Drivers and their problems

David9694 wrote:

Man punched in the face by woman 'multiple times' in Gloucester road rage attack

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-10-19/man-punched-in-the-face-...?

What cars do to people. 

It's about time that people had driving bans if they don't have the emotional maturity to deal with modern driving. Let's get these nutters out of their cars so we don't have to deal with their self-indulgent rages.

David9694 wrote:

The worst day for Exeter commuter traffic (it's Wednesday)

Exeter has the nation’s second-largest travel-to-work population

Mr Knight acknowledged that different days of the week now offer distinct challenges to ensure sure buses are on time and not impacted by congestion.

He explained that keeping buses to schedule all week would require a bespoke timetable for each day, but stated that this was “impossible” operationally and is not something that the firm is considering, because passengers expect a Monday-to-Friday schedule, with different timetables at weekends.

interesting to hear a bit about the impact on buses of too many cars - another issue you have to deny if you're a car driver 

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/worst-day-exeter-commuter-traf...

Does Wednesday actually have more travel? Or is this a historical accident where traffic is worse on Wednesday which means the busses are slower so more people drive on Wednesdays and the traffic is worse so the busses are even slower so more people drive on Wednesdays?

David9694 wrote:

"Improvements in roads, local transport, and walkways need to lead, not follow, restrictions on motor vehicles"

If no one does anything nothing gets done.  Changes to behaviour rarely occur without appropriate motivation - whether that comes via a carrot, or a stick.

Wow - shouldn't be surprised but ... taxi drivers.

""It has been absolutely horrific since the scheme was introduced. We told the council we would be looking at revoking services in the scheme areas if we did not receive a response from them  ...  Our concerns were around the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children who use our services and are not able to access them anymore." [ what? ] "...traffic is being forced onto two main roads." [ er... so it's sort of stopping rat-running then? ] "Although we welcome the new access we have been granted, our main goal is to have the scheme scrapped."

And " essential provider of public transport " [ we had this debate though ]

And the council having backed down: "some people are having with their taxi journeys and parents of young people with disabilities, for example, have said that they’re finding the extra time in the taxi stressful for their child and costly."

We can't reduce traffic because the disabled. (Or rather, because everyone else demands their share first...) It's a version  of selective concern.

Hirsute wrote:

Why I don't use the pavement

According to the twitter replies this is simply

"It's called problem solving."

"It’s called initiative something the majority of cyclists don’t have."

I think initiative would be finding an alternative legal route...

Ah, to be stood there with an oaken staff, crying out, "You shall not pass!"

Or there....

David9694 wrote:

"2000" posts in Drivers and Their Problems.

The problems drivers create for others, the problems they (and only they) experience.  It’s all in here, people made self-centred and self-pitying by cars - the waves of hope, freedom and independence crashing against the rocks of traffic jams and parking charges. 

Self-pity because despite having so much of the world, its space and resource has been dedicated to them over the past few decades, some drivers are convinced they are an underdog, a war on cars. 

Self-centred because everything and everyone else is the problem, it’s never them. The road is narrow and icy, it’s flooded, cyclists and horse riders are using it, the car park is full. 

Cars breed still more cars as cars close down and suck the life out of all the alternatives. You can’t unsee it. 

The big question then: is it just human nature or is there something about cars that hugely amplifies many of the nastier aspects of human nature whilst suppressing the nicer?

Is it that the car itself is an inherently dangerous thing, because of its power and complexity of function, making cars not truly suited to the very limited abilities of humans to control such powerful and complex technology?

What about the culture of the manufacturers and purveyors, who realise that certain nasty aspects of human nature alloyed with the powerful nature of the car, provide an opportunity to sell more via the design and portrayal of the things as "weapons of choice" for go-getting thrusters-about not allowed guns or blunt instruments of more obvious intent?

**********

Well, some leading questions there! 

But without understanding all the factors that make driving motorised vehicles such a dangerous and damaging phenomenon, how do we ever solve all the pressing problems they create?

So the shopkeepers aren't happy with the prospect of customers living directly on their doorsteps. Thats pretty forward thinking. 

"the bus company should use shorter buses " !!

Rezis wrote:

Again it wasn't the drivers...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67204993

Events like this do seem to happen surprisingly frequently: "Yes, it's thick fog (and smoke). No, I can't see more than a car length in front of me. What's that crunching sound? No matter - I'll just keep on trucking, I'm sure everything is fine!"

David9694 wrote:

A VAN blocking a path has been seized by police in Malvern - and officers also found there was no tax or insurance in place on the vehicle after performing extra checks.

The van parked in Green Lane in the Priory area of Malvern was blocking the path so no pedestrians could use it.

Hang on this can't be right.  First - surely when asked about a vehicle blocking a path they said "you need to speak to the council"?  Then - why would the police be interested in tax and insurance?  "That's the DVLA mate".

And don't the council just say they can't do anything if they can't reach the owner?  Seem to recall a recent case here where they "had to" work around a car when resurfacing.

All I know is that this wouldn't have happened in Lancashire...

Jogle wrote:

Cambridgeshire: CCTV shows BMW driver smash through road barriers Dramatic CCTV footage shows a silver BMW breaking through an illuminated barrier as the driver ignores warnings to stop. https://news.sky.com/video/cambridgeshire-cctv-shows-bmw-driver-smash-th...

"The motorist was banned from driving for four months"
That's more than you get for killing a cylist!

Half a mile is about 800m, which can be walked in well under 15minutes. #carbound

David9694 wrote:

Another "welcome to our world" to drivers from cyclists, difference here being that they seem to have made an arrest in relation to the theft of one crappy old Volvo. 

Police constable Kate Schofield, of the Dorset Rural Crime Team, said: “This has been a particularly distressing and inconvenient time for the victim, who has lost the use of their day-to-day vehicle.

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/23862687.police-appeal-volvo-stol...

They should arrest the owner for having such a turdmobile

"boar" 🤪🤪🤪

Residents vote for parking chaos and are shocked (shocked I tell you) to find parking chaos.

The video didn't look that bad, there were spaces. Random ice cream van...

David9694 wrote:

not sure what this randomness is:

Those awful motorway bridge ridges that could damage my car are grinding my gears

Some aren't as bad as others but the worst offenders must cause some damage to vehicles 

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/those-awful-motorway-bridge-...

Are they talking about the expansion joints? I'm sure Highways England could remove them, but I think it would lead to more expensive problems than wearing out shock absorbers

chrisonatrike wrote:

Drivers contesting penalty charges win every time for over a year due to "staff shortage" in Greenwich:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67066744

I like the "I admit that I was doing the thing I shouldn't have but I'm entirely not blaming myself because technicalities" stance of the writer.

So many people are interpreting this as "all parking/driving fines issued by council are bogus" - it's quite sad, the way that people are developing such poor attitudes.