its all my fault
Discussion
was delivering to smithfield again last night.
don't know if any of you have been? but its pretty much bang smack in the centre of london, so not an ideal location at the best of times, and on a normal night its busy, and access in and out down the streets that surround the market is at best, tight. normally when i'm tipped, i have to follow the road around the market, (a big square) to go out of the road i came in on. this normally takes between 5-15 minutes depending on lorries trying to get on bays, vans, forklifts, and cars left in stupid places. normally on 1 of the 4 corners that i have to do a tight 90 degree turn on.
last night it took 2 hours
it was chaos, the whole square and every road in and out ended up gridlocked. it was manic, a combination of extra trucks for the christmas rush, extra vans, same reason, and jo bloggs turning up and dumping their cars wherever they saw fit, to go and buy a turkey
in the end, the police turned up, (1 on a pushbike with blues and twos) to try and sort it, but even they were getting stressed, and i didn't envy them dealing with a combination of stressed out market staff, delivery drivers, cabbies and an element of pissed up public, post xmas party. it was fun and games.
i didn't get stressed, no point, you could see it was 1 big clusterf
k for a whole host of reasons, so i just sat it out.when i finally got to the last road that gets me to freedom, it was chaos. pretty much a normal width road, parked cars the whole legth of it on both sides, with nose to tail traffic both ways trying to get in and out. the incompetence of certain car drivers was astounding.
but the highlight for me, was trying to squeeze past a van coming towards me. a silver transit minibus. it looked to be a private hire vehicle, ferrying people around, post xmas party. when we got side by side, the road was now 4 abreast, parked cars each side, plus me and the van, i'm not kidding, i had approx 1cm spare on each side, it was so tight. when i drew level with the van, the driver said this,
"are you some sort of f
king , w.t.f do you think you are doing on this road in the fking great lorry, whats the point of you being here, can't you fking see your causing all this chaos, i should get out of this van and knock you out."i kid you not, they were pretty much his exact words.
i did invite him to get out of his van at anytime he felt fit, and then informed him that when he sat down to his christmas dinner, it would have been made possible by the likes of all of you, and me, but you know when your just wasting your breath
i also asked him, why he was on this stretch of road? and why when he could see from the main road, that this minor 1 was fked, did he continue to turn in, and add to the confusion? he didn't seem to want to comment.so, its time to hang my keys up. the shame. i can't deal with it. its all my fault
i love my job, but its evident i'm such a failure
Listening to radio 2 this morning they said it was jammed at Smithfield. They also said it was "National Turkey day", what ever that is
I did think of you. You did well to put up with the driver of the minibus and keep your cool - I fear his last comment might just have flicked my switch if I had been in your place.
10/10 for patience and perseverence.
I did think of you. You did well to put up with the driver of the minibus and keep your cool - I fear his last comment might just have flicked my switch if I had been in your place.
10/10 for patience and perseverence.
It was manic cliff, after 10 mins, I could see it was going to be a mare, so just went with the flow.
Other than the minor irritation in the minibus, it was entertaining watching everyone else and how they dealt with it.
Some of the revellers were monumentally spangled, they were fun to watch.
Other than the minor irritation in the minibus, it was entertaining watching everyone else and how they dealt with it.
Some of the revellers were monumentally spangled, they were fun to watch.
chilistrucker said:
It was manic cliff, after 10 mins, I could see it was going to be a mare, so just went with the flow.
When ever i see something developing I normaly go like that, empty my mind of any emotional content and go into thinking logical expresionless mode. I'll sit still till someone else moves, if and when possible. Always seems to unfold ok.The average driver has to deal wth life's lowest ste on a daily basis, it's sadly a fact of modern life. Chilli you clearly have significant experience euro wide of this. One day they won't get they're teddys for xmas and the world will come to an end. Keep on truckin fella, some of us know the score.
te on a daily basis, it's sadly a fact of modern life. Chilli you clearly have significant experience euro wide of this. One day they won't get they're teddys for xmas and the world will come to an end. Keep on truckin fella, some of us know the score.
truck71 said:
The average driver has to deal wth life's lowest ste on a daily basis, it's sadly a fact of modern life. Chilli you clearly have significant experience euro wide of this. One day they won't get they're teddys for xmas and the world will come to an end. Keep on truckin fella, some of us know the score.
your right mate, they'd all be screaming if the stuff wasn't in the shops, perhaps they think santa really does deliver it all te on a daily basis, it's sadly a fact of modern life. Chilli you clearly have significant experience euro wide of this. One day they won't get they're teddys for xmas and the world will come to an end. Keep on truckin fella, some of us know the score.
i do find europe is alot better as a lorry driver. most places you go you get treated with more respect than we do in the uk. it seems more people over the water realise we are an essential, as opposed to over here, where we are considered a pain in the arse. truckstops and facilities are much better in europe aswell, better food, showers, hygiene, and you don't get charged 20+ euros to park for the night in most stops.
4key, caffs, i don't know what your talking about, hvn't seen any
Crossflow Kid said:
truck71 said:
One day they won't get they're teddys for xmas and the world will come to an end.
It won't. Really, it won't. It's a myth perpetuated by the haulage industry, borne out by the fact it's only truckers who bang on about it.even you know its not a myth.
lets say we took all the lorries off the road for december, how would, "you" get all the stuff from the suppliers, to the warehouses, and into the shops? just curious as to if there is a better way.
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
but that is just in your ideal world.i think something has to change in the future as the uk roads are struggling to cope as it is, of a daytime.
the congestion, and "elephant racing" you talk of, is a pain in the arse, so much so, that i choose to do nights. much nicer.
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
I think we were hoping for a more practical solution, rather than a wholesale shift to communism.agent006 said:
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
I think we were hoping for a more practical solution, rather than a wholesale shift to communism.
someone will be along soon, saying, "stick it all on the railways"
chilistrucker said:
thats what most forget, how it gets to and from the train
like you say, the same with air and seafreight, its going to likely end up on a truck still at each end.
Yes, but using rail, air or sea for strategic resupply means only local low volume distribution would be done by road....in smaller vehicles.....on shorter runs. like you say, the same with air and seafreight, its going to likely end up on a truck still at each end.
The Argos scenario isn't communism, it's simply the views of someone who knows they won't die if there aren't croissants in the Co-op before 8am on Sundays. Consumerism has fed the logistics industry with a bottomless pit in to which next month's landfill is constantly poured, and the industry responds by feeding consumers with a never ending non-stop supply chain. The side effect is a motorway network reduced to one usable lane through elephant racing (but that's ok apparently).
As someone who can walk and chew gum at the same time, I recognise that I don't actually "need" a 24hr service in many aspects of my life and have lived in socieites where it doesn't happen to a greater or lesser extent and bugger me, I'm still here. Germany, for example, seems to be doing very well indeed despite having a blanket ban on HGVs over weekends.
So please don't expect a great deal more sympathy over any other road users.
Our roads are s
t. Deal with it. Everyone else has to, yet the haulage industry seems to project the idea that because it's "work", it's voice is louder and point of view more relevant. For the record, I have to endure ste roads before I even start work.I do like the "Keep on truckin' brother. Only we know the score" comment though. D'you like Country and Western?
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 30th December 19:46
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
but its creating jobs and spining wealth maybe we could go back to subsistance agriculture !! we could go to bed when it gets dark etc anyways are you sure you're doing something realy usefull for mankind, I think helping everyone get what they need and a few things they think they need isnt a bad occupation ... powerstroke said:
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
but its creating jobs and spining wealth maybe we could go back to subsistance agriculture !! we could go to bed when it gets dark etc anyways are you sure you're doing something realy usefull for mankind, I think helping everyone get what they need and a few things they think they need isnt a bad occupation ... I'd agree giving people everything they need and a little of what they want isn't a bad occupation.
Now, I need fewer trucks on the road.....
Crossflow Kid said:
powerstroke said:
Crossflow Kid said:
The better way is to wean people off the Argos catalogue and reduce the amount of "stuff" being needlessly hauled all over the place, and redefine the "essential" in essential deliveries. That way, the notion that thousands of HGVs elephant racing along the M3 is pivotal to the future of mankind would be null and void.
but its creating jobs and spining wealth maybe we could go back to subsistance agriculture !! we could go to bed when it gets dark etc anyways are you sure you're doing something realy usefull for mankind, I think helping everyone get what they need and a few things they think they need isnt a bad occupation ... I'd agree giving people everything they need and a little of what they want isn't a bad occupation.
Now, I need fewer trucks on the road.....
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