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bird's eye view by the Hawk

19th March 1971, Page 36
19th March 1971
Page 36
Page 36, 19th March 1971 — bird's eye view by the Hawk
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• User report

"It is in the interests of all drivers to have this instrument. It records their working time and prevents employers making them work longer than they should. We insisted that it be made law and the only men who objected were the bad drivers because the tachograph shows them up."

Now who said that? The perhaps surprising answer is a trade unionist. But, as you may guess, not one of ours. The quote comes from Bruno Frank, top man in the German transport industry's leading trade union, who was talking to a columnist from the Sunday Mirror.

A bonus remark which may have an effect on British trade unions' attitudes, now undergoing some change, was that drivers want to work long hours to earn more money but end up ruining their health. "By the time they are 50 they have lost their ability to work."

It's a point of view.

• Lovely people

In CM's Christmas issue last year this column you may recall, carried some quotes from Wheels, the URTU journal. These did not go unnoticed by Wheels' editor who in the February edition came back with the following: "It appears that the Hawk is under the impression that 'A Christmas Story' was 'inventive fantasy'. We know that at least two shop stewards have asked to go on a TUC course with 'Super Steward' and one branch secretary keeps sending mail addressed to 'The Chief Fairy'. Seriously though, an officer recently was given an accolade on his knowledge of workshop fitters' conditions, as distinct from drivers'. After leaving management he was heard to tell the steward: 'Yes, I have studied fitters' conditions— through Commercial Motor."Well? it will do us, we're the best paid men in the area now,' came the reply. Read this magazine."

For that free plug, many thanks.

• Blow for freedom

The Fodens Motor Works Band has been on the radio again, and must be very familiar to most CM readers. But I wonder how many know the origins of the band?

It was formed on the morning of the relief of Mafeking. The late Willie Foden had asked the Sandbach Town Band to go and play outside EIworth Works but they didn't want to know, so Mr Willie, resourceful fellow as always, immediately instructed his staff to go and purchase the necessary musical instruments to form their own band—which has gone from strength to strength ever since that great day.

• Cargoes

Last Sunday was rather special for 39 people, for it marked the start of the inaugural journey of the Shaheen (Eagle) Express Service of Bradford, which is scheduled to carry its passengers overland to Rawalpindi in 15 days. The first coachload comprises 37 Pakistanis, 1 Canadian and 1 Scot.

Sayed Abdul Quddoshead of Shaheen Express began numbering his bus tickets at 786 because he says this is a very holy number in Islam which means "I start in the name of gracious Almighty God".

The bus, which so far has not been farther than the towns and villages of South Yorkshire, has two drivers and the trip costs passengers £40 single or £75 return. However, as they will have to pay for their own accommodation and meals on the way, and one man took along a pail of hot Pakistani pudding, others had dishes of curried chicken and meat balls. The Scot, who is a journalist and should have quite a story to tell when he returns, has taken the precaution of packing a supply of the "wine" of his own country.

Each day they will drive from 8 am to around 9 pm and be staying at rest houses or sleeping in tents. They will pass through such places as Iran and Afghanistan and the bus operators will ensure that a bed,breakfast plus lunch and dinner will be available at a total cost of as little as 60p.

The organizers say it will be possible for Pakistanis from Britain to enjoy the round trip back home plus a three-week holiday there for well under £150.

• Chunnel? Nein I

It seems that communications between the UK and the Common Market administration are not all that they should be. I am sum every child over the age of five in this country is well aware that there are proposals afoot to drive a tunnel under the English Channel. Certainly the average person in this country must be better informed than the EEC Commission pretends to be. They stated this week that they had never been informed of the Channel Tunnel project, although they agreed that "the creation of a new transport infrastructure is certainly of great importance to the development of trade".

What pompous nonsense! Even if the late General never told them officially that his Ministers had been popping back and forth across the Straits to chat about a Chunnel, I am sure they read the papers. This kind of childishness or bureaucratic bumbledom is something that we can do without, thank you very much.

• War of the Roses

The famous Roses cricket match between those old rivals Lancashire and Yorkshire is, I see, to be sponsored by Exide Batteries, but I'm relieved to hear that the sponsorship is intended to preserve the unique character of the match, and there'll be no interference with the game. I think this is probably the first time that a three-day county cricket match has received commercial sponsorship. The Match will be played at Old Trafford during Whit weekend, starting on Saturday May 29, and with a considerable prize fund at stake the Roses war may be grimmer than ever this year. Who knows, for once it may even be finished!

Exide's association with Lancashire goes back 80 years; their factory at Clifton Junction is but a short drive from Old Trafford and a large number of their 3000 employees there are ardent Lancashire supporters.

• The spirit strikes

Bus operators with problems (who hasn't?) can console themselves with the thought that at least they haven't got evil spirits to contend with. Colin Reeve, of SELNEC, tells a tale about spirit problems encountered when he was a traffic manager in an African undertaking.

It all began with a difference of opinion between a manager and a conductor about the contents of a waybill, when the manager suggested sarcastically that perhaps the numbers failed to tally because an evil spirit had moved the mechanism of the man's ticket machine. The conductor, perhaps grasping at such an original and ready-made excuse, agreed with the manager, and in no time the depot was seething with rumours about the effects of evil spirits.

Whenever a fitter hit a thumb with a hammer, . the usual imprecations were followed by an assurance that evil spirits were to blame. The whole thing reached the stage where the staff downed tools and refused to work in such a haunted depot until a witchdoctor had been called in to exorcise the spirits!

• Sober advice

Spirits of a different sort are to be avoided if one is driving, and I have just been reading a book which tells one how to avoid the host of penalties and perils of driving. Although intended for car folk, it is just about equally applicable to the commercial driver and is a good 75p worth. Entitled Wise up on motoring law, by (appropriately) John Wise, it is one of a series published by Tallis Press.

Mr Wise is a solicitor who knows his stuff but this is no heavily jargoned text book. It is a practical guide to motoring law which, says the introduction, does not "bother about detailing stuffy Acts or boring cases".

Lighthearted it may be, but in setting out the things a driver Can Do, Can't Do, Must Do and Mustn't Do it provides a very readable way of getting to know the pitfalls, and it even goes on to detail what happens if you. Do when you shouldn't have Done or if you Didn't when you should have Done, if you see what I mean.


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