Ask a Highways England Traffic Officer anything

[anonymous-user]

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

[BossHogg]

Our hands are tied even more with the introduction of CCTV in the cars. Some of us used to change tyres but got in a lot of trouble for doing it. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Oh and for the record, I'm on road and wear a polo shirt not shirt and tie.

[anonymous-user]

skinthespin said:

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?!

If you have a problem with that take it up with the no win no fee scumballs and some of the pathetic individuals who want everything unless it goes pear, then it's someone else's fault.

BossHogg said:

Our hands are tied even more with the introduction of CCTV in the cars. Some of us used to change tyres but got in a lot of trouble for doing it. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Oh and for the record, I'm on road and wear a polo shirt not shirt and tie.

I don't think skinthespin read earlier examples.

If they want it changing then to speak to your MP (waste of breath) or the recovery industry who have a vested interest in reporting HETO's etc for costing them revenue in easy jobs.

[carreauchompeur]

200Plus Club said:

Have you ever been overtaken at speed by a heavily modified mk1 cortina with its passenger showing you the middle finger because you can't do sod all about it?

One of you has ! :-)
As you were.

[Robertj21a]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Why don't you read the earlier comments before you jump in feet first.

[shakindog]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Or look at it like this HE patrol changes the wheel for your wife it goes on but the hub Is corroded he thinks it’s tight but it’s not sat correctly but feels tight so sends it in it’s way.
Few mile down road wheel comes loose causing an accident.
The patrol will be sued by you and your wife for doing the right thing.
Yes it has happened in the past.
HE also don’t carry torque wrench or a suitable jack to make sure nuts/bolts are tightened to correct spec
Trust me wheel changes on the hard shoulder aren’t the easiest thing to accomplish even with the correct tackle.

[SouthernSkye]

Well done to all those who, as far as allowed by the upper echelons of their organizations, work to make our roads safer. HE (and whatever the equivalent is here in Scotland) have never fooled me into thinking they, or their vehicle, was in anyway police related.
Happy New Year, stay safe
S Skye

[BossHogg]

Thanks mucker, and happy new year to you and yours too.

[rambo19]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Knob post of the year....................

[200Plus Club]

carreauchompeur said:

200Plus Club said:

Have you ever been overtaken at speed by a heavily modified mk1 cortina with its passenger showing you the middle finger because you can't do sod all about it?

One of you has ! :-)
As you were.

You obviously missed the humour intended :-)

[BossHogg]

I replied in the manner it was intended.

[anonymous-user]

I did read the posts, and it can be wrapped up anyway you like, all I imagine is some one needing help and someone able and qualified saying "sorry love, hands tied, health and safety, union blah blah"

Knob post of the year already, quite a feat!

[BossHogg]

One of our guys had the book thrown at him just for carrying a spider wheel brace, the amount of times they turned up at someone with a puncture who didn't have a wheel brace is unreal. It's not that we won't help, believe me, after losing a good friend and colleague on the hard shoulder, I don't want anyone to spend longer than need be. If it comes down to it, if someone physically can't change a wheel, I will stay with them and let them sit in their vehicle in the warm and dry, I'll put a hard shoulder closure on and stand in the rain monitoring the traffic until recovery arrives. I won't leave until the wheel is changed and the vehicle is on its way. I take my job seriously and the safety of the traveling public on my patch is of the utmost importance to me, as it is to my colleagues too.

[Evanivitch]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Get back in your box you wee little sh***.

[PF62]

BossHogg said:

PF62 said:

Why do your control centre staff and managers feel the need to wear a fake police uniform?

http://www.highways.gov.uk/about-us/the-motorway/m...

In what way is it fake?, It's a navy blue uniform, correct me if I'm wrong, police wear black. When we wear shirts, we have navy blue epaulettes and tie not black.

Nice of you to focus on the colour, but to be honest I always think back to the very dark blue uniform the police used to wear.

However you don't seem to have covered the point of why control center staff and management feel the need to have a uniform with epaulettes and gold braid.

Do any other staff in civil service departments which are not military or law enforcement also wear 'fancy dress', especially as they are employed in non-public facing roles?

[The Mad Monk]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

Why don't you make sure your wife has breakdown cover?

The rest of your post shows how childish you are.

[Gafferjim]

skinthespin said:

What a strange thread. Come on here to dispel myths etc, I had a higher opinion BEFORE you posted.

If my wife has a puncture with my son in the car you stand and watch and offer advice rather than help over some unionised health and safety clap trap, pathetic. What kind of decent human being does that, call yourself a man?! Then you stick a winking face on the end as if it's funny, but it's OK to say you upright over turned vehicles, ridiculous.

Then you have the cheek to say your tie is navy blue and the police have a black tie how could you possibly be confused......

All respect has gone and I will be sure to pass the next womble I see at the highest possible speed!

I wonder where you work, and what rules you have to abide by without getting into serious trouble.
The HE is a government controlled 'company' and it is very much risk adverse, HETOs are instructed that doing anything out of their allowed remit will result in disciplinary action, and changing wheels, or giving basic mechanical assistance for customers is very much a no-no. They used to carry containers of water to assist, these have been removed on the orders of on high.
Now I would ask the question, would YOU do something against YOUR company rules that could lead to you losing your job? I think not!

What Boss Hogg may not have mentioned, is that they'd make sure that recovery was on it's way to do the job, and if there were children or a distressed female, they would try to ferry them to a place of safety, ie services, or a cafe, hotel etc off at the next junction if there was going to be a delay in the arrival of the recovery.

[Gafferjim]

BossHogg said:

Our hands are tied even more with the introduction of CCTV in the cars. Some of us used to change tyres but got in a lot of trouble for doing it. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Oh and for the record, I'm on road and wear a polo shirt not shirt and tie.

They also wear polo shirts in the control rooms, shirt & tie is mostly used when on a court appearance to give evidence.

[anonymous-user]

skinthespin said:

I did read the posts, and it can be wrapped up anyway you like, all I imagine is some one needing help and someone able and qualified saying "sorry love,

Qualified in what vehicle breakdown and recovery? That was one of the 1st complaints of the 'recovery industry' when HE/HA was set up they may lose money, they don't gIve a crap about the public, only their bottom line.

Gafferjim said:

They used to carry containers of water to assist, these have been removed on the orders of on high.

Probably because someone who's rad was topped up (by themselves with HE water) then claimed for a head gasket/ruined engine etc.

Probably all mission creep, set up to clear live carriageways and keep traffic moving, everything else was an added bonus.
Unfortunately it seemed initial recruitment was messed up as they got many proactive individuals (apart from excess DSS staff who were going through a redundancy exercise) who were problem solvers and that doesn't/didn't fit well with the CS way of working so many left leaving a few who just sit it out.

[bordseye]

limpsfield said:

Is it really necessary to have the cars liveried up to look like police cars?

Could they not be given a different colour scheme that makes them stand out, without making every lane 2 and 3 hogger slam on the anchors when they see one 1/4 mile away?

I do think that many of these highway officers must quite revel in this pretend police thing - but for the non-paying attention road user, the reaction of others can be quite dangerous.

I ride for Blood Bikes and our bikes are done up in police livery with, in some cases, blue lights. Dont know about the "revel in the pretend police thing" but I do enjoy being like Moses parting the waters when it comes to a traffic jam. And I have to smile when some kiddie in his tarted up old banger cowers in the gutter when he sees me behind only to set off like a bat out of hell with all valves bouncing when he realises I am not plod.

You would be amazed how unobservant most people are. It regularly takes a minute or more for someone to see my bike behind them and the brakes to be applied.