A WORLD champion cyclist has praised one couple who let him use their toilet - and said he wouldn't have won without their help.

Mathieu van der Poel, who claimed the UCI Road World Championships title, said he owes the victory to Davie and Shona Findlay.

t came after the race was stopped for 51 minutes after disruption caused by climate protesters, which saw five arrested.

Activists barricaded a road in a nature park just north of a road leading into Glasgow - meaning the peloton ground to a halt.

The remote nature of the area meant there were few places for the competitors to take refuge - apart from one house.

Davie and Shona were shocked when the sweaty Dutch cyclist knocked on their door and asked to deliver a "big massive message".

Mathieu told the Daily Record: “It was a crazy day. But I have to go back to the middle of the race for the most important part.

“I had to do a big massive message. I had to knock on the door of a couple’s house along the course.

"I really owe them and I would like to thank them so much. I couldn’t have carried on racing without their help."

The grateful cyclist praised the "kind" and unsuspecting pair for helping him win "the biggest race of my life".

A stunned Davie, 58, humbly said any neighbour would have done the same.

“All we did was offer a bit of hospitality, which we would always do.

"We did feel that it was a bit of an emergency because the team manager came first and asked if we could let one rider use the facilities, who I now take to be Mathieu van der Poel."

The helpful homeowner described his brief guest as a "nice guy and extremely polite", adding "he was so grateful".

And, their generosity was extended to more than just Mathieu.

“The next thing we knew there was another rider and then another and I think we had four of the guys from the Netherlands in," added a proud Davie.

“I think they were just taking advantage of the lull in the race and enjoying the rest while they got focused for the restart.”

Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house.

When Moerenhout was asked by reporters if his cyclist had stopped off at the house for a pee, he joked: "To pee? I think for something more than that. Oh well, it makes for another nice story."

But, "thrilled" couple Davie and Shona said they were happy to help and described the whole experience as "surreal".

Mathieu added: "It means everything. It was one of my biggest goals and to win it today is amazing.

"It almost completes my career in my opinion, it’s almost my biggest victory on the road.”

This wasn't the first time that a cyclist has had to stop mid-race for a sanitary pit stop.

At the Giro D'Italia in 2017, Tom Dumoulin was also forced to take a break when nature called on the tour's 16th stage.

Like Van der Poel, he also went on to claim victory on that particular tour. Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 11/08/2023 04:43 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

A WORLD champion cyclist has praised one couple who let him use their toilet - and said he wouldn't have won without their help.>
Mathieu van der Poel, who claimed the UCI Road World Championships title, said he owes the victory to Davie and Shona Findlay.
...t came after the race was stopped for 51 minutes after disruption caused by climate protesters, which saw five arrested.
Activists barricaded a road in a nature park just north of a road leading into Glasgow - meaning the peloton ground to a halt.

Not many village greens round that way, at a guess.

The remote nature of the area meant there were few places for the competitors to take refuge - apart from one house.
Davie and Shona were shocked when the sweaty Dutch cyclist knocked on their door and asked to deliver a "big massive message".
Mathieu told the Daily Record: “It was a crazy day. But I have to go back to the middle of the race for the most important part.
“I had to do a big massive message. I had to knock on the door of a couple’s house along the course.
"I really owe them and I would like to thank them so much. I couldn’t have carried on racing without their help."
The grateful cyclist praised the "kind" and unsuspecting pair for helping him win "the biggest race of my life".
A stunned Davie, 58, humbly said any neighbour would have done the same. “All we did was offer a bit of hospitality, which we would always do.
"We did feel that it was a bit of an emergency because the team manager came first and asked if we could let one rider use the facilities, who I now take to be Mathieu van der Poel."
The helpful homeowner described his brief guest as a "nice guy and extremely polite", adding "he was so grateful".
And, their generosity was extended to more than just Mathieu.
“The next thing we knew there was another rider and then another and I think we had four of the guys from the Netherlands in," added a proud Davie.
“I think they were just taking advantage of the lull in the race and enjoying the rest while they got focused for the restart.”
Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house.
When Moerenhout was asked by reporters if his cyclist had stopped off at the house for a pee, he joked: "To pee? I think for something more than that. Oh well, it makes for another nice story."
But, "thrilled" couple Davie and Shona said they were happy to help and described the whole experience as "surreal".
Mathieu added: "It means everything. It was one of my biggest goals and to win it today is amazing.
"It almost completes my career in my opinion, it’s almost my biggest victory on the road.”
This wasn't the first time that a cyclist has had to stop mid-race for a sanitary pit stop.

We know that!

At the Giro D'Italia in 2017, Tom Dumoulin was also forced to take a break when nature called on the tour's 16th stage.

Remind us, which particular village green was that?

Like Van der Poel, he also went on to claim victory on that particular tour. Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 4:43:46 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

A WORLD champion cyclist has praised one couple who let him use their toilet - and said he wouldn't have won without their help.

Truck drivers meanwhile:

QUOTE: A TRUCK driver who defecated on a client’s loading bay has kicked up a stink over his dismissal.

Edward Riordan, 72, insists he unloaded in the loading bay amid an “urgent diarrhoea” incident.

The bowel troubled trucker told the Workplace Relations Commission that he decided not to inform anyone about the poop because he thought it would wash away in a thunderstorm.

Riordan - who got the sack following the loading bay dump - has now accused his former employer, the Limerick-based All Star Logistics Ltd, of discriminating against him.

The veteran haulier claims discrimination by the firm on the grounds of age and disability by hiring a younger driver, cutting his hours and then sacking him in the wake of the loading bay poo.

Riordan maintains the incident was brought on by a peptic ulcer condition.

But during a heated hearing this week, his employer challenged a report that the complainant had suffered a “gastrointestinal flare”.

The company argued that the firmness of the stool discovered by one of his colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.

Its representative, Ellen Walsh of Peninsula Business Services, argued that the firmness of the stool discovered by one of Mr Riordan’s colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.

But giving evidence Mr Riordan hit back, saying: “As far as I was concerned, it was diarrhoea.”

The tribunal was told that an instruction was passed from the company’s management to its transport manager not to assign Mr Riordan to driving jobs after the defecation incident.

The company’s HR manager, Caroline Murphy said: “When we found out about this incident we immediately stopped the drives because of how serious the nature of it was.”

The company’s managing director, Paudie Murphy, denied discrimination on either age or disability grounds.

Mr Murphy told how Mr Riordan had failed to declare that he was taking any medication, or that he had the peptic ulcer disorder in two medical forms he signed and had made no mention of it until a disciplinary meeting was held.

The complainant side argued there had been defects in the investigation, disciplinary and appeals process leading to Mr Riordan’s dismissal.

The firm maintained this was not relevant to a claim brought under equality legislation and that no discriminatory link had been established.

Adjudicating officer Ewa Sobanska will deliver her decision at a later date

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Cannabis time again?

QUOTE The company argued that the firmness of the stool discovered by one
of his colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.

Its representative, Ellen Walsh of Peninsula Business Services, argued that
the firmness of the stool discovered by one of Mr Riordan’s colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.
ENDQUOTE

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

On Friday, August 11, 2023 at 4:43:46 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

A WORLD champion cyclist has praised one couple who let him use their
toilet - and said he wouldn't have won without their help.

Truck drivers meanwhile:

QUOTE: A TRUCK driver who defecated on a client’s loading bay has kicked
up a stink over his dismissal.

Edward Riordan, 72, insists he unloaded in the loading bay amid an
“urgent diarrhoea” incident.

The bowel troubled trucker told the Workplace Relations Commission that
he decided not to inform anyone about the poop because he thought it
would wash away in a thunderstorm.

Riordan - who got the sack following the loading bay dump - has now
accused his former employer, the Limerick-based All Star Logistics Ltd,
of discriminating against him.

The veteran haulier claims discrimination by the firm on the grounds of
age and disability by hiring a younger driver, cutting his hours and then sacking him in the wake of the loading bay poo.

Riordan maintains the incident was brought on by a peptic ulcer condition.

But during a heated hearing this week, his employer challenged a report
that the complainant had suffered a “gastrointestinal flare”.

The company argued that the firmness of the stool discovered by one of
his colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.

Its representative, Ellen Walsh of Peninsula Business Services, argued
that the firmness of the stool discovered by one of Mr Riordan’s
colleagues was inconsistent with diarrhoea.

But giving evidence Mr Riordan hit back, saying: “As far as I was concerned, it was diarrhoea.”

The tribunal was told that an instruction was passed from the company’s management to its transport manager not to assign Mr Riordan to driving
jobs after the defecation incident.

The company’s HR manager, Caroline Murphy said: “When we found out about this incident we immediately stopped the drives because of how serious
the nature of it was.”

The company’s managing director, Paudie Murphy, denied discrimination on either age or disability grounds.

Mr Murphy told how Mr Riordan had failed to declare that he was taking
any medication, or that he had the peptic ulcer disorder in two medical
forms he signed and had made no mention of it until a disciplinary meeting was held.

The complainant side argued there had been defects in the investigation, disciplinary and appeals process leading to Mr Riordan’s dismissal.

The firm maintained this was not relevant to a claim brought under
equality legislation and that no discriminatory link had been established.

Adjudicating officer Ewa Sobanska will deliver her decision at a later date

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

"There are certain places you can almost guarantee there will be a queue, everyone turns up at once and they can only unload one truck at a time."

And then there is the small matter of comfort breaks while on the road, with toilet facilities, showers and general pit-stop areas varying dramatically.

"A great big depot will have a shower and toilet facilities that are good," Tim said. "But invariably on the motorway, services aren't the cleanest – they can be pretty mouldy as they are usually inside the building.

"I remember going into one getting up 4am to go to have shower and it was mess of used condoms all over the floor."

However, at least service stations do have facilities, however limited. When it comes to getting caught out needing the toilet mid-journey though, the options are far more limited.

"I have had it when you are in the lay-by side on the side of the road, parked up, there is no toilet and it's the middle of night," he said.

"You don't want to get out the cab so you pee in a bottle or if you get caught really short and are really desperate you have to improvise. Get a carrier bag, line it with newspapers, squat over it and do what you need to do."

Tim added: "If you have got a three-hour run and are stuck in traffic on M25 and you think I'm going to p**s myself, then you pull over onto the hard shoulder and do what you have to do."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Cannabis time again?

QUOTE "I remember going into one getting up 4am to go to have shower and it
was mess of used condoms all over the floor."
ENDQUOTE


swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

"There are certain places you can almost guarantee there will be a queue, everyone turns up at once and they can only unload one truck at a time."

And then there is the small matter of comfort breaks while on the road,
with toilet facilities, showers and general pit-stop areas varying dramatically.

"A great big depot will have a shower and toilet facilities that are
good," Tim said. "But invariably on the motorway, services aren't the cleanest – they can be pretty mouldy as they are usually inside the building.

"I remember going into one getting up 4am to go to have shower and it was mess of used condoms all over the floor."

However, at least service stations do have facilities, however limited.
When it comes to getting caught out needing the toilet mid-journey
though, the options are far more limited.

"I have had it when you are in the lay-by side on the side of the road, parked up, there is no toilet and it's the middle of night," he said.

"You don't want to get out the cab so you pee in a bottle or if you get caught really short and are really desperate you have to improvise. Get a carrier bag, line it with newspapers, squat over it and do what you need to do."

Tim added: "If you have got a three-hour run and are stuck in traffic on
M25 and you think I'm going to p**s myself, then you pull over onto the
hard shoulder and do what you have to do."

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

HUNDREDS of bags overflowing with human poo, soiled adult-sized nappies and plastic bottles filled with wee lie piled up in a stinking heap.

But this isn't a rubbish dump - it's one of hundreds of British motorway lay-bys that truck drivers use to relieve themselves during long road trips.

hockingly, a tonne of human poo is left on roadsides across the UK every day - and it's the job of highway patrol men like Calum and Clive - who feature in this week's Grime and Punishment - to clean it up.

"I've been here two years and while at the start it was a bit disgusting, you get used to it," says Calum. "I'm just not allowed home in my work uniform."

nd while it may seem gross to us, it's all in a day's work for these poo pickers.

As Calum and Clive pull into their first lay-by of the day, they're immediately met by the stench of the poo that fills the ditches at the side of the road.

Pointing to a collection of scattered tissues, Calum explains: "They [the drivers] just have a poo down there and put tissues to cover it up and just leave it there. It's disgusting."

A few paces later, he stumbles across multiple drinks bottles filled with wee - which he says is commonly chucked out the windows of truck drivers completing long journeys.

"We've got a bit of humane excrement here," exclaims Clive, pointing to a poo on the pavement.

"I was quite horrified the first time I saw one because lay-bys were something I'd never stopped in before," says Clive as he inspects the mess. "Now, it's an everyday occurrence."

He uses a large brush and water to wash it away - but the same can't be said for all of the waste the pair find.

"Instead of stopping to go to the toilet, some people are pooping in nappies and then they throw those out the window," says Calum as he spots an adult-sized diaper and scoops it into a big bag.

"And here, someone's had a poo in a bag and chucked it out."

Moving on to the next lay-by just a mile away, the team find even more human waste - some not even in bags.

Clive finds a large pile of human diarrhoea that has been left by a driver, which he has the task of picking up with a shovel and putting into a plastic bag.

"Human excrement again," he says. "If excrement is left in the lay-by, other people see it and they feel it's acceptable to do this when it's not, so we have to clean it. It is grim."
"It's disgusting really," says Calum. "Some people have to stop here to have their lunch break and they've got to come here with the smell of people's wee."

Clearing up the last of the poo bags, Clive explains that the pair can easily find up to three quarters of a tonne of rubbish every day when patrolling this stretch of road.

"I'm sure if I looked harder I would find plenty more," he adds. "If one person leaves a bag of poo, other people think it's okay, so we have to keep on top of it."

Piling their rubbish bags onto the truck to take back to the dump, the hardworking duo assess their finds for the day: beer cans, general litter, bottles of wee and of course, lots of poo.

"It's been a good day," concludes Clive. "Only because I haven't stepped in anything."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

HUNDREDS of bags overflowing with human poo, soiled adult-sized nappies and plastic bottles filled with wee lie piled up in a stinking heap.

But this isn't a rubbish dump - it's one of hundreds of British motorway lay-bys that truck drivers use to relieve themselves during long road trips.

Shockingly, a tonne of human poo is left on roadsides across the UK every day - and it's the job of highway patrol men like Calum and Clive - who feature in this week's Grime and Punishment - to clean it up.

"I've been here two years and while at the start it was a bit disgusting, you get used to it," says Calum. "I'm just not allowed home in my work uniform."

And while it may seem gross to us, it's all in a day's work for these poo pickers.

As Calum and Clive pull into their first lay-by of the day, they're immediately met by the stench of the poo that fills the ditches at the side of the road.

Pointing to a collection of scattered tissues, Calum explains: "They [the drivers] just have a poo down there and put tissues to cover it up and just leave it there. It's disgusting."

A few paces later, he stumbles across multiple drinks bottles filled with wee - which he says is commonly chucked out the windows of truck drivers completing long journeys.

"We've got a bit of human excrement here," exclaims Clive, pointing to a poo on the pavement.

"I was quite horrified the first time I saw one because lay-bys were something I'd never stopped in before," says Clive as he inspects the mess. "Now, it's an everyday occurrence."

He uses a large brush and water to wash it away - but the same can't be said for all of the waste the pair find.

"Instead of stopping to go to the toilet, some people are pooping in nappies and then they throw those out the window," says Calum as he spots an adult-sized diaper and scoops it into a big bag.

"And here, someone's had a poo in a bag and chucked it out." Moving on to the next lay-by just a mile away, the team find even more human waste - some not even in bags.

Clive finds a large pile of human diarrhoea that has been left by a driver, which he has the task of picking up with a shovel and putting into a plastic bag.

"Human excrement again," he says. "If excrement is left in the lay-by, other people see it and they feel it's acceptable to do this when it's not, so we have to clean it. It is grim."

"It's disgusting really," says Calum. "Some people have to stop here to have their lunch break and they've got to come here with the smell of people's wee."

Clearing up the last of the poo bags, Clive explains that the pair can easily find up to three quarters of a tonne of rubbish every day when patrolling this stretch of road.

"I'm sure if I looked harder I would find plenty more," he adds. "If one person leaves a bag of poo, other people think it's okay, so we have to keep on top of it."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Cheap solution to the poo-in-layby issue?

Plant them with brambles and pyracantha.

Provide wheelie bins.

Put up a camera…every motor vehicle has a number plate. It won’t catch cyclists, though, although they are well known for crapping in public
places.


swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

HUNDREDS of bags overflowing with human poo, soiled adult-sized nappies
and plastic bottles filled with wee lie piled up in a stinking heap.

But this isn't a rubbish dump - it's one of hundreds of British motorway lay-bys that truck drivers use to relieve themselves during long road trips.

hockingly, a tonne of human poo is left on roadsides across the UK every
day - and it's the job of highway patrol men like Calum and Clive - who feature in this week's Grime and Punishment - to clean it up.

"I've been here two years and while at the start it was a bit disgusting,
you get used to it," says Calum. "I'm just not allowed home in my work uniform."

nd while it may seem gross to us, it's all in a day's work for these poo pickers.

As Calum and Clive pull into their first lay-by of the day, they're immediately met by the stench of the poo that fills the ditches at the side of the road.

Pointing to a collection of scattered tissues, Calum explains: "They [the drivers] just have a poo down there and put tissues to cover it up and
just leave it there. It's disgusting."

A few paces later, he stumbles across multiple drinks bottles filled with
wee - which he says is commonly chucked out the windows of truck drivers completing long journeys.

"We've got a bit of humane excrement here," exclaims Clive, pointing to a
poo on the pavement.

"I was quite horrified the first time I saw one because lay-bys were something I'd never stopped in before," says Clive as he inspects the
mess. "Now, it's an everyday occurrence."

He uses a large brush and water to wash it away - but the same can't be
said for all of the waste the pair find.

"Instead of stopping to go to the toilet, some people are pooping in
nappies and then they throw those out the window," says Calum as he spots
an adult-sized diaper and scoops it into a big bag.

"And here, someone's had a poo in a bag and chucked it out."

Moving on to the next lay-by just a mile away, the team find even more
human waste - some not even in bags.

Clive finds a large pile of human diarrhoea that has been left by a
driver, which he has the task of picking up with a shovel and putting into a plastic bag.

"Human excrement again," he says. "If excrement is left in the lay-by,
other people see it and they feel it's acceptable to do this when it's
not, so we have to clean it. It is grim."
"It's disgusting really," says Calum. "Some people have to stop here to
have their lunch break and they've got to come here with the smell of people's wee."

Clearing up the last of the poo bags, Clive explains that the pair can
easily find up to three quarters of a tonne of rubbish every day when patrolling this stretch of road.

"I'm sure if I looked harder I would find plenty more," he adds. "If one person leaves a bag of poo, other people think it's okay, so we have to keep on top of it."

Piling their rubbish bags onto the truck to take back to the dump, the hardworking duo assess their finds for the day: beer cans, general
litter, bottles of wee and of course, lots of poo.

"It's been a good day," concludes Clive. "Only because I haven't stepped in anything."

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

People living near a busy road are taking matters into their own hands after finding bags of poo hanging from trees and bottles of urine dumped outside their homes by lorry drivers.

Neighbours who live along the A249 are placing traffic cones outside their properties to deter lorries from spending the night there.

Dez Leach, who lives in Detling, said he has seen as many as 19 lorries parked in the lay-by next to his house overnight.

He said: "Living next to the A249 is quite hard work and I have been living there for about five years but to be fair, the road was there a long time before I was so I knew what I was moving in to.

"Next to my house there is a lay-by and there's room for two lorries but most nights there are around seven or eight with the most being 19.

"There aren't any toilets there - and I do sympathise with the lorry drivers as it must be really difficult for them.

"But they either go in a carrier bag and throw it out the window or just on the grass.

"The urine is often in bottles which are thrown over my hedge or into the road."

Maidstone Borough Council has installed bins at designated parking spots but, despite this, litter fills the hedges.

Mr Leach added the kerbstones and verges are cracking under the weight of the lorries, handing Kent County Council the bill to repair them.

He said: "To be fair KCC has been really good at coming to clear the lay-by when I call them up and they have replaced a load of curbstones but they will just break again.

"Neither the path or the kerbstones are designed for lorry parking so the paths now have big cracks.
Lorry drivers have left bags of poo and bottles or urine by the roadside in Detling

He added his sympathies for the drivers as there are few places to park for free but raised his frustrations how lorry engines are left running overnight next to his home.

To deter lorry drivers from parking up, Mr Leach and his neighbours are trying to block the lay-by with traffic cones.

Detling Parish Council chair Irene Bowie said: "We don't know why people aren't using bins.

"It's awful, leaving human waste lying round poses environmental issues and something needs to be done."

Cllr Bowie is also concerned of the dangers posed by lorries blocking lay-bys.

She said: "I've seen for myself foreign lorry drivers having to stop in live traffic and reverse into lay-bys. It's horrific.

"Because they're foreign lorries, they are also pulling out into the road blind, we've also seen lorries parking closer to pavements and damaging the road.

"If someone were to break down in the evening when the lay-bys are full, they have to stop in live traffic."

Kent County Council said it cannot do anything about the litter or parking, which it said comes under Maidstone Borough Council.

A spokesperson from Maidstone Borough Council said: "We have a very robust cleansing schedule of the lay-bys along the A249 in place.

"Over the past 12 months we have provided additional litter bins and worked with Kent County Council to keep vegetation low and litter free.

"We always respond to reports from the public requesting for waste to be removed from the highway as quickly as possible and work together with the police to report any illegal activity that we find evidence of.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Looks like you can’t resist the Must Have Last Word (MHLW) syndrome, even
if you have to repeat a post you made only 11 hours previously…

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

HUNDREDS of bags overflowing with human poo, soiled adult-sized nappies
and plastic bottles filled with wee lie piled up in a stinking heap.

But this isn't a rubbish dump - it's one of hundreds of British motorway lay-bys that truck drivers use to relieve themselves during long road trips.

Shockingly, a tonne of human poo is left on roadsides across the UK every
day - and it's the job of highway patrol men like Calum and Clive - who feature in this week's Grime and Punishment - to clean it up.

"I've been here two years and while at the start it was a bit disgusting,
you get used to it," says Calum. "I'm just not allowed home in my work uniform."

And while it may seem gross to us, it's all in a day's work for these poo pickers.

As Calum and Clive pull into their first lay-by of the day, they're immediately met by the stench of the poo that fills the ditches at the side of the road.

Pointing to a collection of scattered tissues, Calum explains: "They [the drivers] just have a poo down there and put tissues to cover it up and
just leave it there. It's disgusting."

A few paces later, he stumbles across multiple drinks bottles filled with
wee - which he says is commonly chucked out the windows of truck drivers completing long journeys.

"We've got a bit of human excrement here," exclaims Clive, pointing to a
poo on the pavement.

"I was quite horrified the first time I saw one because lay-bys were something I'd never stopped in before," says Clive as he inspects the
mess. "Now, it's an everyday occurrence."

He uses a large brush and water to wash it away - but the same can't be
said for all of the waste the pair find.

"Instead of stopping to go to the toilet, some people are pooping in
nappies and then they throw those out the window," says Calum as he spots
an adult-sized diaper and scoops it into a big bag.

"And here, someone's had a poo in a bag and chucked it out." Moving on
to the next lay-by just a mile away, the team find even more human waste
- some not even in bags.

Clive finds a large pile of human diarrhoea that has been left by a
driver, which he has the task of picking up with a shovel and putting into a plastic bag.

"Human excrement again," he says. "If excrement is left in the lay-by,
other people see it and they feel it's acceptable to do this when it's
not, so we have to clean it. It is grim."

"It's disgusting really," says Calum. "Some people have to stop here to
have their lunch break and they've got to come here with the smell of people's wee."

Clearing up the last of the poo bags, Clive explains that the pair can
easily find up to three quarters of a tonne of rubbish every day when patrolling this stretch of road.

"I'm sure if I looked harder I would find plenty more," he adds. "If one person leaves a bag of poo, other people think it's okay, so we have to keep on top of it."

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Maidstone Borough Council have decided not to use the
bramble-and-pyracantha route to deal with the problems.

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…


swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

People living near a busy road are taking matters into their own hands
after finding bags of poo hanging from trees and bottles of urine dumped outside their homes by lorry drivers.

Neighbours who live along the A249 are placing traffic cones outside
their properties to deter lorries from spending the night there.

Dez Leach, who lives in Detling, said he has seen as many as 19 lorries parked in the lay-by next to his house overnight.

He said: "Living next to the A249 is quite hard work and I have been
living there for about five years but to be fair, the road was there a
long time before I was so I knew what I was moving in to.

"Next to my house there is a lay-by and there's room for two lorries but
most nights there are around seven or eight with the most being 19.

"There aren't any toilets there - and I do sympathise with the lorry
drivers as it must be really difficult for them.

"But they either go in a carrier bag and throw it out the window or just on the grass.

"The urine is often in bottles which are thrown over my hedge or into the road."

Maidstone Borough Council has installed bins at designated parking spots
but, despite this, litter fills the hedges.

Mr Leach added the kerbstones and verges are cracking under the weight of
the lorries, handing Kent County Council the bill to repair them.

He said: "To be fair KCC has been really good at coming to clear the
lay-by when I call them up and they have replaced a load of curbstones
but they will just break again.

"Neither the path or the kerbstones are designed for lorry parking so the paths now have big cracks.
Lorry drivers have left bags of poo and bottles or urine by the roadside in Detling

He added his sympathies for the drivers as there are few places to park
for free but raised his frustrations how lorry engines are left running overnight next to his home.

To deter lorry drivers from parking up, Mr Leach and his neighbours are trying to block the lay-by with traffic cones.

Detling Parish Council chair Irene Bowie said: "We don't know why people aren't using bins.

"It's awful, leaving human waste lying round poses environmental issues
and something needs to be done."

Cllr Bowie is also concerned of the dangers posed by lorries blocking lay-bys.

She said: "I've seen for myself foreign lorry drivers having to stop in
live traffic and reverse into lay-bys. It's horrific.

"Because they're foreign lorries, they are also pulling out into the road blind, we've also seen lorries parking closer to pavements and damaging the road.

"If someone were to break down in the evening when the lay-bys are full,
they have to stop in live traffic."

Kent County Council said it cannot do anything about the litter or
parking, which it said comes under Maidstone Borough Council.

A spokesperson from Maidstone Borough Council said: "We have a very
robust cleansing schedule of the lay-bys along the A249 in place.

"Over the past 12 months we have provided additional litter bins and
worked with Kent County Council to keep vegetation low and litter free.

"We always respond to reports from the public requesting for waste to be removed from the highway as quickly as possible and work together with
the police to report any illegal activity that we find evidence of.

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

IT'S a tough life being an MP. At least it was for the chairman of the Select Committee on Transport, Huw Merriman.

On what is referred to as a fact-finding mission to assess the lack of parking provision for lorries in Kent, the minibus in which MPs were travelling pulled into a lay-by.

As he stepped off the minibus he found what he thought to be terra firma but was actually human excrement.

Oh well, at least he can claim to have first-hand knowledge of the problems associated with the lack of proper parks for hauliers.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

IT'S a tough life being an MP. At least it was for the chairman of the
Select Committee on Transport, Huw Merriman.

On what is referred to as a fact-finding mission to assess the lack of parking provision for lorries in Kent, the minibus in which MPs were travelling pulled into a lay-by.

As he stepped off the minibus he found what he thought to be terra firma
but was actually human excrement.

Oh well, at least he can claim to have first-hand knowledge of the
problems associated with the lack of proper parks for hauliers.

One hopes he didn’t traipse it into his kitchen, as some people are known
to have done.

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Huw Merriman MP steps in poo in Kent layby on Brexit lorry trip

Welcome to Boris Johnson’s “golden age”

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1687957322335653888/kIOhJrN6?format=jpg&name=medium

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

Huw Merriman MP steps in poo in Kent layby on Brexit lorry trip

Welcome to Boris Johnson’s “golden age”

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1687957322335653888/kIOhJrN6?format=jpg&name=medium

Within days of Brexit coming into force, the authorities said that goods traffic was running at over 90% of pre-Brexit levels; so keep clinging to a single photo as ‘proof’ of whatever it is you believe in…

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Cumbria resident fined after waste found at recycling centre

A woman from Gaisgill, Cumbria, has been convicted in court of a fly-tipping offence after waste which was found to have originated from her house was found “dumped” at a household waste and recycling centre.

Carlisle magistrates court ordered the resident to pay a total of £206 on 27 July, Westmorland and Furness council explained in a statement published yesterday (9 August).

The council explained that environmental officers from the former Eden district council; now Westmorland and Furness, were first alerted about the fly-tipping at the recycling centre in December 2022 and found subsequent evidence linking it to Martina
Marriott of Hilldale View, Gaisgill.

The council said that Ms Marriott had “claimed that men who had been working on her house had taken it away as a favour but failed to provide information about their identity to council officers.”

Cllr Dyan Jones, cabinet member for customer and waste services at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “It is important that anyone who offers to take away waste has an Upper Tier Waste Carrier’s Licence which they can show if requested before
removing waste, and it’s also important that residents are aware of their responsibility for what happens to their household waste.

“Whether you pay someone to take your waste away or they take it for free, it is vital that you are satisfied that they are legally licenced to do so and it is helpful to record their details. Genuine licensed waste carriers are unlikely to object to
giving you their details or showing you their waste carrier’s licence.

“If your waste is subsequently fly-tipped as in this case, and you can help identify who took the waste away, it is the fly-tipper that the council will then pursue.”

https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/westmorland-furness-fly-tipping/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 11/08/2023 09:57 pm, Spike wrote:

Cannabis time again?

MAY SUN QUOTE "I remember going into one getting up 4am to go to have shower and it
was mess of used condoms all over the floor."
ENDQUOTE

May Sun should,have emptied his pockets BEFORE going into the shower?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 12/08/2023 12:16 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

IT'S a tough life being an MP. At least it was for the chairman of the Select Committee on Transport, Huw Merriman.

On what is referred to as a fact-finding mission to assess the lack of parking provision for lorries in Kent, the minibus in which MPs were travelling pulled into a lay-by.

As he stepped off the minibus he found what he thought to be terra firma but was actually human excrement.

Oh well, at least he can claim to have first-hand knowledge of the problems associated with the lack of proper parks for hauliers.

Do they want swings, roundabouts and slides as well?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

A restaurant has been fined for its second time in eight months after fly-tipping their waste in and around residential bins.

Wah Bey, a Pakistani restaurant on Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, had dumped its rubbish in residential bins and left multiple food waste bags on the street near Frinton Mews, behind the restaurant.

It had first received a legal notice last year in regards to how its commercial waste should be stored and has since been under the eye of Redbridge Council as it breached the notice twice in less than six months.

The restaurant was also subject to a noise abatement notice last year.

A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) to the restaurant for fly-tipping and breaching the notice was unpaid by the restaurant’s company director, Sarfraz Ghaffar, despite him receiving reminder letters.

Ghaffar, 43, then appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on August 1, where he pleaded guilty to six charges of fly-tipping and two breaches of the Environmental Protection Act Notice.

He was fined a total of £6,824 for fines, court and council costs as well as compensation for the council’s clear up costs.

He had previously been convicted in December 2022 for four breaches of the notice, and was fined a total of £2,142.

Redbridge Council says it is investigating further noise complaints from the restaurant this year. Cllr Khayer Chowdhury, the Redbridge cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “We all have a responsibility to ensure our streets and
neighbourhoods are clean, and that includes businesses.

“Fly-tipping commercial waste on our streets and into the bins of innocent residents is unacceptable. We all need to work together to make sure Redbridge is clean and pleasant, and this prosecution is a testament to our commitment to holding rule
breakers to account for their behaviour.”

https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23718716.ilford-restaurant-wah-bey-fined-fly-tipping-near-homes/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

A restaurant has been fined for its second time in eight months after fly-tipping their waste in and around residential bins.

https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23718716.ilford-restaurant-wah-bey-fined-fly-tipping-near-homes/

Looks like Mason is on a fly-tipping trip again…

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Those who drop litter and those who fly-tip waste in the County Town will soon face a big hike in penalties.

The government has announced a raft of new measures to help local authorities tackle the problem of anti-social behaviour and Maidstone Borough Council intends to make full use of them.

Under the plan, the maximum fine for littering that can be issued through a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) will rise from £150 to £500 – a 233% jump.

Similarly, the maximum fine that can be for fly-tipping will rise from £400 to £1,000.

There will also be bigger fines for these households who give domestic waste to an unlicensed contractor to dispose of – up from £400 to £600.

In special circumstances, local authorities can also choose to pursue offenders through the courts rather than issue a Fixed Penalty Notice, and in that case there will be no maximum on the size of the fine imposed, and the offender could also be jailed.

Cllr Partick Garten (Con) is the cabinet member in charge of environmental services. He said: “Fly-tipping and littering are extremely anti-social. They are a blight on our beautiful borough and have an environmental and economic impact on the
community of Maidstone.

“We want to stamp out this behaviour and our Waste Crime Team is doing all it can to reduce the impact this has on the people of Maidstone. They will do this by way of enforcement action and will issue fixed penalty notices when needed.

“If they know that they are repeat offenders or when they’ve profited from collecting waste and illegally deposing it, we will use all our powers and to prosecute offenders through the courts.”

He added that Maidstone council had a “zero-tolerance” approach to waste crime and that council officers would seek to seize and destroy any vehicles used for fly-tipping.

The cabinet will formally decide on the new level of fines at its meeting on September 20, with the new penalties likely to come into force on Sunday, October 1.

There are other aspects to the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, including the use of “hotspot policing” which will introduce a new immediate justice service that would compel perpetrators to swiftly clean up their own mess.

The recreational use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) will banned and £59m put into a campaign to target drug dealing on the streets.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

Cllr Partick Garten (Con) is the cabinet member in charge of environmental services.

Cannabis moment again?

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Two people have been fined after a fly-tipping investigation that saw rubbish dumped on a major A-road in County Durham.

Council wardens in Durham began investigating after a report of fly-tipping on August 30, 2022 that happened on the A68 at Harperley, near Stanley.

The incident, which was captured on CCTV, led to an extensive probe was launched by the Wardens Fly Tipping Investigation Team.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, two people have now been fined for their part in the offence.

Mallaiana Maria Campbell, 36, of St Helen Auckland was ordered to pay a total of £327.25, while Anthony Price, 48, also of St Helen Auckland, was ordered to pay £356 for failing to assist in the investigation.

Earlier in the investigation the vehicle which was used in the offence was seized as part of the investigation.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

Two people have been fined after a fly-tipping investigation that saw rubbish dumped on a major A-road in County Durham.

Dumping bicycles, were they?

Sounds a bit like Amsterdam, where they dredge 15000 bicycles a year out of
the canals.

Over to Mason for a Must Have Last Word (MHLW) posting…

--
Spike

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

A record number of councils in England and Wales are using private companies to issue fines for littering and fly-tipping amid concern that some contractors are adopting unscrupulous tactics to profit from people.

Littering penalties are set to rise as part of a crackdown on antisocial behaviour. The environment minister, Rebecca Pow, said the maximum amount people caught fly-tipping could be fined would more than double from £400 to £1,000. Those who breach
their household waste duty of care could be fined £600, up from £400.

In 2021-22, English and Welsh councils dealt with almost 1.1m fly-tipping incidents and issued 91,000 fines, along with other enforcement actions. In early 2022, freedom of information data from the civil liberties campaign group Manifesto Club showed 66
councils employed a private company to issue fines for environmental offences such as fly-tipping, dog fouling and smoking in prohibited areas. This year 76 councils are employing private firms, up 10 in a year.

But critics have expressed concern about how some of these companies are operating. People who spoke to the Guardian complained of being fined for feeding birds, for putting their bins out at the wrong time, and being falsely accused of fly-tipping. They
have accused companies of not having clear appeals policies and of threatening people with court, wrongly stating it is up to them to prove innocence. In UK law it is up to the prosecuting body to prove guilt.

One company, 3GS, was awarded a £2.9m contract for enforcement services in Waltham Forest in April 2021. In its first nine months on the job, the Waltham Forest Echo found they issued more than 7,500 fines – of which 5,000 were for littering cigarette
butts.

Last year, 3GS lost a contract with Manchester city council. The council said the contract ended and after a tendering exercise a new one was appointed. 3GS took about 75% of all profits made from litter fines, the council said.

They added: “A percentage of the receipts from paid FPNs (fixed-penalty notices) was retained by 3GS but from this, the company was expected to cover their costs in running the service – ie staffing, equipment and other overheads.” Manchester
council said it never set targets on the number of FPNs.

In September 2019, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs produced guidance seeking to rein in the practice of issuing fines for profit. This guidance said enforcement should not be used as a means of raising revenue. However, this
guidance is non-statutory and therefore in practice it is ignored. Defra is looking at making the guidance statutory.

Josie Appleton, the director of the Manifesto Club, said: “The corrupting practice of paying companies per fine should be outlawed. It does nothing for cleaner streets, and just means that members of the public are hassled and unfairly targeted.
Enforcement should be carried out by public officers enforcing the law fairly and in the public interest. Defra plans to restrict ‘fining for profit’ with upcoming statutory guidance, but it’s essential that this guidance has teeth so that it
actually changes practice on the ground.”

One former worker at 3GS, who joined in 2019, alleges officers working for the company were expected to upload figures for how many fines they had issued at the end of the day. He claimed people were criticised for not hitting targets of five fines a day,
and threatened with being dismissed. “If you uploaded figures and they were off-target you would be told you need to buck your ideas up,” they alleged.

They claimed: “It was purely financial … if you don’t hit your target a few days in one week then you don’t know what will happen.”

Under UK law, it is illegal to drop litter and people can be issued with an FPN by way of an on-the-spot fine or a letter sent to the person’s home address. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 people must give their personal details to a litter
enforcement officer.

While there is no legal right of appeal to an FPN, it can be queried in the form of a “representation” in writing to the council. If an FPN for littering is disputed, the case will be resolved in court. Anyone found guilty may face a fine of up to £
2,500.

In Waltham Forest, people have complained of being fined for fly-tipping after putting their waste outside at the wrong time of day. Carla Grande, a filmmaker, and her partner, John Rowe, say Waltham Forest council and its enforcement contractor sent
them “round and round in circles” when they asked for their fine to be reviewed.

The couple put their bin bags out on the street below their flat at the wrong time soon after they moved in. Grande said it was hard to appeal against the fine but after numerous emails it was reduced from £400 to £250, the amount issued for littering
offences. This was because the bin bags were “intended to be collected” rather than deliberately fly-tipped.

Speaking at a council climate change scrutiny committee on 27 March, Grande said: “I would like justification as to why this is, I believe that it’s because I am not going to give up.

“If it’s a littering fine, it should be a littering fine from the start, not a fly-tipping fine for putting bags out, not after sending emails for two-and-a-half months thinking I’m going to court.”

Nick Leader, who lives in Hackney, was accused of littering when a package with his address on it ended up in Waltham Forest. He had no idea how it got there. After disputing the fine with 3GS and the council, he consulted a lawyer. The council said it
was Leader’s responsibility to provide evidence he did not drop the litter, but the legal adviser said this was not true.

The lawyer said: “I am surprised that the council has thought it fit to threaten the accused with a five-year jail term and an unlimited fine in this case given it has essentially no evidential basis (beyond its misconceived notion that there is a
reverse burden on the accused to prove his innocence).”

Leader said: “They came with threats from the very beginning and what they were saying was not true but they would not budge, so I thought – should I just pay [the fine]? … It took a lot of time and hassle, legal advice … it was only when we
escalated it to Waltham Forest council’s chief executive that they climbed down.”

Clyde Loakes, Waltham Forest council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate and air quality, said: “Waltham Forest spends upwards of £7m every year clearing up litter and fly-tips to keep local neighbourhoods clean and tidy as residents
rightfully expect, and public bins are provided across the borough.

“Residents also have a duty of care to dispose of household waste correctly, and the onus is on them to show that they have taken reasonable care to do so. Our contract with 3GS does not contain any quotas for fines issued by operatives.”

3GS did not respond to requests for comment.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)