Super Lorry Driver!! :D

[thomas]

Just been for a spin (around the ring road and then into the city to get some booze). I was getting up to a pinch point where some people try to squeeze through. A lorry was behind and we were a bit away from the traffic island (the sort of distance that you could try to overtake, but would be cutting in..especially when I'm doing about 20mph).

Anyway, guy waited so gave a thanks wave as he passed a bit after the island.

Anyway, kept up with him between lights. Got to this down hill bit, where a lot of people turn left, so I got in the outside lane (shooting past lots of cars, and the lorry driver), it then starts to go up hill and I'm keeping up with traffic quite nicely, until nearer the end of the slope. The guy is behind and just waits as we're only a hundred yards from the next lights.

Both of this is obviously just good driving, but when we got to the lights he was in the lane next to me going to turn off and we had a little chat/banter while waiting for the lights which was nice

He joked that I should get an engine, so I joked that I beat him to the lights without ...then just had a general chat. All good natured though! I said thanks for waiting way back at the traffic island as many don't and the guy just brushed it off saying I wouldn't stand a chance against his truck.

So big thumbs up to the driver of the Tradelink lorry

I'll post a video later of the bit of road, but don't know about the chat - don't want to embarrass the guy

 

[gaz]

Always great when you get someone who really understands cyclists and gives us plenty of space. I always think that they ride themselfs..

 

[thomas]

Always great when you get someone who really understands cyclists and gives us plenty of space. I always think that they ride themselfs..

I think he may have possibly ridden a motorbike from his 'get an engine' joke. He asked if I was on a training run and things, but don't think he was a cyclist....just a decent guy.

Here's the video...I've blurred him as he probably didn't know about the camera and things. Should point out that he had a cheeky grin on his face when saying it. TBH, I wish more people would be willing to have a chat at traffic lights like that as some of the Norwich ones take forever and it passes the time nicely.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ23q5bfLVY


edit: Might add, if you watch the driver, not only does he hang back before hand, he also waits after, he doesn't try overtaking on the right turn slip lane thing and he also waits until the end of the hatchings before he overtakes.

 

[BentMikey]

Nice one Tank! I agree, I love to chat to drivers and other road users at the lights.

 

[buggi]

I think, if you know the name of his company, you should phone up and tell them what a courteous driver they had. I had a bus driver like this once, really patient when he could have overtaken me. So I phoned Johnson's and told them they had an excellent driver (told them the time of day and it was a Sunday so prob only one bus every hour on that route, they could easily track him down) and asked them to pass on my thanks. It's all good PR.

 

[BentMikey]

I think, if you know the name of his company, you should phone up and tell them what a courteous driver they had. I had a bus driver like this once, really patient when he could have overtaken me. So I phoned Johnson's and told them they had an excellent driver (told them the time of day and it was a Sunday so prob only one bus every hour on that route, they could easily track him down) and asked them to pass on my thanks. It's all good PR.

+1 - I'm just uploading a vid of a really excellent bus driver, and will send a compliment about him to TFL.

 

[Maz]

If I think a lorry/bus driver has been particularly respectful, I will either phone up the company or email them.

This has happened with Robert Wiseman Dairies and Bardon Aggregates. With the latter, the email reply included a history of various depts my email had passed through...there were comments like:

"this makes a welcome change..." and
"some good news for once..."

 

[thomas]

I think, if you know the name of his company, you should phone up and tell them what a courteous driver they had

If I think a lorry/bus driver has been particularly respectful, I will either phone up the company or email them.

I might send a quick email. I probably won't show the video in this case. When I said thanks for waiting the guy didn't seem like he needed to be thanked, so I don't want to embarrass him.

edit:

Just sent them a quick email

 

[Tynan]

I find HGV drivers very good, not so many in London but certainly in my scooter north circ days

lately, with one or two exceptions, buses have been first class, I've been bombing it a bit lately and been very happy with buses checking, seeing me about to pass and then waiting, my arm is getting quite fatigued from waving thanks

 

[HaloJ]

I had one incident with a bus last night that wasn't very good or safe. He passed in the lane next to me giving me a whole lane of room but then jumped on the brakes and cut right across in front causing me to brake hard and make a very dangerous overtake in the second lane. Thank god it was a cab driver following the bus and saw it all happening as he gave me plenty of room for my manouver.

 

[thomas]

I've received a fantastic reply today from the group operating director.

Good Morning Thomas

May I firstly take this opportunity to introduce myself as Mark White, I am the Group Operations Director for Tradelink Direct Ltd and responsible for all functional aspects of our manufacturing operation at both our March and Mildenhall sites together with the daily management of approximately 150 employees including our Transport team.

Secondly, I would like to thank you personally for your Email today and taking the time to identify and document so well a personal experience that you had with our driver Colin while he was on one of his hectic delivery journeys of which I am sure you will agree can be quite frustrating and testing for him regarding rush hour and traffic jams at the best of times on top of driving on average 300 miles per day.

As part of our transport team we actively pursue excellence in customer approach as the drivers are usually the first and only personal contact our customers will have with our business and on other occasions like similar businesses contact is usually via the telephone. Added to this we emphasize, practice and endorse a safe working culture which I am pleased to say that you are the first member of the public that has certainly brought this standard of safety to our attention and further more, I would not have personally accounted for occasions like this as highlighted in your particular experience because like so many others often take circumstance for granted.

Finally, it is nice to think that our employees are going that extra mile and thinking of the safety of others as I realize that cycling can be daunting for the most proficient, even more so that you can both take a second or two to pass the time away during our hectic lives while sitting at traffic lights. We are about to provide one of our national trade publications with an article coincidently on our company transport and will take great pride in recognizing Colin in the article by way of this experience and your Email. Colin will also be given a copy of your Email on return from his duties today and will be entered into an annual reward ceremony for his actions and level of service.

If you would be as so kind to forward your home address I will ensure that you receive a copy of the article I mentioned, once again thank you for bringing this to my attention.

I've replied back just thanking him and have sent the footage and some clips of why I appreciate driving like that so much.

Some of the lorry drivers on the forum will have to look out for the mention in this magazine

 

[semislickstick]

Yay for Colin!

 

[BentMikey]

Nice work Tank!

 

[661-Pete]

Just goes to show: Good Guys out there!

Yesterday I managed one of my regular lunchtime spins, fell in* behind the refuse truck on a very narrow (single-track) lane - no chance of passing while it's in motion. They were doing the bin collection, so the truck was advancing at walking pace. I waved to attract the driver's attention, then gestured to indicate I wanted to squeeze past on the right. He saw me in his mirror, gave the thumbs-up and stopped the vehicle just long enough for me to squeeze through the narrow gap.

That's the sort of camaraderie (if that's what it's called) that adds to the pleasure of cycling.

*not literally!

 

[wafflycat]

Excellent!