Random stuff that people do that annoy me

[Phoenix]

Toll Bar End roadworks.

[LesterRam]

When a motorway is widened/altered do we add overhead variable speed limits to pay for said road, is this not funded under RFL? Or is this just another layer of stealth taxation?

[Sith Happens]

55 minutes ago, LesterRam said:

When a motorway is widened/altered do we add overhead variable speed limits to pay for said road, is this not funded under RFL? Or is this just another layer of stealth taxation?

Only if you break the speed limit, i never quite get when people say speed cameras are stealth taxation, dont break the law and it wont cost you a penny.

[LesterRam]

1 hour ago, Paul71 said:

Only if you break the speed limit, i never quite get when people say speed cameras are stealth taxation, dont break the law and it wont cost you a penny.

You wouldn't say that if you drove around the M25 regular, one set 30mph, next set 40mph and no frigging traffic, why? I have drove perfectly fine without incident before these money making machines were introduced.

[King Kevin]

The way councils tar and feather the roads [top dressing ]took 2 hours to get the frigging tar off my car bodywork .The way they treat motorists is beyond contempt .

[Ewe Ram]

4 hours ago, Tony Le Mesmer said:

Recycling bin bottle caddy insert thieves. Fourth time. Scum, sub human scum. I get home and the bottle caddy insert thingy has vanished again.

Mine was crushed by the bin men, it's made of some cheap stuff 

[Rev]

My old man's just received a fixed penalty notice for jumping a red light, whilst following my mother in law's funeral procession.

His choice is court, or a £92 driver awareness course!

[LesterRam]

15 minutes ago, reveldevil said:

My old man's just received a fixed penalty notice for jumping a red light, whilst following my mother in law's funeral procession.

His choice is court, or a £92 driver awareness course!

Contest the penalty, that's just awful.

[ilkleyram]

5 hours ago, Paul71 said:

Only if you break the speed limit, i never quite get when people say speed cameras are stealth taxation, dont break the law and it wont cost you a penny.

And, of course, you're correct, Paul.

Except sometimes the law is an ass and sometimes roads, speed cameras and so called smart motorways are set up to trap motorists, whether deliberately or not, into a situation where obeying the stated limit is plain stupid.

I drove about 400 miles on the M1 yesterday, to London and back. Most of the roadworks have gone and are now 'smart' motorways with four lane/hardshoulder running - one of the most sensible policies the coalition government adopted. 30 odd% more road for relatively little expense.

What they've also done is add a series of 'hidden' speed cameras attached to the sides of gantries rather than over the lanes where temporary speed restrictions can apply - about 30 of them between Leeds and London. Two of them only are now housed in yellow boxes, the rest are grey - to trap the unwary.

And the temporary speed limits are ridiculous. On three occasions yesterday gantry 1 showed 50mph, the next one 40mph and then the third 60mph, with no incident or traffic congestion to justify the changes. Yet fail to observe the limits and you risk a fine. Result? People jamming their brakes on to prevent just that. The number of times the gantry speed limits and signs are just wrong is frequent - no one trusts them any more. These are not smart motorways, they're thick.

Set that against at least three drivers in three different circumstances driving at 60mph in lanes 2 and 3 causing people to back up, undertake (eventually), drive too close and queue and become frustrated. Which is the more dangerous? Where are the cameras to address that problem; what camera stops tailgating? Those are far more dangerous behaviours than speed.

I drive thousands of miles a year on motorways. Accepting that for most people the speed limit is 80mph, actually the huge majority are around that speed, and drive sensibly. The police now largely ignore motorways because they know that the roads are generally pretty safe. But the cameras that replace the police can only measure speed, not the really dangerous behaviour - distance and lane discipline - and therefore they will continue to be accused, accurately, of being tax raisers because they have no effect on genuinely dangerous driving behaviour, which is little to do with speed.

[davenportram]

Smart motorways arent designed to react to congestion, its designed to prevent it. By reducing the arrival rate when a larger than normal amount if traffic is predicted (done using sensors on the road and cameras ) the build up of  congestion can be avoided. If your nit seeing congestion tgen maybe it works.

 

Not all camras on the side of the road are speed cameras. Somecare used to predict teaffuc flows, others are ANPR cameras that can track suspect vehicles and even help find missing persons.

[davenportram]

1 hour ago, ilkleyram said:

And, of course, you're correct, Paul.

Except sometimes the law is an ass and sometimes roads, speed cameras and so called smart motorways are set up to trap motorists, whether deliberately or not, into a situation where obeying the stated limit is plain stupid.

I drove about 400 miles on the M1 yesterday, to London and back. Most of the roadworks have gone and are now 'smart' motorways with four lane/hardshoulder running - one of the most sensible policies the coalition government adopted. 30 odd% more road for relatively little expense.

What they've also done is add a series of 'hidden' speed cameras attached to the sides of gantries rather than over the lanes where temporary speed restrictions can apply - about 30 of them between Leeds and London. Two of them only are now housed in yellow boxes, the rest are grey - to trap the unwary.

And the temporary speed limits are ridiculous. On three occasions yesterday gantry 1 showed 50mph, the next one 40mph and then the third 60mph, with no incident or traffic congestion to justify the changes. Yet fail to observe the limits and you risk a fine. Result? People jamming their brakes on to prevent just that. The number of times the gantry speed limits and signs are just wrong is frequent - no one trusts them any more. These are not smart motorways, they're thick.

Set that against at least three drivers in three different circumstances driving at 60mph in lanes 2 and 3 causing people to back up, undertake (eventually), drive too close and queue and become frustrated. Which is the more dangerous? Where are the cameras to address that problem; what camera stops tailgating? Those are far more dangerous behaviours than speed.

I drive thousands of miles a year on motorways. Accepting that for most people the speed limit is 80mph, actually the huge majority are around that speed, and drive sensibly. The police now largely ignore motorways because they know that the roads are generally pretty safe. But the cameras that replace the police can only measure speed, not the really dangerous behaviour - distance and lane discipline - and therefore they will continue to be accused, accurately, of being tax raisers because they have no effect on genuinely dangerous driving behaviour, which is little to do with speed.

The cameras at the side if the ganties are nit speed cameras, the gantries hold the cameras one over each lane. My ex neighbour works for the highway agency and he told me so.

[Sith Happens]

7 hours ago, ilkleyram said:

And, of course, you're correct, Paul.

Except sometimes the law is an ass and sometimes roads, speed cameras and so called smart motorways are set up to trap motorists, whether deliberately or not, into a situation where obeying the stated limit is plain stupid.

I drove about 400 miles on the M1 yesterday, to London and back. Most of the roadworks have gone and are now 'smart' motorways with four lane/hardshoulder running - one of the most sensible policies the coalition government adopted. 30 odd% more road for relatively little expense.

What they've also done is add a series of 'hidden' speed cameras attached to the sides of gantries rather than over the lanes where temporary speed restrictions can apply - about 30 of them between Leeds and London. Two of them only are now housed in yellow boxes, the rest are grey - to trap the unwary.

And the temporary speed limits are ridiculous. On three occasions yesterday gantry 1 showed 50mph, the next one 40mph and then the third 60mph, with no incident or traffic congestion to justify the changes. Yet fail to observe the limits and you risk a fine. Result? People jamming their brakes on to prevent just that. The number of times the gantry speed limits and signs are just wrong is frequent - no one trusts them any more. These are not smart motorways, they're thick.

Set that against at least three drivers in three different circumstances driving at 60mph in lanes 2 and 3 causing people to back up, undertake (eventually), drive too close and queue and become frustrated. Which is the more dangerous? Where are the cameras to address that problem; what camera stops tailgating? Those are far more dangerous behaviours than speed.

I drive thousands of miles a year on motorways. Accepting that for most people the speed limit is 80mph, actually the huge majority are around that speed, and drive sensibly. The police now largely ignore motorways because they know that the roads are generally pretty safe. But the cameras that replace the police can only measure speed, not the really dangerous behaviour - distance and lane discipline - and therefore they will continue to be accused, accurately, of being tax raisers because they have no effect on genuinely dangerous driving behaviour, which is little to do with speed.

I am with you on the dangerous behaviours, middle lane hogs, people holding up the far right overtaking lane, tailgaters, people who think indicating gives them the right to pull out without being sure its safe to do so etc, i am sure hogging the middle lane is an offence now but one i doubt hardly anyone gets a fine for because its hard to police.

I do accept what you say about the speed restrictions but ultimately if there is a warning sign then you have no excuse, if the speed limit in one zone is 60 then the next 40 it should not be difficult to slow down from 60 to 40, slowing down suddenly from 85 to 40 might be different of course. Its a bit like all the people moaning last year because they got fined for pulling into the bus stop at Derby train station....its quite clearly signed you cant and there will be a fine so dont complian if it happens. I have no idea if the signs are wrong, i can only go on my own experience using the M42 and whilst frustrating it does in fairness seem to keep moving now.

 

[ketteringram]

14 hours ago, Phoenix said:

Toll Bar End roadworks.

Is that the one near Warwick? Been going on for years now, and I can't even figure out what it is they are trying to do. 

[McRamFan]

10 hours ago, davenportram said:

The cameras at the side if the ganties are nit speed cameras, the gantries hold the cameras one over each lane. My ex neighbour works for the highway agency and he told me so.

I was told the ones on the side are ANPR cameras.

[Phoenix]

5 hours ago, ketteringram said:

Is that the one near Warwick? Been going on for years now, and I can't even figure out what it is they are trying to do. 

It's on the way to Warwick, it's near Coventry airport. It's costing £106 million, and they're building an underpass for the A46 which, heading North, eventually feeds on to the M69 and thus the M6. I believe the A45 (Birmingham), which also hits the junction, will continue to use the roundabout.

It's been a nightmare years before the work started, it's only in very recent years that they put traffic lights on it.

If you're thinking of going through it, allow an extra 20 mins minimum.

[davenportram]

2 hours ago, McRamFan said:

I was told the ones on the side are ANPR cameras.

Yep, different to speed cameras

[Animal is a Ram]

Piers Morgan.

There's not many people I'd aim a c-bomb at, but he's one of them.

 

[Phoenix]

Slugs.

[Guest]

People who say "enjoy!" When they serve you coffee or a meal. 

[Sith Happens]

8 minutes ago, Strange yearnings said:

People who say "enjoy!" When they serve you coffee or a meal. 

I know, its much better when they say "I hope it tastes like a soiled nappy"