Wednesday 3 May 2006

Notice on the Wall at Work.


While I was away some one put this notice up on the wall at work. As you enter the depot it is there in front of you. Most of the items are common sense, watch out for moving vehicles and pedestrians and proceed with extreme caution are the sort of top class advice I would expect the company to give anyone entering a bus depot. Ten miles per hour is fair. At that speed even an 11 tonne bus will stop in 10 feet (3m). Dipped head lights I'm not so sure about. At night fine, but in the daylight, bit iffy. I drive down Fleet Walk in town with dipped headlights, company rule. I also walk down Fleet Walk on my days off on the way to the pub and I find that I can see buses just as easily, being big vehicles, with or with out the lights on. The one about Hi Vis clothing is a bit redundant, everyone who works there knows they have to wear hi vis jackets. A visitor who arrives without a hi vis jacket is now forced to stand at the entrance waving franticly until someone comes out and lends him said jacket. That some one can now tell him to report to reception. No major problems so far though. My big concern is with the top line. STOP.

A similar notice went up in Paignton Bus Station with the word STOP at the top and I have only ever noticed one driver stop at the entrance to the station and I don't any more since a First Western X80 almost ran into the back of me. But the problem is it says STOP. The problem is there is no need to STOP. As you enter the depot, and the bus station there is a clear view all round. What is the point in stopping? The notice says STOP, so I will. But will the driver behind expect me to stop when both he and I can see it is clear to proceed? I sure hope so!

2 comments:

The Captain said...

We have to drive with dipped headlights on all day, on the road in the depot whatever the time of day. They (my employers) say that it reduces accidents!

David said...

Hi Captain, We drive around all day with dipped headlights on mainly because we have to put them on in Fleet Walk which is pedestrianised and in Paignton Bus Station. Saves switching on and off all day long and getting a nasty letter if you forget to switch them on at the right place.