OK. I know what you're thinking. Don't answer that.
The reason I ask is I seem to be at odds with what I learned during my driving lessons (back in the 1980s), and the flow of traffic today. And today in particular.
I've already spoken to our local PCSO (Police Community Support Officer), and I think I'm in the right, but I may as well be banging my head on the wall for all the good 'being in the right' does for me.
I travel on the A338 daily to take Tom to school and get me to work. As it becomes Newbury Street approaching the only traffic-light (4-way staggered) junction near the centre of town the carriageway has double yellow lines on both sides - apart from the on-street parking (enough for 8-9 cars maximum). The on street parking is on the oncoming traffic side as you travel into town.
Now, the road bends gently to the left as you approach this bottleneck, and the length of carriageway after the on street parking, and before the traffic lights is enough for say 8-10 vehicles, to wait safely without obstructing the bottleneck.
One of the things that Dave my driving instructor always told me was to remember the '3 C's - Care, Courtesy and Caution'. I would add to those words of wisdom the additional 'C's of Consideration and Consequences'.
My default position when approaching the bottleneck situation on Newbury Street is to assess whether there would be enough space for oncoming traffic to proceed safely if I was to join the queue approaching the traffic lights. Can you see where we're going with this yet? I am inclined to give way before the bottleneck to oncoming traffic (although they should give way to me the obstruction being on their side of the road).
Why do I do this? Because by giving way at this point the traffic flow is not impeded and the junction at the traffic lights doesn't snarl with clogged up traffic trying to manoeuvre through the double 'parked' traffic....
I've reported several instances of traffic overtaking me to the police (on the bend, essentially blind into the parked or oncoming traffic) when I've managed to get the vehicle licence plate, and note the time, date, etc, to give in support. The police say I should keep a record of all the instances I experience and then write to the council, providing the 'evidence'. Maybe they can come up with some traffic calming measures there?
Now, you may think that I'm just being an old fuddy-duddy. 'Doh!'. 'Chillax'. 'Watevs'. I hear you say. And maybe I shouldn't let it get to me. But. The reason I let it get to me is that just before the bend is a primary school of 400+ children. The pavements on either side of Newbury Street are clogged daily at the usual school times with Mums, buggies, children, scooters, toddlers, etc. on their way to and from school.
So, on Wednesdays the Library is closed and I leave home to collect Tom between 2.30pm - 3.00pm latest. Today I was running late and left the house at 3.00pm - just in time to join the school run traffic. The lollipop lady outside the school let us proceed and I determined it would be better to sit tight and wait before the bottleneck.
W-r-o-n-g! One car waited behind me and was overtaken by 6 vehicles which proceeded through the bottleneck to join the queue of traffic from the lights, and then started to backfill it. The car behind me then also overtook me and a following 2 vehicles completed the farce. Eventually the last car stopped and there was a space of about 4 vehicle lengths left between it and my vehicle. I got her licence plate number in my notebook, which I now keep handy in my in-console drink holder. Ha. But alas, there was no way of getting the details of the other vehicles.
As the traffic lights changed the junction snarled because the tailback impeded the traffic which wanted to turn right. Six of the vehicles which had jumped past me had to pull close into the pavement in order to let the oncoming traffic through.... and all this at school home-time.
Where's the Care, Courtesy and Caution? What about Considering all the options and weighing up the Consequences? Why are people so impatient? What will it take to change those drivers behaviour? I hope (and pray) that nothing serious happens, and I just don't understand. In my opinion, it's an accident waiting to happen. But I seem to be alone in this opinion. What am I missing? Am I stupid or something????
Kat.
The reason I ask is I seem to be at odds with what I learned during my driving lessons (back in the 1980s), and the flow of traffic today. And today in particular.
I've already spoken to our local PCSO (Police Community Support Officer), and I think I'm in the right, but I may as well be banging my head on the wall for all the good 'being in the right' does for me.
I travel on the A338 daily to take Tom to school and get me to work. As it becomes Newbury Street approaching the only traffic-light (4-way staggered) junction near the centre of town the carriageway has double yellow lines on both sides - apart from the on-street parking (enough for 8-9 cars maximum). The on street parking is on the oncoming traffic side as you travel into town.
Now, the road bends gently to the left as you approach this bottleneck, and the length of carriageway after the on street parking, and before the traffic lights is enough for say 8-10 vehicles, to wait safely without obstructing the bottleneck.
One of the things that Dave my driving instructor always told me was to remember the '3 C's - Care, Courtesy and Caution'. I would add to those words of wisdom the additional 'C's of Consideration and Consequences'.
My default position when approaching the bottleneck situation on Newbury Street is to assess whether there would be enough space for oncoming traffic to proceed safely if I was to join the queue approaching the traffic lights. Can you see where we're going with this yet? I am inclined to give way before the bottleneck to oncoming traffic (although they should give way to me the obstruction being on their side of the road).
Why do I do this? Because by giving way at this point the traffic flow is not impeded and the junction at the traffic lights doesn't snarl with clogged up traffic trying to manoeuvre through the double 'parked' traffic....
I've reported several instances of traffic overtaking me to the police (on the bend, essentially blind into the parked or oncoming traffic) when I've managed to get the vehicle licence plate, and note the time, date, etc, to give in support. The police say I should keep a record of all the instances I experience and then write to the council, providing the 'evidence'. Maybe they can come up with some traffic calming measures there?
Now, you may think that I'm just being an old fuddy-duddy. 'Doh!'. 'Chillax'. 'Watevs'. I hear you say. And maybe I shouldn't let it get to me. But. The reason I let it get to me is that just before the bend is a primary school of 400+ children. The pavements on either side of Newbury Street are clogged daily at the usual school times with Mums, buggies, children, scooters, toddlers, etc. on their way to and from school.
So, on Wednesdays the Library is closed and I leave home to collect Tom between 2.30pm - 3.00pm latest. Today I was running late and left the house at 3.00pm - just in time to join the school run traffic. The lollipop lady outside the school let us proceed and I determined it would be better to sit tight and wait before the bottleneck.
W-r-o-n-g! One car waited behind me and was overtaken by 6 vehicles which proceeded through the bottleneck to join the queue of traffic from the lights, and then started to backfill it. The car behind me then also overtook me and a following 2 vehicles completed the farce. Eventually the last car stopped and there was a space of about 4 vehicle lengths left between it and my vehicle. I got her licence plate number in my notebook, which I now keep handy in my in-console drink holder. Ha. But alas, there was no way of getting the details of the other vehicles.
As the traffic lights changed the junction snarled because the tailback impeded the traffic which wanted to turn right. Six of the vehicles which had jumped past me had to pull close into the pavement in order to let the oncoming traffic through.... and all this at school home-time.
Where's the Care, Courtesy and Caution? What about Considering all the options and weighing up the Consequences? Why are people so impatient? What will it take to change those drivers behaviour? I hope (and pray) that nothing serious happens, and I just don't understand. In my opinion, it's an accident waiting to happen. But I seem to be alone in this opinion. What am I missing? Am I stupid or something????
Kat.
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