Is White Van Man's Reputation Deserved?

datostar

This morning, as is my wont, I walked over to my local Shopping Parade for a newspaper. A White Van arrived at speed in the car park and went straight into the only disabled bay, despite there being plenty of other spaces. Clad in shorts and tee shirt despite the rain, our hero got into the shop in front of me, bellowing into his mobile phone clamped securely to his right ear. Heading to the newspaper rack, he selects a Daily Mail then stands there rabbitting away, blocking access. I sneak up behind him and reach around him to get my paper. By now, the weird ritual dance is starting. I have often noticed this with mobile phone users on foot. They are completely unable to stand still and hop around, taking steps in random directions and sometimes even walk round in circles oblivious to others. When he went into reverse mode he banged his ankle on my raised booted toes. Oh dear! Undeterred, he shot to the counter to get there before me and paid for his newspaper, wittering continually on the phone with absolutely no acknowledgement of the young lady assistant. Height of ignorance.
By the time I left the shop he was sitting back in the van, still gabbing away. When I'd crossed the road and got on my front path he's out of the car park and roaring off along the road, still on the phone.
Personally, I think £80 and 3 points is far too low for this. I'd have their licence off them straight way. I'm sick of seeing it and these characters seem to be the worst offenders. If they're incapable of controlling their bodily movements when on foot using a mobile, how on earth do they expect to control a motor vehicle?

scheming_gypsy

you want him to get more than an £80 fine and 3 points because he was in your way in the shop?

or did you just give us an exciting re-enactment of your morning instead of telling us that you saw a man in a van on the phone while driving?

Lum

datostar wrote: »

he selects a Daily Mail

Lock him up for life

FOXY1

I thought white van men read the sun? Daily Mail, are you sure this really happened?

davidjwest

FOXY1 wrote: »

I thought white van men read the sun? Daily Mail, are you sure this really happened?

He probably got confused as he was on the phone at the time.

lee636

FOXY1 wrote: »

I thought white van men read the sun? Daily Mail, are you sure this really happened?

:rotfl::rotfl: :rotfl:

janninew

Nevermind mind white van man! Around my way you have to watch out for the older, male drivers in their BMW/Audi! One pulled out of a side road in front of me yesterday, causing me to perform an emergency stop, the look he gave me as if to say 'don't you know I own the road and you have no right to be driving on it!!'

esuhl

datostar wrote: »

Is White Van Man's Reputation Deserved?

Absolutely. If the guy had been driving a blue van, this never would have happened. In fact, he probably would have skipped into the shop scattering rose petals behind him, bought all the toys in the shop, then cautiously driven to the nearby orphanage to bring smiles to the poor children's faces. The colour white ought to be banned.

iolanthe07

'White van man' is more than an urban myth, though. They scream past on the motorway sometimes at a speed which must exceed 100 mph. I wait for the day when they are subject to the same limitations as an HGV - 56 mph, not allowed in the third lane, and are fitted with tachographs and speed limiters.

FOXY1

And so should anyone who drives a car for work? You cannot compare a HGV to a van and not count every other motorist.

m2_225288

Lum wrote: »

Lock him up for life

How much is that going to cost?

I agree with Tony "Education, Education, Education"! :j