[Sriracha]

I think I’ve found part of the answer as to why some motorists seem to think a gnat’s dick is 1.5m clearance – they can’t even judge the width of their own vehicle, never mind any clearance to the sides. What hope is there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-59641534

Topic

[jacknorell]

That mirrors what I see often
That mirrors what I see often, nearside tyres on or over the nearside lane markings on multilane roads, particularly with new wankpanzers

[chrisonabike]

brooksby wrote:

Nearside/offside – I always get confused of which is which…  The passenger’s side, in the UK.

Happy to help – the rule is simple:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4993924.stm

[chrisonabike]

I’m all for working with

I’m all for working with humans – so although the Schadenfreude is strong here I’d be tempted to say “OK – lots of people just can’t manage this. And we’ve happily drifted along nodding as cars got bigger and now they just are. How do we work with that?”. So the appropriate response to this would not be just to point and laugh – however tempting.  Nor should it be  “just remove the bollards” – even if you brought in cameras.  If you have people going down here who shouldn’t / going too fast:

• Modal filter – this simply becomes a no-through road (but access for cycles – and appropriately wide!). So you have bollards / blocks that are really obvious and it’s clear you cannot drive through here, rather than “it doesn’t say no vehicles so I’ll just squeeze by…”
• More expensive but for speed issues I like the “self-enforcing” designs e.g. carriageway narrows (trees rather than bollards?) and road becomes winding etc. Speed humps aren’t great for bikes. Yep – would still require a generation to get through to people – but almost any change seems to take years…

Alternatively as suggested have another category of vehicles – microcars. And if you prove you can’t handle a big one – but haven’t been lethally useless – after you’ve served a ban / been retested you can start back with one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9ly7JjqEb0

[chrisonabike]

brooksby wrote:

tell […] And Sustrans

Argh! Beetlejuice! Although they have improved since former times * (and I’ve great respect for a couple of their staff I’ve encountered who genuinely do seem to understand walking / cycling as practical transport, in depth) I’m still always a little nervous of what Sustrans might cook up, never mind give the nod to. It matters because they seem to be the most “powerful” organisation (outside fo the actual authorities) having to do with producing cycling infra on the ground. So they seem to be a de-facto “go to” if you’ve got a marginally “sympathetic” council / LA etc. Yeah – their “talk” is always good, but…

* CF “Notional Cycle Network” / “National Sign Network”. Not a bad idea in itself of course but not everyone wants a windy trip through the bushes and round the estates.

[brooksby]

Thank you, Wycombe

Thank you, Wycombe 😀

[wycombewheeler]

brooksby wrote:

Nearside/offside – I always get confused of which is which…  The passenger’s side, in the UK.

the nearside is the side nearest the kerb (counter intuitively) which is the passenger side whether in the UK or elsewhere.

Of course this seems quite confusing because if I take my car abroad, now the nearside will be the drivers side.

Ignoring the confusion when people park facing the wrong way

 

[mdavidford]

Yeah – I always have to stop

Yeah – I always have to stop and think about it. It’s not the most helpful nomenclature – near to who? Maybe it made more sense in an era of carriages, or something?

[brooksby]

Got to stop those evil motor

Got to stop those evil motor scooters!

(Wait – what do you mean, motor scooters are narrower than some bikes…?  Someone needs to tell the council.  And Sustrans).

[brooksby]

Nearside/offside – I always

Nearside/offside – I always get confused of which is which…  The passenger’s side, in the UK.

[Captain Badger]

shoko wrote:

…., with the unforgiving bollards added about 10 years ago.“

That would be the necessary protecting of people on the footway

[Captain Badger]

quiff wrote:

…..Mostly people just seemed to knock off wing (yes, wing) mirrors on the high bollards, …..

Must have been before the 70s, or so I’m reliably informed.

Unless it was only Renault Scenic drivers…..

[Captain Badger]

wycombewheeler wrote:

David9694 wrote:

How many dozy drivers do you see who clearly can’t judge speed or distance. 

Had me a little Google of this location: here’s what you don’t see in the movie, if you go in close, you can see bits of trim from recent victims.  Yet Mr Appliances Direct seemed to have made it ok. 

because it’s a 7 foot wide opening, no one other than HGVs should have problems driving through there, I remember a lot of these restrictions at 6’6″ when I was a new driver, when they really wanted to deter large vehicles. There was normally a gate where the bus lane is on this example, the gate would be locked and the fire brigade would have the keys.

AS a reckless youth I used to drive though the 6’6″ without slowing down, anyone who can’t get their car through a 7′ gap needs either

• retraining
• being taken off the roads
• limited to small cars.

limited to classes of car would be brilliant.

Acceleration and top speed to be limited across the board.

classes such as SUV/4WD restricted to commercial use only (concession for the vanishingly few people who need heavier vehicles due to their place of abode, such as teh cairngorms)

NCAP safety ratings to primarily include 3rd party safety as priority importance, and insurance class to be formulated on that basis

[quiff]

I used to live near this –

I used to live near this – just 6ft 6in wide. Most people took it very slowly, but there were plenty who barely seemed to slow. Mostly people just seemed to knock off wing (yes, wing) mirrors on the high bollards, but I did once see someone fully wedged in between the bollards.   

[mdavidford]

Do you mean on the nearside?

Do you mean on the nearside?

There’s some suggestion that this is because people are running up the dropped kerb in front of the nearside bollard. Whereas it doesn’t happen on the other side of the road because they get guided into the gap by bouncing off the kerb. Which kind of says it all, really.

[wycombewheeler]

at least the gap is wider

at least the gap is wider than a car

unlike this opening which is narrower than the intended users

 

[Author]

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