Drivers and their problems

The objections to that proposal are weird.

The NT are proposing an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing over a B Road, and they are all claiming it will be dangerous and clog up the traffic and damage the business of the ferry - where that road traffic goes.

The capacity of the ferry is 28 vehicles max, and it goes about twice an hour in each direction.

So the flow is maxed out at about 2 cars per minute.

They are whining about 4 minute delays for motor vehicles casued by the pedestrian crossing and how pedestrians will "make it dangerous", yet the ferry only goes every 20-30 minutes, and they charge cycles disproportionately high fares. They are also objectinkg to a bit of traffic calming, and a slightly longer 30mph limit on a narrow road.

TBF the proposdal is also strange, given that the NT is working on increasing active travel.

This one seems to work the other way, and be genuine Nimbyism - Pimlico wanting to keep its passports.

Locals suffer from turbo-carbrain.

One of the key objections was that a pedestrian crossing from the new car park across the road "would make the road dangerous".

The King Harry Ferry can carry just over 100 cars per hour, which is not exactly a lot. Capacity 34, once every 20 minutes.

The Enterprise Boats Ferry runs 4 times per day each and can carry 100 pedestrian - no cars.

They don't want to come out of 1932.

The place is in the middle of nowhere, so an instant pivot to "no more cars" is difficult, short of say a park and ride. But they need a pivot to post-1950 instead.

David9694 wrote:

"No more cars" as in no additional cars, or none at all?  No-one is saying the latter (sadly). 

Pinch-points like this where cars try to concentrate remind us how staggeringly inefficient and space/ resource hungry cars are.  Public transport (bus, boat), with its currently meagre 4 arrivals a day at Trelissick can be stepped-up and the headcount increases rapidly as you go to 6 to 8 etc. Each car brings 2-4 people, each bus 20-40.  The locals would benefit from a more frequent no 493 bus service to Truro.

The NT seems to have the capital to throw at a bigger parking "solution".  But it could reduce the on-site parking at Trelissick and instead (revenue, of course) lay on a more frequent bus service (your park & ride).  In Dartmouth/Kingswear, there's a tourist "circuit" by train and boat - there are options to develop something like this between Falmouth and Truro. 

But the NT continues to pursue a largely pro-car policy, flinging money and space at providing ever more parking, neglecting active travel alternatives. A policy that excludes many would-be visitors, and also has no future. 

"No! More cars"

One for wtjs !

Sadly, many people think LancsFilth are embarrassed by 'this sort of thing'. They're not. They have survived many years of a policy of completely ignoring road traffic offences, they survived the Nicola Bulley debacle, etc. and they have (or, possibly, had) a compliant and useless PCC and very low expectations from a public which is also anti-cyclist.

brooksby wrote:

Quote:

A man who took a picture of a ‘Welcome to Florida’ sign while driving allegedly caused a crash that killed his three nephews and niece.

Marvin Redondo-Funes, 25, reportedly slowed down to photograph the sign at the Georgia-Florida border while driving from New York with his girlfriend and the four kids.

Redondo-Funes allegedly went down to 1 to 2 mph in order to snap a clear picture of the state line and a car behind him did not see the sudden slow-down and rear-ended him at full speed, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

https://metro.co.uk/2024/11/25/uncle-picture-welcome-sign-car-crash-kill...

To me that sounds like the following driver caused the crash by not concentrating on what the car ahead was doing. There can be any number of reasons why a car needs to suddenly slow/stop and although photographing a sign shouldn't be one, it doesn't mean that following drivers just carry on regardless.

(Not trying to excuse the Uncle as he had the children in the back seat not wearing seat belts and had a suspended/revoked license)

Hirsute wrote:

A learner driver and their instructor who parked on double yellow lines because the student wanted to visit a shop...

That sounds most unfair!  They'd been "pro-social" (to drivers) by blocking the footway as well as part of a lane!

Everyone knows that "justing" * is allowed on double-yellows.  It's the drop-off / delivery exemption - they'd have been fine if they were in an Amazon or DPD or other delivery firm vehicle, surely?  And anyway it's not a police matter - parking's the council.  Police are only supposed to do you if they *witness* you driving on the footway.  Otherwise you can use the "prove a passing hurricane / crane didn't carry the vehicle there" defense.

Overall  they deserved a charge though - because any driving instructor should know that you just have to deploy BOLAS in this situation!

* "I'm just popping in to the shop..." etc.

I am admiring the superbly unnecessary precision of

Quote:

More than  94.6% of journeys using the Dartford Crossing are paid correctly and on time

though.

hawkinspeter wrote:

To me that sounds like the following driver caused the crash by not concentrating on what the car ahead was doing. There can be any number of reasons why a car needs to suddenly slow/stop and although photographing a sign shouldn't be one, it doesn't mean that following drivers just carry on regardless.

There are a lot of people out there who seem to think exactly that.  It's like all those times that the traffic lights change as you are halfway across a crossing, and the oncoming motorists seem to be of the opinion that if you're still in the roadway then you're fair game…

David9694 wrote:

it's way off-topic, but the police for several days seemed to lose the narrative to mr self-appointed underwater search specialist. 

mr specialist 'my guys have searched the river 3 miles downstream: she is not there'

dog Walker <finds the body in some reeds a week later a mile downstream>

IIRC didn't the same guy try to get involved in the search for that British teenager who disappeared on Tenerife?

David9694 wrote:

it's way off-topic, but the police for several days seemed to lose the narrative to mr self-appointed underwater search specialist. 

mr specialist 'my guys have searched the river 3 miles downstream: she is not there'

dog Walker <finds the body in some reeds a week later a mile downstream>

TBF underwater search is incredibly challenging, and IIRC part of this river was tidal. Things can get moved around at random times.

Having said that, while this dude was presumably motivated by trying to help he didn't seem shy of airtime. There also seemed to be an extraordinary number of people inserting themselves into the story. And ultimately the initial police theory turned out to be correct (seems odd to defendLancs police! ).

Intrepid investigive journalist uses taxi to get to traffic chaos street but somehow forgets local and important mayoral elections close local schools for use as polling stations.

Hirsute wrote:

"Always leave enough room between your vehicle and the one infront so you can get out of the queue easily if you need ... half a car length of visible road, also helps lessen the domino effect in situations like this"

Which is definitely best practice, if you don't mind the motorists behind you honking their horns at you and wanting you to close up the line so that maybe one extra car will get through on a green light 

Jogle wrote:

One person's "loading bay" is another person's bus stop...

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/dangerous-bus-stop-put-u...

Here it is on Streetview:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hUhCNxhcFtv96pwBA?g_st=ac

Looks like the loading bay signs went up between 2014 and 2021.

David9694 wrote:

Worcester News readers react to proposed blanket 20mph speed limit

...James Toghill, was also sceptical, saying: "No to 20mph, cars brake better than they ever have and are designed to hit pedestrians in a safer manner than old cars."

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/24582729.worcester-news-readers-rea...

Can't we start designing cars to NOT hit pedestrians?

David9694 wrote:

Lord Montagu issues climate change warning at estate dinner

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24696530.lord-montagu-issues-climate-ch...

Maybe he's about to dump the 2025 programme of car-fests.

To be fair, if we were to shove all the cars into museums and only drive them on occasional days out, then there'd be a lot less emissions.

Patients react after Royal Stoke lodges overflow car park plan

As you say with your cartoon: I demand to be able to drive and park where I like, when I like- it's all those other drivers and the lack of roads, and the bloody cyclists, that are the problem

David9694 wrote:

Lord Montagu issues climate change warning at estate dinner

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24696530.lord-montagu-issues-climate-ch...

Maybe he's about to dump the 2025 programme of car-fests.

Given I took this picture Beaulieu House, I wouldn't expect any consistency.

David9694 wrote:

Please can you tell me the way to the secret staircase? 

I could, but then I'd have to push you down it.

If you visit his motor museum it's got a little section celebrating all his family's victories in 'the war on motorists'.