Idiots on the road
Perhaps we could create a bye-law that means anyone parking outside the Hollybush has to set up a notice of such next to Stour Lane?
If you have a car parked outside the Chinese that's annoying but not problematic, switching lanes is made much easier by the simple ability to see quite a distance behind you as it's a reasonably straight road.
Sadly outside the Hollybush looking back to switch lanes draws a halt at the 90 degree corner. You have a reaction length of around 30 yards to observe traffic in the other lane. That's traffic travelling at 30mph who, of course, can't see around the corner either.
So traffic in the left-hand lane who want to stay in the left-hand lane, turn the corner and bam suddenly find the need to switch lanes; I'm just surprised that there aren't accidents here.
Just to add to matters a car had parked up outside the Boathouse on Lion Hill. So I come around the corner, indicate to switch lanes to the right, then have to switch back to the left. At which point to dark shadows decide this is the bestest time in the whole wide world to run across the road in front of me.
I hit the brakes and they look at me as if I'm nuts.
Oh and earlier that afternoon turning a tight left into a road a pedestrian decided to step out off the pavement and then look around to see if anything was coming. Not a youngster either, definitely an oldster. Does no-one bother anymore.
[Additional - just had some gormless kid on a bicycle trying to cross both lanes of Mitton Street at the same time having passed the crossing points at the splitter triangle, and preventing the cars from Worcester Street staying in lane by sticking his front wheel out into the road. He just stood, mouth open, and watched this string of cars detouring around him.]
7 comments:
Idiots. They get everywhere.
You'd have though natural processes would have bumped them all off by now :-)
As far as I can tell, being an idiot is due to environmental rather than genetic factors.
Still, gotta love the way that if somebody is stupid enough to wander round the roads in the middle of the night wearing jet black from head to toe, and they walk across the road without even bothering to look, you go to jail for killing them. WTF?
Idiocy nature or nurture, discuss ;-)
I mean in theory if you don't bother to teach your kids to stop at the edge of the pavement to check before crossing the road, they're more likely to get run over and thus eliminate themselves from the meme pool leaving those who pass the meme on to survive.
Anyway wasn't dark, but this morning I saw a man walking his dog on the road, opposite a pavement, with his back to oncoming traffic and another this afternoon appearing from behind a parked van to cross the road while the pelican further up was stopping traffic. Um yeah it's stopping traffic there, not where you've dashed out from. Car in front of me had to do a hasty slowdown. Guy didn't even notice he was too busy looking up at the lane he was heading for.
And if there weren't any witnesses, I'd bet you would go to jail for running over someone who darted out in front of you.
Just 2 points. Regarding Mitton Street and the Holybush, I am continually having the opposite problem. I am in the right hand lane, so as to follow round to Vale Road and as I turn the corner opposite Severn Road, look ahead and there is on many occasions a van/car whatever parked outside the, er, is it a lawnmower shop? A quick look over my shoulder and dart to the left or stop and wait for a break in traffic. Its a bit further down than the Holybush, so not as dangerous as your case, but annoying all the same. Secondly, regarding your comment about a tight turn "Into" a road and nearly hitting a pedestrian. I sort of remember from years ago having an argument with someone about this sort of thing and he told me at the time, and I believe proved right, that if you are turning into a road and a pedestrian is waiting to cross, they have right of way. So you are supposed to stop on the main road while they cross, waiting for the car behind you to cave in your back end! Doesn't excuse him not looking though.
Right, just checked highway code. They have priority over car turning in, only if they have started crossing, which would be obvious I suppose, as you would flatten them!
Steve yes there are vehicles outside the lawnmower shop and it is annoying, but as you say it's further up which gives you some more leeway.
Oh and yes a pedestrian has right of way over a car if they've started crossing, however that is dependant on whether they bothered to check for oncoming vehicles.
IOW if they can't see you (they shouldn't be crossing there - end of High Street) then they have right of way, if you're not indicating and thus they have no way to tell you're heading towards them they have right of way; if they don't bother to check or just step out in front of you, you have right of way.
Another point I need to check on, but I think isn't well followed is that you shouldn't move off until the pedestrian has finished crossing the road (assuming they had right of way to start with) that doesn't mean you can move off once they get out of just your lane.
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