newmercman:
I always found that acting like a complete nutter worked well with foreign old bill, just keep repeating a ridiculous phrase in their language and grinning like an idiot as you do it.I used to keep asking the BAG if I could take my jacket off, it was the only thing I could remember from German at school, folliwed it up with das ist gut yah and then give it the old ich bin ein Berliner.
Worked nearly every time…
Were you sectioned the other time■■?
The “attitude test” thing is an interesting one. Surely if people are professionals doing a job, attitude (which after all is largely in the mind of the beholder) has nothing to do with it. We all meet people who we mighn’t choose to go for a pint with every day, we all meet customers who are absolutely useless and know nothing about their own job, never mind ours. Would you carry out your job differently just because you didn’t like someone?
What about the attitude of the government employee and their unsolicited instruction for us to stop and be checked out by them? Why should they be allowed to choose whichever attitude they like and have us treat them with respect irrespective of how they treat us? However cliched it might be, they are still civil servants.
I always remember the saying about telling a man’s character by how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
exit:
newmercman:
I always found that acting like a complete nutter worked well with foreign old bill, just keep repeating a ridiculous phrase in their language and grinning like an idiot as you do it.I used to keep asking the BAG if I could take my jacket off, it was the only thing I could remember from German at school, folliwed it up with das ist gut yah and then give it the old ich bin ein Berliner.
Worked nearly every time…
Were you sectioned the other time■■?
Not sectioned, but I did go for a ride in a vehicle with flashing lights!
Only to a cash machine in Frankfurt Airport though, here I was relieved of a sizeable sum of DMs for being a naughty boy 
Scanner:
The “attitude test” thing is an interesting one. Surely if people are professionals doing a job, attitude (which after all is largely in the mind of the beholder) has nothing to do with it. We all meet people who we mighn’t choose to go for a pint with every day, we all meet customers who are absolutely useless and know nothing about their own job, never mind ours. Would you carry out your job differently just because you didn’t like someone?What about the attitude of the government employee and their unsolicited instruction for us to stop and be checked out by them? Why should they be allowed to choose whichever attitude they like and have us treat them with respect irrespective of how they treat us? However cliched it might be, they are still civil servants.
I always remember the saying about telling a man’s character by how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
I see the “attitude test” like this.
They have stopped you, fair enough you may call it an unsolicited instruction to stop, they are only doing their job.
If you go in with “an attitude” they are less likely to be lenient if anything is found to be wrong. At the end of the day they are only human.
Think of it this way, if you turn up at a delivery and are met with “attitude” your hackles rise, although you will still act professional, you are not going to make it easy for the guy recieving the delivery.
(eg if something was falling off the pallet or out of the cage, you would just let it fall rather than stop and put it more secure.)
It could make the difference between a fine or “get that bulb fixed asap drive…off you go”
Semtex:
Scanner:
The “attitude test” thing is an interesting one. Surely if people are professionals doing a job, attitude (which after all is largely in the mind of the beholder) has nothing to do with it. We all meet people who we mighn’t choose to go for a pint with every day, we all meet customers who are absolutely useless and know nothing about their own job, never mind ours. Would you carry out your job differently just because you didn’t like someone?What about the attitude of the government employee and their unsolicited instruction for us to stop and be checked out by them? Why should they be allowed to choose whichever attitude they like and have us treat them with respect irrespective of how they treat us? However cliched it might be, they are still civil servants.
I always remember the saying about telling a man’s character by how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
I see the “attitude test” like this.
They have stopped you, fair enough you may call it an unsolicited instruction to stop, they are only doing their job.If you go in with “an attitude” they are less likely to be lenient if anything is found to be wrong. At the end of the day they are only human.
Think of it this way, if you turn up at a delivery and are met with “attitude” your hackles rise, although you will still act professional, you are not going to make it easy for the guy recieving the delivery.
(eg if something was falling off the pallet or out of the cage, you would just let it fall rather than stop and put it more secure.)It could make the difference between a fine or “get that bulb fixed asap drive…off you go”
Sure they’re only human, but the way you carry out your job should have nothing to do with the mood you’re in for whatever reason you’re in it.
Honestly, I wouldn’t let something fall off a pallet if I could stop it because it’s somebody’s hard work that produced it for me to deliver and somebody to use at the other end. Just because one more of the people I’m dealing with isn’t nice to me, it doesn’t give me the right to damage goods that people have paid for.
I just used the pallet analagy as an example (probably not a good one at that)
What I meant was that you wouldn’t put in that extra effort if you recieved “attitude”. You would do things by the book.
When stopped at an inspection, by the book means you get a ticket for your blown headlight bulb instead of a friendly warning to get it fixed asap.
This is what I mean by the “attitude test”
toby1234abc:
Being stopped abroad i found opening the cab door and offer to shake their hand and learn the language did wonders to reduce court deposit at the road side to a ok on your way have a good day and not even check the tacho or paper work.If the tacho was good for the dsy you got stopped you were sent on your way.
The French did not like a 4.30 hour drive with no stops even though ghe law allows it.
They prefered more breaks.Or no more than two hours driving.
I couldn’t agree more. If I had a full days driving I’d take two breaks of 45-60minutes every three hours and I always keep my paperwork and documents in order with a clear plastic folder, that way they’re neat and easy to hand whenever you’re asked to present them.
Scanner:
Sure they’re only human, but the way you carry out your job should have nothing to do with the mood you’re in for whatever reason you’re in it.Honestly, I wouldn’t let something fall off a pallet if I could stop it because it’s somebody’s hard work that produced it for me to deliver and somebody to use at the other end. Just because one more of the people I’m dealing with isn’t nice to me, it doesn’t give me the right to damage goods that people have paid for.
Funnily enough I do let products fall from cages and pallets but that is because I have been injured trying to stop falling product. I’ve also reported poor loading practice so often war and peace would look like a prologue, I’ve defected kit only to see it go back on the road in the same condition.
The question, that I’ve yet to get an answer for, for me is:- What single product that I deliver is so valuable that I should expect to injure myself to overcome someone elses’ short-coming?
If I can’t work in the manner the company prescribe, and will reference when looking to apportion blame in the event of an incident, then I won’t. Escalate the problem to a higher authority/level and take it from there. Why carry all the risk with none of the reward?
The right attitude is a big thing…
Many years ago I had some awkward official from ‘Weights and Measures’ approach me one morning when I was on tanker work and ready to deliver fuel to a petrol station. He showed his ID “weights and measures” he said and wanted to see the quantity of the load and then instructed me to dip the tank compartments so he could record the readings before I discharged them. I suggested if he could maybe take before and after readings from the garage (…this was the normal/ correct procedure at this site), I wasn’t being awkward but I couldn’t get on top of the tanker in the forecourt due to the low canopy. He told me to park out on the very busy main road in a built up area with heavy rain lashing down, high winds, climb up on top and dip them there. I said I had no objections to complying with dipping the tank compartments but politely declined to park where he’d instucted as I thought it was too dangerous to do so. I phoned my boss and he agreed with me. I honestly wasn’t trying to be difficult but the W&M man informed me he had called for the police due to my reluctance and they would ‘■■■■■■’ me to a safe area with. I said I had no objections if that’s what he wanted to do. After waiting around for ages the traffic police turned up. I didn’t know what to expect but when asked I politely explained to the police my dilema and to be honest was expecting them to take the side of the W&M man.The police seemed pretty decent though and agreed that it was obviously dangerous to park on the busy main road and didn’t seem too keen wasting anymore time ‘escorting’ me away… 'Why can’t you take before and after readings from the petrol stations tanks, they’re all calibrated and checked by the relevant authorities aren’t they?" said one of the police officers 
“Oh, okay I’ll do that then” says the W&M bod 
Semtex:
I just used the pallet analagy as an example (probably not a good one at that)What I meant was that you wouldn’t put in that extra effort if you recieved “attitude”. You would do things by the book.
When stopped at an inspection, by the book means you get a ticket for your blown headlight bulb instead of a friendly warning to get it fixed asap.
This is what I mean by the “attitude test”
With a customer, I let them set the scene. Want to be nice and have a chat? No problem. Want to be miserable and moan? No problem, it makes no difference to me as I don’t work there and may never see them again. They are people I need to do my job, it’s in my interest to look after them and their goods.
With people who work for the government, I set the scene. I say nothing except a greeting that I would extend to any human. I stand away from the vehicle and let them do what they get paid for. I answer any questions in as few words as possible. I don’t want them to be my friends, they’re not customers, they aren’t people I need to do my job, why make an effort with people who are out to cause me problems? I’m not a beautician, I don’t get paid to make people feel good.
markoc:
toby1234abc:
Being stopped abroad i found opening the cab door and offer to shake their hand and learn the language did wonders to reduce court deposit at the road side to a ok on your way have a good day and not even check the tacho or paper work.If the tacho was good for the dsy you got stopped you were sent on your way.
The French did not like a 4.30 hour drive with no stops even though ghe law allows it.
They prefered more breaks.Or no more than two hours driving.I couldn’t agree more. If I had a full days driving I’d take two breaks of 45-60minutes every three hours and I always keep my paperwork and documents in order with a clear plastic folder, that way they’re neat and easy to hand whenever you’re asked to present them.
Spot-on. Not in the UK though, I imagine you’d be accused of attempting to bribe a government official if you went to shake their hand.
Theres always a fear for me whenever i have been stopped, whether here or abroad, they just seem to get my back up, 1. for the inconvenience of stopping me 2. i always think they will find something wrong anyway, but i have been proved wrong on a number of occasions.
In the days when you had to put a 50 frank note on the dash, so they wouldnt check your fuel tank. Or when getting to the German border, there was always a fear of having too much fuel, after filling in the declaration, or getting reported for filling up the tank from the belly tank. Or in Belgium, getting stopped for having no road tax. As time has gone on, here in the UK, Vosa stops have become more frequent, but it was always good to know the back roads where it was possible to avoid the Vosa check points, today however, they are still on their toes, but not so frequent, plus a great deal of companies, have improved the maintenance and vehicles, so there is not so much to fear anymore, but that doesnt stop me from getting my back up.
Foreign officials do not accept photocopies of the truck paperwork.
I once witnessed a car transport driver in France try and shake the hand and offer a cigarette to a duane officer. The officer in questionr recoiled back with a look of absolute contempt on his face and barked some orders in French at the unfortunate driver. Could have been that he didn’t like drivers of Lithuanian car transporters, but either way it failed dramatically.
Personally I talk to them normally, I certainly dont lick ■■■■ and I’m certainly not rude. This approach has never failed me yet.