Joined
·
7,397 Posts
Some people never learn
1 - 20 of 36 Posts
Joined
·
675 Posts
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 21 Aug 2008, 00:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Saw this story in the news today. This is the fifth time this has happened to the same bridge in the last couple of years.
Hopefully they'll install a sensor; not wishing to absolve the driver of responsibility, but if your mind is elsewhere at the time it's an easy thing to do. Occasionally I drive 15' 7"/4.75m high artics; recently one of our units was diverted off a motorway at night but the police forgot to mention the low bridge... driver (not me) didn't see the sign in time, or the bridge in the dark. Bang! Hadn't expected the low bridge because the polis told him to drive along that road. Even so, driver's responsibility.
mal
Hopefully they'll install a sensor; not wishing to absolve the driver of responsibility, but if your mind is elsewhere at the time it's an easy thing to do. Occasionally I drive 15' 7"/4.75m high artics; recently one of our units was diverted off a motorway at night but the police forgot to mention the low bridge... driver (not me) didn't see the sign in time, or the bridge in the dark. Bang! Hadn't expected the low bridge because the polis told him to drive along that road. Even so, driver's responsibility.
mal
Joined
·
1,080 Posts
Why don't the council take a tip for the railways and instal a loading gauge ahead of the bridge. If he hit the loading gauge a set of RED lights could come on at the bridge. Or is that too much of a nanny state?
Joined
·
1,611 Posts
its the UK and that would be to logical.
Wonder if it is 5 different bus drives, or the same who just does not learn!
John
Ducks for cover
Wonder if it is 5 different bus drives, or the same who just does not learn!
John
Ducks for cover
Joined
·
675 Posts
QUOTE (railstimulator @ 21 Aug 2008, 07:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Why don't the council take a tip for the railways and instal a loading gauge ahead of the bridge. If he hit the loading gauge a set of RED lights could come on at the bridge. Or is that too much of a nanny state?
Some do have that - there's one at Slateford in Edinburgh (just next to the train station)
mal
Some do have that - there's one at Slateford in Edinburgh (just next to the train station)
mal
Joined
·
2,151 Posts
I am confused,
Doesn't public buses follow a certain route?...and isn't there somebody who defines these routes for the buses to take? That bridge is supposedly on that route for ages and the height span is again the same all along!?
I think that the guy who defines these routes sitting at his desk at the council or whatever should be the oneto be sacked!
Baykal
Doesn't public buses follow a certain route?...and isn't there somebody who defines these routes for the buses to take? That bridge is supposedly on that route for ages and the height span is again the same all along!?
I think that the guy who defines these routes sitting at his desk at the council or whatever should be the oneto be sacked!
Baykal
Joined
·
1,058 Posts
Following the links I read that one driver had been driving a route with a single decker all day and forgot he had changed to a double decker. The driver concerened in the incident in this thread was driving back to the depot so therefore wasn't taking a bus route.
Joined
·
2,342 Posts
Hi All
I have never (touch wood) driven into a low bridge (come close a few times!)
But I had an embarrassing experience in Perth city (WA) drove into a buildings loading area ,the buildings drive way sloped up from the street , the clearance was 3.7m , my truck was 3.65m (yeah,I can fit under that) went up slowly , with my head out of the cab checking clearance (just cleared ) Did my delivery . Well look at that there is enough room to turn around ( 3 point turn between expensive cars) Drove out forwards , once again very slowly. When the front wheels went down to slope the rear of the truck (of coarse) went up and hit the roof , and the truck was stuck.
Bit of extra horse power in reverse and I freed the truck ,another 3 point turn and reverse out onto St Georges Tce (never a quiet roadway) Did not do to much damage! a bit of scraped plaster and paint from the building a few scrapes in the top of the truck.
Another day another $
Regards Zmil
I have never (touch wood) driven into a low bridge (come close a few times!)
But I had an embarrassing experience in Perth city (WA) drove into a buildings loading area ,the buildings drive way sloped up from the street , the clearance was 3.7m , my truck was 3.65m (yeah,I can fit under that) went up slowly , with my head out of the cab checking clearance (just cleared ) Did my delivery . Well look at that there is enough room to turn around ( 3 point turn between expensive cars) Drove out forwards , once again very slowly. When the front wheels went down to slope the rear of the truck (of coarse) went up and hit the roof , and the truck was stuck.
Bit of extra horse power in reverse and I freed the truck ,another 3 point turn and reverse out onto St Georges Tce (never a quiet roadway) Did not do to much damage! a bit of scraped plaster and paint from the building a few scrapes in the top of the truck.
Another day another $
Regards Zmil
QUOTE Did my delivery
of course, having dropped OFF a load, the springs will rise a bit...................?
regarding the bus and bus drivers [having once been one for 25 years or so].....yep, it IS solely the driver's responsibility..in the end....however, what I did notice in those far off days was a distinct tendency for [bus] drivers to actually think that it was not THEIR responsibility to check, make sure, be up to speed with regulations, changes, etc which affected their jobs...and more importantly, their LICENCES....[some were even convinced it was the company's resonsibility to ensure THEIR licences were renewed!!!]
I knew the writing was on the wall for us hoary old grumpy grizzled bus drivers when I realised that bus companies weren't interested in driver skills any more.......but really wanted ''point-of-sale'' retail skills.
I enjoyed my old job....[ex-London Transport, ex-United Auto, ex-EYMS....and a few other ex-s in between]...but I enjoy my current job a lot more...and get paid for it!
of course, having dropped OFF a load, the springs will rise a bit...................?
regarding the bus and bus drivers [having once been one for 25 years or so].....yep, it IS solely the driver's responsibility..in the end....however, what I did notice in those far off days was a distinct tendency for [bus] drivers to actually think that it was not THEIR responsibility to check, make sure, be up to speed with regulations, changes, etc which affected their jobs...and more importantly, their LICENCES....[some were even convinced it was the company's resonsibility to ensure THEIR licences were renewed!!!]
I knew the writing was on the wall for us hoary old grumpy grizzled bus drivers when I realised that bus companies weren't interested in driver skills any more.......but really wanted ''point-of-sale'' retail skills.
I enjoyed my old job....[ex-London Transport, ex-United Auto, ex-EYMS....and a few other ex-s in between]...but I enjoy my current job a lot more...and get paid for it!
Joined
·
7,397 Posts
When I was young you used to have a conductor and a driver. I think it's quite probable that issues like this are arising as the driver has too much to think about. If you're about to knock off and have to cash up then it's likely that's what you're going to be focussing on, not the height of the upcoming bridge.
Some years ago I was visiting a pal who owns a bridge inspection firm, mostly underwater surveys, but responsible for attending all bridge 'bashes' in his area.
While I was there he got called out to a 'bash' in Grantham. I went with him. Double decker on one side of the bridge, roof lying in the road on the other ! No passengers, thank god. It was a large girder bridge over the ECML and GNER trains were crossing it very gingerly. My pal looked at the stonework, scribbled a few notes on a clipboard and gave permission for trains to resume as normal.
He said to me ' Money for old rope, you'll not get one of these shifted by an aluminium bus '
Ed
While I was there he got called out to a 'bash' in Grantham. I went with him. Double decker on one side of the bridge, roof lying in the road on the other ! No passengers, thank god. It was a large girder bridge over the ECML and GNER trains were crossing it very gingerly. My pal looked at the stonework, scribbled a few notes on a clipboard and gave permission for trains to resume as normal.
He said to me ' Money for old rope, you'll not get one of these shifted by an aluminium bus '
Ed
Joined
·
675 Posts
QUOTE (Ed Allen @ 21 Aug 2008, 22:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>No passengers
Regular passengers on a bus would know the route and notice if the driver was off course and let him/her know. When you drive these things all day I guess it can be easy to let your mind wander. The Stagecoach bus was empty, too, returning to depot. Hindsight's easy, yes the driver should be thinking about height all the time and concentrating 100% of the time - but how many of us do that in our regular jobs with no downtime for a 4 hour stretch?
mal
Regular passengers on a bus would know the route and notice if the driver was off course and let him/her know. When you drive these things all day I guess it can be easy to let your mind wander. The Stagecoach bus was empty, too, returning to depot. Hindsight's easy, yes the driver should be thinking about height all the time and concentrating 100% of the time - but how many of us do that in our regular jobs with no downtime for a 4 hour stretch?
mal
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 21 Aug 2008, 23:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>When I was young you used to have a conductor and a driver. I think it's quite probable that issues like this are arising as the driver has too much to think about. If you're about to knock off and have to cash up then it's likely that's what you're going to be focussing on, not the height of the upcoming bridge.
One Person Operation has been around since the year dot.
One Person Operation has been around since the year dot.
Joined
·
7,397 Posts
QUOTE (alastairq @ 23 Aug 2008, 09:37) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>One Person Operation has been around since the year dot.
Maybe so but it wasn't in operation when I was a kid.
Maybe so but it wasn't in operation when I was a kid.
1 - 20 of 36 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!