Riding to work

If you couldn't get in to work .... then you couldn't get in to work ..... but ask yourself .... what could I have done different ??

If you can honestly say that you couldn't get in, and (this is the big one) if you can honesty say that you called them up deeply apologetic (rather than telling them) that you couldn't get in .... then you've been right all along ...and other posters ranting haven't helped your cause tho....

I find most people are reasonable, if you approach them in the right manner .....

Their reaction seemed more in line with someone calling saying ....

'I'm not working tonight, I ride a motorbike and its too dangerous'

...... as opposed to .....

'Hi there, I'm really sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to get in to work this evening, I wanted to let you know as soon as I could. The roads aren't safe for my motorbike, I've looked in to busses, trains, getting a lift, and even taxi's, but I just don't see how its possible .... really sorry, when is the next time i can work?'

Same message, delivered in 2 ways ..... I wasn't there, so I'm not assuming ..... but its something to take on board to try and work out their strange reaction ....

Your original post mentioned only the cost of taxis' ..... and now it's that they wouldn't pick you up because of the roads ..... you need to be really clear with people otherwise they assume you're not telling the whole truth ......

LK-SV: i know the cost of taxis because my mate near there, i only found taxis werent going to my area when i called them and i did try to explain to them that transport wasnt going to be possible but there too far away to understand what the weather is like when there office isnt near wolverhampton or walsall where the contract is.

They said it was going to be busy, the trucks coming from north of manchester didnt come in, the trucks from the other side of london didnt come in, so why did they NEED me to risk my life to come in? Surely if all the managers from the agency shared the cash a bit more, they all drive 09 plate merc's. then i would be able to buy a cheap quad which would be more practical

[Messie]

Sorry if this sounds blunt (and playing devil's advocate a bit), since when has it been your employer's concern how you get to work. In the end it's your choice of where you work and how you get there. True they could've handled the problem a bit better, but honestly, asking how much you can sue them for because you can't get there? Pfft!

[Jayneflakes]

I ride my bike to work, but when it is like this, I enjoy getting my winter mountaineering kit out and walking in. Luckily it is less than five miles, but being a winter climber they know that I have no excuse. It has to be catastrophic before I can't make it in.

LK has a point though, diplomacy can often be a real peace maker during these winter months.

Right who wants to become an Ice Road trucker now?
love you all, oh mighty org... x

i tried being nice they wasnt having any of it, hence they really annoyed me last night and i was asking to make sure my bike loan would be covered if they didnt let me work tonight, bills still need paying.
and i didnt really choose the job i took what i could get because of this recession doubled up with this useless goverment refuses to do anything to help 18-25 year olds with employment instead they do everything possible to keep them out of work, great idea labour party!

can you definatly not in any way take a bus or a train?

[Messie]

Originally Posted by sunshine

i tried being nice they wasnt having any of it, hence they really annoyed me last night and i was asking to make sure my bike loan would be covered if they didnt let me work tonight, bills still need paying.
and i didnt really choose the job i took what i could get because of this recession doubled up with this useless goverment refuses to do anything to help 18-25 year olds with employment instead they do everything possible to keep them out of work, great idea labour party!

It's not THEIR fault, it's not even really the Governments fault (OK I'm not being political here about the bigger picture, just talking about you getting to work tonight) it's THE WEATHER. **** happens, that is all. I'm sure they would love you to work, so YOU can cover the loan YOU took out to but a bike, but it's snowing. Deal with it.

Sunshine .... I really really really mean this friend to friend ..... because I want to help you ..... but

Loose the chip on the shoulder, and take control of your life. Realise nobody else (ie. employers) cares about your transport problems, bike loans, opinions on the current Government ..... and that making yourself feel better by ranting, will not MAKE things better ... do whatever it takes to keep people on your side and get what you need out of life ...

Just because the managers drive new Merc's, doesn't mean they haven't got their own problems ....we've all got problems ....... but I expect they keep them to theirselves .....

Please take this in the manner it was intended ... as advice ...

I'm not sure how else I can explain this ...... but your glass is half full, mate ... not half empty ...... and don't throw away the half full bit, just because you don't feel its enough for you, because the emptier it gets the worse you'll feel .....

LK-SV - your right.

Sometimes you just have to accept things as they are. I've just spent the amount of money on train travel for two days that I would spend in a whole week for fuel in my SV, and I predict that I'll spend another weeks worth of fuel money for tomorrow and friday because of the adverse weather conditions preventing me from using my SV.

Its not going to be this way forever, infact hopefully by next week we'll all be back out on two wheels and not worrying about the snow, and looking forward again to spring / summer.

If you can't ride, don;t ride. If you cant get a bus (or busses) or the train or something else, then you can't go, simple as that. Lots of people are in a similar situation and many more stand to loose money because they cant get out on the roads (think about taxi drivers etc etc)

take it easy

[dizzyblonde]

Well I ride pretty much all year to and from work, mostly at silly times like 5am.
If the back yard is frozen I can't get out and it costs me stupid money to get to work in a taxi, as obviously there aren't any buses at that time over a weekend. If I'm on nights I have to watch the forecast religiously, as I really don't want to have a bike stuck in our carpark, til I can get out, as thats like a skating rink more often than not.

I really wouldn't risk life and limb to ride into work in this weather, absolutely insane.
I'm not with an agency thankfully, but I did work for the agency at work for a couple of years before I was permanent. Luckily the woman who ran it was a biker wife, and she was pretty understanding if I said I was staying at home in this sort of weather, as bike is my only form of transport.
In all honesty, if an agency had the attitude like you are getting


.... I'd give em the middle finger!