Bus drivers

chaseracer · Post by **chaseracer** » 12 Aug 2005, 04:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Oscar Too

On the M20 near Maidstone I saw a foreign truck pull out and catch a late model Sierra on the rear bumper - I could see it happening before it happened with that horrified feeling you have when something bad is about to happen and you can't do anything about it....
The truck swiped the bumper and the car swung sideways across two lanes before the driver got some control and pulled onto the hard shoulder. It was like you or me kicking a cuddly toy across a room. Superb presence of mind by the Sierra driver. I only managed to get my hazards on before I was past the collision.
So now I give trucks plenty of room on the M-way.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Saw a similar thing on the A13 (Normandy, not Essex) a year or three back.
Near Rouen, three lanes of busy traffic, big Reno Magnum in lane1; old R5 comes screaming up sliplane, tries to nip in front of truck [:o)] while going maybe 1kph faster. You know what's coming here, don't you?
By now, I'm watching this in the mirror in apparent slo-mo; Magnum gently rubs R5's rear quarter, pulling it in front of the truck, out of the driver's blind-spot; truckie realises where the smoke is coming from and throws out the anchors, which spits the R5 backwards into the central barrier.
Ouch.

batwad · Post by **batwad** » 12 Aug 2005, 13:46

Having recently got back from Poland, I can say that bus driver in this country are absolute angels in comparison with those in Poland.
We were on a coach coming back from Zackopane, heading to Krakow in fairly heavy rain. Now Polish roads aren't that well maintained and certainly don't drain too well, yet the driver was happily bombing along at about 60mph in heavy rain on a partially flooded road. [:0][8)]
The rain didn't put him off doing what he would normally have done in the dry either: overtaking on single carriageways, crossing unbroken lines and tailgating [:(] At one point the car we were following decided to turn off the road, so in true Polish fashion indicated, braked and left the road all at the same time. As the coach driver was following too close he had to jam on the anchors which caused the bus to skid [:0] The driver also swerved to avoid the car, sending us out onto the other lane into the path of an oncoming lorry! With an astoundingly deft flick of the wheel the coach driver brought the coach out of its skid, around the car and back onto our side of the road and calmly accelerated to 60mph [:)][:0]
Incidentally, I hear there are a shortage of bus drivers in this country and that Arriva are looking to hire Poles [:I][xx(]

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 12 Aug 2005, 14:05

They're already on the roads in Glasgow:

http://www.arriva.co.uk/__80256E7800362 ... SRVM6DMLRS

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 12 Aug 2005, 15:02

Ah that reminds me. For true nutter coach drivers, try Malta! They drive clapped out old buses normally but the coaches are newer and they truly do behave like they own the roads. Speed limits? Nope don't recognise those. Rights of way? Not applicable because I'm bigger. Looking after passengers? That's no fun! Look how fast a coach can corner!
On the plus side, made me less nervous about the flight home!

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 12 Aug 2005, 15:54

And in Malta you also of course you also have to contend with the Maltese habit of driving in the shade, whatever side of the road that may happen to be on............I love the place!!!

yangreen · Post by **yangreen** » 12 Aug 2005, 18:15

The strange thing was, I didn't find driving there that scary. Even though people were driving around at night with their hazards on because no other lights worked! I just drove trying my best to look after myself, making no assumptions about anyone and ignoring all the rules and I fitted in perfectly. Just like modern City driving really!

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 12 Aug 2005, 18:29

Its the first time you do a roundabout in Malta thats scarey- traffic going on to the roundabout has priority over traffic already on there and you are expected to just whizz straight on without slowing[:0]-completely the opposite to here,and the traffic already on the roundabout will give way.............and they do!!!
Its the only place outside of the UK that I would ever consider living in- a really weird mix of British Empire, north africa, and southern meditereanean, I just hope it doesn't get ruined by EC membership.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 13 Aug 2005, 02:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ayden

a bus driver pulled out in front of a guy in a freelander who happend to be in front of me the guy in the freelander slams on his brakes i do the same except i dont stop in time wham straight into the back of him smashing the headlight an pushing the bonnet up a bit, what does the bus driver do ?? Nothing carries on and drives off.
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I'm not going to be popular for saying this, but unfortunatley, as far as I know, you have absoulutely no claim against the bus driver/company. The letter of the law is that if you hit someone from behind, then you were not allowing enough space, and it's your fault.
In this case, the Bus driver may have been stupid/unhelpful, but if the freelander managed to stop in time, then he was allowing enough space. If you couldn't stop before hitting the freelander, then I'm afraid the accident is your fault, and the freelander owner can make a claim against you for damage.
*cue irate response*
But I do agree, some large vehicle drivers do drive as if they own the road. I was almost squashed by a 7.5 tonner yesterday.

j_roc · Post by **j_roc** » 13 Aug 2005, 07:00

You are so true in what you have said.

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 13 Aug 2005, 13:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fastandfurryous
I'm not going to be popular for saying this, but unfortunatley, as far as I know, you have absoulutely no claim against the bus driver/company. The letter of the law is that if you hit someone from behind, then you were not allowing enough space, and it's your fault.
In this case, the Bus driver may have been stupid/unhelpful, but if the freelander managed to stop in time, then he was allowing enough space. If you couldn't stop before hitting the freelander, then I'm afraid the accident is your fault, and the freelander owner can make a claim against you for damage.
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'Fraid so, F & F - you are right. It seems to be that more and more drivers seem to think that they can modify the basic rules of physics!!

ActivaV6uk · Post by **ActivaV6uk** » 13 Aug 2005, 14:21

Ive been saying it for years i want a scorpion light armored tank (top speed of around 100mph over anything

) then see who messes with you, and best of all i will always have some ware to park - right on whoever is in my way

. they didnt use to be too expensive it was the road going tracks that were the drawback i will have to look into it

Batwad my family is origianly from poland (my mums parents moved form poland during the war to fight in anders army (Polish regements of the british army). ive heard Zacopani (spelling) is really beautiful and it sounds like its becoming a huge torist atraction for the UK now (its been one in europe for decades).
Andy

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 13 Aug 2005, 19:27

I saw a Scorpion once, it had lost a track at 50mph (it's top speed) and left the road in a hurry. The track sort of got tangled up, dug a hole in the tarmac and pitched the tank off into the verge...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_tank

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 15 Aug 2005, 07:43

The sad fact is..... Driving is no fun today. When you set off on a journey you now have to treat it as an endurance test, you win by arriving uninjured, with an undamaged car and having kept your mental and emotional stress levels extremely low. [^]
You have to assume that every other car on the road is being driven by a panicky 9 year old kid, whose feet barely reach the pedals, with his mum shouting insults and orders at him from the back seat.. [}:)] [:(]
The only nice (ish) way to travel is in the early hours of the morning, sadly we can't always do that.. So never mind what others do, be observant, be carefull, be defensive, and get there safely. [:)]
.

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 15 Aug 2005, 12:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fastandfurryous

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ayden

a bus driver pulled out in front of a guy in a freelander who happend to be in front of me the guy in the freelander slams on his brakes i do the same except i dont stop in time wham straight into the back of him smashing the headlight an pushing the bonnet up a bit, what does the bus driver do ?? Nothing carries on and drives off.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I'm not going to be popular for saying this, but unfortunatley, as far as I know, you have absoulutely no claim against the bus driver/company. The letter of the law is that if you hit someone from behind, then you were not allowing enough space, and it's your fault.
In this case, the Bus driver may have been stupid/unhelpful, but if the freelander managed to stop in time, then he was allowing enough space. If you couldn't stop before hitting the freelander, then I'm afraid the accident is your fault, and the freelander owner can make a claim against you for damage.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I had been biting my tongue on that one.

batwad · Post by **batwad** » 15 Aug 2005, 14:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ActivaV6uk
Batwad my family is origianly from poland (my mums parents moved form poland during the war to fight in anders army (Polish regements of the british army). ive heard Zacopani (spelling) is really beautiful and it sounds like its becoming a huge torist atraction for the UK now (its been one in europe for decades).<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
My dad's dad was a soldier in the Polish army and moved to England with his Swiss wife after the war.
Zackopane is lovely (although as I said we didn't have the best weather[:(]) and, as you say, a big holiday destination for Poles who like to go skiing and climbing. It was interesting, if a touch daunting [:)], to see the majority of attractions' signs written in and hear people mostly speaking Polish. Krakow's quite different, being already geared to European tourism, with plenty of things (like menus) being written in Polish, English and sometimes German.