A "Please be careful" thread
 

I can't go into any details, but this weekend has been one of the worst I have ever worked.

More people have been killed or seriously injured in Manchester than I can remember in one weekend, and I've been doing this job for nearly thirteen years.

Pedestrians, car drivers and just a few hours ago, a biker have died or are on the point of death in Hospitals around the city.

So, from the guy who picks up the body parts and pieces, please take care out there.

If you drive or ride, slow down a bit, use your mirrors a bit more, and please consider other road users.

I'm not being preachy, it's your life in your hands... until you come off the road, pedestrians are a bit vulnerable.

So, ignore me if you like, take a second to think about it if you like, but I feel better telling you all that we have had a really, REALLY s*** weekend.

Pete :(

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Sorry to hear that Pete.

Guess the hot weather has a down side.

I can't imagine some of the memories you must carry.:(

My sympathies, mate.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Pete,

Dude, that sucks. Always horrible to deal with any death or serious injury or fatal RTC but to have several in one weekend, well, all I can say is *hugs*.

If you are on rest days now, try and relax as best you can, have a beer from me.

Nic x

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Pete, sorry to hear you having to deal with so much in one go.
I have noticed this weekend the sun has distracted people, had a couple of pedestrians walk out across roads without even a glance in my direction, (i guessed what they were gonna do so no issue) more than normal lack of indication or change of direction without a care.

Hopefully will improve soon.

Phil

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

sorry to hear about what sounds like a horrific weekend Pete :(

not been out on the bike myself for nearly 8 days but heard this morning of 3 fatalities (all bikers) on north yorkshire roads over the weekend (2 of them were on the road from hawes to ribblehead where we were for the carlsberg last weekend). :(

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Thats crappy pete, my sympathys mate.
Its noticable though, as specialone said, I too have had a few heavy braking moments this weekend cars cyclists and peds all on the way too and from Bolton Abbey yesterday, in addition a mate in an accompanying car got attacked through road rage from another driver. The heat was seriously getting to people out an about, nor was I immune to it, ran a red light coming off the motorway on our way home felt like a right c***.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Concerned words Pete, couldn't agree more. Must be a bad time if you feel the need to have to post.

Now peeps, Listen to Pete, he knows best!

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

thanks Pete- if it makes one person "think on " then thats good.. hard to quantify how many folk you could save from injury with your message but one thing's for sure everyone who reads it will take time to realise that they are more vunerable than they think and brings to the forefront one's mortality ...

You do a great job Pete as do others in the job on here, I would have loved to do it but know I couldnt handle certain aspects of it.. seeing old ladies across the road would have been my forte..

hope this next week is not as bad for you or jo public mate.

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Didnt go out on the bike much at all this week end. Bit too hot for me. :(

Sorry to hear you have had a hella bad week end man! Have some good days off...

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It's Monday and they're still driving like idiots out there. One tried to get me on the way to work this morning. Glad my brakes are good.

Be careful out there.

Keith.

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I've actually had to tell Peg to slow down in the car lately.
And with all the loonies around, I'm glad hes still taking it to work rather than the bike, being based in Bradford!
Hes off to Scootland at the weekend, I keep my fingers crossed it cools down a bit, with maybe a bit of drizzle, just to put a dampener on the idiots out there.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

It's almost a year ago that I had my accident and the weather was exactly like it has been. Gunna be out next weekend hopefully but I shall keep your advice and the memory of my accident at the front of my mind :)

I love biking...but I love coming home more.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Pete,

Big hugs out to you from another picker upper. As MBK says, one fatal or life changing RTC is enough but mulitiple, your head must be somewhere else right now.

This is the problem when the sun comes out, Staffs figures have gone up too and when I was on last set I heard of 3 RTC's, 2 in one day.

Ride like you are gonne have sex at the end when you get home, that way (unless your partner is poo) you will make sure you get there in one piece ;)

Take care orgers xxxxxxxxxx

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Sympathies Pete, and thanks for the good work you and your colleagues do. And thanks for the reminder too.

Too many fried brains out there at present.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Thanks Pete for refreshing everyones mind about the problems out there.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad weekend. I was busy last night and that was only a 6 hour voluntary shift.

Be safe out there folk and don't become a statistic.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Thanks for that post Pete......I cannot imagine where your head is right now. I'm not in the job but have been first on scene at a fatal bike accident and I just could not imagine that being part of my job or having it happen a lot.

I hope you get to take a few days to just relax and enjoy your loved ones and recharge ready to go and do the, lets face it incredible but mostly thankless job that you and everyone in your profession does.

As a new rider, it's very good to be brought back down to earth and reminded that we are not immortal. I will be racking up the miles this summer, so I for one can tell you that I'll be doing it all with your post in mind.

Thank you for that and I'm sorry you've all had such a horrible weekend.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Dizzy--We isn't idiots on the bikes,its when we get off the trouble starts.
B.Pete--I had a weekend of fog and nearly jacked it in after black bagging on the MI
many many moons ago.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

hearing what you're saying Pete and its been busy up here too.
hope you get time to relax down and get everything sorted (and a few drinks)

DB - we get enough rain and drizzle so if It all goes pear shaped this week I'm holding you personally responsible - we don't get enough sun!

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Could you create some kind of commission scheme with the hospital/undertakers? :-)

On a serious note, I do sympathise with you (and your colleagues - tho I can't imagine how crap it must be), and it's admirable that after 13 years you've not becomed hardened to the carnage.
We all appreciate the job you do.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

ok chap will do. :)

cheers for the heads up. would have thourght roads would be safer with the warmer weather and all. guess not.

Dizzy, he rides through bradford. WOW must have balls of steel. I drove through there yesterday on the way back from bolton abby (dont ask) and there all bloody nutters! i mean really nuts. didnt like it one bit.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

I don't think many people really become hardened to it. Some will let on that they have but when you talk about it back in the station, you realise that it's all just an act. I suppose it will be how they manage to keep it together.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

In a way, that makes it even more impressive - that people can do this job for many years, repeatedly going through such anguish.
All I have to worry about is dealing with a stupid bug in my code (actually, usually someone else's - my code is perfect), or trying to get a muppet to think of the big picture.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Sorry to hear this.I hope it was no one you know involved in any of it.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

I have to agree theres sum really looney action happening on the roads lately, you would think that with the weather being nice everyone would be smiling and chilled out bit and just enjoying it!

I went out for a bimble yesterday and im sad to say it was the first time ive been out on the bike in such fantastic weather and not enjoyed myself... the reason? Bloody loons on their plastic fantastic sports bikes! I was physically nudged being overtaken (yeah yeah im slow) on solid white lines, whilst cranked over, on a blind right hander! His mates were just as bad, i had to pull over and just breathe...else id av followed em and killed the cnuts! :smt071

I appreciate the job you do Pete and cant even imagine the stuff you go through so i feel the need to shake ya hand an jus say thanks for the friendly words of caution for your fellow .orgers.

cheers
Amps

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Pete, sorry to hear you have had such a carp weekend. More importantly, my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones for whatever reason.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Which is what I said. I'm not worried about how you lot behave, its the idiots around you I'm concerned about!
I just read that again...lol, well you are the one that falls over imaginary walls DT :-)
YUP, but I'll have done you all a favour;)
Hes only done it a couple of times, we still haven't got round to insuring the SV in his name, I'd rather that get battered than the zzr...and him of course!
And yes...all nutters, but then they all learnt to drive an elephant, not car, didn't they;)

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

We've got the plastic fantastic riding around here as well. Just our luck, we're the right distance from London with nice twisty roads with relatively high speed limits.

Last night Dad was on the way back from work when some eejit on a Desmo comes around this blind right hander, tyre just off the white lines, cranked over all the way and doing something like 55 in a 30 zone. Dad could go nowhere and this guy's head missed the front bumper of the van by inches.

Must have been a double-fright for him though, the vehicle he almost hit was a Met Police carrier, with a uniformed officer behind the wheel! :p

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Echo everyone else Pete.... sorry you`ve had a bad time and many thanks for taking the time to give everyone a gentle reminder. I suppose that the good weather comes out and people get a bit carried away. Thought are with the families and friends of anyone injured or killed this weekend. RIP

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Sorry to hear it aint been a good weekend for ya. And hope it picks up soon.
And yeah like everyone else ive had a run in with the idiots, the biggest being a kwak 1000 coming around a blind bend, on my side of the road, very nearly a head on, i was doin 60 and id guess he was doin 80+, so big bang, we missed each other by inches, i had to stop for half an hour after that, and went a bit slow until i got home.
Thanks for the reminder, it does just show were all mortal at the end of the day, and il be keeping that thought at the front of me mind, cheers.

P.S. Thanks for the job you and others do.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

hi, i know its hard, but try and switch yourself off. my son,who,s 19, is in the early stages of training to be a firefighter and i,m dreading the day he comes home, and has had to deal with death that day.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Never hurts to have a gentle reminder of mortality. Hope it doesn't affect you too much Pete.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Tough weekend BP.

I was out for a gentle potter round my favourite local route at the w/e, on the Banbury road out of Kineton towards Edge Hill there was the all-too-usual police sign at the side of the road on a blind L/h bend, and paint markings on the road and off into the hedge. In the local paper it was reported that a 59yr old rider from Solihull on a Honda had hit a car and died.

Take it easy, live to ride another day.

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Thanks Pete -- sage advice. Could I just add... if you're going to put your girlfriend on the back... make sure she's wearing gear, ffs!! Sandals and a skirt ain't going do the job!!

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Same goes for ya boyfriends ;)

Re: A "Please be careful" thread
 

Give your bird your gear if needs be.

a) it will slow you down
b) your ugly *rse ain't going to look much worse with bit of road rash... hers will!