Drivers and their problems

Older than the drivers (at least their mental age, hopefuly :-o ) 

Don't worry, this place is not for most of us (I would imagine - given price of real estate).  The revolution won't start there.  In fact I'd be surprised if it ever gets there.

"Everything is extortionate" in the town says former Londoner.  Tourist town and apparently the "Airbnb capital of Kent" you say?  Problem parking on "busy summer days" you say?

Google says the town is about 5 miles by 1.6 and flat - or 26 minutes by 12 minutes on a bike.  Switching on Google's "cycle infra" layer - not much to see.  One of the few "main" routes is a very narrow shared use path (footpath with sign) alongside the A2990!

stonojnr wrote:

Emu spotted walking in road. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/24590784.emus-spotted-walking-road-hadleigh-...

Advance troop for the coming war?

Jeez, the Google reviews of that Geoffrey Miller makes for vomit inducing reading.

It's a public confessional for c**ts.

That looks wonderful. What the residents seem to want is longer dropped kerbs so the radius of turn can be larger, so they can drive it faster. Why might this not be such a great idea...?

How about the other news article on the sidebar of that page:

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24327058.parking-fears-flats-plan-f...

Quote:

A block of 14 flats could be built on an unused car park in St John’s.

But neighbours have criticised the plans, saying developers have not included enough parking space for future residents.

It's not a real car stuck on beach story without complete inundation and recovery after the tide goes out.

Drunk, double speed limit, taking selfies, zero responsibility taken afterwards, previous convictions for same

I think even Lancashire Constabulary would have trouble getting that Paragon of Evil off- however, they're still working away in the background forgiving driving offenders by simply ignoring the reports because 'everybody does it'. This driver of PK55 FXA, dead cert for 6 points if Mikey had reported him to the Met, has a young boy in the passenger seat, probably no seat belts on either of them (I'm not sure about that) and is definitely using a handheld mobile phone while driving (at exactly the same location where I recently showed an Amazon driver 'on the phone')- I could even hear him speaking through the open window. In Lancashire, the police will try to ensure that drivers don't have any problems

David9694 wrote:

“You see people watching out of their windows and spying to see when cars leave in Albert Street and Victoria Street then rushing out and calling their friends to say: ‘I have got a space.’

Is Whitstable too big to cycle around, then?

If they've built a shiny new bidirectional cycle lane and yet more people are seen cycling on the road then something is wrong with the shiny new bidirectional cycle lane...

David9694 wrote:

No sale. 

Feathers fly as zoo ranger runs half marathon in ostrich attire

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/feathers-fly-zoo-range...

That's just cheating!

He's just sat there and letting the ostrich do all the running.

David9694 wrote:

brooksby wrote:

David9694 wrote:

“You see people watching out of their windows and spying to see when cars leave in Albert Street and Victoria Street then rushing out and calling their friends to say: ‘I have got a space.’

Is Whitstable too big to cycle around, then?

I just wondered where the car was parked before the other person drove off. 

It wasn't - people are circling for days, just waiting for their 'spotter' to call them with the good news.

If I may...

Ep 4. "The Resurfacing".... the road is closed so it can be resurface...but one car remains. Where is the owner of the car.... the hunt is on.

Ep 5. "A cycle lane....!" The resurfacing done and what's this.... some of the parking spaces have been removed so a cycle lane and a bike storage unit can be installed. The local Green Party Councillor is cornered in the artisan bakery.....

Ep 6. "Walk to school day."  The local first school decides that as none of its students live more than half a mile away, they won't allow people to be driven to school. Questions are asked in the Common's when a parent from the local US Army base disobeys the instruction... 

Ep 7. "Police strike." The Road's Police unit go on strike. People in the area are confused as they didn't know such a unit existed. 

It's actually not too bad at the moment. I suspect the shared sections will become a nightmare in summer though. It stops before it gets into the town center prefering to link with an existing shared route which ends up at the out of town railway sation. There are drain covers in the cycle path one of which is set pretty deep and even the others are uncomfortable to ride over if you don't avoid them, not to mention slippy. There is a concrete HT cable marker which is set about 6 inches in from the edge at one point.  Someone will hit it sooner or later.

I still use it in preference to the road. It's so much more relaxing than that tensed up feeling I get every time a car comes up behind me on the roads. Drivers seem to be getting the hang of giving way to cyclists where instructed to but there are no markings at the two drive ways in the article as well as one of the road junctions so you have to be aware at those.

The first time I went to use it, just after it was completed, the races were on and the cycle path was closed. Forced on to the road with drivers wondering why I wasn't on the cycle path, they wouldn't have seen the cycle path closed sign. Next races are on new years day, we'll see what the score is for that one. The next time I used it a delivery van was parked in one lane of the cycle path at the next house to the one in the article and a car was pulled across the other lane trying to get out. I and the cyclist coming the other way had to stop.

I can certainly see why some cyclists would use the road.

David9694 wrote:

It's probably "too dangerous" or "too busy" to cycle around, which is a shame.  I do sometimes wish a place that this would have the courage to "do a Paris". It's a bit like at Hebden Bridge, you aren't going there on your day out to be surrounded by cars.  

For 60-70 years councils have created off street parking and one ways to try to maintain the illusion that cars, free-flowing roads and a sense of local amenity are all possible at once, but in many places, that no longer works.

Exactly this.  In the UK the dial is turned so far to "drive" that the solution to most problems is a four-wheeled one.  Your town is really rich?  You'll be keeping those parking spaces if you want to keep your post!  You're unlikely to persuade the rich to "reduce their status" / convenience.

Your town is really poor?  The working people you've got need to be able to get out to earn money with their vehicles, the carers / emergency services need to get in etc.

Your town relies on tourism?  Keep 'em driving - the money comes in with the swanky vehicles / large coaches...

Congestion?  We need to clear the streets / make more space to get the traffic flowing again.

Curiously where things have been rebalanced (e.g. NL) the same issues can lead to the conclusion that fewer motor vehicles and more provision for cycling and other modes is the way forward.

Capacity issues?  More cycling (and public transport).

To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "Build it right and they will come: and use it!"

Over 20 years, so a start.

"Please take my licence away as I am not capable of driving".

ktache wrote:

Over 20 years, so a start.

If I'm getting it right, according to this, his ban will be extended by half his prison term. That works out to a tick over 30 years until he can apply to drive again. He'll be 68 years old.

Sadly I don't think a driving ban of any length will stop a nutter like this from driving.

Somehow I don't think he'll be bothering with the paperwork

I think this statement sums up the attitude of the judicial system towards RTAs

Quote:

Anderson showed a shocking disregard for his actions, with a police bodycam capturing him saying: "I've drove into the back of another car [sic]. Sometimes mistakes happen, but I'm not a bad person."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/29048971/driver-killed-baby-aunt-crash-cou...

Else where the family are calling for a lifetime driving ban.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnk4q7p8jnpo