' Is it right to call 999 over mattress in the road?' blog discussion

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savercol wrote: »

Martin
You get to the Towers and hear on the news that the A40 is closed due to a multi car/lorry accident after a vehicle swerved avoiding an obstacle in the road.
Sorry but I would have pulled over, completely off the road, and stood behind any barrier. Then I would dial 999 making sure the Police knew how dangorous the incident was. Then prayed no-one hit the object.

Unfortunately this is quite dangerous to do on that part of the A40 as it is a fly over and standing behind any barrier would involve a 4 store fall to the road below.
Although the road does have a hard shoulder it would be crazy to stop there especially on a moped, so I would have waited like Martin did and phone once off the flyover.

I once broke down in a tunnel on my motorcycle on the A406 so 50mph speed limit. This was made worse as the tunnel curved so you could not see all the way to the end.
The tunnel operator closed my lane off as there was no hard shoulder, but cars still ignored this and swerved out of the way when they saw my bike or didn't bother changing lanes and missed it by inches. Scary moments.:eek:

Paul_Varjak

Please mark the above as spam to get it deleted.

DUKE

Emergencies are for murders .... not matresses. I'd've just rang the police station number then they could decide whether it was an emergency or not.

westferret

I've done similar when some idiot decided to put traffic cones scattered across the a10 just north of the great Cambridge roundabout. Again major road and people were swerving to avoid them. I work in the emergency services (ambulance) and things like this are an emergency as it has the potential to cause an incident and possibly a major one if on a major road.

Also you need to consider your own safety and pulling onto the hard shoulder on a scooter would have put you at a large risk with little protection around you and you are not easily visible so getting somewhere safe was a good choice.

Tibbs,The_Freebie_Hunter

If it was covered in blood and had chains on it (sorry, but just watched a repeat of Hellraiser II recently), then if you decided to call 999, just make sure your phone was the right way up...lol. Hell's Angels might've been recruiting for a new biker - you never know.

Le73Uq86Uv

I resent phoning the local police as they use 0845 numbers and in true MSE form I believe 999 is free.

Le73Uq86Uv

Dave101t wrote: »

you recent...what? learn to spell, igit.
I resent troglodytes.

I was editing it before I read your post.

Now reported you for abuse.

Jnelhams

999, otherwise someone would have crashed. Playing silly devils waiting for the local cop shop to eventually answer, by which time you would have a nice pile up on the road.

Postcode thing is really really annoying, had to call 999 for someone collapsed outside a Sainsbury (who did nothing to help..!!) and the idiot on switchboard wanted the postcode, now this was outside Sainsbury's in Alperton, a long way from any road sign, and the store was closing and staff just would not come out. Anyway, kept telling the 999 people to send an Ambulance to Sainsbury's on the Ealing Road, Alperton, (The main road) and then head down to the store, and just kept on insisting on a postcode, until I really freaked out, and managed to get a manger out from sainsbury to speak to the idiot. I mean how can you not see a ruddy great orange sainsbury's sign on the roadside?? but no postcode, go die....

Le73Uq86Uv

That is bad as they will end up killing someone, good job they record the calls could be of use in a court of law.

Magsta

It's not the publics job to decide what is and what is not an emegency. The public do not generally know about call grading and response times. I would suggest the use of 999 and let the operator decide if its an emergency or not. If it's not we will always advise you to call back on the non emergency line. Unfortunately so much has been published about daft calls ie where is the local indian and where can I get a turkey roasting tin on xmas eve that the public are now too scared to use the niners.