Drivers and their problems

Letter to the Bath Chron from - I'm going to venture - Boomer June:

"OBSESSION - Sadly it is not just the outskirts of the city that are under attack, it includes the most beautiful old centre, this time with the 'anti-car obsession'. We are, I gather, to have an attack of GREEN MEASLES - large bicycle sheds."

If you want to know what's spoiling Bath, look no further than your own driveway. 

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/letter-once-world-reno...

Canterbury City Council back down after ‘furious’ great-grandmother given parking fine in Herne Bay

“I was entitled to park on a single yellow line. I saw absolutely no signs.

“I was in the charity shop for no more than 30 minutes. I just dropped off the stuff and had a look around at some books.

'Blue Badge holders are legally allowed to park on single or double yellow lines in Canterbury for up to three hours so long as it is safe, but not in a pedestrianised zone.'  
In their efforts to make concessions to drivers, this whole thing sounds like it's gotten too complicated. 

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/herne-bay/news/furious-great-grandmother-gi...

Genteel Verwood rocked by catapult firing car passengers at 3 o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon 

Witness appeal after Verwood criminal damage incidents

Occupants of a silver Suzuki Vitara were witnessed aiming catapults at several other motorists as it drove through the town and in the areas of Home Farm Road and Station Road.

The window of a Barber’s shop in the Ringwood Road area was also damaged around the same time after also being reportedly shot by a catapult.

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/23765703.witness-appeal-verwood-c...

Children injured on way to Gloucestershire school sparks calls for reduction in speed limit

Mum of two Sian Blackham has launched a petition to keep children in the village of Kingswood safe

Campaigners in Gloucestershire are calling for a reduction in the speed limit and a school bus ban in a village where children have been injured by vehicles. One youngster was treated for a fractured arm and two were clipped by vehicles in Kingswood near Wotton-Under-Edge.

Sian Blackham, 44, has lived in the village for 10 years with her husband and two children Henry, five, and Dylan, 10. With narrow pavements and pinch points, despite getting used to more independence walking to school, Dylan says one coach came very close to him because it mounted the kerb which was very scary.

A narrow section of footpath on Wotton Road at just 78cm as well as a combination of parked cars and school buses regularly mounting the kerb has left the lives of school children walking to and from school at risk from dangerous driving through the village.

 https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/gloucestershi...

Residents fume over Exeter parking permit plans

"Wait until they start charging you congestion charges to get to your house"

"If you pay road tax why should you pay extra to park on the public highway"

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/residents-fume-over-exeter-par...

Rampaging driver had children in his car as he crashed into vehicles and a wall

A driver who caught up with him was left injured

"You explained to the officer it was a medical episode," the judge told him in the dock. "You said you were taking Xanax to help you sleep, and drinking the night before. This might well be right to explain the way you drove the morning after.

"I accept you are remorseful and ashamed of what you have done". The assault on the other driver was impulsive, he added, but the situation was of his own making and was aggravated by the presence of children and he was under the influence of alcohol but not over the limit.

The driving, he said, in many ways is worse - as he highlighted it was a serious offence with multiple collisions, causing some injury, persistent, and it was good fortune the driver or others did no suffer serious injury.

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/rampaging-driver-children...

Toyota driver stopped on A303 for having no insurance

When questioned, a passenger said they were "just in the process of applying for insurance", according to Wiltshire Police. 

Practised behaviour much?

https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/23766451.toyota-driver-stopped-a...

A bit of a McFlurry going on here...

McDonald's car park horror as BMW 'deliberately driven at people' outside East Kilbride restaurant

Police Scotland were called to the scene at the Queensway car park on Sunday afternoon after it is claimed the car was being driven erratically following an alleged row.

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/mcdonalds-car-park-horro...

PS Has anyone seen this Reddit story doing the rounds? Slight absence of names, dates and places for for my tastes - but there is a picture (of something) here:

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/elderly-couple-praised-revenge-neighb...

Coltishall residents' anger as village is 'no longer quiet riverside community'

The village sees huge volumes of traffic due to a bridge which reduces journey times

a slow-burn story, no doubt being played out up and down the land in different terms

Locals say the situation has worsened since the opening of the Northern Distributor Road, which is sending more motorists their way.

“A bypass for the village, from my perspective, would be a bad thing, but I don’t know what the solution is. If you take away passing trade it could kill the village.”

“Trying to get off our drive onto the street is a nightmare and the more houses they build in North Walsham the worse it will get. 

https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/news/norfolk-news/coltishall-residents-ang...

Driveway with bus shelter across it latest

Homeowner says 'no one will buy my house' because of bus shelter 'blocking' driveway

Simon Williams says everyone who has viewed the property has been 'put off' by the bus shelter in front of his drive

"A lot of bus stops haven't even got bus shelters, they just have posts with a sign on it. The bus doesn't even stop outside the shelter, because if it did, it would be half on the road because it is at the end and located at a terrible location."

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/homeowner-says-no-one-buy-27659649

ULEZ expansion means Romford pensioner 'forced to pay to attend vital hospital and GP appointments'

Ms Amos says she's unable to use public transport due to arthritis

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/ulez-expansion-means-romford-...

Northumberland village residents left without power after tractor takes down power cables

Ms Ling claims that earlier in the week, another tractor scraped a townhouse, took out a bollard, and ripped electrics out of a road sign, which has been reported to Northumbria Police.

We've got a lot of holiday cottages here as well, so you can imagine the parking. Everybody's got to have off-street parking because there's nowhere to put your car."

Residents were without power for just under three hours, after Northern Powergrid engineers travelled from Gateshead to fix the issue. 

Northumbria Police confirmed they had received the call from Ms Ling.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-vill...

Search for hit-and-run cyclist in Swindon after car 'significantly damaged'

Wiltshire Police said the rider failed to stop at the scene and officers have issued an appeal for witnesses

https://www.wiltshirelive.co.uk/news/wiltshire-news/search-hit-run-cycli...

Driver crashes into signpost near Chippenham in bid to evade police

(don't parse this story the wrong way)

https://www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/driver-signpost-chippenham-evade-police/

Vows never to return klaxon 

Holidaymaker vows never to fly from Bristol Airport again because of Clean Air Zone 'trap'

amazed he got through Passports, TBH

https://www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world-news/holidaymaker-vows-never-fly...

"I don't want the road fixed if it's for cyclists" 

Council denies claim potholes were repaired on day Tour of Britain passed through Nottinghamshire

(I'd say it pretty much admits to this, for what it's worth)

The world's best cyclists sped through the county in stage four of the race

A resident had claimed to have seen "sub-contractors hurriedly scramble to fill some of the potholes that have blighted the roads in this area and the rest of Nottinghamshire for years", saying the repairs were taking place on the Tour of Britain route.

"Some of these really nasty and dangerous potholes have been in place for several months and left woefully unattended to by Nottinghamshire County Council and only on the actual morning of this nationally televised cycle event are they receiving attention," the resident said.

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/council-denies-claim-poth...

Excel Parking: Sheffield widow selling car to pay £300 in disputed fines

Sandra White has fallen foul of the parking firm's strict rules

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-widow-selling-car-to-pay-ps300-...

Strood Motor Centre in Gravesend Road, Strood, finds car to be sold clamped by DVLA

“We had a customer come to view the car that day and unfortunately we couldn’t sell it to them.”  Yeah, funny that - every used car you express an interest in seems to have someone coming down to see it later on. 

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/i-thought-it-was-a-prank-anger-...

Car-free travel will be at the heart of future Somerset development under new plans

Locals can have their say on new plans until October 16

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/car-free-travel-heart-...

Worth a look for the article commenters losing their shit about it.