A vexing question
Page 18
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LET me say from the start that I am neither 'for' nor 'against' CB — I remain neutral.
However, if the three incidents in which I was involved within the space of 24 hours last week are indicative of the style of driving of CB users, I am not likely to stay neutral for long.
Incident No 1: I am following a car along a well-lit road. I wish to turn right and duly signal and commence the turn. The car in front after almost passing the junction suddenly swings sharp right into the side road without signal, causing me to brake very sharply.
The driver was so engrossed in chattering away into his microphone he forgot to signal, forgot his mirror, and almost forgot the turning!
Incident No 2: I am overtaking a boxvan on the M62 Motorway, the boxvan in the first lane, my coach in the centre lane, and faster traffic in the outside lane. Just as the front of the coach comes level with rear of the boxvan, out it comes into the centre lane to overtake, again causing me to brake very sharply.
Yes, you've guessed! The driver is chattering away on his CB too engrossed to check his mirror or offer a signal.
Incident No 3: I am following a DAF car in the overtaking lane on the Chester by-pass. A slower moving articulated outfit is in the slow and we are just about to overtake when without any signal he does a U-turn straight across the centre reservation.
The DAF swerves round the rear of the artic almost going up the banking in the process and I am left to do an emergency stop in the fast lane.
• As the artic driver completes his U turn, sure enough there he is steering with one hand chattering away into the CB microphone. On seeing me sitting there getting my breath back, with a look of bewilderment on my face (yes he must have realised that other vehicles existed by that point) he treated me to a V-sign and shot off at a high rate of knots.
If the driver of TLS736T happens to read this letter, believe me I can think of some very suitable "handles" for you!
As I said at the start of the letter, I am not anti-CB. I am most certainly not anti-lorry — indeed one of the incidents did not even concern a goods vehicle, and I suspect the boxvan in Incident No 2 may not have been an hgv.
Just imagine, though, the eruption if such incidents involve members of the anti-CB or anti-lorry brigade. You'll never hear the last of it.
So come on, you CB lads — enjoy your chats — but for God's sake don't let it cause an accident!
YORKSHIREMAN Barnsley Yorkshire