Re: why i wish I still had a Land Rover

In message <[email protected]>
SpamTrapSeeSig <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <1388370.e8IGu8MqUA@PolMobile>, Paul S. Brown
> <[email protected]> writes
> >hugh wrote:
> >
> >>>
> >>>Most countries seem to manage, don't see why we can't.
> >> Don't understand it. As a kid I lived in a rural village in the
> >> Pennine Dales and we very rarely missed a day at school in the Winter
> >> - and the roads were covered with packed snow.
> >
> >Ditto here across most of Scotland.
> >
> >I have a distinct feeling that the average aptitude of any given driver
> >has dropped over the last few years. What has caused this I couldn't
> >say, but I'm going to blame electrickery and the fact that a car is now
> >seen as a right rather than a privilege as it used to be.
>
> It's getting like America in Bristol these days - every junction and
> almost every roundabout now has traffic lights (there are over 100 posts
> in the centre alone now!). As a result many of the driving public have
> no idea about safe or sensible driving.
>

Bristol!!!! I have to go through from time to time. Before they messed
up the roads round Temple Meads, you got into one lane and stayed in it
and you were ok for Yeovil. Now, the lanes disappear halfway round
junctions, the signs are misleading about which lane to be in and you
never get to see the directions marked in the lanes becuase the traffic
is permenantly queing for tha dammed lights every 20ft.
Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!

> IMHO, A skid-pan should be part of the driving test too.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Simonm.

Richard

>

--
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"beamendsltd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:e77ed0d04d%[email protected]...
<<snip>>
>
> Bristol!!!! I have to go through from time to time. Before they messed
> up the roads round Temple Meads, you got into one lane and stayed in it
> and you were ok for Yeovil. Now, the lanes disappear halfway round
> junctions, the signs are misleading about which lane to be in and you
> never get to see the directions marked in the lanes becuase the traffic
> is permenantly queing for tha dammed lights every 20ft.
> Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
> the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!
>
Hehe, try driving round Yeovil itself when you don't know the roads..... a
nightmare if ever there was one. (Got relatives there)
Oh, and if that doesn't tickle your fancy, what about the High Wycombe
gyratory system... last time I was there it was a roundabout made up of a
lot of small roundabouts, but with traffic lights added for chaos
production!
My old home town of Falkirk would be a nightmare for anyone trying to pass
through it if they hadn't a clue where they were going either, I think this
bad road design seems to be endemic these days, the designers paying no real
thought to what happens when the roads are busy.
Badger.

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:21:59 -0000, "Lee_D"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>My daily drive is now a Renault laguna (Mrs D snaffled the Disco)... or the
>other choice is Morph.. H'mmm 3 ton of sliding green oval or a paper bag on
>wheels going no where. Sadly Percy is still awaiting his transplant.

I actually have a working landrover!!

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:26:34 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
>the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!

I have noticed that all new roundabouts now seem to be getting very
complicated.
Do you often go round crewe? Those ones there have got very
complicated now. 4 sets of lights round each one and multiple lanes
that keep moving about.
They also like labelling the lanes only with the road numbers. I can't
be the only person who has no idea what half of the road numbers are
for the roads i want to drive? I know where i want to go to though!

In article <e77ed0d04d%[email protected]>, beamendsltd
<[email protected]> writes
>Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
>the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!

<politics alert>
Drivers == voters. We get the governments we deserve - locally &
nationally. If people don't get involved in the political process, they
can't complain about who ends up running their lives (and spending their
money) by default.
</politics>

On the practical subject of Bristol's road chaos I wholly agree with
you. My point was that stop-start town driving and little else leads to
dumb drivers (and even more street furniture!).

Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, BRISTOL UK www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/

In message <[email protected]>, Lee_D
<[email protected]> writes
>Tom Woods <[email protected]> uttered summat worrerz funny about:
>
>> We had a good one last year in stoke on trent when they decided they
>> didnt want to grit anything and then it all froze solid.
>> Lee_d will vouch for this as he probably worked for about 48 hours non
>> stop sorting it all out.
>
>I know I had a full head of hair before the start of the shift ...now
>look...
>
>http://www.lrproject.com/morph/morphmains/imagepages/image12.html
>
>;-) Piccy taken by my little man so no 9iss taking!
>
>They did grit but then it rained damned hard then froze, hailed, sleeted,
>froze etc etc. The downfall was the location of the gritters refil sites and
>the inability once it all froze to get more grit out due to lots of people
>clogging up the roads. To say a few lessons were learned is an
>understatement. I've seen more salt since than ever before.
>
>> I can remember cars spinning off all over the place on the dual
>> carriageway while i trundled along very slowly whilst muttering my
>> full weeks quota of swear words one after another and gripping the
>> wheel very tightly.
>
>Yeah, I got so distraught I called Hugh ;-) and the team who managed to
>clear
>some major arterial junctions and get things moving again. Amazing how some
>simple unblockages can help.
>
>I would like some real good snow that last for Months where we all have fun
>but no body gets harmed etc.
>
>My daily drive is now a Renault laguna (Mrs D snaffled the Disco)... or the
>other choice is Morph.. H'mmm 3 ton of sliding green oval or a paper bag on
>wheels going no where. Sadly Percy is still awaiting his transplant.
>
>Lee D
Heh heh. Yes we got all the fun. Jeep, Defender and Disco in tandem to
shift a big artic out the way. Sure checks out your recovery points!!

Exactly one week later BBC TV were in town for Question Time. Would have
been fun if they'd been caught up in it.

We're all ready to go again, just give us the call!!
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
<[email protected]> writes
>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:26:34 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
>>the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!
>
>I have noticed that all new roundabouts now seem to be getting very
>complicated.
>Do you often go round crewe? Those ones there have got very
>complicated now. 4 sets of lights round each one and multiple lanes
>that keep moving about.
>They also like labelling the lanes only with the road numbers. I can't
>be the only person who has no idea what half of the road numbers are
>for the roads i want to drive? I know where i want to go to though!
>
Especially the one at Crewe Green. Used to be so simple before they
"improved" it. I defy anyone to go through that and get in the right
lane for the Alsager road at the first attempt. (Road Number B
something)
The station one was brilliant the other day - the lights were out of
action and the traffic just flowed through.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

In message <[email protected]>
SpamTrapSeeSig <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <e77ed0d04d%[email protected]>, beamendsltd
> <[email protected]> writes
> >Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
> >the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!
>
> <politics alert>
> Drivers == voters. We get the governments we deserve - locally &
> nationally. If people don't get involved in the political process, they
> can't complain about who ends up running their lives (and spending their
> money) by default.

Nope - those elected should be reminded at the start of every working
day just who pays their wages, those in the Civil Service (e.g. road
planners) should be reminded daily that however pretty their plans are,
common sense is far more vital than current trendy theories. And
someone should be asking how come the councils have all this money to spend
on traffic lights when they can't mend the pot holes......

> </politics>
>
> On the practical subject of Bristol's road chaos I wholly agree with
> you. My point was that stop-start town driving and little else leads to
> dumb drivers (and even more street furniture!).
>
> Regards,
>
> Simonm.
>

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Boycott the Yorkshire Dales - No Play, No Pay

In message <[email protected]>
Tom Woods <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:26:34 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out - as is
> >the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!
>
> I have noticed that all new roundabouts now seem to be getting very
> complicated.
> Do you often go round crewe? Those ones there have got very
> complicated now. 4 sets of lights round each one and multiple lanes
> that keep moving about.
> They also like labelling the lanes only with the road numbers. I can't
> be the only person who has no idea what half of the road numbers are
> for the roads i want to drive? I know where i want to go to though!
>

Yep - Crewe is fun - but not as good as Stockport where you join/leave
the M60 - there's now *three* sets of lights going round the roundabout,
and the lanes are marked for all possibilities - it's just a mess
of lines with no-one knowing where they should be.........

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Boycott the Yorkshire Dales - No Play, No Pay

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:35:13 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>Especially the one at Crewe Green. Used to be so simple before they
>"improved" it. I defy anyone to go through that and get in the right
>lane for the Alsager road at the first attempt. (Road Number B
>something)

Its horrible is that one. All the roads are B-something's arnt they?

If alsager road is the one that goes to haslington then i can never
get the right lane for that one either!

>The station one was brilliant the other day - the lights were out of
>action and the traffic just flowed through.

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:28:18 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>We're all ready to go again, just give us the call!!

Whats your phone number?
Im in crewe now where the weather is okay but according to my mate the
road to my house is impassable now (from crewe->audley past the
potters lodge)

That would concur with my trip here thismorning where the A500 was a
20mph single file blizzard and then totally clear as soon as you got
past the motorway!

I looked at the weather forecast thismorning and it was for rain so i
came in the car rather than the landy. grr.

In article <f516ecd04d%[email protected]>, beamendsltd
<[email protected]> writes

>Nope - those elected should be reminded at the start of every working
>day just who pays their wages, those in the Civil Service (e.g. road
>planners) should be reminded daily that however pretty their plans are,
>common sense is far more vital than current trendy theories. And
>someone should be asking how come the councils have all this money to spend
>on traffic lights when they can't mend the pot holes......

Then it's down to you... and me, to get involved and make sure they
don't get away with it

Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, BRISTOL UK www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/

In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
<[email protected]> writes
>>We're all ready to go again, just give us the call!!
>
>Whats your phone number?
Err 999

We can only work though EPU (Emergency Planning Unit or the police -
Staffs police that is).
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
<[email protected]> writes
>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:35:13 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>
>>Especially the one at Crewe Green. Used to be so simple before they
>>"improved" it. I defy anyone to go through that and get in the right
>>lane for the Alsager road at the first attempt. (Road Number B
>>something)
>
>Its horrible is that one. All the roads are B-something's arnt they?
>
No there's the A534(E) and the A534(W) then there's the A5020 AKA the
new road back of the industrial estate, and the road to the Hospital
which hasn't got a number.

>If alsager road is the one that goes to haslington then i can never
>get the right lane for that one either!
>

Yes the Alsager road branches off the Haslington road, just off the
roundabout. It's called the Alsager road cos nobody goes to Haslington,
except the local Crewe yobs, but they've all got ASBOs now.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:00:07 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
><[email protected]> writes
>>>We're all ready to go again, just give us the call!!
>>
>>Whats your phone number?
>Err 999
>
>We can only work though EPU (Emergency Planning Unit or the police -
>Staffs police that is).

I was joking

Got home in the end after doing a nice detour to my parents house
where i got some tea and waited it out. Took my mates who live nearby
2.5-4.5 hours to get home.
I'm never trusting the weather forcasters again. Might aswell just
flip a coin in the morning and i'd have more chance of getting it
right.

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:06:39 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:

>In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
><[email protected]> writes
>>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:35:13 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>>
>>>Especially the one at Crewe Green. Used to be so simple before they
>>>"improved" it. I defy anyone to go through that and get in the right
>>>lane for the Alsager road at the first attempt. (Road Number B
>>>something)
>>
>>Its horrible is that one. All the roads are B-something's arnt they?
>>
>No there's the A534(E) and the A534(W) then there's the A5020 AKA the
>new road back of the industrial estate, and the road to the Hospital
>which hasn't got a number.

So you should be alright since you know all the numbers

>>If alsager road is the one that goes to haslington then i can never
>>get the right lane for that one either!
>>
>
>Yes the Alsager road branches off the Haslington road, just off the
>roundabout. It's called the Alsager road cos nobody goes to Haslington,
>except the local Crewe yobs, but they've all got ASBOs now.

I have to go to haslington!

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:40:39 +0000 (UTC), Badger wrote:

>> Don't bame the drivers, blame the idiots who laid the roads out -
>> as is the current trend, strangers are somehow expected to phsycic!

Agreed. More often than not I'm left guessing which way to go in a
strange town. The signage either uses place names that I don't know or
East/West/North/South that doesn't help if you don't know where you
are going in relation to where you are. They can't even get road
numbers right, you'll follow the one you want for several junctions
then it'll disapper...

> Oh, and if that doesn't tickle your fancy, what about the High
> Wycombe gyratory system... last time I was there it was a roundabout
> made up of a lot of small roundabouts, but with traffic lights added
> for chaos production!

Ah the Magic Roundabouts, Swindon has (had?) one as well. Basically
one mini roundabout surrounded by five others. The most confusing part
is the fact that the one in the middle you have to go around the
"wrong" way. It's surprising how loud the subconcious "YOU SHOULD NOT
BE GOING THAT WAY" alarm bells ring when you try it.

Then bung in a few sets of traffic lights and the odd shortcut across
the middle for major routes and ooeee, nightmare for the stranger.

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:00:07 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>
>>In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
>><[email protected]> writes
>>>>We're all ready to go again, just give us the call!!
>>>
>>>Whats your phone number?
>>Err 999
>>
>>We can only work though EPU (Emergency Planning Unit or the police -
>>Staffs police that is).

Yo got my Number Tom

You nearly got a call tonight Hugh, up to 100 vehicles trapped on A53
Blackbrook to Loggerheads road but we managed to get it going again, one of
them was one of our Driving school cars who got an unplanned training
scenario - Skid pan was supposed to be Wednesday. Bit of a common spot that,
pretty high and very open.

> Got home in the end after doing a nice detour to my parents house
> where i got some tea and waited it out. Took my mates who live nearby
> 2.5-4.5 hours to get home.
> I'm never trusting the weather forcasters again. Might aswell just
> flip a coin in the morning and i'd have more chance of getting it
> right.

I found staying in bed till 11.30am pretty useful as the Snow had took hold
by the time I got up, can really recommend it .

Shifts, you gotta love 'em.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

>
> Ah the Magic Roundabouts, Swindon has (had?) one as well. Basically
> one mini roundabout surrounded by five others. The most confusing part
> is the fact that the one in the middle you have to go around the
> "wrong" way. It's surprising how loud the subconcious "YOU SHOULD NOT
> BE GOING THAT WAY" alarm bells ring when you try it.
>
> Then bung in a few sets of traffic lights and the odd shortcut across
> the middle for major routes and ooeee, nightmare for the stranger.
>

It is still there! Have a look at

http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm

Cheers

Peter
(Trowbridge)

In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
<[email protected]> writes
>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:06:39 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>
>>In message <[email protected]>, Tom Woods
>><[email protected]> writes
>>>On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:35:13 +0000, hugh <hugh@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Especially the one at Crewe Green. Used to be so simple before they
>>>>"improved" it. I defy anyone to go through that and get in the right
>>>>lane for the Alsager road at the first attempt. (Road Number B
>>>>something)
>>>
>>>Its horrible is that one. All the roads are B-something's arnt they?
>>>
>>No there's the A534(E) and the A534(W) then there's the A5020 AKA the
>>new road back of the industrial estate, and the road to the Hospital
>>which hasn't got a number.
>
>So you should be alright since you know all the numbers
>
>>>If alsager road is the one that goes to haslington then i can never
>>>get the right lane for that one either!
>>>
>>
>>Yes the Alsager road branches off the Haslington road, just off the
>>roundabout. It's called the Alsager road cos nobody goes to Haslington,
>>except the local Crewe yobs, but they've all got ASBOs now.
>
>I have to go to haslington!
I only know the numbers because my wife wanted to drive to Sandbach one
evening and I had to go out with her the night before when it was quiet
and do several dummy runs through the roundabout until she got it
right
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting