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The ultimate in dumbing down and health & safety stupidity

17th Aug 2015
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I was trundling along the M60 today at a sedentary 45 mph and was overtaken by a tanker which sported not one , but two stickers, on its flank stating :

Warning - this vehicle may turn left 

Chilling stuff indeed but are cyclists , at whom it was aimed , not taught these sort of basics when undertaking their cycling proficiency test ? Mind you it is not compulsory and I suspect many people never took one . I don't recall doing it myself to be honest and I do cycle fairly often and am quite careful about sneaking up the inside of commercial vehicles

So , how long until our humble cars are festooned with stickers warning of all sorts of potential manouvers to unsuspecting road users ?

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Replies (13)

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
19th Aug 2015 10:24

Who is the hazard?

If you are driving at 45mph on a motorway (unless in heavy traffic and without any choice) you are surely the one causing a hazard to other users.

Could you not at least keep up with the lorries rather than forcing them to overtake?

All the 'action' is probably happening about 1/4 mile behind you. 

 

 

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By k743snx
19th Aug 2015 12:45

Nannying

Isn't it McDonalds who put warnings on their coffee cups telling you how hot they might be?

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Replying to Matrix:
By mwngiol
19th Aug 2015 13:13

There are lots of urban myths

Roland195 wrote:

k743snx wrote:

Isn't it McDonalds who put warnings on their coffee cups telling you how hot they might be?

The case often quoted as an example of litigation gone mad in the US very rarely examines the full facts of the case - the coffee in question was served at a temperature far higher than in general and enough to cause 3rd degree burns.

It is much the same with us currently where were health & safety gone mad via the Daily Mail etc rarely cites actual directions from The Health & Safety Executive but examples of either bad customer service from businesses or over zealous local councils. The HSE have actual taken to distancing themselves from stories such as bans on conkers in playgrounds on their own website.   

Agreed about the anti-H&S hysteria in the DM and other tabloids. But it is definitely true that some warnings are ridiculous i.e. 'this product may contain nuts' on packs of nuts.

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By justsotax
19th Aug 2015 13:19

given the number of cyclists

who seem to get killed on the roads of London by 'left turners' it seems an obvious but warranted warning.  Even with the appropriate tests, as they are generally done the once, it is possible for people to forget.  Maybe the advice of 'assume all other roads users are idiots, and expect the unexpected' are the two sounds pieces of advice which will keep you generally out of trouble.

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Replying to Wilson Philips:
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By User deleted
24th Aug 2015 15:54

Unfortunately ...

justsotax wrote:

who seem to get killed on the roads of London by 'left turners' it seems an obvious but warranted warning.  Even with the appropriate tests, as they are generally done the once, it is possible for people to forget.  Maybe the advice of 'assume all other roads users are idiots, and expect the unexpected' are the two sounds pieces of advice which will keep you generally out of trouble.

... you only need to forget once!

I blame the immigrants, how long before we switch to driving on the right - may be at the point the majority of the drivers were taught that way!

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Norman Younger
By Norman Younger
19th Aug 2015 13:21

H & S

One of the biggest problems we face is that children are removed form making their own risk assessments which means they are more likely to come unstuck in the future

When I was a kid in the 70s a day didn't go by without some sort of playground injury but we had fun being adventurous 

I was sent to school in shorts because knees were easier to repair than trousers , in spite of the often chilly climate in Scotland , but we were a hardier bunch than contemporary kids 

Of course less people are maimed and injured all round and changes to what is and is not an accepetabel risk have shifted . 

But the trouble with dumbing down on stuff like safety is that is seeps through society until you end up with meaningless GCSE and A level grades

I must be getting old !

 

 

 

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By k743snx
19th Aug 2015 16:48

McDonalds

the coffee in question was served at a temperature far higher than in general and enough to cause 3rd degree burns

So was this an isolated incident or not? If it's a one-off, even though liable to cause injury , then it seems OTT to print warnings on coffee cups, at least it would here - but in America...............

 

 

 

 

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By Roland195
20th Aug 2015 13:41

Liebeck Vs. McDonalds

The case in question is Liebeck Vs McDonalds. It makes for interesting reading but the warnings on labels in generally understood to be a hedge against future product liability.

So, actually nothing to do with health & safety but a worrying indication of how litigious our society is becoming following the US example.  

 

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
21st Aug 2015 12:35

Slightly off topic

I saw an hilarious video on facebook this week. A cyclist with a helmet cam was barracking some cockney wide boy for cutting him up. The said cockney was saying that the cyclist basically deserved and was really animated and aggressive about. In the end he got out of his car and chased after the cyclist who was recording this all the time. The driver trips and takes an almighty tumble the likes of which has not been seen since Kevin Keegan fell of his bike on Superstars in the 70's.

I'm suprised the cyclist did not fall off laughing.

The moral I suppose is if you are going to be a Dick dont do get caught on camera.

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By mrme89
21st Aug 2015 12:47

Funny Video

I was impressed at what looked to be a very old Peugeot 405.

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Norman Younger
By Norman Younger
21st Aug 2015 14:16

Caught on camera
Funnily enough I installed an onboard dashcam in my Discovery today. Hoping to catch interesting stuff rather than as evidence for anything.
What made me decide was a drive along Garsdale in North Yorkshire. I was facing anRAF fighter at low level coming towards me hugging the valley. If only I had a camera.....
So 12 months on I finally sorted it

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Norman Younger
By Norman Younger
31st Aug 2015 21:16

Driving on the right

Judging by some of the many foreign registered vehicles round here the driving standards seems to deteriorate the further east one traipses across the EU

Reminds me of a trip in Poland 5 or 6 years ago when the bus driver was asked by some members of the tour to go to an extra destination en route , which involved exceeding his hours . No problem he said (thru the interpreter) - you give the cash to the cops if I get pulled, and he proceeded to remove his tacograph from the tachometer !

The motorway along which we sped had a big sign declaring it was paid for by EU money

And people wonder why we want to leave.....

 

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