Refusing to lift the barriers
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
any chance you can get a mock-up uniform made. Get the hat to say twit, and wear it skew-whiff. Stand next to him at home time, giving the benny hill salute as he does his job. Just hope he's not a big lad, should he get annoyed.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
Borrow my Catrike!
That will wipe the smile off his face!
!
More seriously though................
If the implication is thathe barrier "may fall upon you" then there is also a real and significant risk of it faling on a car as well.
You really need to getthe barrier checked as it would appear there is no failsafe mecahnism. What if the operator where to lose his grip when wet, or slip whilst the barrier was raised. Ask toi see a copy of the risk assesment!
I suggestthat what is needed is a barrier which locks in the upright position preventing its unsafe closure.
That will wipe the smile off his face!
!
More seriously though................
If the implication is thathe barrier "may fall upon you" then there is also a real and significant risk of it faling on a car as well.
You really need to getthe barrier checked as it would appear there is no failsafe mecahnism. What if the operator where to lose his grip when wet, or slip whilst the barrier was raised. Ask toi see a copy of the risk assesment!
I suggestthat what is needed is a barrier which locks in the upright position preventing its unsafe closure.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
Cunobelin wrote:If the implication is thathe barrier "may fall upon you" then there is also a real and significant risk of it faling on a car as well.
That's right! Lets hope they don't allow soft tops through, at least if it falls on you as a cyclist you can drop to the floor - i.e. you've somewhere to go, strapped into a seat in a car you've no chance!
Make sure he's aware of this and double check soft tops aren't allowed through! It's a disaster just waiting to happen...
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Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
Obviously, I cannot comment on the particular case here but I find that it always helps to foster good relations with anybody who has a security / janitorial / gatekeeping / maintenance role. (I suppose I do like to foster good relations with everybody.)
This is not hard and normally involves only good manners, a recognition that the foot soldiers are just as important as the top brass, and thinking of people as human beings rather than part of the machinery. Part of the secret is that if somebody wants to be awkward, continue being nice. If the only bit of authority somebody has is the power to say 'no,' they are likely to use it on people they see as the enemy. Become a friend. (And as I've said on other posts, that is also likely to mean your bike is stored in the safest and driest boiler-room for miles around. )
This is not hard and normally involves only good manners, a recognition that the foot soldiers are just as important as the top brass, and thinking of people as human beings rather than part of the machinery. Part of the secret is that if somebody wants to be awkward, continue being nice. If the only bit of authority somebody has is the power to say 'no,' they are likely to use it on people they see as the enemy. Become a friend. (And as I've said on other posts, that is also likely to mean your bike is stored in the safest and driest boiler-room for miles around. )
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Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
patricktaylor wrote:thirdcrank, very well said. You summed it up nicely.
Reading the OP though, he sounds pretty objectionable. Why would one sully oneself being friends with someone like that?
Personally I'd sooner hack my nose off.
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Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
But we're not talking about a real friend. The object of the exercise is to be able to pass through the barrier unhindered, or prevent a proliferation of nuclear weapons, or whatever.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
patricktaylor wrote:But we're not talking about a real friend. The object of the exercise is to be able to pass through the barrier unhindered, or prevent a proliferation of nuclear weapons, or whatever.
For the proliferation of nuclear weapons - I'd employ/vote in someone to do that, (if I *really* had to I'd bring them an apple). For the sake of easier passage, nope I'd feel better finding an alternative...
But then I've always sooner cut my nose off - and felt better for it too!
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
I love the idea that he's that worried about HSE that he tries to injure you with it! This is like motorists who are that concerned about the safety of cyclists that they drive really close to you to prove it, or drive in front of you when you're passing them (on either side).
In my mind, he's already proved what a twit he is. On the other hand, he's still the gatekeeper. What a dilemma.
In my mind, he's already proved what a twit he is. On the other hand, he's still the gatekeeper. What a dilemma.
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Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
Work of the type which involves sitting in a sentry box all day is poorly-paid, boring and often attracts little thanks. Many of the people who do it have previously held positions of some authority. (For example, the Corps of Commissionaires for many years restricted its intake to former warrant officers, non-commissioned officers - career service people. I think the Royal British Legion is similar.) They are attractive to employers because they are conventionally respectable and have a long career history of discipline, dependability and dare I say it, loyalty. They generally look the part and because they have a service pension they can manage on the sort of peanuts paid for this type of work. While operating the boom at a factory gate is hardly Horatius facing down Lars Porsena, it comes from the same tradition. And if anything does go wrong, they are likely to carry the can.
Being friendly, saying 'hello' and even taking an interest costs nothing. I'm not talking about being patronising, just recognising that everybody is a human being and the fact that their employment involves wearing a peaked cap does not turn them into an inferior life form. Being bloody-minded can be an entertaining way of passing the time and nobody with a bit of authority is going to relinquish it meekly.
One of my anecdotes: A couple of years ago I was at a manned level crossing where the tied-cottage system for the gatekeeper had been replaced with a permanently manned cabin. I struggled with the heavily-sprung kissing gates provided for pedestrians which did not really accommodate a bike. Once I was across, the attendant popped his head out of his little hut. I got into conversation with him and he recounted how when the system had been introduced at a number of places along that line, temporary portakabins had been used and they had recently been replaced by more permanent cabins. These had been installed with no consutation over which way the windows faced etc. "If only they'd asked us it would have been a lot better - we could have seen both sides of the crossing...." I commiserated that so-called experts often missed the most valuable source of knowledge and info i.e. the people doing the job. We had a bit of a chunter before I rode on. I was back that way a few weeks later, gate thrown open, cheery exchange of 'Good Morning' and both of us probably felt a lot happier.
I don't suggest this approach always works - some people are innately obstructive - but it costs nothing, it's the right way to treat other people, and the alternative is pointlessly provoking bloody-mindedness where everybody loses. IMO.
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Edited to add. Any solution has to include recognising that you work there so you will have to face the same problem daily unless you resolve it. Also, the last thing anybody needs is the MD or similar looking out of the window and muttering 'Why is that idiot with the bike goose-stepping down the yard?' Unless they are doing auditions for Monty Python it does your reputation no good at all.
Being friendly, saying 'hello' and even taking an interest costs nothing. I'm not talking about being patronising, just recognising that everybody is a human being and the fact that their employment involves wearing a peaked cap does not turn them into an inferior life form. Being bloody-minded can be an entertaining way of passing the time and nobody with a bit of authority is going to relinquish it meekly.
One of my anecdotes: A couple of years ago I was at a manned level crossing where the tied-cottage system for the gatekeeper had been replaced with a permanently manned cabin. I struggled with the heavily-sprung kissing gates provided for pedestrians which did not really accommodate a bike. Once I was across, the attendant popped his head out of his little hut. I got into conversation with him and he recounted how when the system had been introduced at a number of places along that line, temporary portakabins had been used and they had recently been replaced by more permanent cabins. These had been installed with no consutation over which way the windows faced etc. "If only they'd asked us it would have been a lot better - we could have seen both sides of the crossing...." I commiserated that so-called experts often missed the most valuable source of knowledge and info i.e. the people doing the job. We had a bit of a chunter before I rode on. I was back that way a few weeks later, gate thrown open, cheery exchange of 'Good Morning' and both of us probably felt a lot happier.
I don't suggest this approach always works - some people are innately obstructive - but it costs nothing, it's the right way to treat other people, and the alternative is pointlessly provoking bloody-mindedness where everybody loses. IMO.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited to add. Any solution has to include recognising that you work there so you will have to face the same problem daily unless you resolve it. Also, the last thing anybody needs is the MD or similar looking out of the window and muttering 'Why is that idiot with the bike goose-stepping down the yard?' Unless they are doing auditions for Monty Python it does your reputation no good at all.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
do you have a transport co-ordinator at work? I might have a quite word with him, just to fidn out why bikes are considered to dangerous to use a barrier.
I hate snow.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
If it's a metal barrier, then it's the barrier that is dangerous and it needs replacing with a lightweight plastic one.
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
On my trike I can ride under the barrier where I work but the security guard still raises it.
Cheers, Donald
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Trice "Qnt 26" 26/39/55 F 10sp 11/36 R, now with Windwrap fairing.
ICE B1 34/50 F Capreo 9/32 R.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dkmwt/78674512/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1188814973
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
What do they do for motorcycles? Open the barrier, or make them get off and push?
Re: Refusing to lift the barriers
dkmwt wrote:On my trike I can ride under the barrier where I work but the security guard still raises it.
A salute?