Stupidity & Kindness

Good morning all.

Up and at 'em this morning - managed to cobble together a fruitcake and get it in the oven by 8.30 this morning woke up with my baking head on which just gives me time to relay what the o.h has just told me when he's gotten in from work just now.

He is an HGV driver, working nights, delivering to the company depots up and down this country. As he drove further south, the weather got progressively worse. He said he has never had to fight so hard with the steering wheel. He was driving along one of the minor roads in the south of the country, and saw up ahead of him (but only just because it was so dark) a large tree coming down across the road. This brought his journey to a stand still so phone calls had to be made and he had to sit and wait.

The tree had not quite landed on the road, just sort of straddling it and cars on the other side could drive underneath it and that is what they were doing - and not slowing down to do so!

A recovery van had been travelling behind the o.h and so between him and that driver they decided to try and get these car drivers to slow down before they reached the tree.

They both stood on the verge in different places doing the appropriate signalling and pointing. They were both wearing hi viz, all of the trucks lights were on, indicators flashing etc, the recovery van's hazard light was flashing and not one car driver slowed down! They all just continued to drive at speed, past them and under the tree.

In the end the o.h and the recovery man decided it wasn't worth standing there, putting themselves at risk, when apparently all the car drivers in that area had got their stupid head that night.

So both of them got in the recovery van to sit and chat until someone turned up to sort it out. There were some houses nearby and a young teenage lad came across and asked them if they would like a hot drink and something to eat - parents had sent him out to ask :-) so bless him he brought them out a cup of tea each. This was in the early hours of the morning so was much appreciated by both.

The police then arrived with some 'tree' people who then cut the tree up and removed it from the road so two and a half hours later, the o.h could get on with his night shift.

My o.h experienced two traits of the human race last night - stupidity and kindness. Now everyone is capable of stupid behaviour BUT last night that stupidity could have meant someone not going home to their family!

I feel for the people who are flooded and have their power cut off but this weather also affects those who have to work in it, those whose jobs mean that they are on the roads, such as my o.h and that recovery man.

So come on people, have some respect for your own lives as well as those you're sharing the road with.