Would the police do anything?
Discussion
Without going into all the details, this morning on the way to work, the driver of a Virgin Media van tried to run me off the road. He had previously chopped me up at a roundabout, so I had sounded my horn. Half a mile later, going up a hill with a crawler lane, I was about to overtake when he veered across to the second lane. I moved back over to the nearside lane and he did the same. I pulled out again to overtake and JUST before I got alongside, he pulled across again. There was no traffic ahead of us on the hill.
I decided that discretion was the better part of valour at this point, and stayed behind him. I also decided to work out who the van belonged to, so I followed him for long enough to spot the huge "TiVo" graphics on the side. Just before he turned off my normal route to work, I clocked him at around 55mph in a 40 limit.
I'm no driving God, but I'm rarely phased by other drivers. However, if it had happened to a more timid or less experienced driver, the outcome could well have been different (there was oncoming traffic coming down the hill when he decided to block my path)
one of the few times I've regretted not having a dash-cam....
I've now reported him to his line manager (after an infuriating four calls lasting 30 minutes to Virgin Media to track the fleet division down) - they have called me back and assured me that the matter "would be investigated" - turn out all the vans have a GPS tracker / recorder, so there will be evidence
However, I'm now thinking that I should have reported him to the Police, but I'm not convinced they would have wanted (or been able) to do anything
Should I have reported it, or would I be on a hiding to nothing?
I decided that discretion was the better part of valour at this point, and stayed behind him. I also decided to work out who the van belonged to, so I followed him for long enough to spot the huge "TiVo" graphics on the side. Just before he turned off my normal route to work, I clocked him at around 55mph in a 40 limit.
I'm no driving God, but I'm rarely phased by other drivers. However, if it had happened to a more timid or less experienced driver, the outcome could well have been different (there was oncoming traffic coming down the hill when he decided to block my path)
one of the few times I've regretted not having a dash-cam....
I've now reported him to his line manager (after an infuriating four calls lasting 30 minutes to Virgin Media to track the fleet division down) - they have called me back and assured me that the matter "would be investigated" - turn out all the vans have a GPS tracker / recorder, so there will be evidence
However, I'm now thinking that I should have reported him to the Police, but I'm not convinced they would have wanted (or been able) to do anything
Should I have reported it, or would I be on a hiding to nothing?
You could report him, but to some extent its still going to be your word against his. So unless he has a string of complaints made about him from different people I suspect they would just file it away.
Your best bet will be to keep call his manager in Virgin Media for an update. As often or not one call will only result in the comment you had about "being investigated" to get you off their back. Keep calling and they will likely realise they may well need to actually deal with it.
Your best bet will be to keep call his manager in Virgin Media for an update. As often or not one call will only result in the comment you had about "being investigated" to get you off their back. Keep calling and they will likely realise they may well need to actually deal with it.
About 3 years ago I witnessed 3 builders vans on the M62 misbehaving, I initially got cut up joining the motorway when one used the slip road as a way to undertake their colleges (in a que) and then had to slam on due to one pulling in front of me in lane 2 without warning, after the que went they disappeared.
The whole manner of driving was dangerous and if my daughter was in the car I would have been having words directly with them. Sent the HO an email when I got home telling them what the vans had done (being from a company background I would hate someone doing it with one of my cars). Had an email back the next morning saying the vans are all tracked, they had pinpointed the 3 drivers and called them in. 2 had received warnings and the one using the slip road as a method to win the race had the van took off them
The whole manner of driving was dangerous and if my daughter was in the car I would have been having words directly with them. Sent the HO an email when I got home telling them what the vans had done (being from a company background I would hate someone doing it with one of my cars). Had an email back the next morning saying the vans are all tracked, they had pinpointed the 3 drivers and called them in. 2 had received warnings and the one using the slip road as a method to win the race had the van took off them
Nigel_O said:
"I clocked him at around 55mph in a 40 limit."
"one of the few times I've regretted not having a dash-cam...."
Should I have reported it, or would I be on a hiding to nothing?
Your word against his. Without witnesses or other evidence there is nothing on which a successful prosecution could be based. "one of the few times I've regretted not having a dash-cam...."
Should I have reported it, or would I be on a hiding to nothing?
Copying his speed is not a good idea - sod's law says that that's the one time there will be a scamera van!
friggs said:
About 3 years ago I witnessed 3 builders vans on the M62 misbehaving, I initially got cut up joining the motorway when one used the slip road as a way to undertake their colleges (in a que) and then had to slam on due to one pulling in front of me in lane 2 without warning, after the que went they disappeared.
The whole manner of driving was dangerous and if my daughter was in the car I would have been having words directly with them. Sent the HO an email when I got home telling them what the vans had done (being from a company background I would hate someone doing it with one of my cars). Had an email back the next morning saying the vans are all tracked, they had pinpointed the 3 drivers and called them in. 2 had received warnings and the one using the slip road as a method to win the race had the van took off them
The employees know all the vans have trackers on them yet they still drive like morons, which kind of gives you a big insight into what sort of people you are dealing with here.The whole manner of driving was dangerous and if my daughter was in the car I would have been having words directly with them. Sent the HO an email when I got home telling them what the vans had done (being from a company background I would hate someone doing it with one of my cars). Had an email back the next morning saying the vans are all tracked, they had pinpointed the 3 drivers and called them in. 2 had received warnings and the one using the slip road as a method to win the race had the van took off them
It happens all the time in my office.
We have a property repair department who have a fleet of vans and employees who carry out the repairs.
All the vans are GPS tracked 24 hours a day, the tracking is fully recorded, and you can look at a screen in the office with Google maps on it which show the current location and speed of all the vans.
All the employees know this, and have been reminded of it serveral times.
Incredibly, despite knowing all this, we sack at least one person a year for 'theft of company time' which is basically skiving off work. Going home early yet clocking off at the correct time, going home for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, driving to a scenic location and having lunch for an entire afternoon, driving to a girlfriends house for the morning etc etc.
They are also dismissed for misuse of company property such as using the company van on a weekend to drive 2 hours to collect their new sofa or whatever while using our diesel.
It's incredible that they are either that stupid or simply don't give a f
k about losing their job.Sadly, it's a waste of time, even with video evidence - I tried this with UPS. Two of their drivers racing, one pulled into my lane without indicating as I was alongside him, I had to do an emergency stop because they'd decided to pull out of the queue in L1 to the Motorway slip road at the last minute.
UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
V8forweekends said:
Sadly, it's a waste of time, even with video evidence - I tried this with UPS. Two of their drivers racing, one pulled into my lane without indicating as I was alongside him, I had to do an emergency stop because they'd decided to pull out of the queue in L1 to the Motorway slip road at the last minute.
UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
A lesson in social media brand damage can sometimes focus their mind. Pop it up on their facebook page and start sharing it. UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
V8forweekends said:
Sadly, it's a waste of time, even with video evidence - I tried this with UPS. Two of their drivers racing, one pulled into my lane without indicating as I was alongside him, I had to do an emergency stop because they'd decided to pull out of the queue in L1 to the Motorway slip road at the last minute.
UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
Someone once phoned my dads business to complain that one of his drivers had just overtaken a row of cars 'absolutely flying and probably doing 80 in a 60'.UPS couldn't care less - even though they were bang to rights (I had video). There's no point - there have been other threads on here, most companies pay lip service, but actually they mostly don't care about their employees driving standards as long as they hit their targets.
My dad thanked the caller and then after hanging up said "oh well, if she's driving fast to collect the goods and get back here in a hurry that's good for us!"
timetex said:
NinjaPower said:
All the vans are GPS tracked 24 hours a day, the tracking is fully recorded, and you can look at a screen in the office with Google maps on it which show the current location and speed of all the vans.
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle would suggest otherwise.V8forweekends said:
timetex said:
NinjaPower said:
All the vans are GPS tracked 24 hours a day, the tracking is fully recorded, and you can look at a screen in the office with Google maps on it which show the current location and speed of all the vans.
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle would suggest otherwise.
I did think the scale was off when I Googled what he mentioned. 
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