ADUK Archive

I have just been out in the car on the country roads near my home, and used the opportunity to practice a commentary. (No I wasn’t talking to myself. Ok I was.)

Observing, several wheelie bins positioned near the road, I correctly predicted - surprise surprise - a bin lorry, a couple of miles further on completely, albeit temporarily, blocking the road.

Not too far after that, several cars pulled up on the verge: I predicted dog walkers. I was rewarded, just around the next bend, with a woman struggling to hang on to two alsatians by their collars.

There was a time I might have been irritated by the inconvenience of impassable bin lorries or wayward dogs. But, actually I got a smug pleasure from having my predictions come true.

Maybe I should get out more: hang on, I was out.

Nice one. It's the sort of thing you want to happen when you're under test...and it does sometimes and you get that warm, fluffy feeling inside.

There is a thread somewhere here about how the temperature/height of horse droppings indicates how near the offending horse is...but I don't think we ever established how to accurately measure temp. while on the move...

If steaming, they're fresh

martine wrote:...but I don't think we ever established how to accurately measure temp. while on the move...

Well obviously you'd need to stop the car - Advanced Driving isn't all about progress you know...

Full instructions here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2445

if the bins are parked in a tidy fashion maybe the bin men have not been yet?

One tip about bins came to light a few years ago when the papers seemed to be full of stories about people being penalised for minor infractions of the rules for putting bins out for collection:

Householders are supposed to put wheely bins out with the handles facing the road and once emptied the dustmen are supposed to leave them with the handles facing away from the road. If this happens a quick glance should tell you if the bins have been emptied as you pass.

Given the haste with which bin rounds are done these days the earlier post about bins in disarray may be more often seen.

I find another source of smugness is responding positively to, for example, being tailgated.

mooncarrot wrote:I have just been out in the car on the country roads near my home, and used the opportunity to practice a commentary. (No I wasn’t talking to myself. Ok I was.)

Observing, several wheelie bins positioned near the road, I correctly predicted - surprise surprise - a bin lorry, a couple of miles further on completely, albeit temporarily, blocking the road.

Not too far after that, several cars pulled up on the verge: I predicted dog walkers. I was rewarded, just around the next bend, with a woman struggling to hang on to two alsatians by their collars.

There was a time I might have been irritated by the inconvenience of impassable bin lorries or wayward dogs. But, actually I got a smug pleasure from having my predictions come true.

Maybe I should get out more: hang on, I was out.

Appreciate that bin lorries are staffed by those doing their job, which is, removing our rubbish.
I, in a surburban situation, have often stopped behind a bin lorry while the crew do their job and waiting for one of the crew to signal me to pass, to then have a muppet approach from behind and just overtake me without any concern for the bin lorry and those crewing it.

MrToad wrote:

martine wrote:...but I don't think we ever established how to accurately measure temp. while on the move...

Well obviously you'd need to stop the car - Advanced Driving isn't all about progress you know...

Full instructions here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2445

Ahh thanks Mr. T - that's a load off my mind...

MikeB wrote:if the bins are parked in a tidy fashion maybe the bin men have not been yet?

Yes, and if they are parked after being emptied by (for example) the Scarborough Borough Council gang, they will not be left protruding partly into the roadway.

Near where I live, one resident seems to have a deliberate policy of leaving his bins partially protruding into the roadway, apparently as his own contribution to traffic calming.

MrToad wrote:Well obviously you'd need to stop the car - Advanced Driving isn't all about progress you know...

Full instructions here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2445

Thank you! You have brightened the start to my day I'll go back to voiceless chestiness now...

jonquirk wrote:Householders are supposed to put wheely bins out with the handles facing the road and once emptied the dustmen are supposed to leave them with the handles facing away from the road. If this happens a quick glance should tell you if the bins have been emptied as you pass.

I tried this on our dustmen this morning but sadly it seems that, like me, they've never heard of this instruction.

I can't say that I've seen anything other than randomness in bin positioning before or after they have been emptied.
I can't even count on the bins being over-full anymore.
I drag my bin out sometimes, push it out at other times. When it's windy I position it outside my house so that the lid is hopefully not going to get blown open.
So, for me, this particular AD observational link is somewhat overstated.