Thank you Highways Agency
Discussion
Spent 25 minutes in a queue this morning getting off the M4 Westbound at J11.
The cause? One of the two lanes on the sliproad was coned off, HATO wagon parked in the middle of the coned-off lane, two guys in hi-viz jackets staring at the large queue they had created that disappeared into the far distance. In front of their wagon was a blue Mondeo that had obviously rear-ended another vehicle - but it was already half pulled over onto the verge, and there was room to have two lanes of traffic on the remaining road surface.
So they may have reduced the chance of another small scrape on the sliproad, at a cost of 2 miles of slow moving traffic on the M4, and much bigger risk of a larger smash on the motorway itself. Top work lads !
Soft Top said:
71RS said:
do their cars have cruise control set at 69 mph?
They certainly do but who cares. They can't do anything about speeding yet anyway.
Gun it past them, It's the best way. Plus it annoys the hell out of them.
The amount of times I have come off at Junc. 11 to get home, and there are some Motorway Patrol clowns who have shut half the motorway for a car on the hard shoulder with a flat tyre is countless. Really annoying and pointless.
Are any of them mechanics?
Or are they just there to cause congestion for others, to warn everyone that they are waiting for the AA/RAC etc.
I did a road trip of 2,300 miles last week. In France, Swiss, Germany, Lux, Belguim and back into France I only ever stopped for toll booths. I got back to blighty and did just 100 miles before I had to stop on the M25 for 1 hour at 11 at night because one car had hit the barrier.
Today in Brum I saw that the M6 South was at a complete standstill. 2 days and 2 total holdups, and yet I saw nothing like it all last week.
Today in Brum I saw that the M6 South was at a complete standstill. 2 days and 2 total holdups, and yet I saw nothing like it all last week.
Baldylocks said:
stevieb said:
and yes it does pi55 them off everytime you gun it past them..
Say you gunned it past them far in excess of the limit - would they report you? do they have an obligation to do so?
You know, if you really pissed them off....
It is in there job discription to report anything back to the control room. If there supervisor thought that you might be a danger then yes, if you are just doing it to pi55 them off then yes. If you aer doing a respectable 80-90 and cruise pass them then no.
There handbook is a good read, it is over 4 volumes of A4 double sided print.. Soem of the HATOs i have met seem to be a good laugh but other seem to take there job to serious and think they are the LAW.
They aer only there for cheap policing of the motorway!
Friend of mine broke down in a Fiesta with young twins and a toddler, situation got long and drawn out awaiting a recovery truck, jist of it was couple of HATO's who waited with her subsequently left her at "shift change" high and dry without any other support. In the new year and dark IIRC.
Robatr0n said:
What are you saying John? Do you happen to know anyone in a certain french hot hatch that has gone flat out past them? 
Ha ha, no I'm not that stupid
Personally I edge past at a respectable 80mph, once I'm convinced its not full fat bacon! The fact that I rapidly disappear into the distance hopefully go's unnoticed...
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