Parking lot accident

LeddySS98 · 01-25-2008, 07:20 PM

I had a really old guy back into my package car the other day when i was making a stop... i watched him backing in to me and ran towards him yelling, telling him to stop.. he just kept backing up.. not using his mirrors, just using the idea that whovever is behind me will move... So now they are trying to pin the accident on me because i did'nt pin the cars in... I was in a parking lot with 5 business, i had a stop for two of them... i parked on the left side next to the concrete island...same place i've parked for years... but the big wigs that looked at the pics said i should have parked on the right side of the parking lot and blocked the cars in... This old guy did'nt use his mirrors.. had i parked 6inches away from him he would have backed into me... as it is i parked 20 feet away from him... and he got me.... I dont know if they are burn happy or what, but they are REALLY trying to stick me with this one saying it was avoidable...

I block cars in when i HAVE to... but if you have the option of sliding over dont you do it so you dont piss off somebody... i dont know what do you guys think... am I in the wrong? Just admit that I COULD have called in sick that day, thus avoiding being in a accident

Thoughts?

rod · 01-25-2008, 07:28 PM

First off it isn't just "the old guys" that don't look before they back. I had the same thing happen and it was a 17 year old girl. Every UPS driver on here will be on your side but unfortunatly every management person will blame you (see they "left themselves an out" where by the driver is always at fault). Kiss that safe driving billfold goodbye.

Griff · 01-25-2008, 07:32 PM

Everything is avoidable. They have an answer for everything, you should know that by now. They have an answer for everything that you do wrong, but have no answers for the operational problems in the building -- amazing isn't it? Tell management that from this day forward you are going to make no attempt to find a legitimate parking space for the truck since it was outlined as poor judgement. Go out and doublepark all day, flood the center with tickets and complaints. When someone complains to you on the street, tell them you were directed to block people in and point to the 1-800-PICK-UPS on the truck and tell them the name of the big whig who claims blocking people in is proper procedure. That's what I would do anyway, but I'm just a union slug/slob/bum/thief/etc.

old brown shoe · 01-25-2008, 07:41 PM

Doesn't matter where you park, if your hit they will blame you for it. Just remember guilty until proven guilty at UPS, even if the other guy gets a ticket.

LeddySS98 · 01-25-2008, 07:57 PM

Funny... I'm only a day out of the accident and i've already been thinking about everytime i block someone in and they honk at me, giving out the managers cell phone number to them... = )

Any idea as to why management wants to blame us for everything? Whats' do they gain from burning their drivers? I dont get it... I use to have the best attitude in the shop about the management team, but i'm getting a real eye opener this time...

RockyRogue · 01-25-2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

I had a really old guy back into my package car the other day when i was making a stop.

I pushed carts in a busy grocery store parking lot as a teenager. UNBELIEVABLE the idiots I saw in that lot. I had what I called a 'gizmo' (a remote controlled cart-pusher) that the Company painted a bright, unmissable yellow. I'm pushing carts on a bright, sunny day when I hear a thud. I whirl and sure enough.....a woman (I'll leave this one at that, ladies

) backed right into Gizmo. I ran over as the driver climbed out of the car and we checked the machine for damage. We went in, had a manager come out and OK Gizmo for service. Never heard a word about it. -Rocky

bad company · 01-25-2008, 08:31 PM

My first and only accident (knock on wood) was a hit while parked. I was at an industrial stop parked on the shoulder of parking lot, adjacent to the building and some parked cars. I was hit while parked, by a tractor trailer who was trying to manuver around me instead of waiting for me to get done. He almost made it, but scraped the very back end of my truck. Minor damage to both parties. Police cited no one at fault.

Initially, my division manager and on-road said this was unavoidable. A few days later, after a conference call with the district manager, this was changed to avoidable. "A more experienced driver would have been able to anticipate another vehicle trying to manuver around you and would have compensated accordingly". Wow...I guess I missed that portion of the service provider training that taught us how to predict the future. I tried to plea and argue but it was pointless.

I am convinced that every accident is avoidable as far as UPS is concerned. If I ever get a ride with a sup, I will park as far away as possible and walk/hand truck the stop. After all, I'd hate to get hit while parked.

Cementups · 01-25-2008, 08:53 PM

You could have parked in the middle of an empty 100 acre parking lot and have someone spin out of control off of the highway and side swipe your car. Guess what!? According to UPS management, it's your fault. You could have been parked somewhere else.

Get it?

1989 · 01-25-2008, 08:58 PM

I had 3 unavoidable accidents in 2007...But in 2005 a fire hydrant jumped in front of me and that was avoidable...go figure.

LeddySS98 · 01-25-2008, 09:14 PM

Mine started out ok.. on road supe came and took some pics... pretty much told me i had a good parking spot, the old guy admitted he was'nt using his mirrors.. ZERO damage to the UPS truck bumber.. the Camrys bumber had a crack in it but it was minor as well... 1 hr later i get a phone call from the supe... telling me he sent the pictures off and the four big wig safety dudes somewhere said i should have been parked 20feet to the right... avoidable... i argued it with him that i've always parked there.. The package car was parked there while i was in training... i went on to tell him that i have parked there with HIM riding with me on different days and nothing has ever been said... and of course he cant remember ever stopping there with me, and then more lies of what he cant remember... It started out good, but it's going south fast and they're taking me down with the ship i think

2Slow · 01-25-2008, 09:30 PM

File an appeal when they notify you that the accident was dertermined to be avoidable.
The standard (that they don't wish to admit) is that if you had followed the methods you were trained to do, would the accident have been avoided?

Explain in your appeal letter that you followed your training, and you wish to have the accident finding overturned. Then shut up and hope they let their time to reply slip by...

brownmonster · 01-25-2008, 09:59 PM

I have the same situation in a couple of strip malls and I'm nervous every time I park that some fool will back into me. The only choice is to park and walk. They will be happy when you no longer drive, just walk.

satellitedriver · 01-25-2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

i parked on the left side next to the concrete island...same place i've parked for years...

That's where they are going to nail you.
Either block them in or park with your right tires along the curb.
Everything else that happened is just an excuse to them.
Good luck

MR_Vengeance · 01-25-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

Any idea as to why management wants to blame us for everything? Whats' do they gain from burning their drivers? I dont get it... I use to have the best attitude in the shop about the management team, but i'm getting a real eye opener this time...

Remember what you see in a mob flick when close pals had to kill one another for something? then one of them would say " I always liked so and so, but this is all about BUSINESS." No matter how good of a relationship you think you have with your management team, you must ALWAYS watch your own back. It doesn't matter if you can do 200 stops before lunch, it doesn't matter you skipped lunch for the past 5 years and delivered 50 additional stops each day. Once you hurt their numbers by having an accident, they will move in for the kill and put you in your place. It's all up to you to change that, you can't change them but you can certaintly do something to work at a safer pace, and take the extra minute to find a better place to park. Remember, this is a business afterall, know your roll, play it well........good luck to you.

Hangingon · 01-26-2008, 12:20 AM

If you go to court and the opposing lawyer finds out UPS determined it was avoidable can they use it against you and the company? I'm talking about a more serious accident like hit in rear or something.

UpstateNYUPSer · 01-26-2008, 04:50 AM

A good attorney would have a field day with this information.

big_arrow_up · 01-26-2008, 05:20 AM

Like blocking the cars in is going to stop everyone from trying to get out. There is always one fool that thinks they can make it around our truck. Blocking them in or parking off to the side are both the same....you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

IWorkAsDirected · 01-26-2008, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeddySS98

Mine started out ok.. on road supe came and took some pics... pretty much told me i had a good parking spot, the old guy admitted he was'nt using his mirrors.. ZERO damage to the UPS truck bumber.. the Camrys bumber had a crack in it but it was minor as well... 1 hr later i get a phone call from the supe... telling me he sent the pictures off and the four big wig safety dudes somewhere said i should have been parked 20feet to the right... avoidable... i argued it with him that i've always parked there.. The package car was parked there while i was in training... i went on to tell him that i have parked there with HIM riding with me on different days and nothing has ever been said... and of course he cant remember ever stopping there with me, and then more lies of what he cant remember... It started out good, but it's going south fast and they're taking me down with the ship i think

I believe than when any management person is caught in the wrong as it concerns an hourly he is trained to respond "I don't recall" and..........just face it UPS does not believe ANY accident is unavoidable.

ImpactedTSG · 01-26-2008, 10:47 AM

So you are told to block cars in?

The day a UPS truck blocks me in and I have to leave is the day the UPS truck gets a steel blade to the sidewall.

jds4lunch · 01-26-2008, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff

. Go out and doublepark all day, flood the center with tickets and complaints. When someone complains to you on the street, tell them you were directed to block people in and point to the 1-800-PICK-UPS on the truck and tell them the name of the big whig who claims blocking people in is proper procedure.

Thats what I do. I've blocked off narrow residential streets with cars backed up around the block honking and me and all I do is tell them "we're told to park wherever we want to" and then give them a number they can call and complain. I've even told the "parking nazi's" downtown they might as well write me 2 tickets while their here, and come back at the same time tomorrow if you want to write another.

Interestingly enough we had a memo posted on our pcm board a while ago about being hit while parked. The opening line read as follows: "If you've been hit while parked, it probably means you've parked incorectly." Now if that isn't ignorant I don't know what is.