OT: Four in every five sets of traffic lights should be removed, report claims

[Mr Macaw]

Roundabouts are the best. Adding lights to them is stupid, especially when someone doesn't notice there are lights no them (especially when they actually put them in the middle of it!)

[bert]

I can assure you they don't

[Mr Macaw]

Agreed. When I know the lights are about to change, I always bite the clutch ready so I can floor it when they go green.

I wish more people would let people out of minor roads. I often am waiting to come out of one and about 30 cars pass without bothering to leave a gap. The only way out is to inch forwards until someone is worried about a collision and lets me out.

[Mr Macaw]

Wide gaps don't happen here much, there's always some clown at the front doing the speed limit with 20 cars angrily following.

[bert]

In article , The Natural Philosopher writes

Bus stops around here

[Mr Macaw]

You have to wonder why these people don't buy a 0.8 litre Lada Riva if they're never going to use the power of their engine.

[Mr Macaw]

If everybody had an automatic junctions would go much faster.

[Clive George]

That there are a lot of idiots about? You don't have to dumb yourself down to that low level, you have the opportunity to be a better driver. Take it.

I suggest not trying it with a foreign-plated car.

And?

[Mr Macaw]

If the car in front goes through, you can follow him closely even though you're going through a red. Cars from the other direction are not going to plough into a queue of traffic.

[Mr Macaw]

I am of the belief that 50% of the population don't realise that the pump nozzle will reach to the other side of the car. Sometimes it's annoying as it causes queues, but sometimes I find it really funny that I can go to the empty side of the pumps and watch everyone staring at me as I simply reach the hose over the other side of the car. Maybe a few learn each time I do that.

[bert]

+1 Tarmac is there to be used, so use it.

[Mr Macaw]

The only place I'd ever install traffic lights is at a junction where you can't clearly see the other entrances - tall buildings and narrow streets for example.

[Mr Macaw]

-claims.html

There's a stupid crossroads here with a giveway line on three of the ent= rances but not the other one. So presumably you have to give way to you= r right AND the one without the giveway line? Whatever the rule is, nob= ody seems to know. What usually happens is everyone stops and looks at = each other, then someone decides to go first. Unless of course one of t= he vehicles is a bus, then he just charges through and to f*ck with ever= yone else.

-- =

On the topic of mobile phones: Anything bigger than 4 inches is getting into the region where most peop= le would have difficulty holding and using the device comfortably -- Cal= lum Kerr, 2013.

[Mr Macaw]

Not me, I ignore yellow boxes, they're a stupid idea. I often get stuck behind someone who won't go onto the box incase someone wants to turn right. But there's nobody there! But I am behind them wanting to turn left, into the very road they were trying to leave clear!

[bert]

In article , T i m writes

Then poll a few insurance companies.

[Mr Macaw]

Same stupid idea as new-build housing estates around here, where they don't install pavements! Kids play on the bloody road! Pedestrians walk across people's gardens to avoid passing cars. And they make the roads single track so people have to reverse about to get by. One day someone will get killed and the f****it council woman in charge of roads will get sacked, or jailed.

[bert]

In article , Jonno writes

Well the Red Guard in China decided that Red for stop was counter revolutionary and so changed them round with Green for Stop and Red for Go. Result was like the M25 on a foggy day.

[T i m]

You are still wrong though as you may realise later. ;-)

See above.

Easy to say with hindsight. I'll try to paint a typical picture for you.

'Most people' see the 'offside lane closed ahead' sign and start to manoeuvre their way over to the open lane whilst slowing slightly. Now, depending on the general weight of traffic, what else is going on (like workers in the road works or slow traffic beyond it) the traffic can often just continue though the restriction and then continue on their way. However, get some 'nutter' who insists upon taking his merge up to the cones and you see a load of brake lights and often the traffic coming to a halt, as someone lets the person into a gap that now doesn't exist (as everyone had bunched up because of the braking).

Now you have a long queue of slow moving traffic in the left hand lane (people who have planned ahead) and further drivers who choose to take advantage of this position by tearing down the outside and again, forcing their way into what was an orderly / pre merged two lane queue.

The traffic rarely builds back up to speed because it is dangerous merging at speed (as covered by the highway Code).

See above ... and now you seem to be changing the picture? Yes, if people 'merge' at a reasonable distance back from the actual obstruction (as advised by the road signs), 'yes', everything works out fine ... but that's not what I believe you were talking about?

Agreed ... but you hadn't considered the cause to the effect. ;-)

Se above.

See above.

Just because you haven't experienced or acknowledged something doesn't mean others haven't.

Correct.

Ah, and now we are entering that grey area of who thinks what is 'acceptable'.

Erm, 'yes'. ;-)

Nope, I do it as per both the Highway Code and what is considered acceptable by 'most people'.

Quite, we are called 'normal people'. ;-)

Yes, you are referring to the minority the majority refer to as 'nutters'. I've actually watched them plough though the cones or leave

50 yard skid marks before forcing their way into the front of what was an orderly and gentlemanly queue.

Of course, IF you are all approaching the back of a two lane traffic queue (merging into one ahead) that is *already* moving slowly.

No, you won't, because what I do goes along with the vast majority

*and* the Highway Code (by some strange coincidence). ;-)

So, in the scenario I highlighted, the traffic had been flowing freely then been brought to a stop-start halt by a few who considered it 'ok' to force themselves into an otherwise free flowing merge at the last second. The lorry was in a position to protect those in front of him who were still patiently queuing and allowing the two lanes to build up behind to now 'zip' as we were all going slower.

You may be happy to 'take advantage' of a queue of traffic by overtaking them to the front but most wouldn't.

Now, maybe you live in the middle of a big city where it may well be 'dog eat dog' but out here (Hertfordshire) there are still some courteous drivers about. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[dennis]

There was a time when there were only single side pumps and you could drive down the other side and fill up and the queue would have to wait. You got some looks then.

[T i m]

No, what they don't realise is if they had any driving skill whatsoever they could park nearer the pump and in the right position to give the nozzle the best chance of reaching. There are some vehicles this doesn't apply to of course.

Yup, I did just that the last time I filled up. ;-)

You would hope but seeing how far away from the pump some people park, I doubt it. ;-(

Cheers, T i m