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MEN IN SHINING ARMOUR
Page 9
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I love statistics — here are two I've collected recently. Up to two million drivers could each be fined €138 in France for not wearing high-visibility clothing in the event of a breakdown. The other is that the 2,000 or so HGV and PSV bridge strikes which happen every year in Britain cost an estimated £50m. Gosh.
The new French law, due in 2005, follows similar legislation in Spain and Italy which requires a reflective jacket or waistcoat to be worn when leaving an immobilised vehicle on the carriageway at night or in poor visibility. You could also be breaking the law if you're sans high-viz vest while setting up a warning triangle or walking to an emergency phone.
Fair enough, I suppose; after all, the hard shoulder's a pretty dangerous place to be at the best of times. And not just the hard shoulder either. I was very nearly run down recently by some prize prat in a car who was determined not to wait 30 seconds while I stood in the road and helped an Italian driver negotiate his 4m-high artic reefer under a 4.1m railway bridge in Ashford. With a loud blast of the horn he simply forced me out of the way. Still, at least I was able to show my new Italian friend the cold store he was desperately looking for (not to mention some handy new English words). And he seemed genuinely grateful that a complete stranger would bother to stop and help him out.
Its not the first time I've gestured to a bewildered foreign truck driver to "follow me" and led him to his destination. The directions these guys get are laughable. One recently held up his mobile phone to show me a text message with his delivery address.
It makes you wonder if their companies don't like truck drivers either. As for that twit in his car — I hope he gets stuck under a low bridge, in France, in the dark, without a high-viz vest. Jerk.
"I hope he gets stuck under a low bridge, in France, in the dark, without a high-viz vest. Jerk"