Tuesday 24 07 06

Here is a reply to a post on a new forum we made this morning!

" What Annoys You Most About Being A Motorist"

Well, on mature recollection (to use a wonderful cliché from a bygone era) it would take far too long to list, since the longer you are driving the longer the list becomes!

I guess it has to be W.V.S.....? Yes got it in one...White Van Syndrome! I should know, I worked for 17 years for a firm with a fleet of them.

For the benefit of new drivers, white vans are invariably driven by untrained and uncontrolled drivers; mostly young and in a hell of a hurry due to the pressure from their Transport Manager to get the job done!

Things are changing however (albeit rather slowly) since Companies have been crippled by increasing Insurance claims due to the level of accidents.

It's interesting to point out that 27 years ago the Insurance premiums for the Company in Dublin that I mentioned earlier were five times that of a comparably sized Branch of the Company in the U.K. Why? ....easy... five times the volume of accidents! Life hasn't changed much in the intervening period apart form there being ten times the number of vehicles on the road.

Of particular note are the un-logoed white vans who are usually self employed drivers who display all the key skills of those driving in identifiable vehicles but have many additional skills of particular ferocity since they are unlikely ever to be reported!

This is my first post to this forum which I came across as a result of a white van post by an unfortunate driver who encountered a W.V.S cretin on his Driving Test! Unfortunately Examiners do not allow a driver on his or her Test any leeway when it comes to dealing with Cretins; since Cretins are the real world and it is real world skills that are being assessed!