with the benefit of hindsight.
The end result being that when some kind, even minor traffic incident occurs Plod & HATOs take the belts, braces, & superglue approach & close the road.
Not very far on the map…
And that was Bristol and back!!
The motorway from Tours to Rouen then to Dieppe,the truck seems to float on the modern tarmac,with low noise levels,leaving the driver refreshed,but a few miles from docking when arriving in the Uk,the road is in ruins,and left to feel knackered and worn out.A303,M25,the bit from the gatwick exit to heathrow is square chunks or slabs of concrete that are worn out,bumped out of the seat on that stretch.
bullitt:
Hombre:
…You quite obviously do not live in the real World with a comment like that …
Hombre, I think mickyblue is a PCSO!!!..say no more!!
Of course i am quite prepared to hung,drawn and quatered for being wrong though!!!
Hombre:
mickyblue:
what you should do next time is STOP and ask them? instead of coming onto a forum to have a moan about daily things that happen to everybody!You quite obviously do not live in the real World with a comment like that - do you really beleive that: A) It is possible to stop on the motorway as and when you please? And: B) That they would be minded to give a civil and reasonable answer to a driver stopping without due cause on THEIR hard shoulder and wandering over to ask a polite question?? No, nor me.
its obvious to me that you don’t chat to many people and have no sense of humor or no when some one is taking the micky 
Bullitt,
you are right i am a PCSO and yes i look ■■■■ in uniform and yes i am a big fella
enit?:
mickyblue:
what you should do next time is STOP and ask them? instead of coming onto a forum to have a moan about daily things that happen to everybody!You grown up enough to look for a job yet or are you still at school?
what? you telling me i can’t sponge no more? 
oscardog:
dont get me started on rubberneckers!!!Mick.
What are "rubberneckers " 
Sounds all dutch to me 
trux:
oscardog:
dont get me started on rubberneckers!!!Mick.
What are "rubberneckers "
Sounds all dutch to me
Very tight latex undergarments.
By the way what is a PCSO ■■