Why hate the HATO

[bosshogg]

Trev_H:
I saw a hato officer yesterday dinnertime just before J39 M6 Shap southbound lying down on the hard shoulder putting a jack underneath a car to change some one’s tyre, wasn’t you Highwayman was it ?
If so , you should really wear a hat, the reflection was dazzling
Well done that man for chucking the rule book out !

Not guilty - this time I didn’t start till 2. There are quite a number of us who will assist as much as we can. We don’t want people sat on the hard shoulder when we can get them on their way. Sometimes it’s just verbal guidance is all that’s needed for someone who has never changed a tyre before.

[marcus_22]

I would like to see them involved more with abnormal loads, drivers actualy take notice of their lights, as some of these small ■■■■■■ vans we use are a waste of time, not marked up properly or lit up warning other drivers of the hazard in front of them or coming towards them.

mark

[trev_h]

The Highway Man:

Trev_H:
I saw a hato officer yesterday dinnertime just before J39 M6 Shap southbound lying down on the hard shoulder putting a jack underneath a car to change some one’s tyre, wasn’t you Highwayman was it ?
If so , you should really wear a hat, the reflection was dazzling
Well done that man for chucking the rule book out !

Not guilty - this time I didn’t start till 2. There are quite a number of us who will assist as much as we can. We don’t want people sat on the hard shoulder when we can get them on their way. Sometimes it’s just verbal guidance is all that’s needed for someone who has never changed a tyre before.

Would have been about 13.40 nr. Shap, guessed it was your area, yes by the look of the car owner (vacant !!) it was probably quicker to do the job than try and explain

[danny27404]

The real Biffo:

Danny27404:
Highways can be a pain and 70% total idiots ive had some dealing with them when ive broken down or been at the front of a accident.

What annoys me is those that look after lancaster to haydock stretch who think its funny after a accident has cleared to keep the m6 shut to the exact time it is due to open despite [zb] all been there and everything cleared up last year 20 [zb] minutes after the accident was cleared and sat on their fat arses watching a gridlocked m6 been diverted on to the a6 laughing their heads off. If you was allowed to hit and run those 2 would have been dead.

Meanwhile im seeing how long it takes for that montracon mudflap thats near happendon services on the m74 south to be picked up been 5 days so far just sat there lol

Best highways guys are those on the m62 manchester side they dont seem to mess about

Sorry Danny, but that just shows how much you DON’T know about the job HATO’s do!

If a motorway is closed for any reason, it’s 99.99% the Police who are in charge of the incident, the hato’s are at the closures to stop knob-heads moving the cones and going through the closure because they don’t believe it applies to them!
As I said, The Police are in charge of the incident, and they will say when the c/way is OK to reopen, once that instruction is given, the HATO’s will reopen the c/way as quickly and safetly as possible.

As for the mudflap on the M74, That’s Scotland! no Hato’s up there didn’t you know!!

I have now been educated but is frustrating when you can see its all clear and then it opens bang on 5pm when those helpful guys on the end of the phone told me it would open. For example today m55 exit closed yet the whole exit was clear and the roundabout working in good order. You can see why i get annoyed at it though coming upto scotland past the m62 to a66 your pretty much stuck for alternate routes that 3 lanes of traffic are not trying to get up a single carriageway.

[the_real_biffo]

It could have been just at the time when whatever caused the need for the sliproad to be closed, having been moved, and the signals being cleared. usually takes 2 mins or thereabouts from the patrol asking for them to be cleared.

[happy_keith]

Lighting mcqueen:
‘… there are Highways officers who are … fricking idiots … I personalty think there is a serious management problem …’

Government sponsored ineptitude affecting the quality of life for British citizens on British roads?

Government sponsored ineptitude as managed [sic] by mainstream political party politicians?

Government sponsored ineptitude by the same politicians that are bombing & all round telling Arabs how to run their world?

The same guys that are slinging wad-loads of UK money to bail out European pygmy nations paid by our tax contributions?

‘…A serious management problem…’ - and we tolerate this?

Surely not

[extrucker]

It has been said many times before that there are good HATOs and bad ones. (Rob K has obviously met all of them so his findings are spot on ) , We have officers who think they are Police, we have officers who are lazy, we have very professional officers and very unprofessional officers. We, the same as any industry, will close ranks when we are being unfairly criticised. Myself, and my colleagues (Biffo,HighwayMan, Oscardog) will also agree with valid comments posted by fair members. The other weekend when there was a ‘jumper’ on a bridge on M1 J15-15A, one of our officers was stuck in the closure at J15. Although in East Mids region, an East unit had been assisgned to close the main c/way at J15. The congestion was made worse because the crew were standing on the closure instead of controlling the traffic lights at the top of the slip. We cannot wave traffic through red lights, but I have asked for permission from Police Inspector to do so and I have never been declined. Some crews are more dynamic than others, some crews will bend rules more than others. Crews are recruited from a wide range of backgrounds which mean some have never dealt with HGVs before, whereas some still drive HGVs part time. If you met a HATO who was an idiot, don’t assume all HATOs are idiots. I don’t judge all truck drivers on the idiot minority that I meet and ask for you to do the same for us.

[neversweat1]

marcus 22:
I would like to see them involved more with abnormal loads, drivers actualy take notice of their lights, as some of these small ■■■■■■ vans we use are a waste of time, not marked up properly or lit up warning other drivers of the hazard in front of them or coming towards them.mark

Round this way (M4 Reading) I’ve noticed that people seem to take less notice of them -They use those alternate reds everytime they stop at something - Originally it would cause a traffic jam with everyone slowing up - now everyone just sails straight by.The only time you get the “brake dabbers” is when they sit on the police patrol only islands and people aren’t sure its a police vehicl or not.

Steve

[cruise_control]

neversweat1:
The only time you get the “brake dabbers” is when they sit on the police patrol only islands and people aren’t sure its a police vehicl or not.

Steve

when the sit on motorway bridges, they inadvertanly cause tail backs when the ‘ram jet rogers’ clock them on the bridge and suddenly drop out of warp only to then relalise is only a HATO and then re-engages the warp drive

that then has the ripple effect 10 miles down the motorway where everyone is at a complete stand still for no reason

[wheel_nut]

The Sarge:

Wheel Nut:
One thing I have noticed is that when there is any flak heading the way of HATO, they immediately close ranks, is that the expensive police training they receive?

Just like any other profession, perhaps?

We don’t do it on here, we attack everyone equally, even our own occasionally.

Everyone is fair game, racists, paedophiles, women, ginger people and school children

[cruise_control]

Wheel Nut:

The Sarge:

Wheel Nut:
One thing I have noticed is that when there is any flak heading the way of HATO, they immediately close ranks, is that the expensive police training they receive?

Just like any other profession, perhaps?

We don’t do it on here, we attack everyone equally, even our own occasionally.

:

yes Malc, we do. thinking back to “Nimbygate”…

[the_sarge]

Wheel Nut:

The Sarge:

Wheel Nut:
One thing I have noticed is that when there is any flak heading the way of HATO, they immediately close ranks, is that the expensive police training they receive?

Just like any other profession, perhaps?

We don’t do it on here, we attack everyone equally, even our own occasionally.

Everyone is fair game, racists, paedophiles, women, ginger people and school children

Fair comment - it just shows what a well balanced lot we are in here

[trux]

extrucker:
The congestion was made worse because the crew were standing on the closure instead of controlling the traffic lights at the top of the slip. We cannot wave traffic through red lights, but I have asked for permission from Police Inspector to do so and I have never been declined.
Some crews are more dynamic than others, some crews will bend rules more than others.
Crews are recruited from a wide range of backgrounds I don’t judge all truck drivers on the idiot minority that I meet and ask for you to do the same for us.

Cant the traffic lights be turned off at a flick of a switch then ■■ from one of them cabinet thingies ■■?
Would make things easier , would it not ■■

[extrucker]

Yes, Trux, the lights can be turned off at one of them cabinet thingies but that needs an ISU or lighting engineer, which on a sunday is possibly 90 minutes away. We are obviously not qualified enough to have the keys and flick a switch.

[trux]

Bin liners and a lump hammer should sort it then

[the_sarge]

trux:
Bin liners and a lump hammer should sort it then

[him_up_north]

Jesus, another HATO thread where some truckers don’t like us! Oh no, what will I do, Rob and some of his mates think we’re all idiots Thank god EVERY SINGLE TRUCKER I have ever met was a kind, well mannered, professional, intelligent person…oh, hang on?..

I must say thanks as well, to the “professional driver” who beeped at me the other day because I was doing 40mph in a 50. Had you looked a little bit further ahead, you would see I was keeping a good distance from the car in front, also doing 40. Having your DAF approximately 18" from the rear of my car, plus the fact you sat in lane two for about 5 miles after, holding others up, only served to confirm my suspicions that you are indeed the professional driver we all wish to be. I felt I had let myself, my crewmate and everyone else down for using common sense and leaving a safe gap. Thanks, fella, for making me see the light.

There are some HATOs who are very good at their job; will bend the rules when necessary, do as much as possible to get people moving (tyre changes etc), and will drag BDVs or accident damaged cars out of the way. I would hope to consider myself in that group but leave it up the people I deal with to decide if I am or not.

But there are an equal amount who will stick rigidly to the rules, never bend them, do as little as possible to help people, sit with live lane stuff until someone else makes a decision because they are so scared/unable to do it themselves and actually increase the delays by not moving stuff. Then there are those who really do think they are coppers. For those that have met these people, I am sorry. They are spread across the country and there isn’t much we can do get rid of them (at the moment). I don’t like working with them any more than you like being stuck behind them but the management won’t sort it.

Plus, I never joined the HA to be a pretend copper. I joined as I love driving, prefer shift work, like helping people and get more money/holidays/time off/pension to do it. It was a simple equation when I got offered the job, who wouldn’t want more money for less hours and more time at home/holiday?

Regarding moving LGVs on, I will ask you and that is all. If you say no, thats no bother, I’m not paid/trained/able to move you on, and Im not getting into an argument, but I know a man who is able to move you on. I tell the driver that my mate with the penalty notice pad is on his way, and guess what, they move. Suddenly, it isn’t quite such a problem moving round the corner.

Some people will always hate us, and thats fine, some HATOs should not be in the job. But that does not mean that we are all idiots, pretend coppers, or that we like to shut the road “just cos we can” - why would I want to hold people up? Ive been stuck in enough queues in my time to know how it feels. I cant believe people actually think I want to close roads just because I can.

[rob_k]

Him Up North:
Jesus, another HATO thread where some truckers don’t like us! Oh no, what will I do, Rob and some of his mates think we’re all idiots Thank god EVERY SINGLE TRUCKER I have ever met was a kind, well mannered, professional, intelligent person…oh, hang on?..

I must say thanks as well, to the “professional driver” who beeped at me the other day because I was doing 40mph in a 50. Had you looked a little bit further ahead, you would see I was keeping a good distance from the car in front, also doing 40. Having your DAF approximately 18" from the rear of my car, plus the fact you sat in lane two for about 5 miles after, holding others up, only served to confirm my suspicions that you are indeed the professional driver we all wish to be. I felt I had let myself, my crewmate and everyone else down for using common sense and leaving a safe gap. Thanks, fella, for making me see the light.

There are some HATOs who are very good at their job; will bend the rules when necessary, do as much as possible to get people moving (tyre changes etc), and will drag BDVs or accident damaged cars out of the way. I would hope to consider myself in that group but leave it up the people I deal with to decide if I am or not.

But there are an equal amount who will stick rigidly to the rules, never bend them, do as little as possible to help people, sit with live lane stuff until someone else makes a decision because they are so scared/unable to do it themselves and actually increase the delays by not moving stuff. Then there are those who really do think they are coppers. For those that have met these people, I am sorry. They are spread across the country and there isn’t much we can do get rid of them (at the moment). I don’t like working with them any more than you like being stuck behind them but the management won’t sort it.

Plus, I never joined the HA to be a pretend copper. I joined as I love driving, prefer shift work, like helping people and get more money/holidays/time off/pension to do it. It was a simple equation when I got offered the job, who wouldn’t want more money for less hours and more time at home/holiday?

Regarding moving LGVs on, I will ask you and that is all. If you say no, thats no bother, I’m not paid/trained/able to move you on, and Im not getting into an argument, but I know a man who is able to move you on. I tell the driver that my mate with the penalty notice pad is on his way, and guess what, they move. Suddenly, it isn’t quite such a problem moving round the corner.

Some people will always hate us, and thats fine, some HATOs should not be in the job. But that does not mean that we are all idiots, pretend coppers, or that we like to shut the road “just cos we can” - why would I want to hold people up? Ive been stuck in enough queues in my time to know how it feels. I cant believe people actually think I want to close roads just because I can.

Yawn. Get yourself off to your HATO back slapping forum where you might find someone that cares…

[him_up_north]

Fair enough Rob, I can see we will never be able to change your mind about us. Never mind. I (and others) have put up fair arguments for our case and you don’t want to know. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

I just don’t get why you hate us all so much, based purely on the job we do? After my shift, I’m just a normal guy the same as you.

[happy_keith]

Him Up North:
‘…I just don’t get why you hate us all so much, based purely on the job we do? After my shift, I’m just a normal guy the same as you…’

Easy: I’ll repeat that it’s because the poor HATO saps represent how the UK has been expensively mugged-off by Government cheap fixes when politicians choose not to properly manage the consistently busiest road systems on the planet because they’d sooner send the money to pay for the EU.

Perhaps accept that you’re in a job whereby it’s easier for society to “hate” (or pity, or disregard) those associated individuals than it is to “hate” the immoral political system that puked the flimsy, half-baked & confusing HATO cobblers over us in its politically vain expectation that it would deliver the required job successfully.

Maybe the experiment hasn’t worked, which only leaves the human agents of the dismal HATO failure to represent a disrespected system

It’s ‘diversity’ in it’s true reality as brought into your life by the umpteen times elected, laser-eyed, lying pixie, Tony Blair