Furious woman complains about white van man who drove behind her ‘like a complete idiot’… and gets ridiculed by the man’s boss
Joanne Flynn was left stunned after the firm’s general manager hit back and laughed off the allegations
A WOMAN who claims she was "intimidated" on a motorway by a white van man was branded a "casual driver who doesn't know what she is doing" when she complained to the company's manager.
Joanne Flynn, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, claims she was tailgated and repeatedly flashed by a van while she was overtaking in the third lane of the M6 southbound near Warrington, Cheshire.
The 29-year-old emailed a complaint to the owners of the van, E Dugdale Sons & Grandson, but was left stunned after the firm's general manager hit back and laughed off the allegations.
Lab technician Joanne claimed she would have been unable to brake after the van "came within a foot" of her car.
Joanne said: "It wasn't even that busy but this guy seemed determined to be aggressive any time I was in the right lane.
"I was in the middle lane and then I was trying to overtake a lorry so I moved to the right. If anything I was going slightly above the speed limit to get past but this guy was flashing me repeatedly and right up my back.
"There could only have been a foot to spare. It was very intimidating and I believe he was doing it deliberately to make me feel unsafe because I was a lone female driver.
"He kept flashing and flashing. I moved back to the middle land and he backed off but then I had to overtake again and the same thing happened.
"I didn't see them behave like that towards anyone else. They only seemed to speed up and intimidate me. Eventually I moved over as I had to turn off the motorway."
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But Rhys Hempton, 25, the family firm's general manager, said his colleague "laughed out loud" at the accusation, pointing out that Joanne's driving was "far more dangerous".
He told her she was "driving in the outside lane and holding up other road users", "forcing other road users to drive in a manner they do not want to".
Joanne's furious sister, Gemma, posted the email exchange on social media, only to spark an online row as some drivers came down on the company manager's side.
Joanne's email in full
"There is no need whatsoever on a particularly quiet day to speed so much and flash lights behind other road users for them to 'get out of the way'.
"I strongly suggest that in the future they leave earlier for their next job to avoid being in so much of a 'rush'.
"You may wish to point out to your drivers that this type of driving is very dangerous, and it and accident was to happen, they would get to their job slower if they had to pay a visit to A&E due to an accident they had caused.
"I assume your business details are on your vehicles for extra custom from promotion of your business. I'm afraid the driving of your employees would put off many people if they were to see them driving like complete idiots."
E Dugdale Sons & Grandson's response
"I have spoke with the engineer in question and I think you have made his week. I have not heard anyone laugh that loud in a long time.
"In future you should give serious thought to the standard of your driving, not to inconvenience other road users as you don't know how to use the roads, forcing other people to drive in a manner they don't actually want to.
"Our engineers drive hundreds of miles every day for business purposes. This is a clear situation of a casual driver who doesn't know what they are doing on the roads, which in my opinion is far more dangerous than anything listed below [in Joanne's email]."
The company, based in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, specialises in gas, plumbing and electrical work, and responded the same day.
Rhys said: "Without any actual footage of the so-called incident it is difficult to present either side of the argument. Who can say who is in the right or wrong here?
"The reason that we responded to the lady in the manner that we did is twofold. Firstly, as already stated, our driver is saying that if she had a problem with him, then by default he already had a problem with he.
"As far as he is concerned it is her that actually caused the incident to start with and therefore for her to send us a complaint is barefaced cheek.
"Secondly, clearly she expected the company to respond in some kind of sympathetic way.
"What was she actually trying to achieve with her complaint? Was she expecting the company to sack the driver, dock his wages or tell him he is a naughty boy?
"How can the company take any action against the driver without any hard evidence, and when our driver is saying she must have caused the problem - whatever it was. It can't.
"The company will not simply roll over to appease the lady's complaint because that is what she is expecting,. The company will stand by the workforce."