On Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:01:46 +0100, Matthew Maddock
<
[email protected]> wrote:
> Dave P wrote:
>> Cyclist caught going through red light, fined £30. Appeals, complains
>> that this is a waste of police time, and the wrong thing to do, as it
>> discourages people from getting out of their cars and onto a bike.
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/5179058.stm
>> He should try driving a car for a bit. Then he's know about
>> unreasonable enforcement of the law. I bet he wears a bobble hat.
>
> At last - someone actually doing something about them cycling through
> red lights - should happen far more often. No doubt the driver would
> be blamed had he wiped a cyclist out who had ridden through red
> lights despite the cyclist being at fault. £30? should have been
> £300 as an example to others.
ever had a cycle/cyclist bump into your car/truck/van? twit that pulled
up on my nearside must have been off playing truant when the highway code
was discussed. he thought that turning right from the middle of the road
(between two rows of cars going stright on) was gonna be a good thing
(tm). he was the most miserable, loudest, most aggressive road user I've
ever met. Threatened all sorts of retibrution legal and otherwise,
gesticulating like a madman. I laughed at him and pointed out that the
junction was under video surveilance and I'd be happy to use the evidence
in any court. yes - of course, this was one with the lycra thing.
Road use - it's not difficult, but common sense /is/ a prerequisite.
> "It was 5.55am, I was surprised when the police stopped me, I was the
> only traffic on the road."
>
> So???! Cars stop for traffic lights no matter what time of day.
> Whilst we are on my pet subject!..
> ..I still think we should adopt the continental 'flashing amber' type
> light in the middle of the night on quiet junctions.
Why just the middle of the night? with traffic sensing units it must be
trivial to discern the difference between "low demand" and "stacked up for
miles"
> The number of
> times I sit at roundabouts or junctions in the early hours with
> absolutely nothing else around. They could even turn most traffic
> lights off at roundabouts during the night,
Don't start me off on traffic lights at roundabouts - you'll never get me
to stop. That has to be one of the worlds best arguments against over
engineering.
If the round-a-bout can't-cope/is-failing then redesign it or replace it
with a traditional junction and lights as a last resort.
> would save drivers sitting
> at idle and electricity - good all round as far as I can see.
> Unfortunately 99% of councils are not that sensible.
The parameters of 'sensible' appear to undergo twilight-zone
transformations when encased in a Town Hall^w^w Civic Centre.
One of the issues is that 'doing nothing' is now underated as a
'solution'. Junctions/roads get busy, some more than others at different
times. Sometimes it takes nearly 30 seconds to get out of the drive (only
in the Disco - the 110 is afforded far more respect) - it happens, so
what! It doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out that the route from
DomitoryTown to PlaceOfWork is gonna be busy in the morning. Use another
route? get a different job? travel at a different time? put up with it?
No biggie really.
Here's something: 9 to 5 ers should be heavily taxed on their going to
work journeys (whatever their mode of transport) - 100% rebate for the 1st
5 miles. That ought to clear a few junctions.
--
William Tasso
Land Rover - 110 V8
Discovery - V8