Road Closed - when did this become optional?

[Smiler.]

A local road closure has been in place to permit utility co. works.

The diversion, whilst adding to the already congested periods at peak times adds about two minutes to any journey when traffic is moving freely.


During the 14 days that have passed since the start of the road closure, only two days (the first & second) have not seen motorists either moving signs/barriers and/or driving up on the pavement to get around the 320m stretch of road.

There isn't a clear view from one and to the other so many motorists have entered the works from one end only to be stopped at the barriers mid point.

Some did a u-turn, some stopped to move those - one moron even drove at it & knocked it over.


Is this a common thing now then?

Honestly, I'm really shocked. I knew hard of thinking was on the up in the UK, but never knew it was at this level.

[ruff'n'smov]

We are populated with a world of Sheep and Lemmings.

[chriscoates]

Had the same problem near me where a road has been shut one way for a few weeks to allow utlity work to take place. The road was shut one way leading up to a crossroads controlled by a set of 3-way temporary lights - you can imagine the chaos caused by the morons who decided to drive down the closed road anyway. When I challenged one tt who'd done it his response was 'well it's obviously not blocked off if you've driven down it'

[gforceg]

Don't forget this is "me first" self entitled GRATE Britain. "No one tells ME what to do".

If one of them drove into a large hole I would laugh my balls off.

[sheepman]

This sort of behaviour is becoming more and more common.

Theres a bridge near me on a corner that get flooded whenever there is moderate rain so the local farmer sticks signs/cones up warning you. at least once a month in the winter an idiot moves the cones and gets their car stuck,

[T5R+]

Those car/van drivers that cannot wait until the static person in front turns right and "have to" take to the pavement to make progress irk me.

[siovey]

T5R+ said:

Those car/van drivers that cannot wait until the static person in front turns right and "have to" take to the pavement to make progress irk me.

Me too! One muppet did this in front of us recently. Unfortunately for him, there was a traffic copper behind him who pulled him over shortly after! Lol

[iva cosworth]

Yes,saw this on Friday,Smitham Downs road,Purley/Coulsdon a Civic driving past the multiple

barriered off holes the wrong way past the closure to exit into oncoming traffic that was allowed

up the road.

[backwoodsman]

I worked for a local council many years ago.

We had road closed signs up, due to flooding.

There were, council workers, police officers, and the fire brigade, all stood one side of a 3 foot deep, 40 foot long, puddle.

Just then, we hear a car, coming from the other end of the road.

The idiot came round the bend, and hit the puddle at speed.

The car cut out, floated slightly, then settled back onto the road, water was almost up to the windows.

The fire brigade were not impressed that they had to go get the guy out of the car, and when I left, he was getting a massive ear bashing from the police.

At a guess the car was a write off, but I bet that guy still drives down closed roads, as people like that never learn.

Edited by backwoodsman on Sunday 10th August 10:11

[Ozzie Osmond]

T5R+ said:

Those car/van drivers that cannot wait until the static person in front turns right and "have to" take to the pavement to make progress irk me.

Surely that's why they need big "off-road" vehicles?

Well, that and parking on the pavement outside the Post Office.

[MajorProblem]

Renewing a railway level crossing deck (the rubber road panels between the rails)

Road closure from 00:01 to 08:00 Saturday night

Signs out, simple diversion, coned off etc

Joe moron turns up at the first set of cones and boots them out the way and drives through

Gets to the second set where we are working and announces he's coming through

We say don't be a dick there is no road to drive over you can't get through

Bloke says I ain't got enough fuel to go the diversion route (2 miles) and boots the cones over and drives straight into the hole where the railway was which was around half a metre deep and 10 metres wide.

[thecremeegg]

If it's after 5 in the evening I'll always take the risk going down a road that's closed. Too many are closed because there's a fenced off hole on one side of the road and that's it. I'd probably say that 80% of the closed roads I've driven down are easily and safely passable without going off road. Sure sometimes I'll find a road that's actually closed for a sensible reason, in that situation I'll turn around, won't ever move a sign or mount a pavement.

[johnS2000]

Is this the reason that we have manned barriers in 3 separate places along our road on the approach to the closed section ??

Entire road is being resurfaced .

Half a mile before the section being resurfaced is a manned barrier where everybody has to stop and tell the attendant where they are going and then ,in another 1/200 yards another one who will not let you through unless your a resident .

And then another (if you manage to get that far )that turns you round and sends you back .

[Sheepshanks]

Smiler. said:

Honestly, I'm really shocked. I knew hard of thinking was on the up in the UK, but never knew it was at this level.

You say "the UK", but I'm going to guess you're in the South East?

[littleredrooster]

You want to try closing a motorway 'On' slip for a serious RTC and put up with the absolute tirade of abuse you get from dozens of Mr. Angries.

"Yes sir, I'm sure it's more important that you drive down there and squeeze past the paramedic who is trying his best to save that man's life. Your business meeting obviously takes precedence"

[Jonny_]

Playing devil's advocate here, but is this one of those situations where the road is closed for weeks yet work only takes place a few hours per day?

Not condoning the silly sods who start shifting cones etc, but I can understand their frustration..We live in a congested country yet the way roadworks are managed is ste, and that's putting it mildly. Much of the time traffic management and keeping things flowing is an afterthought, or ignored entirely (witness the charade on the M180 near Doncaster recently).

If you as a utility company or similar have genuine need to dig up a road, then you ought to have labour, materials and machinery ready to set off the moment the road closes, and work flat out 24/7 until the job is done. Not the all too common approach of a handful of blokes doing fk all for 8 hours, then bugger off until the next day, repeat for several weeks then move on to the next cockup.

It's also a lot more difficult for muppets to mess about with the cones and signage when the site is busy with workers!

(Oh, and if it's shut for an accident then suck it up, some poor bugger is definitely having a worse day...)

Edited by Jonny_ on Sunday 10th August 10:30

[Smiler.]

Sheepshanks said:

Smiler. said:

Honestly, I'm really shocked. I knew hard of thinking was on the up in the UK, but never knew it was at this level.

You say "the UK", but I'm going to guess you're in the South East?

In one.

littleredrooster said:

You want to try closing a motorway 'On' slip for a serious RTC and put up with the absolute tirade of abuse you get from dozens of Mr. Angries.

"Yes sir, I'm sure it's more important that you drive down there and squeeze past the paramedic who is trying his best to save that man's life. Your business meeting obviously takes precedence"

At Easter, there was a serious RTC on the same stretch of road - LWB van at 45° in the middle of the road & a car off the road straddling the pavement/drainage ditch to the side.

The local cricket teams piled out of the park before the fuzz arrived to direct traffic back in both directions.

An arse two-up on a motorbike came billowing around the blind bend to be confronted by the road blocked. Not happy with already making an utter tit of himself, he then descended into tantrum mode at the captain of the visiting team who attempted to tell him there was someone trapped in the car, there was glass & oil over the carriageway and they should turn around & take the 2 minute diversion.

Astonishing.

thecremeegg said:

If it's after 5 in the evening I'll always take the risk going down a road that's closed. Too many are closed because there's a fenced off hole on one side of the road and that's it. I'd probably say that 80% of the closed roads I've driven down are easily and safely passable without going off road. Sure sometimes I'll find a road that's actually closed for a sensible reason, in that situation I'll turn around, won't ever move a sign or mount a pavement.

I see your problem

[Hoofy]

ruff'n'smov said:

We are populated with a world of Sheep.

Surely, they're the opposite. People like us who obey the signs are the Sheep.

[treehack]

During the winter we had to get a fair few roads closed for emergency tree work for the highways. The amount of halfwits that thought we did it just for sts and giggles was quite amazing, of course we want to be out in the middle of the night, lashing rain and high winds trying to deal with dangerous trees.
One particularly obnoxious bloke tried to force his way past the guys on the floor because " he can see the road is clear " just as I cut and released a rather large hung up Chestnut tree and he still thought he could get past even though the road was now completely blocked.