Cut up and Spat at

dirk_van_gently

Well I guess I had to experience the "full Monty" of cycling experiences eventually.
This morning, big white van behind me trying the usual "Push past", but I hold my ground, he eventually goes past, a little close, but not so bad, I point to the other side of the road, as he goes by, as a hint that that is where he should be. Driver slams brakes on and cuts left across me. I calmly dodge out of the way, Passenger hangs out of door shouting "You wan all the Faarrrkking road?", which I ignore, he then spat at me, but missed! they drove off. The company name on the Vehicle was "Expert" something to do with appliance delivery, haven't successfully googled it yet. Reg of van was PF07 TDX, if anyone knows of this outfit, please post, I would like to let them know what I think of the Professionalism of their driver and drivers mate.

DavidTQ

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Well I guess I had to experience the "full Monty" of cycling experiences eventually.
This morning, big white van behind me trying the usual "Push past", but I hold my ground, he eventually goes past, a little close, but not so bad, I point to the other side of the road, as he goes by, as a hint that that is where he should be. Driver slams brakes on and cuts left across me. I calmly dodge out of the way, Passenger hangs out of door shouting "You wan all the Faarrrkking road?", which I ignore, he then spat at me, but missed! they drove off. The company name on the Vehicle was "Expert" something to do with appliance delivery, haven't successfully googled it yet. Reg of van was PF07 TDX, if anyone knows of this outfit, please post, I would like to let them know what I think of the Professionalism of their driver and drivers mate.

a 163er with extra abuse. nice, would have been good on helmet cam especially emailed to the company they work for.

Adamskii

Some people are just complete idiots. Spitting is considered as assault so you could report them to the police.

Eat My Dust

WVM this morning decided I was holding him up even though I was matching the 30 mph the car in front of me was doing. Got to a roundabout, what did he do? He went around it the wrong way!! Plonker.

DavidTQ

Eat My Dust wrote:

WVM this morning decided I was holding him up even though I was matching the 30 mph the car in front of me was doing. Got to a roundabout, what did he do? He went around it the wrong way!! Plonker.

youve got to love that havent you when they see a cyclist and think "slow" despite the fact that the cyclist is going as fast or faster than the car in front...

dirk_van_gently

Just found the companies website,
http://www.expertlogistics.co.uk/
and have emailed them a strongly worded account of the incident.
Not holding my breath!

Gambatte

Hope the company do something!

Figured I'd post on this to find out how it turns out!!

ChrisLS

...good luck Dirk keep us all posted...if you don't get a reply maybe we could all email... :twisted:

TheBoyBilly

Dirk, if "Expert" don't have the courtesy to get back to you follow up your email with a request asking if they have taken your complaint seriously, and that if they haven't you know someone that will........the Police. You might at least nudge a grudging apology out of the neanderthals that work for them.

dirk_van_gently

Haven't even had the read receipt yet, although th email has been delivered.
I have already stated in my email that if I don't get a response I will go to the Police, but what's the point I know they won't do anything.

Mr_Cellophane

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Just found the companies website,
http://www.expertlogistics.co.uk/
and have emailed them a strongly worded account of the incident.
Not holding my breath!

Great web site. So descriptive :P

richk

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Haven't even had the read receipt yet, although th email has been delivered....

It's possible to disable read receipts being sent, so not having one doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't been read.

daniel_b

Good luck Dirk - address here if thats any use to you:
EXPERT LOGISTICS LTD.
SECOND AVENUE
DEESIDE INDUSTRIAL PARK
DEESIDE
FLINTSHIRE
CH5 2NW

I was cycling along ready to turn right into a road this morning, the road I was going to turn into there was a WVM waiting to turn right himself, he pulled out on me anyway, but put his hand up as he did so to apologise, and my displeasure dissipated immediately.
More people should apologise for making an error, but I expect a lot of people don;t take an apology and launch in anyway, which is why less and less people apologise.

Nothing whatsoever to do with Dirk's incident, just a general observation.

Dan

Cunobelin

Part 3: to delight our customers with our excellence of execution.

Did he delight you with the attempted execution?

tomgth

Here is the Whois.net report of who owns the website. (this is who the legal owner of the website is!)

WHOIS information for: expertlogistics.co.uk:

[whois.nic.uk]

Domain name:
expertlogistics.co.uk

Registrant:
Iceland Frozen Foods

Registrant type:
Unknown

Registrant's address:
Iceland Foods plc
Second Avenue
Deeside Industrial Park
Deeside
Flintshire
CH5 2NW
GB

Registrar:
NetNames Limited [Tag = NETNAMES]
URL: http://www.netnames.co.uk

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 24-Jun-1999
Renewal date: 24-Jun-2009
Last updated: 20-Dec-2007

Registration status:
Registered until renewal date.

Name servers:
ns1.netnames.net
ns2.netnames.net
ns5.netnames.net
ns6.netnames.net

WHOIS lookup made at 12:57:30 11-Apr-2008

--
This WHOIS information is provided for free by Nominet UK the central registry
for .uk domain names. This information and the .uk WHOIS are:

Copyright Nominet UK 1996 - 2008.

You may not access the .uk WHOIS or use any data from it except as permitted
by the terms of use available in full at http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois, which
includes restrictions on: (A) use of the data for advertising, or its
repackaging, recompilation, redistribution or reuse (B) obscuring, removing
or hiding any or all of this notice and (C) exceeding query rate or volume
limits. The data is provided on an 'as-is' basis and may lag behind the
register. Access may be withdrawn or restricted at any time.

Verio Inc. - Growing Your Business, One Click At A Time

Spud Man

It is always worth following up when a vehicle from a reasonably large company tries to kill you.

I got sick and tired of being shaved on the A12 near Romford in Essex by the same lorry about once a week on average - I got the impression that he just wasn't giving me enough space, rather than deliberately trying to mash me.

The day he pulled in towards the kerb just after the cab got past me was the day I had enough. I noted the registration number, googled the company, and phoned their switchboard.

I asked to speak to the Managing Director's PA, told her what had happened, told her it wasn't the first time, and I asked her to get in touch with the depot manager and ask the driver to give me a bit more space. Because I didn't think he was actively trying to kill me I thought it might be more productive than asking for him to be hung, drawn and quartered.

Anyway, the PA was a motorbike rider, so she knew all about "dangerous lorries", and she must have had a word, because any of their lorries move into the outside lane to overtake me!

White vans are another story .....

phil_ss1

Hi,

On the subject of white vans I think it ought to be iilegal for them not to have the company/owners name on the van for all to see, they would then lose the anonymity they seem to enjoy on a daily basis.

Phil

Gambatte

phil_ss1 wrote:

Hi,

On the subject of white vans I think it ought to be iilegal for them not to have the company/owners name on the van for all to see, they would then lose the anonymity they seem to enjoy on a daily basis.

Phil

all private vehicles the same?

We already have identification - the reg no

phil_ss1

No just vans, it they are the ones I find to be bolshy and pushy behind the wheel.

In a peek of terror/anger it's easier to remember a company name than a reg plate, also you can talk/mail someone easily, with a hope they give the offending driver a stern rollocking!

Phil

Gambatte

I know there used to be something with personal tax and company cars that meant you essentially had to have company identification on or get stung on the tax rate. Meant our old fella had to drive round with a 3" "Extrudakerb" logo on the tailgate of his company Granada.

Wonder why that changed, if it did?

Not that many Co car drivers round now anyway, since they decided to change the tax rules and make it more economical to claim your miles (once again, 'our old fella', was better off getting rid of the company Rover 75 and getting a Jag, which got traded up to a Merc!)

John B

Now that the company's details are available perhaps we should all email them a "virtual" green gilbert.

dirk_van_gently

I have had no email response, so have written a letter to the MD at the Co HQ, it will be sent recorded delivery, then we will see.

John B
"virtual" green gilbert.

NO Idea what that is?

Gambatte

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

I have had no email response, so have written a letter to the MD at the Co HQ, it will be sent recorded delivery, then we will see.

You sent just to 'Expert' or Iceland as well?

dirk_van_gently

Just "Expert", suspect Iceland would just refer anything sent to them to "Expert".

Might be worth a shot if "expert" choose to ignore me.

number9

When and where did it happen? There might be witnesses....

Gambatte

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Just "Expert", suspect Iceland would just refer anything sent to them to "Expert".

Might be worth a shot if "expert" choose to ignore me.

I just know that customer complaints thro our parent company get a bit more urgency. Might be the same over there?

dirk_van_gently

Have sent the same email to Iceland. see what happens.

alexB

If that doesn't work, get the phone number and phone up and give them hell. I did this recently and was impressed to get a call back from the company to say that they'd just read all their drivers the riot act and would sack any driver who brought the company into disrepute. The guy I spoke to sounded furious when I described the incident to him.
Standard WVM overtakes on narrow road on bend and then has to slam on brakes to avoid a head-on with a car coming the other way. I nearly went into the back of him and came to a full stop. He then held me up for the whole of the rest of the route we shared since he had to stop and give way to all the oncoming traffic.
If he'd sat behind me I'd have cleared the route for him.

Eat My Dust

I called a WVM's company once and was impressed how seriously they took the matter. I got called back twice. The second time by the company HR manager who told me it wasn't the first time that the guy had been reported by a cyclist for his behaviour and that he would be getting his P45 for it. I actually took it all with a pinch of salt, my brother has a small fleet of guys out in vans and he said he would probably give this kind of response, but actually just give the guy a good bollocking.

dirk_van_gently

I have had a response from Iceland.

.....................

hank you for your recent email.

I am very sorry to hear about the rudeness of one of the Expert Logistics drivers. I have spoken to Expert Logistics who have confirmed that the drivers partner who was the rude person has been permanently removed from this service.

Thank you once again for contacting us.
.............................

I am still thinking that I may have been shortchanged here, as they obviously have taken no notice of the matter of dangerous driving. Also the email came from one of those "Do not reply" mailboxes. The phrase "Permanently removed from this service" makes me think he hasn't been sacked, but just moved sideways into another job.

Shadowduck

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

The phrase "Permanently removed from this service" makes me think he hasn't been sacked, but just moved sideways into another job.

I think it's reasonable to assume he at least spent some time bent over the metaphorical desk during the process. May be the best you can expect, at least he's been shown the error of his ways and may serve as an example to others.