Hard Shoulder T***s.
Discussion
Quick question for BiB here.
Recently have been stuck in a few traffic jams, particularly on the M62 in Leeds.
Not the most patient of chaps at best of times, particularly when stuck in traffic & have some way to go. However, what really gets my goat, as I sit there with my temperature rising at the same rate as the thermostat in my car, are those sly bar stewards who, with hazards flashing, decide to use the hard shoulder so as to avoid the traffic jams that I as a mere mortal am stuck in.
Question is, would the BiB be interested if I rang them to advise the reg number of the git driving on the hard shoulder ? What sort of punishment would the offender likely get ? If the other driver denied the offence, would it just be my word against theirs ?
I know its vindictive, but short of using a RPG to disable their mode of transport, whats a man to do ?
Rant over.
Recently have been stuck in a few traffic jams, particularly on the M62 in Leeds.
Not the most patient of chaps at best of times, particularly when stuck in traffic & have some way to go. However, what really gets my goat, as I sit there with my temperature rising at the same rate as the thermostat in my car, are those sly bar stewards who, with hazards flashing, decide to use the hard shoulder so as to avoid the traffic jams that I as a mere mortal am stuck in.
Question is, would the BiB be interested if I rang them to advise the reg number of the git driving on the hard shoulder ? What sort of punishment would the offender likely get ? If the other driver denied the offence, would it just be my word against theirs ?
I know its vindictive, but short of using a RPG to disable their mode of transport, whats a man to do ?
Rant over.
puggit said:
Try sitting next to the M4 bus lane - and it's always the German cars doing it...
Quite prepared to be shot down for this but what if everybody, and it would have to be everybody had the balls to say f'k you Labour, you're nicking half our road and we're going to ignore your bus lane.
MILF said:
I know its vindictive, but short of using a RPG to disable their mode of transport, whats a man to do ?
Well if you drive a company car or a car worth £100 then just pull into the hard shoulder 3 feet infront of them as your engine was "overheating" so you pulled off the road..... Then see them explain why they crashed into the back of a car on the hard shoulder....
I drove down the HS once - my Chimaera was cooking due to the fans not turning on (I had only bought the car a few days earlier and it was its first serious jam). To save the engine I drove along the hard shoulder to get some airflow around the radiator and off at the next exit 1 mile down the road. To be honest I would pay the fine/points rather than ruin my engine.
Recently got stuck in a non moving/slow crawl jam on M25. After 20 mins. I was approx. 1/3 mile from the junction I was exiting from & I decided to use the hard shoulder.
I did the 1/3 mile at about 10mph & reflecting on it, I think I did the sensible thing. Did no harm to anyone else or their vehicle & thought it preferable than moving at 1 or 2 mph for another 15-20 mins. with the pollution this causes.
Had I not been so near to the junction, I wouldn't have done it.
Sure I must have pi**ed some people off, as a lorry tried to block my path. Had an emergency vehicle been behind me I could have sped up & been at the (clear) exit junction in seconds & I was looking out for such a scenario.
>> Edited by A57 HSV on Monday 15th August 17:57
I did the 1/3 mile at about 10mph & reflecting on it, I think I did the sensible thing. Did no harm to anyone else or their vehicle & thought it preferable than moving at 1 or 2 mph for another 15-20 mins. with the pollution this causes.
Had I not been so near to the junction, I wouldn't have done it.
Sure I must have pi**ed some people off, as a lorry tried to block my path. Had an emergency vehicle been behind me I could have sped up & been at the (clear) exit junction in seconds & I was looking out for such a scenario.
>> Edited by A57 HSV on Monday 15th August 17:57
never done it but have been tempted...and as you say, you aren't actually inconveniencing anyone else and are arguably assisting their travel as you're leaving the motorwaqy and are one less car in the jam.
but.....it looks like you're being a tosser to everyone else i guess.....
hmmm...tricky
but.....it looks like you're being a tosser to everyone else i guess.....
hmmm...tricky
I have only done it once - that was in a staionary trffice jam, I was literally desperate for a piss to the point that I was actually feeling ill (never in my LIFE have I needed one so bad) and the services are 1/4 of a mile away.
I would never do it because I just want to get ahead for no serious reason. I justified that doing the 1/4 mile to the services would be better than parkingon the hard shoulder, blocking potential 999 vehicles while releaving myself!
I would never do it because I just want to get ahead for no serious reason. I justified that doing the 1/4 mile to the services would be better than parkingon the hard shoulder, blocking potential 999 vehicles while releaving myself!
We were once stuck in a motorway jam in the snow when some git decided to drive up the hard shoulder (nowhere near a junction) so he could beat the jam.
Unluckily for him, he got stuck in deep snow on the shoulder and his car was well and truly beached.
Guess how many people got out to help him free his car... serves him right!
Unluckily for him, he got stuck in deep snow on the shoulder and his car was well and truly beached.
Guess how many people got out to help him free his car... serves him right!
mutt k said:So do I until I come across the cameras
Try sitting next to the M4 bus lane - and it's always the German cars doing it...
Are the Gatsos along here set to cover the bus lane? I frequently get passed by taxis in the bus lane who seem to be doing 60+ with impunity.
When I can reach 60+ that is
The 2 cameras at the start of the 40 limit don't seem to be on very often though, but they cause the jams
7db said:
and as you say, you aren't actually inconveniencing anyone else
Apart from anyone who needs to use the hard shoulder.
it strikes me as highly unlikely that someone leaving the motorway lane 1/3rd mile before the junction with the express intention of getting OFF the road would get in the way of someone wanting to use the hard shoulder for an official use?
certainly not as much as someone who has legitimately broken downin their 18 wheeler anyway.....
nightmare said:
nightmare said:
and as you say, you aren't actually inconveniencing anyone else
Apart from anyone who needs to use the hard shoulder.
it strikes me as highly unlikely that someone leaving the motorway lane 1/3rd mile before the junction with the express intention of getting OFF the road would get in the way of someone wanting to use the hard shoulder for an official use?
certainly not as much as someone who has legitimately broken downin their 18 wheeler anyway.....
My only concerns, other than getting a puncture from all the debris, was obstructing emergency vehicles, but my car is way faster than any of them & I could see the slip road, so if I was unable to get back in to the slow lane I would have been able to accelerate to a safe place with ease.
Also, I was driving at 10mph in case any vehicle should breakdown & needed to pull across in front of me, I would have had time to brake safely.
The first time I've done this, but in the same circumstances I would do it again as I think it was more sensible than sitting in a jam with a clear view & access to where I wanted to go!
No idea if I actually broke any rules, hopefully common sense prevails in these circumstances. Interesting to hear the views of the BiB.
I have to try and get past the kind drivers who use the hard shoulder when there is an accident, etc ......
If an incident or the approach to it can be video'd by my control room they will and any drivers caught using the hard shoulder or reversing up blind slip roads, etc will get summonsed. I think the last time a couple of my guys looked at a video they ended up getting 100 + drivers.
The junction before a collision is usually totally blocked by people thinking they will sneak the last 1/4 or 1/2 mile to the off slip...... which is itself totally blocked by people trying to leave the main road because of the hold up. Then as you approach the accident it also gets totally clogged. This means an ambulance or police car just can't get through.
Once one does it loads end up following and it all grinds to a halt...... this unfortunately is becoming a regular thing - not just at the odd accident. When you know someone is trapped in a car it is just a little bit frustrating to say the least . I will admit my language to other drivers has not always been very professional!
A blocked hard shoulder adds a huge time to that which should be needed to attend serious incidents and I just don't think many drivers realise the problems ...... or more importantly the potential risk to life they cause !
If an incident or the approach to it can be video'd by my control room they will and any drivers caught using the hard shoulder or reversing up blind slip roads, etc will get summonsed. I think the last time a couple of my guys looked at a video they ended up getting 100 + drivers.
The junction before a collision is usually totally blocked by people thinking they will sneak the last 1/4 or 1/2 mile to the off slip...... which is itself totally blocked by people trying to leave the main road because of the hold up. Then as you approach the accident it also gets totally clogged. This means an ambulance or police car just can't get through.
Once one does it loads end up following and it all grinds to a halt...... this unfortunately is becoming a regular thing - not just at the odd accident. When you know someone is trapped in a car it is just a little bit frustrating to say the least . I will admit my language to other drivers has not always been very professional!
A blocked hard shoulder adds a huge time to that which should be needed to attend serious incidents and I just don't think many drivers realise the problems ...... or more importantly the potential risk to life they cause !
In my case, I could see the hard shoulder & exit lanes to the junction were totally empty.
What is the actual offence & likely penalties, so I can make a decision should I ever find myself in similar circumstances.
Also, I assumed that there was a good chance that I would have been recorded, but took the view (maybe incorrectly in the eyes of the law) that what I was doing was causing no harm to anyone & as such would not be summoned.
Edited to say that I do understand & agree with all John57 said about blocked hard shoulders. Which is why I have never driven on the hard shoulder before in 22 years of m/way driving. This occasion was I felt a very safe manouvere.
>> Edited by A57 HSV on Tuesday 16th August 20:12
What is the actual offence & likely penalties, so I can make a decision should I ever find myself in similar circumstances.
Also, I assumed that there was a good chance that I would have been recorded, but took the view (maybe incorrectly in the eyes of the law) that what I was doing was causing no harm to anyone & as such would not be summoned.
Edited to say that I do understand & agree with all John57 said about blocked hard shoulders. Which is why I have never driven on the hard shoulder before in 22 years of m/way driving. This occasion was I felt a very safe manouvere.
>> Edited by A57 HSV on Tuesday 16th August 20:12
john57 said:
I have to try and get past the kind drivers who use the hard shoulder when there is an accident, etc ......
If an incident or the approach to it can be video'd by my control room they will and any drivers caught using the hard shoulder or reversing up blind slip roads, etc will get summonsed. I think the last time a couple of my guys looked at a video they ended up getting 100 + drivers.
The junction before a collision is usually totally blocked by people thinking they will sneak the last 1/4 or 1/2 mile to the off slip...... which is itself totally blocked by people trying to leave the main road because of the hold up. Then as you approach the accident it also gets totally clogged. This means an ambulance or police car just can't get through.
Once one does it loads end up following and it all grinds to a halt...... this unfortunately is becoming a regular thing - not just at the odd accident. When you know someone is trapped in a car it is just a little bit frustrating to say the least . I will admit my language to other drivers has not always been very professional!
A blocked hard shoulder adds a huge time to that which should be needed to attend serious incidents and I just don't think many drivers realise the problems ...... or more importantly the potential risk to life they cause !
Here's looking forward to the M42 "experiment" then....
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