"Good Deed" recovery RANT!!!

[Maverik]

Need to have a rant so appologies...

Came across a lady who had put her car in a ditch due to hitting a rather big puddle on a bend, 0700hrs this morning lashing it down, horrible conditions. Bad position of car could have caused another accident.

After seeing the hazards, I position my vehicle in the correct "protection" stance went out and helped. - put my high vis vest on, lots of lights - think my own safety.

Hitched her up and with the aid of another passer bye we pulled her out and got the car to a safe location.

other than the elements that were against us, every F-ING driver passing was too! I was appaled to have to literally jump out the way of a guy driving a 110 FAR to fast into a tight corner anyway! which now had filled up with water and had become a considerable hazard - people didn't even stop when I was stood out in front of them waving my arms.

I ended up having to just edge my truck out into the traffic to actual get people to stop driving around me.

So damaged vehicle out of danger, I proceeded on my way.

This happend in a about a 10-15min time frame, rather than calling police/recovery service I took it upon myself to make the area "safe" and I did. - absolutly disgusted at the behaviour of the other road users though.

Rant over...

Lessons learned.

1) Only attempt any kind of recovery unless you are happy to take responsibility for your actions.(I was, so i did)

2) Treat every driver as being blind until they stop moving, (keep yourself safe at all times) - even with a high vis jacket, I belive half the folk didn't see me.

3) Other people if you see hazards slow down... - (I actually can't belive people don't do this automatically...! 3 vehicles with lights flashing kinda means a problem to me...)

4) Help is appreciated (the lady said she lost count of how many people who drove right by her before someone stopped to see if she was ok)

5) Mitsibishi drivers are ok.

Caviet: this wont apply to the majority of folk on here, but please be kind enough to pass my Lessons on to the less fortunate!

Mav - feeling slightly less angry... Merry Christmas

[jad]

Get some blue lights

[Turbocharger]

At least she was grateful - I've stopped to help people in snow, they've treated me like it was my fault they got stuck, and then when I (and others) help and push the car out from where it's stuck, it grabs some traction and they just disappear into the distance...

[lyron]

good on yer mav. and some very sound advice. i would think most of us would stop to help someone in disress but your post has me doubting that now.

[Guest]

Unfortunately Chris this seems to be the state of things these days, and I'm not that old!! The high Viz maybe added to the impression that you were a pro so didn't want to get involved. although there is no excuse for the others speeding in the rain.

I also try and stop and help when I can and when it's safe although will think twice about recovering people, I had an incident last year where I came across a car stuck in the snow, as I started to help him I got the recovery eye out of his boot and pulled the cap off the bumper at which point he started to have a go at me about the 'damage' I was causing to his car.... I started to pack my stuff up and leave him there, not wanting any further involvement it was only his wife that persuaded her husband that he was being an idiot and he should apologise, I guess some people think that you drive a Land Rover so have an obligation to help.

In Norway they all carry a waiver when helping folks: http://carmaint.bzz.no/disco1/berging/berging.pdf

I now have an English version in my truck.

Jason.

[Jimmy Two-Jacks]

Sad to hear but at least you did the right thing..more power to youe elbow sir.

J2J

[Sirocco]

It does seem to be that everyone is looking to blame 'authority' for (insert cause)...

Regardless of the nature of it. We had some flash flooding in Bristol recently and when I took some country roads to get out to the M4 I was fording 2 ft of water in the works van. Cars were turning around and a women was shouting and screaming how it was a disgrace that 'someone' had not shut the road off. I pointed out that maybe they were busy with main routes/road but she didn't want to know and just banged on about how dangerous it was. She had the sense to turn around so I don't see what her point was or why she was moaning so much!

I think that's why nobody stops any more because they know it will be agro whatever you do! I must admit I'm more likely to stop for the old and women everyone else can look after themselves! including the man in the Audi who didn't know where his towing eye was but that's another story.

G

[BigP]

Unfortunately Chris this seems to be the state of things these days, and I'm not that old!! The high Viz maybe added to the impression that you were a pro so didn't want to get involved. although there is no excuse for the others speeding in the rain.

I also try and stop and help when I can and when it's safe although will think twice about recovering people, I had an incident last year where I came across a car stuck in the snow, as I started to help him I got the recovery eye out of his boot and pulled the cap off the bumper at which point he started to have a go at me about the 'damage' I was causing to his car.... I started to pack my stuff up and leave him there, not wanting any further involvement it was only his wife that persuaded her husband that he was being an idiot and he should apologise, I guess some people think that you drive a Land Rover so have an obligation to help.

In Norway they all carry a waiver when helping folks: http://carmaint.bzz.no/disco1/berging/berging.pdf

I now have an English version in my truck.

Jason.

Any chance you could post the English version on here? May come in handy for some.

P

[Guest]

Any chance you could post the English version on here? May come in handy for some.

P

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcarmaint.bzz.no%2Fdisco1%2Fberging%2Fberging.pdf

[g&t]

Had experience of the 'muppet syndrome' last year, although no personal danger as the incident took place on our private car park. Picture the scene : Vaux Senator (rear-wheel drive/auto box) bottom of a dead-end slope facing down & blocking rows of cars on both sides. ''Where's you towing eye?'' muppet did'nt know ''never mind, your handbook will tell you'' but handbook is nice & warm tucked up indoors. Fortunately for other residents waiting to get to work the Sen had a towbar so I hooked him up the slope on that. I agree though that you have to be very careful about who you help these days, as a favour can easily turn into disaster.

[western]

Doubt a home made damage waiver has any legal standing in any country, best to check how you stand by having people sign it before any work is carried out, also note anyone doing a roadside recovery [even as a good samaritan] has no recovery/public liability insurance, just be careful out there.

if in doubt stop in a safer place & phone the Police.

[mickeyw]

At least she was grateful - I've stopped to help people in snow, they've treated me like it was my fault they got stuck, and then when I (and others) help and push the car out from where it's stuck, it grabs some traction and they just disappear into the distance...

Last weekend I was out green laning with another member on here. We came upon a nice 'n' shiney rice burner blocking the track, and the driver was looking at his mate's stuck Disco. The Disco had taken a 'diversion' of the main route, we pointed out that he shouldn't have been where he was and received some BS explanation.

Anyway, as we are kind folk, and because the route was blocked until he was recovered, we winched him back onto the track.

Before we had respooled the winch rope both vehicles had bu66ered off with not so much as a thank you or anything.

Wish we'd caught some reg numbers to give to the forestry warden. That lane is a very sensitive area on the hooligan front.

Gratitude costs nothing.

[BigP]

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcarmaint.bzz.no%2Fdisco1%2Fberging%2Fberging.pdf

Cheers ;-)

[simonr]

Bloody 110 Drivers!

Si

[Tanuki]

It's always a balance of risks when doing recovery.

In my student-days I had a house at the bottom of a long, steep hill. At the bottom the road did a T- with a rather-more-major road. When it was icy it was quite common for people to come fast down the hill, hit the brakes, and go straight-on across the major road and into my back field. We got used to hearing a 'crunch' and a few minutes later an embarrassed driver appearing through West Wales's finest stygian gloom.

We had a couple of strops and a steel hawser on hand to recover said drivers' vehicles from the sheep-field - always assuming they were freely prepared to make a contribution to our beer-fund and pay something to replace the fence. No pay-up? Well, arrange your own recovery and please can I have your insurance-details so I can claim for the cost of the fencing-contractor to repair the damage. We can't have the sheep getting out onto the public-highway, now can we?

One morning we used the trusty ex-Northern-Gas SIIA to haul-out a car from the field and while we were disconnecting the towline, another car came down the hill and occupied the precise same spot from which we'd just extracted car #1.

Our beer-fund was well provided-for.

--Tanuki

[Happyoldgit]

I'll stop and offer assistance people who look to be in personal danger but my days of recovering vehicles out of ditches or wet / icy bits of road are long gone. Ok, there used to be a feel good factor from yanking a stranded vehicle out but these days far too many people lack basic common sense, courtesy and expect to sue should anything go wrong. Leave it to the professionals, by rights they should have the appropriate gear and cover.

[Smego]

Your own car insurance gives you public liability insurance as long as you are not charging, no matter what they try and tell you they have to cover it unless a court of law says otherwise. when it comes to 3rd parties you are covered even for acts of stupidity

[TheRecklessEngineer]

There was a rather old couple that got forced into the verge/ditch by a lorry right outside my house. The Series 3 came out to pull them off the verge and in order to line up for the tow I blocked the road.

It took a couple of minutes to find their tow point and get the strop hooked up. By the time I was ready to pull there were a few cars waiting. I pulled them out quite easily, and then started to disconnect the strop.

I was then approached by a lady who was driving one of the waiting cars. She said in a very self important voice something along the lines of "How long will you be, we've got to get through you know, we have an appointment!"

I suggested that perhaps we could push the lovely old couple (who were actually quite shaken by the whole thing) back in the ditch so that she could get past. She clucked and tutted before going back to her car. I then took as long as I could rolling up the strop and stowing the shackles before moving out the way.

And then made the old couple a cup of tea before they continued their journey.

I have never wanted to slap someone quite so much.

[Nigelw]

Once took the front end off a Transit that got stuck in my old waste transfer station, mind you a Komatsu WA470 does have quite a bit of poke when you hit the push and pull pedal.

I will never recover anyone ever again, I have a mobile phone and will use it for the police, the rest can do it them selves, or try suing some other poor soul if it goes pear shaped, not wanting to seem ignorant or selfish but I have had so much hassle in the past that I really do not want a bone of it now, I will stop if a dangerous situation arises but offering more than coffee and a warm place to sit whilst they wait is not for me any more.

[mcc1979ian]

Hilux drivers are very ungreatful, They held the British final of the sheepdog trials near my house a few year ago and the winner was adjustin his sat nav on a single track road and drove into a very large ditch, so doing a good deed i towed his hilux out and once unhooked he drove off without even a thank you. W#*!%R sprung to mind.

[jeremy996]

I am a member of our local 4x4 Response and as part of membership we have public liability insurance and a hi-vis coat. I have done a few recoveries and the other party has always been grateful, but the other road users have been sods sometimes.

In the last but one set of floods one of my fellow members was abused by a Porsche owner as he had coned off the road at the request of the highways authority. Said Porsche owners stormed off into the 3ft flood and eventually walked back and asked to be recovered. The refusal was curt. As volunteers we can tell muppets to do one.

[Phil Hancock]

In the last but one set of floods one of my fellow members was abused by a Porsche owner as he had coned off the road at the request of the highways authority. Said Porsche owners stormed off into the 3ft flood and eventually walked back and asked to be recovered. The refusal was curt. As volunteers we can tell muppets to do one.

Excellent

[sean f]

_{My best experience was quite few years ago, used to work in a costal hotel, and after lunch I used the 109 to drop some walkers back to thier car as they hadn't realise how far the walk was and didn't want to walk back (taxi's would come out so far in the sticks for a short run). After dropping them back to the car park I was talking to the NT car park warden (about 90years old) to explain why I didn't want to pay for car park entry (he let me off). Next to the car park was an old slip way with no known owner, I believe it was a D Day point built by the US with a disclainer on it from the NT that it was nothing to do with them, they just charged extra for trailers in the car park. A man with a dingy and one of the old Subaru pickups turns up and drove down and across the beach (low tide), he got stuck in the sand so walked back up and asked nicely if I could help, I had a capstan winch so I said there is no way I was going on the beach but if he could get a long enough rope no problem, he came back with a rope and 5 minute later was out, I helped him launch the dingy and we sat with the car park attendant watch his kid sailing. 10 minutes later a brand new merc estate turned up with a small dingy (looked like a big wind surfer), the Subaru owner stopped him at the slip way and adviced him not to try driving on the beach but just to park up and push the trailer down by hand, he got a mouth full back so we sat and watched, sure enough he got stuck. Came marching back up the beach and demanded we did something about it, he was told £20, got all upset, the NT guy just pointed at the disclaimer. He used the phone box to call the police (no mobile signal) who I think just told him to ring a recovery company. Came back and asked for recovery then and got even more upset when he was told it was now £40. He attempted to get a collection of kids on the beach to push him free (with the trailer still on the back and some of them pushing that!), no hope a merc estate is not light. By this time the tide was coming in, when it reached the back of the car it was tempting to bugger off and whatch from a distance, were he was would be about 6ft at high tide, but I was broke and needed the money, £60 later me and the Subaru owner pulled him free and split the money. He left with threats to report us to the Police and the NT for extortion.}

_{If he had asked nicely the first time and apologised I would have pulled him out for free, being an idiot cost him £60.}

[mikec]

We end up doing this kind of thing at work, either working or looking at jobs, I've given up parking on the pavement etc as people just use the room not to slow down, so I now purposely make my vehicle as much as an obstruction as possible so they have no option but slow down

[WESTENDER]

I shut roads as part of my highways maintenance job, i get fed up asking people, one, "didnt you see the large road closed signs surrounded by cones?" two "are you literate in the English language" so you have absolutely no chance with just a hi vis vest and as for pulling cars out of floods i gave up on that when they started driving through them on purpose to soak a usually already soaked and p******ed off workman,

PS for anyone tempted that is now a moving traffic offence and will get the offender a fine and endorsements