And whatever they hit didn't make an echo.

No active sonar, no echo.
The major drawback with passive detection- if the object hasn't been mapped previously & isn't making any noise (or other objects in the area aren't making enough noise to reflect from that object), then you don't know it's there (unless it runs in to you, or you in to it).

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Grant
Darwin NT

Jesus. Played the clip numerous times until I could manage to confirm what I saw.
Managed it after some playbacks.
WTH was that muppet thinking of?
He was clear of the barrier on the left so why reverse?

What's going on in Staffordshire, period?

Wedgwood railway station served the Wedgwood complex in Barlaston, Staffordshire, England. Although the station is not officially closed, no trains currently call at the station and it is instead served by a rail replacement bus.

Plans to officially close the station to passengers, and reopen Barlaston, were planned for May 2021. However no Notice of Closure for Wedgwood has been published and there is no service at Barlaston.

He's headed westwards, and has just passed the turning for a major complex. Maybe he was expected to deliver there, and - foolishly - thought it would be better to 'back' than 'turn'?

Maybe he was expected to deliver there, and - foolishly - thought it would be better to 'back' than 'turn'?

He saw the signs.
Just checked, Height restriction & tonnage limits.
7'6"
5 ton limit

Maybe he was expected to deliver there, and - foolishly - thought it would be better to 'back' than 'turn'?

He saw the signs.
Just checked, Height restriction & tonnage limits.
7'6"
5 ton limit

Yep, passed the last turn, and finally the restrictions registered. At least he didn't snap the bridge in half. Reverse would have worked if a train wasn't coming.
Likely a GPS fail.

There's a purpose-built turning circle, and two sets of advance warning signs, before you reach the level crossing.

There's a purpose-built turning circle, and two sets of advance warning signs, before you reach the level crossing.

Huh, the flashing lights mean something? https://11foot8.com/

I wondered what his destination was, so watched the video again to check his load.
They look like mobile solar power lighting units.
Checking the map again, one can safely assume that he was heading for Severn Trent water.
If that was the case, there is only one way to get there & that is through Barlaston.
Sadly there are many places like that & if one does deliveries in the country outside of major towns & cities, one will hit that same issue.
One thing GPS cannot do is pre-plan, whereas the Mk 1 computer can. :-)

I wondered what his destination was, so watched the video again to check his load.
They look like mobile solar power lighting units.
Checking the map again, one can safely assume that he was heading for Severn Trent water.
If that was the case, there is only one way to get there & that is through Barlaston.
Sadly there are many places like that & if one does deliveries in the country outside of major towns & cities, one will hit that same issue.
One thing GPS cannot do is pre-plan, whereas the Mk 1 computer can. :-)

Still a GPS fail, its database should know the road isn't suitable and not offer it. It that means it says "no route" then that is what it says. At that point Mk 1 computers call the shipper and the customer and alternative delivery methods are arranged.

If your GPS database doesn't know road restrictions, that is a Mk 1 computer failure (of the person specifying the GPS).

On this side of the pond there are GPS that are truck route only aware which will keep you out of that trouble.

OBW it isn't just out in the sticks, here in the heart of Los Angeles https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0941474,-118.2066013,79m/data=!3m1!1e3 look at that nice tight turn to get onto the south freeway. [look at a mirror image on the other side of the pond] I've personally seen several HGV's jackknife themselves trying to get on. Never mind the freeway is cars only and has been shown that way on the books since the 1950's. https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/traffic-operations/documents/trucks/truckmap-d07-a11y.pdf which leads to https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/legal-truck-access/restrict-list "No commercial vehicles over 6,000 lbs gross vehicle weight, including buses unless authorized by the PUC." and also https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/legal-truck-access/restrict-route-110

Mk1 eyeballs and computers need to be used before engine start!

Still a GPS fail

Wouldn't know. Never used one. Never had a need to. :-)

For those who wish to cry over idiots and supercars.

It certainly is a case of ground effects stopping it from achieving orbit.

What's a GPS? LOL

Cheers.

Still a GPS fail

Wouldn't know. Never used one. Never had a need to. :-)

Likely required now with Google traffic to predict the most efficient routing.

Still a GPS fail

Wouldn't know. Never used one. Never had a need to. :-)

Likely required now with Google traffic to predict the most efficient routing.

An indication of the brilliance (or lack of) when it comes to route planning software.

Apparently the software many of our drivers now have to use originated in the US where they drive on the right hand side of the road. Here we drive on the left hand side of the road- but the software hadn't been modified to take that in to consideration. So the drivers instead of doing what they have always done- driving along & stopping to deliver at that address -were having to turn across traffic to get to the delivery address, then turn across traffic again when leaving the delivery address to get to the next address, then having to turn across traffic again to deliver to the next address. Then turn across the traffic again to get to their next delivery address, etc, etc, etc. Rinse & repeat (apparently that issue has been fixed- it took months would you believe to convince those higher up that this was a problem).

To add to that mess, the software often has the drivers driving up & down the same road 3, 4 or even as many as 6 times as they would deliver an item, then drive past an address that had a delivery in order to deliver a few more parcels further down the road, then drive back to the address they went past previously to finally deliver there.
And the software has them delivering parcels in a group of streets, then going to the other side of the suburb (or to another suburb), do some deliveries there, then back to the area they were before to do more deliveries there.


On a big day the drivers using the manual run method were able to deliver 250+ parcels. With the brilliant new computer optimised delivery system, if they can do 150 it's a miracle (if they have to deliver to multiple suburbs 80 can be a good result). And still we are unable to convince those that brought in the system that it's not as wonderful as they claim it is- regardless of all the evidence pointing to that conclusion.

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Grant
Darwin NT

A phenomenon well known about in the driver's database.
Sadly it pre-dates software.
It now also permeates throughout society as seen by the "me 1st" & "you will deliver when I want the delivery" crowd.
The best one I ever experienced was a day that was unexpected for both my oppo & I.
We arrived at our last drop at 10:30 & thought, this is a 1st back home by 1pm at the latest.
No answer at the door so called customer.
"Sorry, I'm at work. You will have to wait until I get home."
"What time will that be"
"Around 4:30pm"
"Okay no problem"

15 minutes from the depot (12:40), phone rings.
It's the office where are you?
On the 605
Oh
Why?
Can you go back to Shillingford (Oxfordshire)?
No.

Think about that. :-)

LOL...
Martial arts, failed stick shift carjacking, wrong-way I-95 pursuit: How three men ended up in a Virginia jail

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Can't view that from the UK at the moment. :(

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Happy Crunching,

Graham

Can't view that from the UK at the moment. :(

For those that can't access the carjacking article previously linked here is a link to a different site with just about Verbatim text:
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2021/10/14/would-be-alleged-carjackers-bested-victim-trained-martial-arts/

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Do a lot of motoring?
Be careful out there, not all the idiots are on the road.
Don't wear distinctive t-shirts in a bus lane