Stupid Motorists!

[Harbo]

I've just driven nearly 250 miles down the M1, M40 & A34 in atrocious weather - heavy rain, mist, spray, murk and general poor visibility!
The number of cars being driven without lights was just mind blowing, never mind the ones with just parking lights!
What do these drivers think they are doing - saving the Planet?
One absolute idiot in a dark coloured unlit Focus was enjoying himself tearing down the M1 undertaking from lane to lane at high speed.
No sign of cops though!

Rod

 

[henton49er]

Rod,

Hopefully the cameras on M1 will have caught the moron and the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system will give the police all the information they need to prosecute. I just wish people would understand just how dangerous undertaking is (for themselves particularly). Most drivers do not understand that driving on side (or parking) lights means that the vehicle cannot be seen any better than with no lights at all - dipped headlights are essential in poor conditions. (And don't get me started on the idiots who drive on parking lights and fog lights but no headlights!!).

Mike

 

[BigShot]

No sign of cops though!

Probably been assigned to set up mobile speed traps in 30 zones that look like 40s and 50s to make up for the revenue that will be lost with fewer people on the road over the Christmas break.


Madness though. That kind of driving infuriates me.

 

[rileytoolworks]

I was on the M40 both ways today. You're not wrong on either account. Terrible weather and terrible drivers.
Commented to my colleague that it would be a miracle if there wasn't a serious incident today.
No end of drivers pulling INTO my safe stopping distance, reducing said distance to sub 1 second. Pillocks.

Adam.

 

[Gary]

Rod,

Hopefully the cameras on M1 will have caught the moron and the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system will give the police all the information they need to prosecute. I just wish people would understand just how dangerous undertaking is (for themselves particularly). Most drivers do not understand that driving on side (or parking) lights means that the vehicle cannot be seen any better than with no lights at all - dipped headlights are essential in poor conditions. (And don't get me started on the idiots who drive on parking lights and fog lights but no headlights!!).

Mike

ANPR won't help them with a speeding offence.

 

[BigShot]

(And don't get me started on the idiots who drive on parking lights and fog lights but no headlights!!).

While I generally agree... there are conditions where sidelights and fog lights are the only way you can drive and see where you're going.
There comes a particular point of fogginess where your own headlights (dipped or otherwise) reflect back off the droplets in the air, dazzle you and prevent you seeing the lights of other cars.
When it's like that I think sidelights and fog lights are actually safer.

 

[paultnl]

Rod,

Hopefully the cameras on M1 will have caught the moron and the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system will give the police all the information they need to prosecute. I just wish people would understand just how dangerous undertaking is (for themselves particularly). Most drivers do not understand that driving on side (or parking) lights means that the vehicle cannot be seen any better than with no lights at all - dipped headlights are essential in poor conditions. (And don't get me started on the idiots who drive on parking lights and fog lights but no headlights!!).

Mike

ANPR won't help them with a speeding offence.

Nor do speed cameras deal with stupid driving. The lack of patrol cars has led to more accidents than any that cameras have prevented.

 

[Harbo]

Bigshot it was not that foggy - just murk and spray.
I've been driving since the early 60's when in the days before smokeless fuels, fogs generated into smogs.
The only way to see then was to have somebody walking in front with a powerful torch.
Very few motorways then?

Rod

 

[BigShot]

Harbo - I've heard tales of our local "pea soupers" from my dad.
He's told me about ones that were so thick (and scarily, the colour of pea soup - not what I imagine you'd want to be breathing) you couldn't see a thing and had to walk with your hands out in front to stop you bumping into things.

 

[Harbo]

Yes those were the days - when most people burnt coal.
The smogs were yellow green caused by a build up of sulphur dioxide and soot particles - tasted awful, toxic and a number of people died from it.
I got lost going out of our house once, it was so bad.
It was amazing what the Clean Air Act achieved?


Rod

 

[woodstainwilly]

Whilst I agree undertaking is a very stupid thing to do, there are
some prats who insist on remaining in the middle lane no matter
what doing less than the limit.You then end up with a busy overtaking
lane, a backed up center lane and a clear inside lane. FRUSTRATING.
Willy.

 

[Digit]

Reading about past fogs made me smile.
Jacob was pulling my leg earlier about our local airfield being built down the slope into the valley. The original strip was a WW2 fighter field facing N/S on the hill top. Fast forward to a few years ago when 'they' decided that we were going to be the new silicon valley, complete with airport facilities.
At the public meeting I argued that it was pointless, but they went ahead and extended the runway down the slope, into an area of sea mists that compare very favourably to the late 'pea soupers!'
The only thing taking off from there now are Sea Gulls!

Roy.

 

[BigShot]

Digit - someone needs to sit "them" down and explain, in clear terms, that "build it and they will come" only works in the movies.
Companies don't set up because you've got nice scenery and a brand new runway... they set up because you've given them a financial and skills incentive (tax breaks and a skilled workforce).

I'd suggest we give them a clip around the ear 'ole every time they do something stupid, but I reckon our hands would hurt so much we'd give up before they learned anything.

 

[Digit]

Round here they would have cauliflower ears BS.
If the runway had been extended to the north the ground is level, also the existing road would not have had to be destroyed and a new one created. In addition the new road, for some reason that escapes us all was connected via a round about, due to its location on a slope they had to move 1000s of tonnes a soil etc to produce a level.
All this for a suggested 4000 aircraft movements per annum. In the intervening period we have haven't achieved 50/annum!
Having 'finished' the lob they discovered that they had made no provision for a power supply to the round about lighting, then they had disputes about lack of safety barriers as there is large drop to one side due to the made up ground. Then it was discovered that the radius was so tight that heavy trucks could not negotiate the curves.
Today's local paper states that some two yrs/ after planning consent for a new super store the land is unstable.
The 'Prince Charles' quay was built some years ago with gaps in the river wall for gates to permit walk on boarding, despite the deep water no gates have yet been installed and we are all waiting for some child to fall in.
The local yacht club offered to fit some free of charge earlier this year but were fobbed off with the statement that the gates were still in the design stage! Some 10? yrs after completion of the job!
We had a local 'T' jumction closed off 'temporarily', it took 8 yrs to plan and install a set of traffic lights!
I would hire our local planners to plan my funeral!

Roy.

 

[BigShot]

I could see this rapidly turning into a thread of one-upmanship of who's politicians are worse... I don't know enough about ours (and what I do know doesn't come close) to enter the fray though.

What a shoddy shower you've got to pay for though. It must sting knowing you're paying for the mortgages, bills, food, clothes, cars, gadgets and holidays for such a useless bunch. It's bad enough around here.

 

[Digit]

I have to say BS that this isn't simply a personal opinion, our lot have been criticised on a number of occasions, for a number of reasons, by the Assembly in Cardiff.
And the list I quoted is only a sample!

Roy.

 

[BigShot]

There's not much I'd disbelieve about politicians. They seem to come in only two types. "Useless" and "So useless you'd have a better results giving the job to a duck".

 

[AndyT]

I could see this rapidly turning into a thread of one-upmanship of who's politicians are worse... I don't know enough about ours (and what I do know doesn't come close) to enter the fray though.

BS - and everyone - I recommend a look at the splendid http://www.theyworkforyou.com website. It takes all the debates and votes as reported in Hansard, and digests it into a handy summary of how each MP has voted on a range of contentious issues; what they have actually said in the house, what committees they have worked on, expenses claimed, etc. So it gives a much better picture than the somewhat random reporting on press radio and TV.

 

[BigShot]

Andy... that site lowered my opinion even further than the stories, leaflets an response letters I've had from mine.
He 's not done it single handedly, but he contributed a heck of a lot to my current distain for politics and politicians. I like to think I'm a reasonably smart guy... and while I've sent him some letters that leave no doubt I'm in possession of a good understanding of the issue, the replies he sends out are so patronising it's almost an insult.

He's almost completely party-loyal (he rebelled a couple of times in government) and the onoy reason I don't detest him entirely is that venom is tied up with the MP of the neighbouring area... Hazel Blears... and I'm going to stop typing now before I share my opinion of her and break the forum's profanity filter

 

[AndyT]

Sorry!

But at least you have the (distasteful) facts - which has to be better really.