One very lucky car driver...

Driver slams on brakes in front of Truck

...they're out there! Well he won't be doing that again, at least for another 12 months anyway, & with his bad habits, he may not pass the re-test. Can't think much of his wife either!

School bus hits train. Driver and student dead.

School bus sideswipes another bus, hits tree. Driver dead, possibly by heart attack.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Cannot believe how incedibly lucky this young lady is still in one piece.

edit]
Youtube version

Refloated & moved but still listing.

3,000 tons of water being pumped out

Imagine it happening to one of these beasts

They're getting close to max capacity regarding ports, America cannot handle them, so how long before European ports will not be able to?

...Felixstowe has a pair of berths that can be used together to take one of them, with length to spare. This "double berth" looks as if it would take a ship about 50% longer. The problem is the depth has to be maintained by fairly continuous dredging of both the berths and the channels.
I guess Rotterdam has at least one berth that will take them, and since its next port is Hamburg there's at least one berth there.

I've just found some "interesting" info on what's going on at Felixstowe:
http://www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/sailing-schedule/shipping-information/

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Sorry Rob, should have posted this below my last sentence: -

"The 18,000 to 20,000-capacity ships can really only sail on the Asia to Europe lanes. Ports in other lanes, including those in the US, couldn't handle them. About 22,500 seems to be the size that people believe is the ultimate. Lack of port access becomes a problem after that stage."

Thanks Sirius - that was my impression. I do find it fascinating that we see Europe as having ports capable of handling these massive ship while the USA can't.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I am just a chicky that likes Boats, Trains and old cars.
Could dredging have something to do with this? We got quite a bit of flotsome from... well our Neighbors on the East side of the Pacific.
Just saying.
On the other hand, we are so good at... buildling and at... well getting little big things shipped out of our small channel. Parts of some Bridges in the Bay Area. All I know, our parts were built per specs.
Anyway, so far nothing has fallen down in SF and Eric/Ang home area, nor any Berkeley students have shown up at my doorstep.

That is a great day in Stockton. Not that I have ever seem any Protesters from Berkeley in Stockton.

I know a bit about container sizes, brigde heights in different countries, driving hours etc pp. No one here is an expert on all of it.

Trying to jugggle all the regulations is just insane. Just be the best at where you are at and have friends/etc pp help you out for this global mess and yes this mess might be someday sorted.

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

I know a bit about container sizes, brigde heights in different countries, driving hours etc pp. No one here is an expert on all of it.

Trying to jugggle all the regulations is just insane. Just be the best at where you are at and have friends/etc pp help you out for this global mess and yes this mess might be someday sorted.

Best two statements regarding the transport industry to date.

I want to see a UK law that says that anyone behind the wheel of a PSV or HGV has an IQ test first. That would get rid of quite a lot of them. Then I want another law that says that International lorry divers will not be allowed in the UK without a bare minimum standard of English, both spoken and reading.

Sorry, but you're talking out of the wrong end again. A PSV/HGV test is nothing like what you've experienced when you took your car test. It is a lot tougher that what you THINK!

Secondly, the major problems experienced here in the UK is not always down to foreign drivers, we have just as many stupid drivers.

Here's a better idea, how about doubling the length of the Car Test as well as trebling the cost & at the same time, treble the cost of lessons, Maybe that will resolve some issues on how to drive!

The best example I've seen (& couldn't stop laughing) was an English driver dropping a loaded trailer & picking up an empty one - fool forgot to drop the legs...

...I wished I had a camcorder that day! Just wondering how many hits it would have got on youtube :-)

They are sent off from where ever by their haulage companies with an out of date satnav that takes them up narrow country lanes and then they jam up.

As per usual, incorrect.

They databases are 100% up to date. The issue is the sat nav is for a car not a HGV. Does your sat nav have a setting for HGV routes only?

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There of course is an HGV sat nav

Halfords HGV Sat Nav

Of course it also is about 3 times the price I just paid for my new Tom Tom.

Unless the company supplies it I suspect most HGV driver will use a standard one

Also if you are in an HGV and find you are travelling up a narrow country lane, then how do you turn around. You just have to keep going and hope it gets wider.

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There of course is an HGV sat nav

Halfords HGV Sat Nav

Of course it also is about 3 times the price I just paid for my new Tom Tom.

Unless the company supplies it I suspect most HGV driver will use a standard one

Also if you are in an HGV and find you are travelling up a narrow country lane, then how do you turn around. You just have to keep going and hope it gets wider.

The driver in most cases has decided to ignore road signs saying things like narrow road, narrow bridges, some with weight limits, double bends, etc. etc.

Then I want another law that says that International lorry divers will not be allowed in the UK without a bare minimum standard of English, both spoken and reading.

I assume then that British lorry drivers would have to learn to read and speak the the languages of the countries that they drive in Europe.

Regarding driving tests, I would like to see all drivers who have been banned from driving, take the extended driving test before getting their licenses back.

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.


A person who makes no mistakes, creates nothing.

Here are the rules for Illinois. Other states are different. (A wee bit of shortsightedness on the part of the Constitution writers.)

In Illinois, a license number is in the format X123-456Y-Y789 where the X is the first letter of your last name and the YY are the year you were born. Some of the other digits also have significance, having to do with where you lived when the number was first issued to you (I think). A state ID card uses the same number, but moves the letter to the other end: 1234-56YY-789X.

I have always thought that when you take a written test, anything that you get wrong you should have to look up the correct answer in the book before you pass. But that would probably take up too much time at our incredibly crowded Driver Services Facilities.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I assume then that British lorry drivers would have to learn to read and speak the the languages of the countries that they drive in Europe.

Most that I know & worked with have more than sufficient knowledge to do so. I have no idea as to what the current situation is, but I gained all my licenses through the army. Before I could drive in Germany, I as well as others who needed it, had to take a test to show that we understood the roads signs in that country.

Regarding driving tests, I would like to see all drivers who have been banned from driving, take the extended driving test before getting their licenses back.

Already in effect for PSV/HGV, not sure of cars though. Get a DD10 on your license or driving without insurance, you cannot drive lorries for 4 years & depending on how severe the system sees it, you may have to take a retest, & that will be a lot tougher than your original test. I know several drivers who never regained their HGV's.

Some road signs in Antwerp :-)

There is one sign missing

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I wonder how many people know that the UK Driving Licence number which is in the form of XXXXX123456XXXXX gives your date of birth as in 45/23/16 therefore all these women driving about, so conscious of not giving their age away, are not aware that any policeman can tell just by asking to see their driving licence :-) Also the first 5 letters are the first 5 of your surname, and the last 5 letters are the postcode of the town where your original licence was first issued.

Good wondering Chris!

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

I wonder how many people know that the UK Driving Licence number which is in the form of XXXXX123456XXXXX gives your date of birth as in 45/23/16 therefore all these women driving about, so conscious of not giving their age away, are not aware that any policeman can tell just by asking to see their driving licence :-) Also the first 5 letters are the first 5 of your surname, and the last 5 letters are the postcode of the town where your original licence was first issued.

Mine has my DOB right on it, no reason to encode it into the number.

Lic. No.: Sxxx-xxx6-6xxx
DOB: 12-03-66
Expires: 12-03-16
Issued: 10-09-12

First Middle Last
Street address
City State Zip Code

MALE 6'00" weight BRN Eyes

Class: D
End(orsements): ***** (none)
Rest(rictions): B (corrective lenses)
Type: ORG (I think this means organ donor)

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I wonder how many people know that the UK Driving Licence number which is in the form of XXXXX123456XXXXX gives your date of birth as in 45/23/16 therefore all these women driving about, so conscious of not giving their age away, are not aware that any policeman can tell just by asking to see their driving licence :-) Also the first 5 letters are the first 5 of your surname, and the last 5 letters are the postcode of the town where your original licence was first issued.

Yep, that always makes me smile when I hear women say that a guy does not ask a lady her age, "do you drive?" "yes" "Can I see your license?" :-)
However, if what you say is 100% correct, then that makes my license weird because the 1st five is my full name & the number of my home when I got it. The last 5 is certainly not a post code as the 1st two are my first 2 initials leaving the remaining ones to ponder.

As for the main number, it is my full dob in the correct format. Another problem with my license is that whenever I get stopped by the old bill, they always query my license - all categories show the same date :-)

I have to explain that I did an army driving course & all pass certificates were processed on the same day :-)