Whenever I see drivers for any company standing behind their PC or truck before crossing the street, I just have to refer to the poster that mentioned how one person was maimed by a wayward vehicle. I tend to stay on the sidewalk to make sure traffic clears before attempting to cross. I don't about the far lane until the lane nearest to me clears. You will have no time to react and you will pinned like a pinata to the back of your vehicle.
New one on me
- Thread starter john346
- Start date
Exactly. Nowhere to hide.
iruhnman630
Well-Known Member
Had my annual safety ride this week...
The mirror was a big one. He wanted it done at every stop.
Crossing behind the truck has been an adjustment for me. I seem to recall being trained to either walk behind or diamond off in front, by crossing far enough in front of the truck to eliminate the blind spot. This is what I have always been used to, and felt very safe. But now I'm working as directed, adjusting to crossing behind. I'd say I'm about 80% compliant now, but still feel uncomfortable.
What's next? Orange cones. They're pushing it on our air drivers now, following a string of hit-while-parked accidents. Talk about slowing down production.
The mirror was a big one. He wanted it done at every stop.
Crossing behind the truck has been an adjustment for me. I seem to recall being trained to either walk behind or diamond off in front, by crossing far enough in front of the truck to eliminate the blind spot. This is what I have always been used to, and felt very safe. But now I'm working as directed, adjusting to crossing behind. I'd say I'm about 80% compliant now, but still feel uncomfortable.
What's next? Orange cones. They're pushing it on our air drivers now, following a string of hit-while-parked accidents. Talk about slowing down production.
I just started pulling my mirror in. I dont feel safe doing it. I push it out from the bottom, putting undue strain on my wrist. I only do it if I am parked on a road, not in lots. I read it coming down the pike so I just started doing it. I see orange cones coming. And then they will take away a little more time, for some bogus reason. And we will continue to run later and later doing more and more.
The hit while parked will increase in the warm weather while we are in residential neighborhoods in the evening, and people continue to be slaves to their electronic devices. My last two unavoidables were caused my people jumping on their phones, and backing out of drives without looking. Glad it was a truck they hit, instead of a family going for a walk. But it is not necessarily us, we stay off our phones when we are driving, the public needs to do the same, that wont happen.
The hit while parked will increase in the warm weather while we are in residential neighborhoods in the evening, and people continue to be slaves to their electronic devices. My last two unavoidables were caused my people jumping on their phones, and backing out of drives without looking. Glad it was a truck they hit, instead of a family going for a walk. But it is not necessarily us, we stay off our phones when we are driving, the public needs to do the same, that wont happen.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
I would think (hope) that this is true but know that it is not. We have several drivers who seem to spend the greater part of their day on their cell phones. I try really hard not to use mine while driving but admit that I sometimes do, especially this past week as I am in the process of refinancing and my phone seemed to ring off the hook.
Dustyroads
Well-Known Member
Back when I was initially trained, we only worried about being hit by horses and buggies... However, a few years ago, in our center, a driver was crossing the street, went across the front of his package car, was hit by a car that was headed in the same direction as his package car was pointed (coming from behind). It threw the driver into the windshield of the car and onto the pavement, breaking his arm. To, literally, add insult to injury, the police who worked the accident ticketed our driver for jaywalking. Yep, jaywalking. UPS paid the criminal's fine. The next day, after the accident, our pcm was all about crossing the street from the back of the package car.
Wouldn't that still have been jaywalking?
Dustyroads
Well-Known Member
Yeah, exactly, over9five, the company will take care of the jaywalking fines for us. They just don't really want us to get wiped out by cars, SUCCESSFUL jaywalking, that's what we're wanting.
LOL!
john346
No more Brown!
Management at our center LOVES that we have cell phones. Miss sorts, service jumps, finding us on road for more work, etc. Was told to me that it costs .25 cents per ODS message.
Highwayman
Well-Known Member
I'll bet there's someone somewhere on "special assignment" working on a new list of sayings about this!
iruhnman630
Well-Known Member
Walk in back, don't get whacked.
I completely agree w/ you and have fought it hard but at the end of the day where I am there is no backup. Union says work as instructed (even though I said I felt unsafe)and company says follow methods of walking behind car only! No going in front or out the driver side unless in a parking lot or driveway. I dont feel like getting fired and battling it in panel so I just do it. I brought it up in a safety meeting and said its not any safer in most areas Im in cuz when you pull over your usually partially blocking a lane of traffic which eliminates the safety of it(the idea is that you can get completely out of the lanes of traffic) even the supe agreed w/ my point. This method especially affects me and they know it cuz 5yrs ago I had a guy slam into the back of my PC at 35mph and bounce off he hit so hard. He was arrested at the seen trying to stash $10k and Im not sure how much drugs. Also had alot of keys on him(car/house). I happend to be on the porch of my delivery when it happend so I was fine but had I been behind it I would no longer have legs. The collision crushed the front of his car and dented the actual engine and bent my rear bumper completely under the PC. The accident was deemed unavoidable.
To me if saftey was so important to them they wouldnt make me cross from behind. Its more of a joke than anything. I just do what Im told (thats what I told my supe in the safety meeting). If somthing happens doing thier methods then its on thier head.
Just Numbers
Retired
I had the same thought until I came back to the center one day and heard that a driver in another center had been hit by a car while walking from the front of the pkg car. That was about 20yrs ago...she has been in the ground for the past 20 years and left behind a 2 yr old daughter. Since then it has been the back of the car when necessary.
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