Ok, come on then. The odds say at least two of you must be at it -
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/tvmagazine/4855202/documentary-claims-two-thirds-of-truckers-go-dogging.html
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Fri 22 Mar 13 at 19:08
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Dear me RR, i feel positively cooty having skimmed down the ''article'' (titter ye not) headlines in the soaraway sun, another shower before bedtime and i'll wash me eyes too.
Didn't see anything that i'd want to click on and no sign of a doggersRus scoop.
I assume the wemakeitupaswegoalong Sun has invented another exclusive this time linking lorry drivers in laybys with some other activity may go on at night.
The reality of the average lorry drivers life is as far from 'a girl (or man if your prefer) in every town' or layby image as its possible to imagine.
Most lorry drivers would be too knackered after umpteen hours work to be bothered, all they want is to find somewhere quiet, *and fairly safe* to park for the night to get some well earned rest.
There is a severe shortage of overnight parking for lorries, MSA's charge up to about £25 (may be more) per night which the driver might not get back and parking there is hell, the noise is dreadful the lorry parks stink of urine, the showers if they work are often a health hazard there may not be any hot water to get a bleedin wash, and the food is dire at best and ruinously expensive.
Layby's beside main routes are dangerous from passing traffic as well as deafening though many park there, but most lorry drivers of the old school try to find a quiet industrial estate, often patrolled by jobsworths who previously clamped lorries demanding around £250 to free them, but if quiet can be dangerous for theft reasons.
So the driver ends up gratefully in hopefully quiet out of the way laybys some of which may be used for clandestine meetings for other reasons.
Now then, the trouble is with out of the way places is that parasites lurk, Fuel and load thieves muggers and general ne'er do wells.
Ironically those laybys that are used by the gay fraternity tend to be the safest for lorry drivers.
It might seem a nuisance to some if cars are cruising through the layby at night, BUT, Diesel and load thieves don't know if the next car cruising through contains an overfriendly chap, or happens to contain a couple of large rozzers on patrol.
So in practice the laybys and quiet spots used for illicit meetings can turn out to be the safest for overnighting lorryists.
The gay fellers never really bother those who arn't interested, i've spoken to them on ocassion and most of the blokes are decent enough chaps just looking for a bit of company...damned shame really that in this day and age they should still have to creep around in the dark but thats how it is and thats another discussion.
Ironically, and i don't know if other lorry people agree with me, but these regular campaigns of plain tractor units being used in conjunction with accompanying patrol cars to nick lorry drivers for not wearing seat belts etc and then declaring the operation huge successes just leaves me cold.
I'd like to see the resources put into catching the scum who prey on innocent people of all sorts including parked lorry drivers instead of some headline grabbing photo shots for rags like the one in question.
Apart from anything else traffic plod who operate like this get front line coppers a bad name ( i know how one lot feels about the other), and nobody wins.
Back to subject, i suppose some lorry drivers have a look now and again if there's a show going on where they are parked up, maybe even the odd one has a play, never been lucky enough to witness such a thing and they'd have to be really desperate to invite an ugly twerp like me to join in.
Two thirds figure is the rubbish invention i would expect from a red top spare bog roll, if i had to put a figure on it from the many drivers i've known over the years i'd say 1 in 20 would watch a show, as i said i've never even been near seeing anything like this (typical of my luck;) and expect only a tiny minority of other drivers have too and even fewer would get involved.
Sorry to have gone on so long, got a bit carried away there...;)
goodness me who gave you the scowly RR, not me for sure, i know you're having a tease.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Fri 22 Mar 13 at 21:56
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And what are the blue lights on/near the washer nozzles for on some trucks?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 22 Mar 13 at 22:06
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Zero knows all about those blue lights RTJ, he's mentioned them several times so i'll leave the explanations about fairy light codes to him..;)
hmm...you've been looking too, no smoke and all that?:-)
Seriously i don't understand this fairy lighting fad at all on lorries, my new one has DRL's sensible ones as it happens, but i found a tick box on the menu* and managed to turn 'em off.
Its in for its first service today and i've been off for the week so i expect to be grassed for that.
*how preposterous, a working industrial vehicle with a menu..;)
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Fri 22 Mar 13 at 22:17
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>> Irons, all of 'em.
Eh? Did bump into Jeremy Irons in a lift in Prague in 1990....
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He has a certain magnetism...
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Who? Zero or Jeremy Irons :-) The latter did the worst accent ever in a Die Hard film.
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I won't bother quoting GB but basically wot he said. In the last few weeks I've started doing nights out again and it's an absolute bind finding somewhere to park which is both reasonably safe and relatively quiet. MSA's do not satisfy either of those criteria by the way.
As an amusing aside, and related to the OP by dint of the word "dog"; one of the occupational hazards of parking in some towns is the 2 am knock on the cab door from what used to be politely called a "lady of the night". Newport cattle market was one of the most notorious; one driver used occasionally take his wife with him on trips away and one night in Newport there was a knock on his cab door, the following conversation is said to have ensued;
Tart; "D'you fancy some business, luv?"
Driver; "Sorry, got me missus with me"
(Silence for a few seconds)
Tart; "Does she fancy a three-some?"
Have to admire her business acumen!
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RR, the scowly face wasn't from me either BUT, you know I work on Fridays and weekends when I haven't time to answer:)
This morning session will be interesting...I will wake them up at 5.30 with a question.
'How many of you go dogging'!
Will report back tomorrow with the answers.
Pat
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>>Will report back tomorrow with the answers.
It's the day after tomorrow now Pat, or have you found something more interesting to do?
;>)
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The question resulted in us all doing a bit of reminiscing which wasn't in the syllabus.
I recalled a very cold and wet night on Sandbach services northbound. At ten past one in the middle of the night I was woken by someone knocking on the cab door.
I climbed out of bed and deftly covering myself with the curtain I opened the drivers window.
There stood this woman who looked confused at finding another female looking down at her.
She quickly changed her opening gambit of 'Do you fancy a..... to 'Do you have a light...' and held up the wettest soggiest fag you ever did see!
My reply was unrepeatable on here.
Pat
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>> Irons, all of 'em.
>>
Says a West Hammer.
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Gordon, Harleyman, Pat???? - -
