OT Speed cameras on A420

Christ but I *love* that bit of road!

Which side? The autostrada that follows the coast south of Genoa is
fantastic for a good 100 miles. Bonwick, Ferrier and me blitzed it on
bikes at 100~130 (the top speed of Alex's BMW) and it was brilliant
run, and a great riposte to anyone who says motorways are dull.

*snort*

(Actually, I don't know who Gail Porter is either).

 

I'm toying with getting a small bus to convert into a camper. The plan is to
keep the livery and the air powered front doors. Thus I can drive up the
people waiting at bus stops, open the doors, take a look at them, shake my
head and drive off.

 

I've whizzed about mid Wales in an old (1950s) Dennis (IIRC - it was some
time ago) single decker bus and what fun that was with its wild and
whacky pre-select gear box.

And I didn't have a licence...

Mate <joking>: "You're not very good at this are you? I assume you /do/
have a licence?"
Me: "No".
Mate: "Stop the bus NOW".

AFAIR you can take passengers as long as you don't charge them. That way
it doesn't become a Public Service Vehicle.

 

Ben Blaney wrote

My life long ambition was to be a porn movie stunt man. Not gonna
happen now is it?

 

I think she's in Corrie - but somehow I can't (or wish to) see her
projected naked onto the Houses of Parliament.

I'd quite like to see Mary but she doesn't seem to be in Eastenders
anymore.

 

I've seen an HST (Intercity 125) at full chat from about 6 feet. I was
on a lineside phone at the time. "Scary" is the word I'd use and "noisy"
and "blowy". I'm pretty sure "****" was the one I actually used.

<signalman>: "Are you still there driver? ... driver?"

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, steve auvache

It would depend on the stunts, I suppose:

"Right! We need you to drool on Roxie, then clutch your chest, go blue
and fall over. Aaaaaand ACTION!"

--
Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
ZZR1100, Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"

 

No, she's not in Corrie.

Small-ish Jockish bird, has/had a pierced nipple, very cute. Oh, yes.
Ummm... excuse me a moment...

Who?

 

Nigel Eaton wrote

I had always presumed it would be as a body double but it seems I am too
well qualified.

 

Up to 8 passengers and only if the bus is 30 years old as well:

<quote>
EXEMPTED PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES

Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the
vehicles listed below :

a passenger-carrying vehicle manufactured more than 30 years before the
date when it is driven
and not used for hire or reward or for the carriage of more than 8
passengers;
</q>

full text:
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/special_licensing_arrangements_f.htm

 

It looks really, really amazing when you approach it. Do you remember
the first time? My mind was literally boggling.

Good fun going up, too.

All sides!

Whether you come towards Genoa from Pisa, or from Milan, both
motorways are fine, fine things. I can't remember the approach from
the north.

Bear will be along shortly, because he's knows more about it than
anyone else, and woe betide you if you dare to suggest otherwise (oh,
and he's best friends with all the mafia, too). He's been to Italy
once on a bike. Isn't it GREAT to have him back?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/341052.stm

 

I like your thinking. An old acquaintance of mine had an ex-London taxi
and used to do the same thing.

 

Isn't there a seat limit, even if you don't charge? My licence says 16
seats.

 

Which would probably make the road tax cheaper as well?

 

Yep, mine did too. And of course, when I'm on that road, it means I'm
going to Chamonix, and I'm nearly there, and I'll be snowboarding
soon.

The northern bit is flat and dull, iirc.

<snip>

Now now, no need for that

 

Most often in my life, I'll do something if it looks/feels right.
Stobart just don't look right to me. My feeling is that firms that use
bright or primary colours in their livery/logo are good; muddy colours
for work are not good.

You've mentioned something there that I'd need to consider: Moving home.
I'd get pissed off pretty quickly at having to get to a firm that was
miles away.

What makes a firm illegal? Not that I'd want to do that but do you mean
fiddling the tacho and hours worked?

The one at ours was pick up the trunker in Brighton at 6pm, push the
trolleys on, drive it to Birmingham and then have a 3 hour rest while
the stuff was sorted and then drive it back and unload. Seemed like an
easy job in a big lorry.

This secretly appealed to me. The downside was not being able to speak
the lingo and getting stuck in a traffic system I new nothing about. I
thought the stress would be immeasurable.

How does a lorry driver, being stuck on the M6 suddenly become a mega
bucks computer guy anyway?

Yes, but working on rigids is an ideal way of finding out if the job is
for me and if I get lucky, I'll find a firm that wants to put me through
the C+E.

 

I could tap my "Sorry - no ugly people" sign, before driving off.

 

There's more to it than that. People want to work for Stobart's
because of the prestige. But the money is shit, the management
unscrupulous, and the petty rules and regulations tedious.

If you're working every day, then you certainly don't want a long
commute.

If you're doing a week away at a time, it doesn't really matter.

The tacho is the big thing. In the case of the (otherwise really
good) firm I worked for, things included complex contractual juggling
(legal, but not transparent), questionable insurance documents,
falsified maintenance records, and so on. I can't remember now.

But, I'm still good friends with the owner. He's where my East London
underworld connections come from. Good bloke to know, and a good
bloke - even though he ran a shit logistics company.

Not an issue. Speak loudly and slowly and they understand!

Seriously - the people who work service stations on trunk routes, the
people who work in massive distribution centres, etc - all speak good
English. Of course, Johnny Foreigner speaks pretty good English
because deep down they know we're superior.

Traffic systems are traffic systems. Not big deal. Going to
Dusseldorf is no different from going to Manchester, if you've never
been there before.

One of the least stress-y jobs I've ever had. Mind you, I don't
really "do" stress; I'm not sure I even know what it is.

I'll give you some contacts of good people, if you're going to give it
a shot.

 

OldestBrother had his HGV class 1 medical recently and was horrified to
discover that they now do an 'uncorrected' sight test as well as the
usual corrected one. Since his sight is nearly as bad as mine he only
just scraped through :-(

Phil

 

He just put the light on and stopped when someone flagged him down and
then drove off again.