CARAVANNERS have blasted truckies and train drivers for allegedly
keeping them awake at night.
Members of the 11,000-strong Caravaners' Forum (sic) accused them of
deliberately rousing them from their slumbers by activating their ear-piercing air horns as they pass rest
areas alongside train lines and highways in the early hours..
"Seems they have nothing to do but to wake us poor old tired buggers in
the middle of the night," one weary traveller complained.
"I mean, it's hard enough to get to sleep without them blowing their
horns. Damned inconsiderate, I say."
Another posted: "Is it only us who have been woken in the small hours by
inconsiderate drivers?"
He recalled spending a night at a rest area in WA's central Wheat Belt
rest area where one passing train driver seemed to delight in using his
air horns to keep travellers awake.
"It had its horn blasting well before reaching us ... and it was still
blowing its head off well after it had passed," he said.
"The driver probably thought he was awake so why should those tourists get
a good night's sleep."
But caravanners approached by Caravanning News at rest areas
alongside the busy Bruce Highway in Queensland mostly dismissed the
complaints as just "whinging".
Former train driver Max Weir, a caravanner for more than 40 years,
regularly uses rest areas during his extensive travels and has never had a
problem.
"I have been around quite a bit and have never been annoyed by truckies or
train drivers blowing their horns. It's a load of garbage," he said.
"There is the odd cowboy out there but generally I get on well with
truckies. I treat them with respect and receive respect in return."
One NSW caravanner, who declined to be named, admitted he had heard
of some truckies blowing their horns but this was usually because
inconsiderable grey nomads had taken over rest area spots reserved for
heavy vehicles.
"This seems to have been blown out of all proportion," he said.
Former truckie John Embleton, from Bribie Island, also didn't think there
was a problem.
"I can't say this is an issue for me," he said.
"I have had very few bad experiences with truck drivers but I can't
remember ever being kept awake by their air horns."
Meanwhile,
Queenslander Bruce Clark commented: "Sounds like someone's been whingeing
unnecessarily.
"I've been on the road fulltime for seven years, generally using rest
areas. I've travelled round the block, through the centre and up and down
the east coast ... and never had a problem with truckies or train drivers
blowing their horns."
Of all the travellers we interviewed, only one reported problems with air
horns.
Darryl Dahler, of Queensland, believes the irritating practice is on the
increase.
"They do it all the time. We experienced it quite a lot at Dawsons Creek
near Moura," he said.
"I think some truckies have a dislike of caravanners and that's why they
do it."
