Hello and welcome to my Blog, my name is Chris, a bus driver for First West Of England based in Wells, Somerset. I am Chair for the depot branch of Unite the Union. Married to Fiona, we live in Midsomer Norton near Bath, with Boots the cat. My main hobby is Amateur Radio and I hold the call sign G4KVI. I am the repeater keeper for GB3UB and MB7UB. I have a fascination for the weather and all things to do with nature and science. As a Christian I worship at St. Nicholas Church in Radstock. These are my observations on my life, both at work and at home.

16 Jan 2010

A very dangerous trick

I wrote this a last year but having seen a very near miss yesterday in the same place I feel I have to publish it.

Good trip today pretty quite on the roads especially in London arriving 25mins early!! Passenger numbers still down and Heathrow and Victoria look very bare of people.
Coming home today arrived at the A350 at 1715 , not a good time as the traffic is always heavy. For those that don't know it is a long dual carriageway that goes into one just before the roadabout. It always amazes me how drivers queue for up to a mile from the roundabout and leave lane 2 empty. I, as the highway code states

"134 You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed. In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed."

trickle down lane 2 until just after the traffic lights and start looking for a spot to safely merge with the traffic. This always is met with speeding up and closing of gaps and the 'you are not getting in front of me whatever' brigade. If only they just kept going and all merged in turn there wouldn't be a queue. Tonight however they surpassed themselves. Just after the traffic lights a gent in a Honda pulled straight out in to lane 2, I assume to block me. To that gent I say. Have you suddenly become a policeman? You obviously have not read the highway code and your actions very nearly caused a major RTA as myself , and, the following traffic had to take emergency action, even at the low speed I was going. What if there had been an emergency vehicle behind me? As it was after I had pealed my hands off the horn I safely merged with the traffic. The gent contiuned to block me, and the following vehicles, by braking harshly and speed up and slowing down. What he was trying to do I am not sure, but I assume he knows.
I am sure you will have your own thoughts on this, some will say I am in the wrong some the other way round.

12 Jan 2010

Bike repair

Bit of overtime yesterday. Phone call at 1000 asking if I could do the 'Frome back'. 10 hours on a rest day, very nice. Good trip up and back. Roads still quite but surprised at how much snow was on the A4 around Marlborough.
Problem with the bike on the way home. No lights!! Managed to get home on sidelights and spent this morning trying to find the fault. It was the old problem of poor earthing. The fault appears to be the point where all the earths in the headlight cluster are joined together. Given the cold and time I decided to do a temporary repair. I ran a new wire from a good earth point into the headlight cluster. This will be Ok until I can strip in all down and do a permanent repair.

3 Jan 2010

Another Stealth Tax

I  was interested the story regarding adding £15 to fines to 'help victims of crime' This on the outside seems a very good idea. Until you think about peoples idea of British justice, these include 'the punishment must fit the crime' and also that it must be fair. Perhaps rather than adding money if I am stopped for not wearing my seat belt, I should be made to spend a day with a Paramedic team attending rad accidents. Any way the real reason for this this post was that I received a nice letter from DVLA telling me my photo license needed to be renewed. Sounds good until you read they would like £20!! I have not changed much in 10 years. I still have the left over photos when I first sent off for a photo license. Wonder what would happen if I sent one back again? 

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