Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sitting in the park.
Oh, what a change we have had in the weather! Three weeks ago we had snow, here in the UK. Now the sun is shining and the boys come out to play. Fed up with being interrupted by muppets destroying my rest break in London by banging on my coach window and demanding to know if this coach will go to Cardiff, I set off to the park. A short walk in my new shoes brings me from the ghetto of Bulleid Way in London to the lush green pastures of Battersea Park. What a relief it was yesterday to enjoy my rest break in London sat on a bench in London's very green Battersea Park. The contrast is amazing. I went from one shaded urban location full of muppets jostling for information to a tranquil park where anyone can be fully at rest. The relief is amazing and I recommend it to everyone!
To be able to sit on a park bench and not be interrupted is great. It brings peace and rest to a busy world. A world within you can actually get a 45 minute break away from actual work. The rest room at London Victoria Coach Station is a joke, a converted waiting area that was reserved for the disabled, nothing more than a sheep pen. To sit on a park bench away from it all is a very welcome break from the cattle market of Victoria. I am glad that Spring is breaking here in the UK and that I can get away from the gloom of Bulleid Way.
Oh, what a change we have had in the weather! Three weeks ago we had snow, here in the UK. Now the sun is shining and the boys come out to play. Fed up with being interrupted by muppets destroying my rest break in London by banging on my coach window and demanding to know if this coach will go to Cardiff, I set off to the park. A short walk in my new shoes brings me from the ghetto of Bulleid Way in London to the lush green pastures of Battersea Park. What a relief it was yesterday to enjoy my rest break in London sat on a bench in London's very green Battersea Park. The contrast is amazing. I went from one shaded urban location full of muppets jostling for information to a tranquil park where anyone can be fully at rest. The relief is amazing and I recommend it to everyone!
To be able to sit on a park bench and not be interrupted is great. It brings peace and rest to a busy world. A world within you can actually get a 45 minute break away from actual work. The rest room at London Victoria Coach Station is a joke, a converted waiting area that was reserved for the disabled, nothing more than a sheep pen. To sit on a park bench away from it all is a very welcome break from the cattle market of Victoria. I am glad that Spring is breaking here in the UK and that I can get away from the gloom of Bulleid Way.
Comments:
<< Home
Wow Steve, a whole 45 minutes break, do you get a such a long break every week. I once had a break about 30 mins long but that was before I started teaching.
I'm also glad that Spring is on its way but I did enjoy the snow. School was shut and I went ski-ing, oops!! I've just invalidated my first comment now.
Regards
John
I'm also glad that Spring is on its way but I did enjoy the snow. School was shut and I went ski-ing, oops!! I've just invalidated my first comment now.
Regards
John
# posted by 
: 24 February 2009 at 19:47
: 24 February 2009 at 19:47
Oh John, times have changed. Thankfully our government has seen how the driving hours had been perverted by the operators and the 30 minute concession break in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Oxford and somewhere else, maybe Sheffield - has been outlawed by the change in drivers' hours legislation. The minimum break away from ALL work including answering questions from muppets is now 45 minutes. Even in the classroom you must have a minimum 30 minutes break away from riots - EEC working time directive.
I trust you wore suitable safety clothing in the snow! I have never forgotten your map reading skills when we went our separate ways those many years ago!
I trust you wore suitable safety clothing in the snow! I have never forgotten your map reading skills when we went our separate ways those many years ago!
Oh, I am getting old and now I can remember. Under the old regulations the reduced 30 minutes breaks were in 7 cities. The 7th city in my list above should not have been Sheffield but Nottingham. I recall this from my brain cells and not a search on the internet. I post this comment before I am corrected by either Graham in Cleethorpes or Tim in Gloucester.
Oh, and by the way John, Tim is still missing your talks about mountaineering!
Oh, and by the way John, Tim is still missing your talks about mountaineering!
There were specific locations within the seven cities where the reduced rest periods could be taken. For example in Oxford this only applied to Oxpens Coach Park and Gloucester Green Bus Station. A motorway services "somewhere near Leicester" would no suffice.
I always maintained that if anywhere was to warrant a reduced rest period, the centres of the busiest cities in the UK were not the ones! Much better to have your full 45 min break in London et al, to give you chance to recover from the heavy urban traffic and to be able to reduce your rest to 30 mins at motorway services.
Until January 2008 no service operated by the "nationwide company" legally required a tachograph being used, as they were all classed as "regular stopping services", though the rest periods stood as they were over 50km in length. Pre-1997 they could all have legitimately been registered in continuous sections of less than 50km each and would fall under UK Domestic Hours' legislation (5.5hrs then 30min break or 8.5hrs with total breaks during the period not less than 45mins).
Post a Comment
I always maintained that if anywhere was to warrant a reduced rest period, the centres of the busiest cities in the UK were not the ones! Much better to have your full 45 min break in London et al, to give you chance to recover from the heavy urban traffic and to be able to reduce your rest to 30 mins at motorway services.
Until January 2008 no service operated by the "nationwide company" legally required a tachograph being used, as they were all classed as "regular stopping services", though the rest periods stood as they were over 50km in length. Pre-1997 they could all have legitimately been registered in continuous sections of less than 50km each and would fall under UK Domestic Hours' legislation (5.5hrs then 30min break or 8.5hrs with total breaks during the period not less than 45mins).
# posted by : 24 February 2009 at 21:48
: 24 February 2009 at 21:48Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]