road rage

[bazmoore]

i flashed my lights at someone who cut in front of me causing me to brake sharply on the approach to a roundabout in my 44 tonne tanker. the guy then crawled along the dual carriageway at 20mph swerving in front of me when i went to overtake him, this went on for over a mile i phoned 999 while this was going on now my employer is disciplining me for flashing my lights and antagonising this guy!! what am i supposed to
do?

[Catso]

And what happened in response to the 999 call?

[bazmoore]

hi,
the police asked me for info on the car in front of me and stayed on the line (handsfree cabphone) until a couple of miles after this guy turned off the road we were on.
my employer has not been in touch with the police to see if they had spoken to him. for all they know he could have been drink /drug driving. or even a raving loony! (who in their right mind would pull a stunt like that anyway??)

[NORMANTHEDOG]

in a perfect world your supposed to do nothing,but it does not work that way does it, any one would have done what you did,im surprised the prat even tried to mess with a 44 tonne tanker. just put your side of the story to your boss and tell him to check it out with the police,i think thats all you can do.

[pagey]

Officially flashing your lights is to make a driver aware of your presence. You are not supposed to flash to give them a telling off, but in reality you do, as it is important that they are made aware of a mistake/poor decision on thier part so to avoid it in the future.

Chances are he is being a C0CK and has no idea about road etiquette or what it might be like to have a 44 tonne tanker pile into the back of him.

I doubt the police will do anything, unless there were witnesses that can confirm his wreckless driving.

If your employer is having a go at YOU, i suggest you tell them very firmly that you do not accept the dicsipline - if you feel you have done nothing wrong - which I do.

[ugly_bob]

don't you just feel tempted to hit them sometimes?
'Sorry officer, he pulled in front of me and I didn't have time to stop'
A lot of people don't seem to realise that larger vehicles need more braking room than cars.

[Catso]

Sounds as though he/she might have been under the influence.

I'd refuse to accept a discipline. Just you flashing lights hardly justifies such behaviour in return.

[Keeprockin]

Explain to employer that you used lights as a warning,easier to hit than the horn. It's unbelievable the risk some drivers take with wagons,when I was in car,I gave them bags of room,but when in wagon,I was startled sometimes at the risk car drivers take. If they only realized,it only needs a touch from a fully laden wagon to send them careering out of control. Something like 'Tyson' hitting a toddler.
I liked the idea in US, lots of wagons had various warnings on back,one was " this truck takes wide turns"

[bazmoore]

thanks for the support
im going in to see what management have in store for me on tuesday 28/11.
baz

[spaced]

As a Fleet Manager I can tell you that your boss can not discipline you for a stupid thing like flashing your lights.

Ignore the idiot. Advise him that you were worried that this person was DUI and you were doing the right thing by calling the police.

[bazmoore]

well my managers view was that i must have done something on the road leading to the roundabout in his words, "there must have been a reason for him to single you out".

anyway i got a 6 month verbal warning and a driving assessment (which i was assessed as a good driver).

[spaced]

i would take that further. He can not discipline you for something that he can not prove. He is obvioulsy someone with an ego trip and has never driven before.

Dont let him get away with it

[m@d h@tter]

Nice one 'Spaced'. I agree entirely with you. Why 'Bazmoore' should be re-assessed for flashing of headlights I can't imagine. The idiot car driver forced him to brake sharply. Flashing of headlights does not excuse the car driver deliberately driving slowly along a dual carriageway and weaving around preventing others from overtaking. I've seen lots of truckers flashing dozy car drivers that cut in too soon and rob them of braking distance.

Bazmoore should have been commended for not putting a 44 tonner up the car drivers backside.

If everyone had to be re-assessd for the occasional flash we'd all be queueing up at the test centre.

[knobbynonuts]

Tell your employer to take a very long walk of a very short pier