Has anyone ever bothered.................

[tomb1960]

ringing the number on the back of a white van. I only ask because this morning on the way to work a parked white van pulled out just as I was starting to overtake. He was of the manouvre and signal at the same time persuasion. I had anticipated this idiocy and avoided any mishap, but as an encore he then turned left down a side street, narrowly avoiding knocking me off. There was a 'careful driving?' number on the back together with a van ID sticker. I toyed with the idea of ringing it, but eventually decided that there would be little point, but has anyone rung and if so what happened?

 

[Cab]

I know that the phone number on the back of some white vans around here is that of the Samaritans.

 

[DanBat]

I did it with a National Express coach once after a couple of close overtakes (then he stopped and told me i "should remember I'm not a car" - erm yes I did notice and perhaps he should remember that too...)
I got what I expected, eventually - a bland letter saying something along the lines of sorry if the driving fell below the usual high standards we expect, we have spoken to the driver etc etc. They will always claim data protection to avoid telling you exactly what happened - but for what happened to me which was inconsiderate but not life threatening that was good enough.

For life threatening I'd go to the police straight away - as per the sideswiped thread.

 

[BentMikey]

Always report bad driving, assuming it passes a certain threshold. You'll get mixed results, but you'll get zero results if you never report it.

I've gotten a few company drivers in trouble over driving whilst on the mobile phone, with video evidence.

 

[User482]

The way I look at it is that the company won't like the hassle of having to deal with the complaints, so the driver will at least get shouted at.

 

[spindrift]

If you have the reg you've got 'em bang to rights. from experience, employer's attitudes cary wildly, forgive the length:


Dear Sir

In a way I hope you will be able to tell me that the above van was stolen, since I find it hard to believe a paid employee of your company would behave in such a stupidly aggressive fashion.

At a few minutes past four yesterday afternoon, outside the building on Crown Street the driver of the above vehicle screeched to a halt beside a traffic warden. The driver bellowed over "Do you drive a car?" at the warden. The warden responded politely and evenly and your employee responded with a tirade of abuse and foul language, I mean this was a sustained verbal assault on the warden. Three or four people stopped to watch this encounter.

Your employee then screeched off, tyres burning, mounted the pavement with two wheels on the wrong side of the road to cut the corner and turned right to carry on up Crown Street to South Street. This is a 20 mph zone, children and mothers with prams often use this path. The witnesses and I walked over to the warden to see if he was alright, two of us had noted the registration and the traffic warden agreed we had the correct details.

This was the actions of a boy racer. I appreciate it must be frustrating to get a parking ticket but placing other people in danger because your driver was annoyed is not fair and not at all a good impression of your company. If your employee feels he can get away with threatening people and driving in such a intimidating manner then it suggests either your recruitment process or driver sanctions are not working.

I apologise for the length of this email but this man is going to kill someone and it is not fair for him to use quiet residential roads as his own personal racetrack, no matter how angry he must be at getting a ticket.

If you wish I can be contacted at this email address.

Best regards

The manager of the firm called soon after I sent the above email.

He said all their vans had GPS and tracking devices and after checking he confirmed that this was one of their drivers. The manager said they had 1100 drivers and they had won awards for safety and training.

The driver was sacked, the manager said.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Speaking with my lorry driver's hat on, I'd be mortified if anyone (car driver, cyclist, whoever) called my company to report poor driving on my part. I'm a professional driver and am proud of how I drive. If I gave anyone cause to phone my company and copmplain, I'd feel I'd let myself down.

 

[spindrift]

I felt a bit bad about that letter (if the sacking story was true) but that bloke just lost it. the traffic warden was entirely unfazed. Used to it, I expect.

 

[Maz]

I've only ever phoned up to compliment. It was a Robert Wiseman's Dairy HGV. Exemplary driving.

 

[hackbike 6]

Always report bad driving, assuming it passes a certain threshold. You'll get mixed results, but you'll get zero results if you never report it.

I've gotten a few company drivers in trouble over driving whilst on the mobile phone, with video evidence.

Nice one...I really dislike mobile phone comedians.Had on on Blackfriars bridge coming from Southwark Bridge to Waterloo and although he wasn't talking on it he was looking on it while driving into the pavement in front of me and although I blew both horns he continued to do what he was doing.

Why the hell dont they do something about these comedians?

 

[Maz]

I know that the phone number on the back of some white vans around here is that of the Samaritans.

Samaritan's Meals On Wheels van, was it?

 

[swee'pea99]

I felt a bit bad about that letter (if the sacking story was true) but that bloke just lost it. the traffic warden was entirely unfazed. Used to it, I expect.

Sod that. The traffic warden's fortitude - or lack of it - is beside the point. No one who 'just loses it' like that should be in control of 1 1/2 tons of metal capable of travelling at 90MPH, period. Also, the knock-on effects of something like that would be profound: every driver in that company would get the message - and drive accordingly. No, you done good. Absolutely nothing to 'feel bad about'.

 

[BentMikey]

I've also reported a lorry driver (for a certain major office goods company) for driving on his mobile - it turns out he had been warned before and he too was then sacked.

Sounds awfully like this youtube video - it wasn't teh same company was it?

View: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CjsUmlBsfDY

I've also rung companies to compliment their drivers. In once case (a well known courier company) as a result of my compliment the driver one the 'employee of the week' prize - the first time a driver had won it transpired.

Quality - this is the best way IMO, to improve drivers attitude towards cyclists.

 

[cupoftea]

For the first time a couple of weeks ago I reported to the police a terravison coach for swerving in at me and missing me by inches as well as missing a van by the same amount.

They’re sending the company a warning that'll be kept on file.

Big deal, I had the incident on video but they weren’t interested

The reason I reported it was not only had he risked my life but importantly the passengers on his coach

 

[jamesgibby]

I believe the Corporate Manslaughter Act now makes the company liable for ensuring their vehicles are driven safely, if a fleet manager ignores a letter and the driver then goes on to kill a cyclist. The company can be taken to court. It is in their interest to act on a complaint.