Why do some dairys still use the old milk floats?

I was driving down Peniston Road this morning and noticed the traffic was building very quickly in to a long line moving about 15 mph. As I got further down the road expecting to see an accident or someone with a broken down car I instead found a milk float.

I can appreciate these vehicles are cheap to run and that they are reasonably quiet in the morning while delivering milk too, but surely they have no place on the road during rush hour, especially on a main road and causing such congestion as that.

This single milk flot had reduced Peniston road to a complete crawl.

A friend of mine's Dad is a milkman and he uses an open backed van to deliver his milk, why can't the dairys do that instead of these congestion creating floats?

"these vehicles are cheap to run and that they are reasonably quiet in the morning while delivering milk too"


answered your own question there, son.

Surely they should ensure their drivers are out and back in time before the rush hour starts then?

I know they have the same right to use the road as I do if the vehicles are legal etc. but the amount of trouble this caused in the traffic this morning was stupid!

I can see people getting a little annoyed if they get stuck behind one on a single carriageway road, which is never a good thing with some people doing stupid things when they end up in situations like that.

I remember when milk was delivered at some stupidly early time in the morning, what's with the later delivery times?

I actually miss milk being delivered by the milkman. When I moved to this house I never started a milkman, because the co-op round the corner was so convenient, and I didnt know of a milkman anyway.

I don't bother with a milkman either, Tescos is easier for me and I feel that if I did have milk delivered I would be contributing to the addition of these slow moving vehicles on the road, so I use the supermarket partly in protest :D

They use them mainly for women milkmen. :confused:

The reason is, if the female milkman runs off the road and into the canal, The vehicle will "Float" and no milk will be lost see. :thumbsup:

Thats why they call them floats.

Originally posted by viking
They use them mainly for women milkmen. :confused:

The reason is, if the female milkman runs off the road and into the canal, The vehicle will "Float" and no milk will be lost see. :thumbsup:

Thats why they call them floats.

Are milkmen the only tradesmen to have a fear of canals then?

Do other occupations also have bizarre phobias?

Originally posted by RazorSHarp
Are milkmen the only tradesmen to have a fear of canals then?


I thought milkmen were "Delivery" men not "Tradesmen"

A tradesman is a electrician, plumber or a postman like.

Originally posted by viking
I thought milkmen were "Delivery" men not "Tradesmen"

A tradesman is a electrician, plumber or a postman like.

A postmans not a tradesman, he's just a bloke who can read and walk at the same time......but it's touch and go with some of em :rolleyes:

Originally posted by owdlad
A postmans not a tradesman, he's just a bloke who can read and walk at the same time......but it's touch and go with some of em :rolleyes:

Women would call it "Multitasking"

Originally posted by viking

A tradesman is a electrician, plumber or a postman like.

You swop milk for money in a trade - hence the term tradesman, I thought it belonged to non skilled workers, or sales men as we like to call them. The term has probably become bastardised over the years, just like some of the people who are "tradesmen" (and woman)

Originally posted by RazorSHarp
You swop milk for money in a trade - hence the term tradesman,

Is our postman a "Tradesman" then?
He does not bring any milk around though. :confused:

A Blacksmith exchanges horse shoes for money and he is a tradesman but he does not have any milk either.

Originally posted by viking
A Blacksmith exchanges horse shoes for money and he is a tradesman but he does not have any milk either.

Check in his fridge !!!!!!

It is worth noting that the milk form a milkman will not be the same as from the supermarket. Supermarket milk tends to have more processing.

Originally posted by KenH
It is worth noting that the milk form a milkman will not be the same as from the supermarket. Supermarket milk tends to have more processing.

Really? Is this true? Even the fresh milk from a supermarket? Can someone give more details on this?

Not sure about milk quality but before we moved to new house someone used to pinch ours of the doorstep. (or milkman didnt leave any but charged us anyhow) so that got kicked into touch especially seeing as they are much more expensive than supermarkets.
I just wish everyone around new house would stop having milk delivered as he trundells along chinckling on our road at about 4oclock in the morning and often wakes me up.

Originally posted by owdlad
A postmans not a tradesman, he's just a bloke who can read and walk at the same time......but it's touch and go with some of em :rolleyes:

:hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

Can i claim the prize of being the only person on the forum who has crashed into a milk float?

It was parked at the time and road was covered in snow, that was 15 years ago and people still take the mick!

Originally posted by lalaland
A friend of mine's Dad is a milkman and he uses an open backed van to deliver his milk, why can't the dairys do that instead of these congestion creating floats?

These slow milk floats usually run on electric and therefore virtually pollution free when compared to your standard diesel van.

Originally posted by KenH
It is worth noting that the milk form a milkman will not be the same as from the supermarket. Supermarket milk tends to have more processing.

I read this some where else Ken, do you have a link to the evidence?

Originally posted by owdlad
I read this some where else Ken, do you have a link to the evidence?

Not a link, just observation...

Use your senses and examine old fashioned delivered milk in comparison to the Supermarket equivilent.

Supermarket milk lasts far too long in my opinion. Many times I have gone to the fridge and taken the lid off a week old partially opened carton of Supermarket milk, ready to recoil my head at a revolting smell only to detect virtually nothing. A conventional pinter turns between 2-3 days.

Also if you buy full cream milk from a supermarket, the cream doesn't rise, regardless of how long you leave it.

It also doesn't taste quite like milk should - probably due to the treatments given to make it last an unnaturally long time.

Milk floats? How can it?I don't understand!

The reason they're out longer now is that the rounds are much more spread out. 10-15 years ago a milkman would deliver to nearly everyhouse on a street and you could get rid of the milk pretty quickly. Now they have to cover a much larger area to get rid of the same amount thanks to supermarkets and they're poor excuse for milk.

thanks to supermarkets and they're poor excuse for milk.Why is the supermarket milk a poor excuse? I like it. I had some on my cerials this morning before work and it was nice. :D

We used to have a milkman many years back delivering milk, but it just seems easier to get milk as and when we want it with out shopping instead of having someone leave it on your doorstep.

Also I am not too keen on the idea of leaving it outside, it may sound daft but I've known people steal it, birds open it and other stuff in the past. Much better to get it off the shelf and put it in my fridge.

Local dairies supply local milk.
Much of the milk supplied by supermarkets comes from abroad where it is cheaper to produce. It is treated to give it keeping qualities.
The local milkman delivers fresh milk and we pay the going rate for it 42 pence a pint.
Tesco's at 32 pence a pint is undercutting this price. It may be handy, but where does it come from??

Local dairies supply local milk.
Much of the milk supplied by supermarkets comes from abroad where it is cheaper to produce. It is treated to give it keeping qualities.
The local milkman delivers fresh milk and we pay the going rate for it 42 pence a pint.
Tesco's at 32 pence a pint is undercutting this price. It may be handy, but where does it come from??Cows?

.......

All supermarket milk is homogenized which according to some is worse for you as it frees an enzyme that can penetrate the intestine and go on to harm you. Personally that isn't what bothers me - I just prefer fresh milk with the cream floating on the top. I still drink the supermarket stuff but I'd rather have fresh from a milko.

All supermarket milk is homogenized which according to some is worse for you as it frees an enzyme that can penetrate the intestine and go on to harm you. Personally that isn't what bothers me - I just prefer fresh milk with the cream floating on the top. I still drink the supermarket stuff but I'd rather have fresh from a milko.
Don't you only get that with the full fat milk though?

I only buy semi-skimmed milk so never get that.

Does seem a little out of date though, pay over the odds for milk and have to order it in advance. I'd much rather stick to the supermarket and not have those annoying slow things on the road :D but each to their own I guess.

No you still get some cream in semi skimmed - it being 'semi' skimmed and all ;)

Someone once picked me up for a FIRST date on a milk float... :gag:
My brother tormented me for months!