Ark Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 What the hell is the Highways Agency all about then? Every day I see them beetling up and down the M3 in their Range Rovers, all decked out in hi-vis stickers, yet they don't seem to DO anything...WTF? People see the yellow hi-vis and light-pods, and think "Ooh, even though I can't see even a hint of blue on the car, it _must_ be a Police car, so I'd better drive at 40mph, just in case". Then you come across a broken down car, and the Highways agents have leaped into action, by parking behind them with flashing orange lights (cue more "ooh, better go slow"), putting out a few cones (10 feet from the obstruction - wow, that'll help divert the traffic!) and standing around like shop dummies. What the hell does that add? They can't fix cars, they can't tow them, they can't arrest anyone for driving like a twat, they don't even seem to be able to help out in an accident (more lights, cones and shop-dummying) so what purpose do they serve? And get this: when they aren't charging off to someones rescue (!) they are parked up on bridges and emergency vehicle laybys looking for all the world like a speed-trap (more go-slowers). I'm dead certain they are instructed to park in these places for exactly this purpose. I'm done now. Thanks for reading. Edit: actually no I'm not done yet. The other day I saw an agency car with it's lights on, on the hard shoulder, near an obstruction on the motorway. Someone had dropped several lengths of 2x4 in the road, so the highways guys were alerting the traffic to it's presence...by causing people to look at the flashing lights to the side, not at the planks in the road in front! Argh! Why didn't they stop the traffic for a minute, pick up the planks, and clear off??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Post number 12 here may help advise on what they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hob Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Yep its even better when they pull out behind you as you have sped past them on a slip road, not that I slowed down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Think I'll wait for Voo51 to post . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 They're cheaper than a car full of cops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittyclaws Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 But it helps if they park behind a broken down car, few years ago on the A27 east bound a car broke down, when someone went to help, he was hit by another car, killed instantly, and as for the 2x4 laying in the road, they can't just stop and walk out in the middle of the road, not even the police would do that, they would need a rolling road block in order to clear the road. If i had broke down on a fast bit of road, i would be glad if they turned up, as i don't want to bounce of some nutters bonnet or have them trash my car whilst for exp changing a trye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voo51 Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 OMG!! where do i start, read that link!!!!! if you still dont get it then im shocked!! I have saved so many lives now whether it being giving first aid at the side of the motorway to stopping vehicles come crashing into broken down cars- which has haapened so many time now, we had a few deaths the other day with someone broken down on h/s and a lorry drove straight into them. We park on bridges and at services as it is the middle of our patch and we need to be in easy accessability to go either direction in case of an emergency. Were there for you, to help you and i hope that all ur motorways and a road journeys are safe and you dont need help, but if you do, we are there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittyclaws Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 OMG!! where do i start, read that link!!!!! if you still dont get it then im shocked!! I have saved so many lives now whether it being giving first aid at the side of the motorway to stopping vehicles come crashing into broken down cars- which has haapened so many time now, we had a few deaths the other day with someone broken down on h/s and a lorry drove straight into them. We park on bridges and at services as it is the middle of our patch and we need to be in easy accessability to go either direction in case of an emergency. Were there for you, to help you and i hope that all ur motorways and a road journeys are safe and you dont need help, but if you do, we are there!! I have been waiting ages for you to respond to this thread lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 OMG!! where do i start, read that link!!!!! if you still dont get it then im shocked!! I have saved so many lives now whether it being giving first aid at the side of the motorway to stopping vehicles come crashing into broken down cars- which has haapened so many time now, we had a few deaths the other day with someone broken down on h/s and a lorry drove straight into them. We park on bridges and at services as it is the middle of our patch and we need to be in easy accessability to go either direction in case of an emergency. Were there for you, to help you and i hope that all ur motorways and a road journeys are safe and you dont need help, but if you do, we are there!! Im with you Vicki, keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Another idea designed to accelerate the expenditure of mine and your money Blair is a total knob head Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 I've applied for for a Traffic Officer position. I think the anti HA brigade haven't really read up on what the role involves. There should be more IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 Ark , I hope one day you will have to rely on these guys. If you want to rant go on about the lack of police officers on the street and the relience of this government on its current Stalinist agenda. And we are sleepwalking into it. Our schools aren't better Our hospitals aren't better We have the most CCTV per pop. (1 for every 14 pop.) We as a nation shouldn't be paying for the regeneration of the whole planet through "green" taxes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 i thought they were around to help TVR and mitsi gto drivers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 They do a good job but please get a different design for the vehicles and stop parking in those little "I'm a copper pointing my laser at you" areas on the motorways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted November 3, 2006 Share Posted November 3, 2006 They do a good job but please get a different design for the vehicles and stop parking in those little "I'm a copper pointing my laser at you" areas on the motorways Yeah, stop doing that unless you are the officers in the Wakey area who were parked on the opposite side of the M1 who I spied from some distance. They were flashing cars who were going fast on my side. Lo and behold, I got flashed. I slowed down and whaddaya know, there was a cop car parked up just over a rise. I went by at a nice 70mph. Cheers slow-moving HATO dudes.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voo51 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 It is an amazing job- especially when you have helped someone, we get so many people writting letters in saying how much safer they felt with us there. In regard to the planks of wood, when the traffic is swerving round the wood we cannot just walk round as they would probably hit us, when we arrive on scene the first this we have to do is a DRA - Dynamic Risk Assesment, we have to asess whether it is safe for us to be there and go ahead and get it. What would happen in that situation is the over head gantrys woud be displaying ' debris in carraigeway' with advisory speed limits of say 50mph, our vehicle would be on the h/s fended off with the ambers and reds just prior to the debris on the H/S warning the traffic of its precise loctaion.now we could go out and collect it, but if theres alot that too much time in live lane- very dangerous, so we have another vehicle, or the police(but mostly our vehicles as we like to free the police up to deal with crime) to put a rolling road block on from 2km prior to the debris, they bring the traffic to a safe speed behind them, slowing them down, giving us chance to go out safely in the what is now dead carriageway to collect all the wood safely. Throughout all the this the traffic is nearly always moving even if at 20mph. Once it has all been collected the traffic is then released. Now, bearing this is mind, the police would have done exactly the same thing bit they would have bought the traffic to a complete stop, letting it back up a mile/minute. They would have had to come out for this istead of dealing with say someone stealing your car. Hope that explains a bit on RRB's and debris removal. As for sitting on the bridges and obs points at the sides of the motorways, we are the eyes on the motorway, if your car has been stolen we get an observation message from the police to look for it, the plate, colour type of car etc, as soon as we see it we contact the police which then go in persuit of it. We dont just get obs on stolen cars but dangerous driving or vehicles involved in knock and runs etc. Even if your car has been stolen from a town off the motorway, we still get obs for it and you would be surprised how many we actually find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 All great stuff, just stop looking like police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voo51 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 All great stuff, just stop looking like police. We use that pattern as its the most effective for getting peoples attention, as were going to be on the hard shoulder alot, we need people to notice were there. Besides, the police are blue and yellow, were black and yellow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Hey Vicki - saw on the other thread CJ posted up that you're a myspace geek like me too. I added you if that's ok? Myspace owns me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiefgroover Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Ark , I hope one day you will have to rely on these guys. If you want to rant go on about the lack of police officers on the street and the relience of this government on its current Stalinist agenda. And we are sleepwalking into it. Our schools aren't better Our hospitals aren't better We have the most CCTV per pop. (1 for every 14 pop.) We as a nation shouldn't be paying for the regeneration of the whole planet through "green" taxes Thank you Tony Blair...............you have created a public money wasting debt filled country. All to make himself look good for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ark Posted November 4, 2006 Author Share Posted November 4, 2006 Well, it's been a while coming... I'm afraid my opinion is unchanged. I don't doubt the HA guys do indeed help people, and that those people are genuinely grateful, but I still believe the whole agency is Blair's cheap excuse for cutting back on dedicated traffic policing. It's not so long ago that I would see two or three police T5s during my daily commute. Now I rarely see any. If they were back on the road, enforcing good driving (note: this can include speed enforcement where suitable) we'd already be better off, and a direct spin-off from this would be officers on the road with the same powers as the HA people, plus more. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voo51 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Thats fair enough, but alot of police officers dont want to go into that part of policing and most dont like it who do the traffic side- well thats what they have told me when iv spoke to them. But hey, agree to disagree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian R Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Yep sounds a good job but with the envionmentalist how long before they say you should be using more fuel effective vehicles rather than 4 x 4 gas guzzlers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 Besides, the police are blue and yellow, were black and yellow! Like giant Bumble Bees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkTheBoy Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 OMG!! where do i start, read that link!!!!! if you still dont get it then im shocked!! I have saved so many lives now whether it being giving first aid at the side of the motorway to stopping vehicles come crashing into broken down cars- which has haapened so many time now, we had a few deaths the other day with someone broken down on h/s and a lorry drove straight into them. We park on bridges and at services as it is the middle of our patch and we need to be in easy accessability to go either direction in case of an emergency. Were there for you, to help you and i hope that all ur motorways and a road journeys are safe and you dont need help, but if you do, we are there!! It is an amazing job- especially when you have helped someone, we get so many people writting letters in saying how much safer they felt with us there. In regard to the planks of wood, when the traffic is swerving round the wood we cannot just walk round as they would probably hit us, when we arrive on scene the first this we have to do is a DRA - Dynamic Risk Assesment, we have to asess whether it is safe for us to be there and go ahead and get it. What would happen in that situation is the over head gantrys woud be displaying ' debris in carraigeway' with advisory speed limits of say 50mph, our vehicle would be on the h/s fended off with the ambers and reds just prior to the debris on the H/S warning the traffic of its precise loctaion.now we could go out and collect it, but if theres alot that too much time in live lane- very dangerous, so we have another vehicle, or the police(but mostly our vehicles as we like to free the police up to deal with crime) to put a rolling road block on from 2km prior to the debris, they bring the traffic to a safe speed behind them, slowing them down, giving us chance to go out safely in the what is now dead carriageway to collect all the wood safely. Throughout all the this the traffic is nearly always moving even if at 20mph. Once it has all been collected the traffic is then released. Now, bearing this is mind, the police would have done exactly the same thing bit they would have bought the traffic to a complete stop, letting it back up a mile/minute. They would have had to come out for this istead of dealing with say someone stealing your car. Hope that explains a bit on RRB's and debris removal. As for sitting on the bridges and obs points at the sides of the motorways, we are the eyes on the motorway, if your car has been stolen we get an observation message from the police to look for it, the plate, colour type of car etc, as soon as we see it we contact the police which then go in persuit of it. We dont just get obs on stolen cars but dangerous driving or vehicles involved in knock and runs etc. Even if your car has been stolen from a town off the motorway, we still get obs for it and you would be surprised how many we actually find. AND My best friend is one of the officers for the Ipswich area (A12 & A14), i've lost count of the amount of dangerous situations he's been in and the amount of RTA's where "bits were all we could find", they do brilliant work and don't get the praise for it... Just the criticism for all the roadworks etc. Good on em, they make the roads safer... FACT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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