Red means "STOP!", not "Oh, Go on, but hurry"
Discussion
Put "going through red lights" into search mode, and almost evry thread was a moan about cyclists doing it!
I have noticed in recent months that more and more cars just seem to go through, nose to tail after each other, as if it's the done thing. It's coincided with loads of reality tv progs about nonsense people doing nonsense things; with loads of girls seeming to be pregnant, and keeping up with the joneses going into the stratosphere.
Maybe people are afraid of being hit up the arse by the car behind. Or maye not. Maybe they just have a tidy mind, like "Oh well, if I can nip though, it'll mean the chapnehind me gets away a bit quicker when it's his turn." I mean, I aint never seen a crash in real life and I'm in my forties.
But it aint gonna be long the way things are going.
Is it just me?
I have noticed in recent months that more and more cars just seem to go through, nose to tail after each other, as if it's the done thing. It's coincided with loads of reality tv progs about nonsense people doing nonsense things; with loads of girls seeming to be pregnant, and keeping up with the joneses going into the stratosphere.
Maybe people are afraid of being hit up the arse by the car behind. Or maye not. Maybe they just have a tidy mind, like "Oh well, if I can nip though, it'll mean the chapnehind me gets away a bit quicker when it's his turn." I mean, I aint never seen a crash in real life and I'm in my forties.
But it aint gonna be long the way things are going.
Is it just me?
ing safeIts better than Calcutta in the rush hour here these days.
Scameras on the main routes,
people reluctant to cross, triggered crossings, following brat activation for a laugh.
A Scamera pointing at a crazy angle to the ground and clearly buggered, still slows people down, another one burnt out, also still treated as working.
but on lights;
get caught behind dawdling numptie as you do, and then glared at by pedestrians, whose route you are now parked across.
GRRRrrr
Scameras on the main routes,
people reluctant to cross, triggered crossings, following brat activation for a laugh.
A Scamera pointing at a crazy angle to the ground and clearly buggered, still slows people down, another one burnt out, also still treated as working.
but on lights;
get caught behind dawdling numptie as you do, and then glared at by pedestrians, whose route you are now parked across.
GRRRrrr
Many years ago I crashed my dads car like this. I went through on green, only to have a driver running the red lights (obviously and deliberately) run into the back of me.....and to quote the driver "because I shouldnt have gone because she was still going through"!
I was about to be sued by said women until I then raised the fact that neither her nor her two children wore seatbelts and that her car had run out of car tax! Still, cost my dad £250 for the privilege....
Anyway, been ultra-cautious since and yes, it is getting worse and so many people obviously dont care. Quite how someone thinks that getting 100m down the road 10 secs faster than you is worth it....
I was about to be sued by said women until I then raised the fact that neither her nor her two children wore seatbelts and that her car had run out of car tax! Still, cost my dad £250 for the privilege....
Anyway, been ultra-cautious since and yes, it is getting worse and so many people obviously dont care. Quite how someone thinks that getting 100m down the road 10 secs faster than you is worth it....
rich 36 said:
Around here its, waiting in the left filter lane on red, light goes green
car sits there
light still green
'toot toot'
still car sits there gazing at red light, thinking 'whats that tooting noise'
penny drops
car moves cautiously off,
light turns red behind him.
That is a regular occurrence around here
at a left filter lane for straight on traffic I usually wake them up with a friendly tap on the window as I ride past and wave them along
Steve (a cyclist who doesn't jump red lights)
Sign of the times I think.
As congestion gets worse it gets more difficult. Ken has screwed up the light timings in London, many green lights / filters are now only on green for 2 or 3 cars
so it's no wonder people push it, especially with people getting too close behind so that they can get through too - sometimes you daren't stop.
Add to this a couple of new phenomena:
1. People over/undertaking a car that has had to stop at a red light purposely to run the red light!!
2. Witnessed twice the other day in Croydon, a vehicle driving the entire length of a queue on the wrong side of the road, and just pulling in ahead of the first car at the lights!
No wonder people get frustrated.
All compounded by the type of numpties that STILL don't realise they can drive onto a yellow cross hatched area if they are turning right, their exit is free, and their progress is only blocked by traffic coming the other way
I sometimes get people hooting me when at the lights as they turn amber! I'm in the process of pulling away and because I haven't anticipated the light change by watching the light cycle they get aggro! Even more annoying as usually I HAVE anticipated it, but am waiting for the green light in a fruitless attempt not to get T-boned by a red light runner....
As congestion gets worse it gets more difficult. Ken has screwed up the light timings in London, many green lights / filters are now only on green for 2 or 3 cars
so it's no wonder people push it, especially with people getting too close behind so that they can get through too - sometimes you daren't stop. Add to this a couple of new phenomena:
1. People over/undertaking a car that has had to stop at a red light purposely to run the red light!!
2. Witnessed twice the other day in Croydon, a vehicle driving the entire length of a queue on the wrong side of the road, and just pulling in ahead of the first car at the lights!
No wonder people get frustrated.
All compounded by the type of numpties that STILL don't realise they can drive onto a yellow cross hatched area if they are turning right, their exit is free, and their progress is only blocked by traffic coming the other way
I sometimes get people hooting me when at the lights as they turn amber! I'm in the process of pulling away and because I haven't anticipated the light change by watching the light cycle they get aggro! Even more annoying as usually I HAVE anticipated it, but am waiting for the green light in a fruitless attempt not to get T-boned by a red light runner....
So, it ain't just me, then
Dont watch Top Gear any more, cosit's really silly. But maybe someone who does could ask them to bang on about it when they sit around, discussing 'motoring issues', one week. May get the message across.
Not that it'll be listened to, like.
"In the North,...miners still have priority on the crossings ..."
rich - they were Thatchered long ago, mate
Dont watch Top Gear any more, cosit's really silly. But maybe someone who does could ask them to bang on about it when they sit around, discussing 'motoring issues', one week. May get the message across.
Not that it'll be listened to, like.
"In the North,...miners still have priority on the crossings ..."
rich - they were Thatchered long ago, mate
Funny you should mention buses, about two years ago I was at a set of lights in Cardiff, which had a pedestrian crossing, and it was on red, and green for the people, I could even see the little green man. I was at the front of the queue, and it was a two lane road, with a youf in a maxxed up motor, a lime green orion I do recall. A Cardiff Buses bus comes piling down in the other lane, didn't stop, no braking, nothing, he missed two lads by mere feet, scared the crap out of me!
Came next to him at the next set of lights, pulled along side, gave a blast of the horn and dropped the passenger window. I generally displayed my displeasure at his attempted manslaughter and I got a lovely fock off, mind your own business and a "come on then, get out that car and face upto me like a fan you stupid c*nt". Funny how you remember the times you've been insulted isn't it. Guy actually got out of his seat and as I did (and the youf in the kermit car did too, he'd pulled up behind me again), he jumped back in the drivers seat and focked off, sharpish. Lucky for us, kermit youf had a camera phone (don't they all), and snapped away at the bus. Sadly, it was a cheap camera phone, and the reg didn't come out. Nice chap though, we exchanged numbers and I said I'd give them a call.
When I eventually spoke to someone they refused to speak to me on the phone, and instructed me to complain by email. I did (and I still have the emails somewhere) and they replied quickly to say they would investigate. Two weeks later, they got back to me saying the investigation hadn't revealed any leads and thankyou for my help. To my shame I was going to the Police, but had a Job interview and induction in London, and for three weeks I was out of town, by which time I forgot all about it.
Came next to him at the next set of lights, pulled along side, gave a blast of the horn and dropped the passenger window. I generally displayed my displeasure at his attempted manslaughter and I got a lovely fock off, mind your own business and a "come on then, get out that car and face upto me like a fan you stupid c*nt". Funny how you remember the times you've been insulted isn't it. Guy actually got out of his seat and as I did (and the youf in the kermit car did too, he'd pulled up behind me again), he jumped back in the drivers seat and focked off, sharpish. Lucky for us, kermit youf had a camera phone (don't they all), and snapped away at the bus. Sadly, it was a cheap camera phone, and the reg didn't come out. Nice chap though, we exchanged numbers and I said I'd give them a call.
When I eventually spoke to someone they refused to speak to me on the phone, and instructed me to complain by email. I did (and I still have the emails somewhere) and they replied quickly to say they would investigate. Two weeks later, they got back to me saying the investigation hadn't revealed any leads and thankyou for my help. To my shame I was going to the Police, but had a Job interview and induction in London, and for three weeks I was out of town, by which time I forgot all about it.
james_j said:
It's probably a symptom of bad traffic light phasing (i.e.intentional congestion-creation). Fore example: green for 5 seconds and red for 90 seconds. I've seen this sort of phasing many times.
james - I've seen it as rank mindless driving on the part of joe or jane pubic, more than as examples of cynical planning by the highways dept at Trumpton council.
I reckon it's a Sign of the Times, as others have said. Some kids are naughtier, olduns (or rather curmudgeons, like me
)are trying to be kids for longer; we're all in a hurry, and dont wanna stop. Many are in denial: "Oh oh, best be quick lights have gone to amber ..... red .... Coming!....there. Phew."
I'd like to know what are the trends in figures for accidents at lights over the last, say, 15 years.
ROSPA website too complex. Will ring Mr Plod at RTA dept and come back later
>> Edited by shadowfax on Tuesday 28th June 08:07
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