Wednesday, Mar 18, 2015 at 21:03
Slow,
From my experience, these happy campers have acquired some
parking bay etiquette by the time they reach the
Longreach-
Winton area.
There are no dedicated truck only bays, so everyone shares. Of course this is not always a happy outcome when 30 decks
rock up just before midnight, and the drivers all start their Icepaks, and the ones in "cattle class" insist on doing a "steel deck tango", ALL BLOODY NIGHT!!!
When I was driving full time, I had a favourite bay, about 90 clicks west of
Winton, to grab my mandatory 1/2 hour rest, where I'd usually try for 20 minutes sleep. On many nights, as I turned into the bay there would be a gauntlet of 'vans, campers, cars and even the odd tent. It was often difficult to keep left enough, to provide access for another possible heavy camper, as some campers would park at right angles, with their A frame jutting out into the bay. Often needed some precision driving, not to spoil someone's, and my evening.
Would have my break, engine off(do have some compassion for my fellow travellers :-)) then crank up, do the The Book, and head off,
Longreach being about 3 'n bit hours away. Didn't really worry about waking everyone up as I left, because If I'd been there at daylight, and trying to sleep, they'd be banging doors, talking and packing up. And they can always sleep in, if I've kept them awake all night.
Barkly Highway in NT is good, as truck have their own bays, and rarely see any indiscretions from either side, in someone else's space.
As for the rubbish, it's just not the crows. There are really some horrible people out there that don't give a stuff about it, 'cause they're moving on in the morning. Paper, wrappers, soft drink cans, and even turds, right in the middle of bitumen bays. Ugh, takes some washing off your boots, I can tell you!!!
Bob
AnswerID:
551180
Follow Up By: Slow one - Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 06:42
Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 06:42
They behave at The Barkly but seem to park anywhere at the bay in
Camooweal.
Yes there are some grubs out there and I have purchased some turd avoidance double pluggers at great expense to myself. The beauty with them is, if they fail to detect said turds you just step out of them and keep walking.
As you said three trailers of foot stompers, fridgies and icepacks seem to deter a bit at night.
Maybe it has come time for online license renewal tests on road rules and etiquette for all.
FollowupID:
836654
Follow Up By: Member - johnat - Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 19:52
Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 19:52
Good luck with "etiquette" with licence - even with constant surveillance on most fora, there are still people whose civility leaves a little (or a lot!) to be desired, what hope with a licence that is renewed every 5 years or so, and no policing between times.
Let's be frank (or earnest if you prefer) there are not enough coppers around to police all the existing laws, pollies keep adding more laws, and no addition to the policing numbers.
TBH, I think that every new law enacted should have a "sunset clause" by which the law automatically ceases to be effective after a certain date unless there is a full assessment of effectiveness - ie did it have the intended/stated effect (such as a decrease in the speed limit through a town to reduce accidents - was there a reduction in accidents?) and the assessment concludes that the law actually DID what it was intended to. That does NOT include an intention to increase state income increase.
FollowupID:
836689
Follow Up By: Slow one - Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 20:55
Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 at 20:55
Not talking about a law, I am talking about licence renewal and by what I see on the roads many need this. Guess many should then have a sunset clause on their licence, I think that is a great idea.
Guess if nothing happens and everything is negative, those affected will solve the problem which might not be very politically correct.
I believe electricians have to do a online
test every 5 years and vehicles kill far more than their trade has ever done.
FollowupID:
836704
Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Sunday, Mar 22, 2015 at 16:35
Sunday, Mar 22, 2015 at 16:35
Haven't you read the signs lately at the truck
parking bays west of
Longreach ,just before the Saleyards /
Muttaburra turnoff , bloody terrorists to
dam lasy to drive to the free Apex camping ground 1km away.
FollowupID:
836870