The Professional Driver

Recently in Ireland, new legislation was passed, which makes the unsafe passing of a cyclist an offence. Many people welcome the legislation, but there has been the expected criticism from the usual suspects and the keyboard warriors report increased activity.

I was invited onto a radio programme recently to discuss the legislation and made the point that while it is welcome, more needs to be done. I was also critical of some cyclists during the interview, citing our own town, where cycling on footpaths, not using proper lighting and refusing to obey traffic laws is common.

This behaviour gives the critics much needed ammunition and does nothing to help the cause.

At the end of the interview, the radio host asked me what other measures I would suggest to help make our roads a little safer.

“That’s easy” I told him, “we need to go back to basic manners and respect, qualities that Irish people are world renowned for”

You can introduce all the legislation in the world, but it amounts for nothing, if basic manners are missing.

Fast forward a few nights and I was sitting at home flicking through the “57 channels and nothing on”, so I switched to YouTube on my Xbox.

YouTube is huge and gives people an opportunity to “Broadcast Themselves”. With modern action cameras, dash cams, your phone and a simple app, high quality films are possible.

I found a recent film produced by an Irish truck driver. Now, I have a strong affinity with truck drivers, as my dad drove a truck. His dad before him was involved in transport, albeit with a horse on the railways. It’s a known fact the horse was better looked after than himself.

Anyway, back to YouTube, so this guy, who labels himself as a “professional driver” has produced his latest video, of a typical working day and involves his activities in our nation’s capital, Dublin.

This guy has a tendency to rant and rave a bit, or “calling it like it is” as he describes it. In his little world, everybody else on the road is wrong, doesn’t know how to drive, doesn’t understand the rules of the road, you get my point.

Why he doesn’t leave traffic enforcement to the authorities tasked with such responsibility is beyond me, but I guess he gets plenty “hits” on his channel and makes lots of new “friends”.

He also works for a major international haulage company. On their website, they describe themselves as “a specialist provider of Transport & Logistics services throughout Ireland, the UK & Europe”.

Specialist drivers must be a little harder to come by I’d say, as I’m about to explain.

While driving through the city, he approaches a cyclist from behind and immediately gets annoyed. Now, the cyclist is well up the road in front of him, he’s using the proper lighting, he’s conducting himself and in my opinion, he’s doing nothing wrong.

The guy in the truck has lots of time to adjust his speed, pass safely and go about his business. The road isn’t that busy, it seems wide enough, so a professional driver will do what professional drivers do, act professionally and do things correctly. I mean, that’s what makes them better than the rest of us mere mortals, right?

However, this guy hasn’t read the script and rather than being the professional you would expect, he carries out the unsafe pass, to “teach this ***** a lesson” causes the rider to get annoyed, a shouting match ensues with the obligatory blame game and profanities.

The language is disgusting and people like my late dad would turn in their grave at the conduct of this alleged “professional driver”.

As a bike rider myself, I drew consolation from the fact this all happened in Dublin, over a hundred miles from my door.

“While there’s a hundred miles between that guy and me, I’m happy and I feel a lot safer” I thought.

This week, the “professional driver” produced another video, which turned up in my “recommended” section on YouTube. Against my better judgement, I decided to watch it and that’s when my worst fears were realised.

“I recognise this road” I thought, as he turned off the motorway, telling viewers he was delivering to a concrete company.

“There’s a concrete company just outside this town” I thought, “surely not, no, it can’t be”

Incredibly, he was in our town and he’’ on the where we live. That’s why I recognised it.

“I can’t believe this, that’s our house” I gasped, as he trundled past. My 100 miles of safety from this guy was no more.

We live in a very small town, definitely not suitable for these lorries and with schools and shops in the area, I also wondered if people were aware of the maniac outside their doors.

Shortly after arriving in the town centre, there’s a mix up with his sat-nav and his alternative route takes him “cross country” on quiet country roads, to reach his destination.

Not much happens on these roads and the most likely cause of a traffic jam would be somebody moving farm animals or maybe a few people out walking together.

Roads like this were never designed for articulated trucks, but that means nothing to “professional driver” as he rolls along, with the occasional effing and blinding.

Of all the things people in that area expect on an average day, this is not one of them.

Eventually, he reaches his destination, makes his delivery and one of the people working there advises him of the easiest way back out, thereby avoiding the same road.

However, our “professional driver” wasn’t listening correctly and finds himself on those same roads again

Inevitably, he meets a cyclist (It wasn’t me), out on his bike, using these roads to keep out of people’s way, rather than hold them up, because that’s what people want. He’s on his own, rather than bothering with a large group, because that’s what people want as well.

I use the same road myself for all the above reasons. The days of cycling in a large group are gone for me. The hostility, danger and confrontation makes it not worth the bother.

The last thing any cyclist expects to see on this road is a 40 foot articulated truck coming for him and that’s exactly what happens.

If it was me on the bike, I would have thought this guy is obviously lost, aware that these roads are not suitable for his vehicle and I’d console myself that the driver is a “professional”.

I would just nip past, keeping well in out of his way and be gone. It’s called manners and that’s exactly what the cyclist did.

However, our professional driver obviously didn’t think along those terms and screams past the cyclist, complaining that “he never slowed down for me”. For good measure, he labels the person on the bike, who he has never met, a “prick” (my apologies for using that word. It’s not my usual conduct).

This was another cyclist, doing nothing wrong, going about his business and trying to stay safe, by keeping well off the beaten track, but encounters a maniac, because that’s what this guy is.

So, back to my radio interview and the host asking me what other measures need to be taken.

It’s too late, I’m afraid. Respect, manners, courtesy and common decency are long gone. The modern “professional driver” are not worthy of the title.

In the meantime, people like this guy could turn up anywhere, even on a quiet back road and just when you least expect them, so be careful out there. The sad part is, they’re winning as a cyclist versus an articulated truck is no contest.

As an after thought I’ve started asking myself whether cycling is worth it anymore? The simple answer is no, it’s not.

As for the “professional drivers?” My dad would turn in his grave.