Misfits, Dad's Army Types et al...
Discussion
boyse7en said:
Am I missing something? I thought that "Walts" were the guys who like to pretend they are some sort of official involved in protecting the public.
BossHogg actually is employed to do it so why does he get included?
Are the Police actually Walts with a badge?
I think the derision and slight ridicule arises from the fact that although HATOs drive what looks like a police car, they dress like police officers and are seen at incidents where police are in abundance, they actually have very little genuine power over the motoring public and yet there are still a few of them who have just a teeny tiny little bit inside their head that thinks "I am the law" in a walty kind of way.BossHogg actually is employed to do it so why does he get included?
Are the Police actually Walts with a badge?
I had the misfortune of an engine grenading on me on the M23 about 15 years ago - literally turned to shrapnel, with chunks of metal flying everywhere, and the car ground to halt straddling lane 1 and the hard shoulder.
Getting out of that car and standing next to the motorway alone for 10 minutes or so until the police arrived was absolutely terrifying, and since then I've said that you could not pay me enough to do any job that entails standing on or next to a live motorway.
So many drivers are just absolute f
king idiots.
Fair play to anyone who does that, "traffic womble", police or maintenance.
Getting out of that car and standing next to the motorway alone for 10 minutes or so until the police arrived was absolutely terrifying, and since then I've said that you could not pay me enough to do any job that entails standing on or next to a live motorway.
So many drivers are just absolute f
king idiots. Fair play to anyone who does that, "traffic womble", police or maintenance.
Crossflow Kid said:
I think the derision and slight ridicule arises from the fact that although HATOs drive what looks like a police car, they dress like police officers and are seen at incidents where police are in abundance, they actually have very little genuine power over the motoring public and yet there are still a few of them who have just a teeny tiny little bit inside their head that thinks "I am the law" in a walty kind of way.
You know what goes on inside the head of "a few of them"? Or what you *think* goes on?For me HATOs are far from what this thread is about but you certainly seem to have a hardon for taking potshots at them. Maybe start another thread about how much you hate HATOs?
OpulentBob said:
Jesus Christ.
There are some proper Walts around. Boss Hogg isn't one. I've done my fair share of motorway working, road closures, lane closures etc (highways engineer rather than Walt) and the HATOs (as they were) were bloody useful, and at night on a motorway full of IT professionals in their leased VAG diesel doing 90mph, the lights, high-viz etc can be a life saver.
All this "Womble" talk just repeats a Clarksonism and makes the user look like a disrespectful bell-end. What's the matter, did a traffic officer bum your husband/wife/dog?
Save the mockery for the proper Walts. The real "one-eye-open"ers.
There are some proper Walts around. Boss Hogg isn't one. I've done my fair share of motorway working, road closures, lane closures etc (highways engineer rather than Walt) and the HATOs (as they were) were bloody useful, and at night on a motorway full of IT professionals in their leased VAG diesel doing 90mph, the lights, high-viz etc can be a life saver.
All this "Womble" talk just repeats a Clarksonism and makes the user look like a disrespectful bell-end. What's the matter, did a traffic officer bum your husband/wife/dog?
Save the mockery for the proper Walts. The real "one-eye-open"ers.
This; save the disdain for Project Amber and co.
EDIT: I've had a tyre go on driver side on a motorway and despite getting the car way, way over on the left of the hard shoulder/verge it was still the most terrifying 10 minutes of my life swapping it out (closely followed by the feeling you get when you have to exit your race car PDQ at Quarry corner whilst race is still live....).
Edited by MrJingles705 on Tuesday 28th March 12:58
MrJingles705 said:
This; save the disdain for Project Amber and co.
EDIT: I've had a tyre go on driver side on a motorway and despite getting the car way, way over on the left of the hard shoulder/verge it was still the most terrifying 10 minutes of my life swapping it out (closely followed by the feeling you get when you have to exit your race car PDQ at Quarry corner whilst race is still live....).
Edited by MrJingles705 on Tuesday 28th March 12:58
However, if it's anything like sitting broadside on the exit of a fast corner hoping that today will be the rare day people observe the yellow flags, I know that feeling is grim!
_dobbo_ said:
Crossflow Kid said:
I think the derision and slight ridicule arises from the fact that although HATOs drive what looks like a police car, they dress like police officers and are seen at incidents where police are in abundance, they actually have very little genuine power over the motoring public and yet there are still a few of them who have just a teeny tiny little bit inside their head that thinks "I am the law" in a walty kind of way.
You know what goes on inside the head of "a few of them"? Or what you *think* goes on?For me HATOs are far from what this thread is about but you certainly seem to have a hardon for taking potshots at them. Maybe start another thread about how much you hate HATOs?
Anyway, motorways aren't "terrifying", they're dangerous, which is something else entirely. If approached with caution, common sense and a healthy respect for the risks, it isn't terrifying at all.
And yes, I have worked on them.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th March 13:45
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 28th March 13:47
S11Steve said:
I had the misfortune of an engine grenading on me on the M23 about 15 years ago - literally turned to shrapnel, with chunks of metal flying everywhere, and the car ground to halt straddling lane 1 and the hard shoulder.
Getting out of that car and standing next to the motorway alone for 10 minutes or so until the police arrived was absolutely terrifying, and since then I've said that you could not pay me enough to do any job that entails standing on or next to a live motorway.
So many drivers are just absolute fking idiots.
Fair play to anyone who does that, "traffic womble", police or maintenance.
The majority of the times on the hard shoulder is uneventful, I've had a fully loaded LGV jack knife on black ice and slide sideways across all three lanes straight at me! I did a 100m dash up the embankment that Linford Christie would have been proud of!Getting out of that car and standing next to the motorway alone for 10 minutes or so until the police arrived was absolutely terrifying, and since then I've said that you could not pay me enough to do any job that entails standing on or next to a live motorway.
So many drivers are just absolute f
king idiots. Fair play to anyone who does that, "traffic womble", police or maintenance.
_dobbo_ said:
Crossflow Kid said:
Calm down Petal.
I don't need to calm down my dear, I am zen like. I just thought you were being a bit of a cock about HATOs is all.Thanks for clarifying, Petal.
Crossflow Kid said:
_dobbo_ said:
Crossflow Kid said:
Calm down Petal.
I don't need to calm down my dear, I am zen like. I just thought you were being a bit of a cock about HATOs is all.Thanks for clarifying, Petal.
I like the pet names thing though, Petal is nice. I shall call you buttercup. Catch you later buttercup!
Some Gump said:
Fortunate to I've ever had a. Breakdown on a fast road.
However, if it's anything like sitting broadside on the exit of a fast corner hoping that today will be the rare day people observe the yellow flags, I know that feeling is grim!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95i3lvOX_2kHowever, if it's anything like sitting broadside on the exit of a fast corner hoping that today will be the rare day people observe the yellow flags, I know that feeling is grim!
(yes, that's me... having a bad day)
Crossflow Kid said:
Calm down Petal.
Anyway, motorways aren't "terrifying", they're dangerous, which is something else entirely. If approached with caution, common sense and a healthy respect for the risks, it isn't terrifying at all.
And yes, I have worked on them.
Trying to get wheels off/on in the space available without anyone to keep an eye on the traffic for you is bad enough.... when you hear something running the rumble-strip because some tAnyway, motorways aren't "terrifying", they're dangerous, which is something else entirely. If approached with caution, common sense and a healthy respect for the risks, it isn't terrifying at all.
And yes, I have worked on them.
t is on their phone and you realise that there is basically sod all you can do as you are on your knees. Yeah. Not fun.Not terrifying in a "I'm doing a patrol in afghan" kind of way, but put it this way... I'd be genuinely suprised if anyone isn't a little twitchy-bum about it since more than a few people have been wiped out.
I read somewhere, a while ago, that if someone was going to crash then they would be MORE likely to crash if they were told NOT to hit something.
So if someone is going to crash, and then they see a vehicle parked on the hard shoulder covered in lights and so forth, they would be more likely to hit that, than they would be to crash into the verge or barrier either side of that vehicle.
A bit like when you teach a child to ride a bike and tell them not to crash into that bush/tree/table full of cakes - that's where they are more likely to end up rather than avoiding doing so (but still crashing)
So if someone is going to crash, and then they see a vehicle parked on the hard shoulder covered in lights and so forth, they would be more likely to hit that, than they would be to crash into the verge or barrier either side of that vehicle.
A bit like when you teach a child to ride a bike and tell them not to crash into that bush/tree/table full of cakes - that's where they are more likely to end up rather than avoiding doing so (but still crashing)
Shakermaker said:
I read somewhere, a while ago, that if someone was going to crash then they would be MORE likely to crash if they were told NOT to hit something.
So if someone is going to crash, and then they see a vehicle parked on the hard shoulder covered in lights and so forth, they would be more likely to hit that, than they would be to crash into the verge or barrier either side of that vehicle.
A bit like when you teach a child to ride a bike and tell them not to crash into that bush/tree/table full of cakes - that's where they are more likely to end up rather than avoiding doing so (but still crashing)
Target fixation. The hands take you wherever the eyes look. Old advice for motorcyclists in trouble is to look down the road, and if it's too late for that and you're in a LOT of trouble, look at the gap in the hedge! So if someone is going to crash, and then they see a vehicle parked on the hard shoulder covered in lights and so forth, they would be more likely to hit that, than they would be to crash into the verge or barrier either side of that vehicle.
A bit like when you teach a child to ride a bike and tell them not to crash into that bush/tree/table full of cakes - that's where they are more likely to end up rather than avoiding doing so (but still crashing)
MrJingles705 said:
Trying to get wheels off/on in the space available without anyone to keep an eye on the traffic for you is bad enough.... when you hear something running the rumble-strip because some tt is on their phone and you realise that there is basically sod all you can do as you are on your knees. Yeah. Not fun.
So why attempt it then?t is on their phone and you realise that there is basically sod all you can do as you are on your knees. Yeah. Not fun.Like I said, motorways require respect, common sense and a healthy awareness of the risks.
You identified No.3 (people on phones) and yet persisted in having a go anyway, thus overlooking No.2
Crossflow Kid said:
MrJingles705 said:
Trying to get wheels off/on in the space available without anyone to keep an eye on the traffic for you is bad enough.... when you hear something running the rumble-strip because some tt is on their phone and you realise that there is basically sod all you can do as you are on your knees. Yeah. Not fun.
So why attempt it then?t is on their phone and you realise that there is basically sod all you can do as you are on your knees. Yeah. Not fun.Like I said, motorways require respect, common sense and a healthy awareness of the risks.
You identified No.3 (people on phones) and yet persisted in having a go anyway, thus overlooking No.2
You can't legislate for idiots, I was putting a lane one closure on today for an offside tyre change for a wagon, all the signals were set and traffic was moving into lane 2, apart from Mr traveling salesman in his Insignia. He stayed in lane one, even driving round the closure we had started to put out!!! I was to busy warning the tyre fitter to stay on the hard shoulder to get his VRM, otherwise it would have been a visit from the boys in blue, good job for the driver it was before the CCTV in the cars goes live.
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