Words failed me....

[Bigtwin]

On the ride this evening, I had to stop at a level crossing (Milford, if you know the area). Took a while, as the barriers were down for two trains, both stopping, and both too long for the platform.

After about a minute, a woman comes up to me a taps me on the arm, and very politely said "excuse me, will you let the person behind you overtake before you move off - he's too nervous?".

Somewhat confused, I turned around to see what's what, expecting to see a kid on a TT bike or something - who knows. But there was nothing but a line of traffic.

Seeing my apparently confusion, she added - pointing to a green pick-up with an old chap at the wheel:

"the man in the green car - his eyesight is too poor to judge these things, so he won't overtake, and he will hold all these cars up".

Flabbergasted, all I could do was say "no problem" and move out of the way. Right out of the way.

Take me to the foot of the stairs, as they say.

 

[fossyant]

Friggin' 'ell

 

[threebikesmcginty]

She was the co-pilot?

 

[Night Train]

Should have said 'No' and then report him for driving without care and attention when he moved off.

 

[Bigtwin]

She was the co-pilot?

She was no spring chicken, but I assumed that she was his daughter/younger wife whatever.

I also assumed she got out/back into the passenger seat. I didn't see her get out as I was watching the train, and didn't see her get back in, as I was moving out the way by then.

Only when the barrier went up and I let him go by (took an age, worryingly), did I see that she was actually driving a C1 behind him!!!!

 

[gbb]

On the ride this evening, I had to stop at a level crossing (Milford, if you know the area). Took a while, as the barriers were down for two trains, both stopping, and both too long for the platform.

After about a minute, a woman comes up to me a taps me on the arm, and very politely said "excuse me, will you let the person behind you overtake before you move off - he's too nervous?".

Somewhat confused, I turned around to see what's what, expecting to see a kid on a TT bike or something - who knows. But there was nothing but a line of traffic.

Seeing my apparently confusion, she added - pointing to a green pick-up with an old chap at the wheel:

"the man in the green car - his eyesight is too poor to judge these things, so he won't overtake, and he will hold all these cars up".

Flabbergasted, all I could do was say "no problem" and move out of the way. Right out of the way.

Take me to the foot of the stairs, as they say.

I think my reply would have been 'he really shouldnt be driving then...how would you feel if he killed one of your family members because he cant see what he's doing'.
If that doesnt make someone think....

 

[threebikesmcginty]

A rest home convoy - 10 10 I copy you!

 

[Davidc]

Not surprised.

About 20 years ago I lived in Hove (Sussex) I was driving on the inside of 2 lanes with a bus on my right, when a car which had been waiting in a side road pulled out. I stopped about 1mm from the driver's door, the bus in front of it with not much more clearance.

I thought the bus driver was going to hit the driver - 'til he saw the man was ancient!

Just for once there was a policeman near. The old man apologised and said he just hadn't seen my car or the bus! Mr Plod stood the elderly car driver right in front of the bus and asked him to read the number plate (at about 1 metre). He couldn't.

I won't relate the rest, but the fast track court for football was sitting, and half an hour later there was one less driver on the roads.

 

[Bigtwin]

Should have said 'No' and then report him for driving without care and attention when he moved off.

To be fair he was being very careful. Even had a little woman following him around asking people to get out of the way. Probably on the mobile to him as well gong "left a bit...bit more...right.....right...Right..RIGHT!!!!"

 

[Breedon]

HAHAHA.
But it doesnt surprise me, the wife knows an old coffin dodger who drives but use's a zimmer frame to walk

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

I know of someone who applied for a blue badge for his car. When asked what his disability was, he said it was for his failing eyesight.

 

[Jane Smart]

A rest home convoy - 10 10 I copy you!

Oh I loved my CB days roger 10 4 and all that

I was the "kitten", I even still have the t-shirt

Oh and on the guy that wanted you to let him past, oh my god

 

[661-Pete]

Just in case anyone's not got around to looking it up:
Road Traffic Act 1988

96 Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight
(1) If a person drives a motor vehicle on a road while his eyesight is such (whether through a defect which cannot be or one which is not for the time being sufficiently corrected) that he cannot comply with any requirement as to eyesight prescribed under this Part of this Act for the purposes of tests of competence to drive, he is guilty of an offence.

I think this was a prima facie case for reporting to the police, with a full description of the vehicle, the driver and his accomplice.

It is always possible that the woman was 'winding you up', of course. In which case she could be liable for wasting police time. Anyway that would be a matter for the Police. They are empowered to conduct a roadside eyesight test on the spot. You just have to report the conversation you had with her, verbatim.

 

[661-Pete]

Thinking about it a bit more, there is another side to this sort of story, as I now recollect. Years ago, a friend of my parents, an elderly lady, came to visit, by car. As she was driving away she rammed a parked car in the street outside our house. The car owner called the police, they tested the old lady's eyesight at the roadside, and she failed, so they impounded her car on the spot and she had to call a taxi to get home - as well as facing a court summons.

I don't know whether she was convicted, but I later learnt that she went to an optician and had her eyesight tested properly - and there was nothing wrong with it - she could meet the standard to drive quite easily. It appears that, in her distressed state of mind at that time, with her eyes brimming with tears, she couldn't at that moment in time read the numberplate - and the police were unsympathetic.

As I said, this was many years ago. Maybe police procedures have changed since then.

 

[Bigtwin]

Just in case anyone's not got around to looking it up:
Road Traffic Act 1988

I think this was a prima facie case for reporting to the police, with a full description of the vehicle, the driver and his accomplice.

It is always possible that the woman was 'winding you up', of course. In which case she could be liable for wasting police time. Anyway that would be a matter for the Police. They are empowered to conduct a roadside eyesight test on the spot. You just have to report the conversation you had with her, verbatim.

She clearly wasn't winding anyone up. Aside from the fact that I don't think it's a particularly popular pass time amongst woman of a certain age in Surrey, it was pretty clear that he wasn't driving normally.

Who knows - mebbe he's just stood on his glasses. What I do know is that reporting anything to the Police around here is a total waste of a lot of time. Most latterly catching 3 burglers in the Act on a Sunday afternoon, calling 999, and getting put through to someone who asked me to note the details so it could be passed on to "intelligence" on Monday. Gave them the vehicle reg etc - never heard another thing. Brilliant.

Was also told (by our Beat Officer) that all stolen property recovered by Surrey Police goes on the Bumblebee web site. Never been a single item on there.

Anyway, I digress...