Bit of a let down

[migrator]

here I was on Friday 21st driving back home (for the last time according to the Mayans) enjoying the lighter than usual traffic on the M1 (northbound). I had even headed away earlier than normal to avoid the rush.

About a mile or so south of J25 on the M1 I was in lane three travelling at about 73/75 along with the other traffic. I was having a check in the mirrors (as you do) and looking at the nearside mirror when I noticed a sharp red glow out of the corner of my eye. The car to my front (a reasonable braking distance away) was braking hard and swerving. That was when I saw the 2 x 2 metal bar (about three foot long) lying across the lane 2/3 marking line. He just managed to miss it. For my sins (leaving early) I was not so fortunate and almost missed it. However, 'almost' is not good enough.

I passed the bar with a sort of 'Plomp, Plomp' noise. This was rather rapidly followed by a rapid 'Flp, Flp, Flp, Flp (ad nauseum) noise. Despite the best efforts of my fellow travellers, I did manage to reach the 'safety' of the hard shoulder and come to a stop. On inspection I found that I had been rather lucky - only the very bottom of the tyre was flat. I could see the three hundred meter post for the J25 slip road and decided to follow the advice not to change the wheel on the hard shoulder but to 'get off' when possible. There was a problem in that, however. There were some other cars in front of me on the hard shoulder. Most of them also had tyres that were flat at the bottom so I could not get past them to the slip road (too much traffic to nick round them in lane 1).

I rolled forward to the emergency phone and came to a stop at the very inside of the hard shoulder. One of my fellow sufferers got to the phone before me and advised the 'safety services' of the incident. They would send out someone to deal with it. Good, thought I as they could act as a 'blocker' on the shoulder to make the wheel change safer. (Yes, I did have a fully serviceable spare as yet unused.)

Some 30 minutes later there was no change so the first person called the 'safety services' again for an update. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE!! They promised to get things sorted. About ten minutes later there was a total lack of northbound traffic. Soon, a 'Highway Services' Range Rover thingy came up acting as a full carriageway rolling road block. They went slowly past us without even a wave. They must have stayed in front of the traffic for several more miles because it took quite a while for the traffic to build up speed again. STILL THERE WAS NO 'BLOCKER' FOR THE HARD SHOULDER. I gave up waiting and changed the wheel - no assistance from anybody and I just love rolling about on the hard shoulder at my age.

I put my stuff back into the car (960 estate) and got ready to leave, ever mindful that I should build up speed on the hard shoulder before re-joining the main carriageway. I had less than 70 yards between me and the next car in line (which still had a flat on the offside front so he was doing nothing about changing a wheel with his behind - not the car's - hanging out into lane 1).

One can be surprised by the level of acceleration available under the right foot in a 960 estate (auto) - still in Economy mode - and the occupants of the car in front on the hard shoulder also got a bit of a shock at my rapid departure. I even passed some more flat tyre cases just a little bit ahead.

Well, the spare was fine and I got home OK. My local garage owner even volunteered to come in early this morning just to get me a new tyre - just as well, the amount I spend there. The damage was a split of about 2 inches just where the tread and sidewall meet plus a very small ding in the alloy rim.

I hope you all had less eventful trips home leading up to the week-end.

[caveman_returns]

You were certainly lucky and it could have been much worse.

[tt82]

Sounds like an eventful trip. Glad the damage was nothing more than a tyre.

[RUTV70]

Glad it all went ok in the end....that hard shoulder is NOT a nice place to be.!!

Neil

[Rossi-fan]

If your Tyre was flat only at the very bottom,,,could you not have just turned it upside down???

[Marty Dolomite]

Did your friend tell them you had a puncture and required assistance so you could change the wheel if he did they would have asked who you breakdown service provider is and called them to assist you or did he just tell them about the debris?

[TurboZutek]

Good to see the motorway wombles are as efficient and sensible as ever.

No doubt you'll get a bill for damaging the bar you hit, lol.

[migrator]

Originally Posted by Rossi-fan

If your Tyre was flat only at the very bottom,,,could you not have just turned it upside down???

Tried that but the flat section was heavier than air and kept falling to the bottom!

[migrator]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

Did your friend tell them you had a puncture and required assistance so you could change the wheel if he did they would have asked who you breakdown service provider is and called them to assist you or did he just tell them about the debris?

During both calls they were advised that there were several vehicles on the hard shoulder that had fallen victims to the metal bar. Motoring organisation vehicles cannot block the nearside lane. How often have you seen Highways Agency vehicles acting to block the shoulder or lane one (with appropriate electronic signage) to let people carry out safer wheel changes? Not everybody pays to a motoring organisation. I can recall one incident on the M90 (pre HA days) when I was in a similar situation and having told the services of the debris on the carriageway the local hazard lights were put on.

[S60 PNV]

and if anyone ever thinks it's a bit harsh that there's a fine and 3 point penalty for objects that fall off your vehicle, this is why that penalty is there, stuff falling off your vehicle and onto the roads (especially motorways) is dangerous and a bloody menace!


Always properly secure loads!