BS: My parents' accident

Subject: BS: My parents' accident
From: MBSLynne
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 04:27 AM

As some of you know, my Mum and Dad are in the UK from Australia, having first been to Las Vegas for my Mum's 80th birthday. Yesterday on the M25 their hire car was totally written off by a large Polish lorry. Fortunately (and surprisingly) they were completely unhhurt.

My Mother says her heart was warmed by the large number of people who stopped and rushed over to help. Two men wrenched her door off to get her out and everyone was concerned, friendly and helpful. You hear so much these days about people walking past awful situations and ignoring tham, it's nice to know most people aren't like that.

So...my Mum wants to say "Thank you"

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: alanabit
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 04:46 AM

I am glad they are well. The good people do does not get in the papers so often - but there is still plenty of it around.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: freda underhill
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 04:47 AM

I'm glad your parents are safe and without injury Lynne. They must be lovely people, to have such a horrible experience and to come out of it focussing on the kindness of the people who helped.

best wishes to them and to you

freda

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Bassic
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 05:05 AM

Whew! Glad they are safe and were well looked after!

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: gnu
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 06:34 AM

A lot of that going on... Emma B, Leadfingers, your parents. Thank goodness everyone is okay.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: ragdall
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 06:36 AM

It's wonderful that your parents were not harmed and that they were able to see past the trauma of the accident and focus on the good in the people who helped them.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Emma B
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 06:37 AM

Lynne, my heartfelt relief for your parents safety I know how much you were looking forward to their time here too.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: sapper82
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 06:44 AM

VERY glad your parents got out with little more than being shaking up and needing an underwear change Lynne.
This highlights a growing problem with foreign HGV drivers in the UK.
One of the ladies in thisa area was cut up and had a wing ripped off by the trailer of a foreign registered vehicle who just drove on!
Very often the police will not even attempt to trace foreign lorries involved in minor accidents as it will usually be out of the country within a short space of time.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: MBSLynne
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 07:22 AM

This lorry driver did stop and come back and managed to say "You ok?" to my parents. It's not really very clear anyway, what actually happened. Even my Mum and Dad aren't quite sure. We did wonder, from what they can piece together of it, if the truck driver wavered over into their lane. Fell asleep perhaps? Apparently, the continent is not so strict on use of Tachos as we are, so a truck driver can drive all day in Europe, come over here and put a tacho in and continue to drive for much longer than he actually should.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: jacqui.c
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 08:05 AM

Gald your parents are OK. They must be amazing people to have undertaken the journey that they have and then to come out of such a frightening situation with such fortitude.

It just shows that, whatever your age, you don't have to give into it!

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 08:59 AM

Fell asleep perhaps? Apparently, the continent is not so strict on use of Tachos as we are, so a truck driver can drive all day in Europe, come over here and put a tacho in and continue to drive for much longer than he actually should.
Here you are utterly wrong, Lynne. The regulations are disobeyed in Germany, too, but the Autobahn Police lances a lot of unexpected raids controlling lorry drivers. If they stepped over the allowed driving time, the have to sleep on a parking lot; if the lorry is'nt roadworthy, it is stopped and must be repaired at the next garage, or it is declared unsafe beyond repair and put into custody at the next police station. The fines are heavy and have to be paid on the spot; if not, the driver must wait until the money is sent by his employer.
Especially the East European drivers are on the road with vehicles you can only describe as adventurous; our police do what thy can to make our roads secure.
In France they are even harsher than our people; there they seem to have no problems with a "police state".

Glad to read that your parents came out safe and sound.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: GUEST,The Barden of Englans at work
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 09:31 AM

I passed that way (M25 eastbound somewhere near Junction 8) yesterday at about 12noon and saw a blue Fiat Punto pointing in the opposite direction to the traffic with a lorry stopped just up the road. The police and ambulance were in attendence but the Fiat didn't look too bad. If this was your parents them I'm glad they survived intact.
John Barden

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Hawker
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 10:34 AM

Glad to hear they are OK Great to hear people can still behave like nice guys too!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Megan L
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 01:55 PM

If you look for them guid fowk can be found. Lynne wish yer mum and dad aw the best glad they got through it in one piece.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: KIMCHEE
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 02:11 PM

Lynne, a wise man once said, "Look for the Good in Others and you will find the good in yourself." I am glad your parents are safe and sound and were not hurt seriously. I believe that everyone should show and give consideration, love, warmth and good feelings toward others.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 02:58 PM

From an interested U.S. observer, I need a translation -

"One of the ladies in thisa area was cut up and had a wing ripped off"
Does that mean this person lost a limb???

"tacho"
What is this???

Lynne, I'm glad to hear your parents came out okay. My daughter was riding her bicycle this week and was hit by a car, luckily she is okay with the exception of a very bad scrape on one leg and a few stitches.   Still, it could have been a lot worse.   

As they used to say on "Hill Street Blues" - let's be careful out there!

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: MBSLynne
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 03:07 PM

Ron....a tacho is a tachograph (I think) which drivers of big vehicles have to use to show how long they drive at a stretch because they aren't allowed to do more than so many hours without a rest etc.

I'm glad your daughter is ok too....

And I think the love warmth and good feelings is why a lot of us are here on Mudcat...cos that's what we get, and hopefully give!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: sapper82
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 04:42 PM

WFDU - Ron Olesko
The wing of a car is the bit of thge body that comes over the front wheel. So a car will have a offside wing and near side wing.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 05:18 PM

If I understand your description, I think we would call it a fender! Thanks Sapper!!

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Noreen
Date: 09 Sep 05 - 06:33 PM

Nah, an fender is a bumper.
The wing is an integral part of the car- like a chicken's wing...

Glad all came out unscathed.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 02:35 AM

Glas to see your parents were not Polished off....

;-)
(Aussie sense of humour)

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 04:07 AM

Robin I resisted making that terrible joke, and now you've made it, I'm glad I did!!
AS an ex trucker who has been persecuted all over Europe, and had his tachograph examined by every Gendarme Guardia di Finanza Polizei or whatever who fancied he could find an excuse to fine me for infringing any regulation they can make up on the spot, I agree with Herr Schaum.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 05:45 PM

Ron, it is indeed a fender. Just another example of our separation by a common language. "I pranged the wing a bit and snapped the dampener upright. The bonnet is wedged tight."---Smashed fender, broken shock mount, hood's jammed shut.

I used to love working on Brit cars just to read the manuals. They obviously didn't know the right names for anything and they couldn't spell worth a damn either!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 08:19 PM

I'm so glad your parents are ok. And that the good side of human nature shone through!
Allison

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 06:09 PM

Hi Lynne, just adding my tuppence worth to say I am pleased to here your parents are OK and that they were helped by good people.

Hope they enjoy the rest of their stay. BTW are you letting your mum and dad near that Old Rosie?

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: Paul Burke
Date: 12 Sep 05 - 05:04 AM

Non non non cp49, bumper, shock absorber. Never mind, there's a spare in the boot.

And where would you find a stepney in the dicky?

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Sep 05 - 05:15 AM

2 wings and a bumper here
G.

Subject: RE: BS: My parents' accident
From: MBSLynne
Date: 12 Sep 05 - 06:43 AM

Well Frank...they wouldn't have let me at it when I was young, so I couldn't possibly allow them near it now they are old!!

Love Lynne