Annagain
Well-Known Member
I had a bit of an argument with a white van man yesterday when he hurled abuse at me because I dared to ask him to slow down as he tanked towards me on a very narrow lane at about 30mph. The stupid bloke though was in a van with his company's name (local building firm) emblazoned all over it so I'm going to write to the local paper. Anybody want to CC my letter?
Dear local paper
May I reassure the driver of the van from Inside Out Property Maintenance that, despite the assumption he made during his rant towards me, my horse IS fully insured. He is correct that horses do not pay road fund licence, but he is mistaken if he believes that road tax is spent on roads, particularly local authority maintained roads. It goes directly to the Treasury whereas local roads are maintained by local authorities and paid for by council tax - which I pay just I am sure he does. Regardless of the tax issue, the simple fact is that horses (along with cyclists and pedestrians) have every right to be on the roads.
My 'crime' to deserve this rant was to ask him politely, with the correct hand signals as designated by the highway code, to slow down as he approached a friend and me on our very well behaved horses on a particularly narrow section of the lanes in St Andrews Major at considerable speed. His defence was that he had just rounded a blind bend at 30mph as that was the speed limit and saw us late (although even when he did see us he made no attepmt to slow down). Both riders and horses were wearing high visibilty clothing. May I suggest to him that, regardless of the speed limit, he should drive at a speed at which he can stop in the distance he can see. He was lucky that it was horses he encountered as we take up less of the road, had he met a car he would have been responsible for a head on collision.
He was clearly in a hurry as the five seconds that slowing down for us would have added to his journey was obviously too much. Why then did he stop for at least a minute to hurl abuse at me and question my right to be on the road?
I agree that in a perfect world horses wouldn't have to be ridden on roads. I would much rather ride off road but as we have a limited number of bridleways in the area, we have no choice. That, however, is a separate argument.
I have been riding around these roads for 20 years and the vast majority of drivers are considerate, reponsible and courteous, particularly those who drive larger vehicles and are aware that horses may be scared by them. I would like to thank those drivers and let them know their consideration is always appreciated. As ever, it is the irresponsible few who spoil things for the rest of us.
As for Mr "Inside Out" I can only hope for your customers' sakes that your attitude to your work is not the same disrespectful, arrogant one that you display towards your fellow road users.
Feel free to chop and change it!
Dear local paper
May I reassure the driver of the van from Inside Out Property Maintenance that, despite the assumption he made during his rant towards me, my horse IS fully insured. He is correct that horses do not pay road fund licence, but he is mistaken if he believes that road tax is spent on roads, particularly local authority maintained roads. It goes directly to the Treasury whereas local roads are maintained by local authorities and paid for by council tax - which I pay just I am sure he does. Regardless of the tax issue, the simple fact is that horses (along with cyclists and pedestrians) have every right to be on the roads.
My 'crime' to deserve this rant was to ask him politely, with the correct hand signals as designated by the highway code, to slow down as he approached a friend and me on our very well behaved horses on a particularly narrow section of the lanes in St Andrews Major at considerable speed. His defence was that he had just rounded a blind bend at 30mph as that was the speed limit and saw us late (although even when he did see us he made no attepmt to slow down). Both riders and horses were wearing high visibilty clothing. May I suggest to him that, regardless of the speed limit, he should drive at a speed at which he can stop in the distance he can see. He was lucky that it was horses he encountered as we take up less of the road, had he met a car he would have been responsible for a head on collision.
He was clearly in a hurry as the five seconds that slowing down for us would have added to his journey was obviously too much. Why then did he stop for at least a minute to hurl abuse at me and question my right to be on the road?
I agree that in a perfect world horses wouldn't have to be ridden on roads. I would much rather ride off road but as we have a limited number of bridleways in the area, we have no choice. That, however, is a separate argument.
I have been riding around these roads for 20 years and the vast majority of drivers are considerate, reponsible and courteous, particularly those who drive larger vehicles and are aware that horses may be scared by them. I would like to thank those drivers and let them know their consideration is always appreciated. As ever, it is the irresponsible few who spoil things for the rest of us.
As for Mr "Inside Out" I can only hope for your customers' sakes that your attitude to your work is not the same disrespectful, arrogant one that you display towards your fellow road users.
Feel free to chop and change it!
