Far too many groups nowadays see themselves as some sort of "Professional Agency" when what they are supposed to be is a group of people offering their time and vehicles in times of emergency.

Chuckle they play at making themselves a role, they think they are special

Cocks with flo jackets and beacons thinking they are a wannabe emergency service.

About 3 years ago I was working in my landy in 6 foot snow drifts around Priddy, Deer Leap and Cheddar areas just outside of wells. I had several vehicles around the area that were stuck or had been disabled following accidents. It was impossible to get flat bed recovery trucks to them so I was extracting the vehicles that I could to positions where our trucks could load them and if this wasn't possible I was either moving them out of the carriageway or ferrying the occupants to places of safety such as pubs.

Whilst doing this I was challenged by a group of response guys. I was told that I shouldn't be doing it as I'm not trained in how to 'attach my rope' to cars and that I should stand back and let the 'professionals' get on with it.

I asked him what qualifications I required and they advised me that they are fully trained in recovering vehicles. When I asked them again what qualifications they had they told me that they had attended a half day course with the response group.

'Oooooooh' says I. 'Is that all?' Even my refresher courses with the Institute of vehicle recovery are 2 day courses'. I asked them if they'd like to see my collection of AA, RAC, Green flag, Brittania rescue etc cards and my company ID card or my IVR certificates. They soon found themselves in a 'hurry to go and help someone else' and scuttled off with their tails between their legs.:D:D:D

i needed my flo jacket and beacon yesterday :D had to recover this off a very wet and busy m6 last night from a fellow owner that had snapped timing belt, make a note the aa can't recover nato hitched trailers

it was just a fluke chance that we stopped to see if we could help

Untitled by Ste_Nova, on Flickr

If it wuz attached to a 90 at the time I woulda left it attached to the back of the landy and loaded the whole lot in one on the back of my old flatbed.

These days with a spec lift instead of a flatbed I find that dropping the prop on a Nissan navara and then towing it complete with fifth wheel trailer or suspend towing a sprinter, transit etc with trailer still attached can be entertaining at times.:D:D:D
 
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I'm surprised the response guys were interested in what you were doing, unless someone asked them to attend?
 
I'm surprised the response guys were interested in what you were doing, unless someone asked them to attend?

I believe they were supposedly meant to be ferrying stranded motorists to places of safety. I think the fact that I was taking the vehicles and occupants was ****ing em off.:p
 
Last I heard from the residents of the flooded areas is that 'do gooders' are pootling about around the area and getting in the way off the help that's actually needed and wanted. My thoughts are that we should stay away unless requested.

The other thing worth considering is that the level of the water is still rising.
 
Yes, my cousin in Kent is saying that the water is rising around by her.

last I heard from muchelney is that they were having to take the pumps away as they were under threat of being swamped.:eek:
 
I recieved a life time ban from the national 4x4 response forum
Because i asked why did no from from any of the 4x4 response group attend a missing person search
When every other 4x4 volenteer group in the area attended. Plus over 100members of the public. I asked was the reason they not show up because it was not a paying job.
Even the police chief wondered why they not show
 
Thank goodness we haven't gone all poncy with lzir, mind you can only imagine the **** taking if someone tried it
 
Wait.... They get paid??

Don't be silly, members have to pay to be a member by way of a yearly subscription. I was a member (now resigned) but am still getting daily texts requesting my support (mostly for Somerset levels). 2 texts today, the latest reads 'need the wading depth of your vehicle in millimetres, please reply etc etc' . Not replied yet but there must be a classic reply like 'that's nice' or just a plain 'feck off' because I'm getting a bit ****ed off with all the texts, particularly as I asked that all my info be removed from their database.
 
Don't be silly, members have to pay to be a member by way of a yearly subscription. I was a member (now resigned) but am still getting daily texts requesting my support (mostly for Somerset levels). 2 texts today, the latest reads 'need the wading depth of your vehicle in millimetres, please reply etc etc' . Not replied yet but there must be a classic reply like 'that's nice' or just a plain 'feck off' because I'm getting a bit ****ed off with all the texts, particularly as I asked that all my info be removed from their database.

Reply with "I've replaced my landy with a bedford lorry, wading depth is 2.5m"

Then wait for them to come a-begging so you can just say "feck off" :D

Nothing sweeter than lifting someone's hopes before shooting them down... although a bit vindictive
 
Any one given any thought to organising a LZ flood assist group for the Somerset levels?

Go for a 10 mins drive down to the candovers fella, I'm working at a house and got 10 big pumps going for the last week 24hrs a day to keep the water at just an 1" on the floor. Didn't realize it was so bad and only just down the road. A lot of the houses are below the level of the river and water table so think if the level doesn't drop in next few weeks the family will just let it flood as costing £150 a day just to run the pumps :eek: :rolleyes:
 
Out of questioning, what is the standard wading depth of a Defender and a D2 ?

You LR guys must be having lots of problems with washed out bearings, and diff problems no?

I once took my LC which is lifted 50mm, and 20mm lift on taller tyres, through a river, which was a bit deeper than expected.
It was level with the bottom of my drivers door window, (about 1,27M) I was lucky to get through without swamping.
Bow wave was covering the windscreen wipers.

Some weeks later after carefully fitting a Safari snorkel, the LC wades 1,6M, but the rear starts to float, and lift off the road/river bed.
Quite a very strange feeling when the back wheels lift clear and start to swing sideways.

Gra
 

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