Pulling my hair out with ill-considered actions of some people....
Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 12:44
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Patrol22 (Queanbeyan
Like a lot of other 4x4 and small/medium truck drivers I have fitted an audible alarm to my truck. As everyone knows the rear vision of a patrol/cruiser et al is not all that great so it's not a bad idea to take whatever precautions you can to help make manoeuvering the vehicle that little bit more safer. I am ultra careful when reversing my truck - sometimes to the extent that it drives the handbrake crazy. But I figure I'd have extreme difficulty living with myself if I injured or killed someone, especially a child, while reversing the truck.
The point.....well I'm getting to it. The other day I was reversing in a shopping centre carpark with
hazard lights on (it was dull) and audible alarm activated. Over my shoulder and just to the left of the spare wheel black spot I could see an adult male and a little girl (about 8 or 9 years) standing on the walkway - imagine my surprise when the adult told the kid to go towards another vehicle (assume theirs) by running out between other cars and directly behind me. I might say the adult stayed on the walkway until the child returned.
My question then: Is it possible that both the adult and child were deaf and blind or is it just that some people can't see danger? Maybe they are waiting for someone else to provide them with a risk assessment of the dangers of carparks. Oh and by the way - there was a marked pedestrian crossing approximately 10 feet away from where the child crossed. What else can I fit to the truck to make it more visible - maybe I'll have to get R2D2 or CP3O to ride shotgun!!
Cheers
Pete
Reply By: Member - Melissa - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 13:00
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 13:00
Pete,
It sounds like you've taken all reasonable precautions but at the end of the day, the world is full of brainless twits so just accept that occasionally (all too often!) your paths will cross. The shame of it is that the parent in this case is setting a very poor example to the child but in the end, there's really nothing more you can do.
:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper
http://members.westnet.com.au/flatdog
AnswerID:
41938
Follow Up By: 10 Para- Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 13:36
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 13:36
Hi Melissa,
Note that you drive a 4.5 GU Patrol is that ULP? and if so what sort of fuel usage do you get when towing both on and off road i have a 4.8 GU ULP and tow a similar trailer, and am looking for some numbers to plan trips with for this winter and have already increased the main to 145 and am thinking of increasing the reserve to 70 and not wanting to carry fuel in jerry cans if i can help it.
RegardsHome For Xmas
FollowupID:
304391
Follow Up By: Member - Des Lexik(SA) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 16:44
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 16:44
Hi Melissa, off the subject just a tad but a couple of good reads that you might be interested in.
1) Pieces of Blue
2) Heart Country
both are written by Judith McGuiness who lives on
Bowthorn Station adjacent
Lawn Hill. Read Pieces of Blue first.
I have found both books to be good reading.Dare to Lead not to Follow
FollowupID:
304410
Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 12:38
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 12:38
Pete,
Our consumption figures are:
15L/100km highway cruising NOT towing
20L/100km fully laden and towing
Worst figures we ever got were 22L/100km's on a trip involving a lot of very slow, low range 4wdriving.
My husband is curious about what sort of consumption are you getting? He says he wouldn't be surprised if your figures are similar or even better than ours despite your bigger engine because it is a later generation.
:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper
http://members.westnet.com.au/flatdog
FollowupID:
304498
Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 12:50
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 12:50
Dex,
Thanks for the recommendations...I will keep an eye out for these books. Also, around the Gulf and Cape area a couple of good books I've read are River of Gold by Hector Holthouse (about the Palmer River gold rush) which is definitely one of my all time favourites and a hell of a story. Also by the same author "S'pose I Die - The Evelyn Maunsell Story" about her experiences living on Mount Mulgrave station and around the
Mitchell River region in the early 1900's.
Reading a top yarn at the moment - A Riverman's Story by EM 'Mick' Kelsall about his life and times growing up around the Murray, particularly
Echuca. His childhood escapades and experiences through the depression years are very entertaining.
:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper
http://members.westnet.com.au/flatdog
FollowupID:
304500
Reply By: Moose - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 14:15
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 14:15
Stop pulling your hair out over what you can't control or you'll become a Homer - not a good look!
AnswerID:
41949
Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 14:19
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 14:19
The only thing you can do is to ReVERSE INTO the parkign spot. Thats what I have always done.
You can only do so much, what else do you think you could have done?? Apart from having someone standing behind you while you reverse, but why should you have to? People "SHOULD" have the brains to just WAIT...
Same thing happens all the time when your reversing in shopping centers... You could sit there and make a doco on it within an hour I reckon! why they have to rush behind you instead of waiting that whole 20 seconds TOPS that it takes to reverse out and drive off.
People like that just need to be removed from the Gene Pool. They have no common sense, and are the ones that would scream DEADLY 4WDs the loudest when their poor little jemmima got wiped out cause of their own stupidity and rush to save less than a minute.
Reversing camera into a Screen on dash is all else, theres one on a GU forsale on Ebay,(this thing has everything possible electrical! worth a look under Nissan cars forsale on Ebay)...
Even then you cant stop stupidity.
AnswerID:
41950
Follow Up By: Member - Alan- Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 18:23
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 18:23
I always try to reverse in to parking spots because it's much easier to drive out. But you really have to watch that some ignorant turkey doesn't nip in behind you which happened to me once.
I noticed years ago that some country towns in NSW had reverse angle parking in the main streets ....... they couldn't do that in WA as most of the
population has problems going forwards let alone back!
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: jemima puddle duck - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 18:45
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 18:45
OI TRUCKSTER.
LEAVE POOR OLD JEMIMA OUTA THIS PLEASE.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLyou reckon your cute
richard(eskimo)
but im a lot cuter
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Eskimo - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 19:46
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 19:46
Truckster,
your answers are so radical....but do they always work?
Have you heard the one about a "a only good cat is a flat ....." or etc etc
do you or have you heard of one for a duck? one that wears a stupid hat ......heheheWow! am I cute
If yer ain't fishing, Yer ain't livin
Richard
FollowupID:
304418
Follow Up By: jemima puddle duck - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 20:42
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 20:42
richard thats not very nice mate.
ps your heads to big and needs a hair cut lololyou reckon your cute
richard(eskimo)
but im a lot cuter
FollowupID:
304421
Reply By: Member - Peter (York) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 15:37
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 15:37
I have fitted one of those reversing alarms that is for the driver , it has a beeper and a light set up in the cab to let me if anything is behind me , when reversing the beeper gets faster as I get closer to an object , It is one of the best things I have added to my 4x4, I can now back to within inches of an object this is great in tight spots , it has also saved my really dumb dogs life twice .I got it from Super cheap in Midland WA it cost me about $70 and only took 1/2 a hour to fit , I would recommend it to any one that has poor rear visionTelfer mines rd
camp
Peter
York 4x4
AnswerID:
41966
Reply By: Martyn (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 15:41
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2004 at 15:41
Patrol22,
Sympathise with your problem, you can only do what you can. As an add on to what Truckster says about the reverse parking, we here at work have just that, in 90% of all cases you have to reverse park on the work site, in the beginning it was a pain in the bot bot but after a while it just becomes automatic, I find myself reverse parking a lot more in "normal" parking areas because of our worksite policy. "Always think of your exit before your entry", this has a few other applications as well, other than parking vehicles...........Keep the shiny side up
AnswerID:
41967
Reply By: Brian - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 07:12
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 07:12
Pete
You can only do what you can do!
And it looks as though you are doing everything as well as you can.
As Truckster and others have said,we too almost always reverse park our Patrol.... we have found it's much easier to park this way, although you still have to look out for those who try to slip in behind or the pedestrians who ignore the fact you're reversing.
Maybe an audible announcement???? Something like
"Stand Clear.. Stand Clear... Patrol Reversing Into Parking Spot"!!!
:-)
Just my opinion
Cheers
Brian
AnswerID:
42015
Reply By: chrisfrd - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 13:36
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004 at 13:36
I've got on the Patrol, a really LOUD reversing beeper (Ashdown truck unit that's waterproof - Mud proof too!) and a 115 Watt reversing light on the roof rack.
Doesn't stop the complete bleep witts who think that because they are walking, they have right-of-way and that I should have seen them sneaking around the back.
I clobbered this woman's trolly (full of groceries) when she wieved through cars a few months ago, when we lived in Can'tberra. I was reversing out of the shopping centre carspot with the back of the truck full to the brim, relying on my side mirrors.
It gets me that she then ranted and raved about how stupid I was, then proceeded to walk off, cutting a car off trying to park a few metres down the park.
These people are only out there in the community for one reason; To try and remove themselves from the gene pool as quickly as possible.
I don't worry about them now. I don't give up any ground at all. You can't be within 5 metres of my truck without wincing in pain from the beeper and being blinded by the light, so if you can't see or hear it, then you are going to get a nasty suprise.
AnswerID:
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