Big Brother ? is watching us

I unfortunately broke my glasses on holiday a month ago , quickly got a pair made up in Italy so i could drive when I got back home , however I need bifocals as my job requires I write out loads of tickets , so I went for a very thorough eye test last Sunday which took over 1 hour to complete !

Just like to mention at this stage had the usual photos taken of the backs of the eyeballs to make sure nothing nasty going on , but they have a new bit of kit now , a little wireless transmitting stick which examines the areas up above and below your eyes , anyway all good so far I am 100% healthy in that dept which is great news for me as my work and hobbies depend on my eyes.

Now then we had all but done and the optician began to fill in my name + postcode address on his computer ( bear in mind I had never been to this company before ) and as soon as the postcode went in it flashed up HGV DRIVER.

When he saw this he said , you will have to take an advanced night vision peripheral test now please , which BTW I passed 100% :)

One of our drivers failed this test last year and lost his HGV licence at that point has been unemployed since .

Sure makes me wonder now if the DVLA has they're data base logged into these big opticians data bases , theoretically I could have lost my licence at that point !

There seems to be no hiding place now , years ago I had a mate with a glass eye working with me driving lorries , that was in the days before all these data bases and his medical was signed off by his doctor / friend

Seems like those days are now long gone

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

years ago I had a mate with a glass eye working with me driving lorries , that was in the days before all these data bases and his medical was signed off by his doctor / friend

Seems like those days are now long gone

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Thank christ for that:)

Although, times havent changed so much....:)

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A pilot lost control of a passenger plane after his artificial arm became detached as he was coming in to land, an accident report has said.

The Flybe flight from Birmingham, with 47 passengers on board, was approaching Belfast City Airport in gusty conditions on 12 February.

It landed heavily but no-one was hurt and the plane was not damaged.

The pilot said he would be more cautious in future about checking his attachment, according to the report.

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BBC News - Pilot's artificial arm 'became detached while landing plane'

It wasn't long ago a company was advertising for bus drivers and at the bottom it had
" As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from vision impaired candidates "
Seems things are slowly changing for the better.
Though I doubt you can advertise for hard working workers as it discriminates against non hard working workers :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Now then we had all but done and the optician began to fill in my name + postcode address on his computer ( bear in mind I had never been to this company before ) and as soon as the postcode went in it flashed up HGV DRIVER.

When he saw this he said , you will have to take an advanced night vision peripheral test now please , which BTW I passed 100% :)

One of our drivers failed this test last year and lost his HGV licence at that point has been unemployed since .

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Next time, I suggest you acquire a "new" address (and perhaps other details) just before the test. Then change them back.
The left hand does not always know what the right is doing.:rolleyes:

Had a similar experience changing my license from one state to another.
Passed the eye test then the person doing the test realised I had a heavy license, so had to do the eye test again. It has always amused me that I can drive a car with lower standard of vision than if driving a truck.

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Seems like those days are now long gone

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Yup, no longer a case of 'are we being watched?' now it's 'by how many?'

So does this rule only effect British HGV drivers if so shouldn't European HGV drivers also be tested with the same type of medicals/eye examination.
There are plenty of lorry's from over the channel on the roads most nights in the UK .
Specially as we are part of one big happy European family.
Stick it up your Brussels.

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Originally Posted by Latindancer

Next time, I suggest you acquire a "new" address (and perhaps other details) just before the test. Then change them back.
The left hand does not always know what the right is doing.

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Wont work here LD ,, the lorry I drive has to have a digital Tacho licence inserted into it everyday ,, its the size of a credit card with a chip on the underside of it .

This chip stores my licence details , what type of vehicle I am allowed to drive etc + up to 28 days of my driving activities ( hopefully none of my other activities ) which has to be downloaded into my bosses laptop every 28 days .

They've got us mate , were stuffed !

It would be nice to see a licence examination KT of some of those drivers , let alone an eye exam

Thinking about it I can't remember when I last saw a Thai lorry driver with glasses on ???

mabe I didn't have mine on at the time :rolleyes:

BTW ,,,, just a point of interest any of you going back to drive in the UK

IF ,,, you get pulled in a routine check as I did a couple of years ago , when they do the licence check by the roadside ,, the VERY first question the girl back at base asks the copper is " Is he wearing contact lenses or glasses ? " assuming they know you have to on your licence and if you haven't got em on and you should have your in bother .
Not only from the police also your insurance Company

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

It didn't fit for Halfords.
BBC News - Halfords 'We Fit' lorry gets stuck under bridge
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2014/10/315.jpg

People don't know half of it, RDIF chips are everywhere, passports, credit cards, licenses, even as I found sown into an expensive wallet.
Companies use the data to target costumers, range of signal can be short, or up to 300 meters, depending on type and who's looking.
Reality you can be tracked anywhere in a city, walk into a store, you get pinged, just like your car on a toll road.
All goes on a data base and can be accessed by others.
Add to that mobile phones doing handshakes to towers, CCTV hooked up to facial recognition, anti theft devises [low jack] in your car.
Can't hid easy, your life is monitored, it's just who gets to look is the problem.

^ yes and I would like to add to that if you are curling one in trap 3 on the membury services eastbound on the M4 make sure before you drop your kecks get some bog roll into those holes just beneath the bog roll holder ,,, you can really piss off a whole line of benders , squinting with one eye to catch a glimpse of the shy sausage

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

BTW ,,,, just a point of interest any of you going back to drive in the UK

IF ,,, you get pulled in a routine check as I did a couple of years ago , when they do the licence check by the roadside ,, the VERY first question the girl back at base asks the copper is " Is he wearing contact lenses or glasses ? " assuming they know you have to on your licence and if you haven't got em on and you should have your in bother .
Not only from the police also your insurance Company

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Thanks for that. Will make sure I tell Mr NR as he wears glasses for driving.

That's a scary level of intrusion.
What's next, roadside bloodsugar checks for diabetics?

Be lucky. Truck drivers in the US can never afford to travel abroad. Maybe if the have a local route and are union. But that is a declining reality in the US thanks to Republicans.

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Originally Posted by nigelandjan

They've got us mate , were stuffed !

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Don't let them get away with it .
You could always pack it in , and sell your paintings to tourists somewhere scenic; you seem to be able to paint them nice and fast .

How To Disappear And Live Under The Radar | BeSurvival.com

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Originally Posted by chassamui

How To Disappear And Live Under The Radar | BeSurvival.com

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Nice...

Even easier on the soul just to remove oneself from that suspected society.

EE, Vodafone and Three give police mobile call records at click of a mouse | World news | The Guardian

Used to fall for the eye test lark, get a regular check up, then My Mary showed Me reading glasses for sale in Primark, a clothing chain, and I now read with £1 glasses.

Yeah trouble is there not a lot of use for driving ^ especially as I drive for a living .

Up to you , but for peace of mind as we get older you really need to know what is going on in the blood supply to your eyes before irreparable damage is done

Those £1 glasses might not seem ssh a bargain

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Originally Posted by thaimeme

Nice... Even easier on the soul just to remove oneself from that suspected society.

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Going under the radar is not really an option for most folk. Unless you are of independent financial means, you cannot go off the grid. Bank accounts, utility bills, pensions and family all connect you to the system.

My pension provider asks me to prove I am still alive every two years.