Roads beyond repair
Discussion
It's getting to the point here in Kent / Sussex where I am seriously doubting whether it is worth keeping any kind of nice car, let alone my V8V. All the roads, not just the lanes around us, are treacherous. The rain has washed away the substructure at the sides of the carriageway and the edges of the road are collapsing leaving cavernous potholes everywhere. Given the authorities failed miserably to deal with just a few bad sections last year in relatively mild weather, there's absolutely no chance that they will ever get on top of the problem from hereon. I gather the council are considering un-adopting some of the local lanes to obviate their responsibility for maintaining them. And I've got to fork out another £490 for a licence to drive on these death-traps.
We pretend we're a rich country, but you only need look at our infrastructure to realise we're bankrupt in everything but name.
We pretend we're a rich country, but you only need look at our infrastructure to realise we're bankrupt in everything but name.
My understanding is that the Environment Agency budget is One and a half billion £. Last year they spent £385 Million on salaries and £20 Million on remedial work. The water levels around us are starting to be a bit of a worry but nothing is being done. Every day the EA are going up in a helicopter for jollies having a look around the surrounding area where we live . I actually wish I had a rocket launcher.
The year before last a truly pathetic attempt was made to fill in some pot holes, it involved a lorry with tarmac and 3 blokes who would shovel a bit of tarmac into a hole and then pat it down . I think it lasted about 2 months! Pot holes can only be sealed if the edges are sealed with over banding. Molly had a Honda at the time, we hit a pothole which blew 2 tyres and destroyed a wheel. Many letters were written to the council together with dated photos there final response was to tell us that they were not responsible for the roads and that basically that we should go away.
The year before last a truly pathetic attempt was made to fill in some pot holes, it involved a lorry with tarmac and 3 blokes who would shovel a bit of tarmac into a hole and then pat it down . I think it lasted about 2 months! Pot holes can only be sealed if the edges are sealed with over banding. Molly had a Honda at the time, we hit a pothole which blew 2 tyres and destroyed a wheel. Many letters were written to the council together with dated photos there final response was to tell us that they were not responsible for the roads and that basically that we should go away.
robgt said:
Every day the EA are going up in a helicopter for jollies having a look around the surrounding area where we live . I actually wish I had a rocket launcher.
Too many pilots on this forum for that sort of fighting talk... 
you might hit one of us! Technically though you would find it easier with a missile launcher... the projecticle can manoeuvre in flight, increasing your chances of a hit. Fully agree with the general sentiment on roads though. Tracking anyone?! Is it worth it???The roads have played a huge part in the decisions I have made regarding my car... At 1st I was just going to get rid of it... Now Having been on track, I think that this is where I will get all the enjoyment I can from the car, so have decided to concentrate on making the car more track usable than for road use... This way I get to keep the car and get to drive it as intended... 
Roads?
You lucky b
d! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.
Some people - don't know when they are well off
Actually had a text from one of my staff yesterday saying he couldn't attend the weekly sales meeting as he was being told to evacuate his house
You lucky b
d! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.Some people - don't know when they are well off
Actually had a text from one of my staff yesterday saying he couldn't attend the weekly sales meeting as he was being told to evacuate his house
Neil1300r said:
Roads?
You lucky bd! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.
Some people - don't know when they are well off
Actually had a text from one of my staff yesterday saying he couldn't attend the weekly sales meeting as he was being told to evacuate his house
You were lucky to have a lake! There were a hundred and fifty of us living in t' shoebox in t' middle o' road.You lucky b
d! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.Some people - don't know when they are well off
Actually had a text from one of my staff yesterday saying he couldn't attend the weekly sales meeting as he was being told to evacuate his house
montecristo said:
You were lucky to have a lake! There were a hundred and fifty of us living in t' shoebox in t' middle o' road.
A shoebox! Luxury. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Hallelujah 
robgt said:
Molly and I fancy that Quad Ski bike thing that was on Top Gear the other night. What a fab innovation, British design as well! Tax it for the road then when you come to a pot hole withdraw the wheels and jet ski across . 
Rob,no disrespect intended,but why do you keep posting the same reply two or three times ?
Neil1300r said:
Roads?
You lucky bd! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.
Neil - if you're stuck, I can make some room in my garage in Camberley if you need to lay your car up for a few days.You lucky b
d! Try living in Surrey near one of the rivers. If it gets any worse I'll be posting up for anyone with a spare dry garage for an Aston.avinalarf said:
robgt said:
Molly and I fancy that Quad Ski bike thing that was on Top Gear the other night. What a fab innovation, British design as well! Tax it for the road then when you come to a pot hole withdraw the wheels and jet ski across .
Rob,no disrespect intended,but why do you keep posting the same reply two or three times ?krisdelta said:
avinalarf said:
robgt said:
Molly and I fancy that Quad Ski bike thing that was on Top Gear the other night. What a fab innovation, British design as well! Tax it for the road then when you come to a pot hole withdraw the wheels and jet ski across .
Rob,no disrespect intended,but why do you keep posting the same reply two or three times ?avinalarf said:
krisdelta said:
avinalarf said:
robgt said:
Molly and I fancy that Quad Ski bike thing that was on Top Gear the other night. What a fab innovation, British design as well! Tax it for the road then when you come to a pot hole withdraw the wheels and jet ski across .
Rob,no disrespect intended,but why do you keep posting the same reply two or three times ?
We're not getting the floods in the north east of England but the roads are still degrading rapidly in my city. A lot of the money spent on road repair goes down the plug hole via the way the work is specified and tendered for - holes have to be a certain size and depth, need inspectors to paint a silver line around the hole / part of hole matching criteria, contractor who won tender on price attends in a set target time and fills within the silver line and no further, even if only part of a hole is included, inspector comes back and checks, another team is dispatched to clear up road debris.
I have watched the main road near us degrade over the years, its a patchwork of half repaired holes (I jest not on this, they actually repair part of a hole if the rest is not quite meeting the critria)and covered in tarmac chippings. Sometimes they have attended the same stretch seven times in one year. Hitting targets and missing the point while we pay through the nose for systemic waste.
I have watched the main road near us degrade over the years, its a patchwork of half repaired holes (I jest not on this, they actually repair part of a hole if the rest is not quite meeting the critria)and covered in tarmac chippings. Sometimes they have attended the same stretch seven times in one year. Hitting targets and missing the point while we pay through the nose for systemic waste.
I have stopped using the car at the moment until some road repairs have been done. With 20" wheels and 30 profile tyres, one big pothole could do a significant amount of costly damage, and thats just my teeth!
Hole mainly seem to be around drain covers but can be almost a foot deep and a foot wide.......proper tyre and wheel killers.
Even in my Merc Sprinter van I have to be very alert to the road surface ahead I am driving on.
Roads never seem to get repaired properly, just a quick fix. Maybe there should be some guarantee on the work WE pay for?
Hole mainly seem to be around drain covers but can be almost a foot deep and a foot wide.......proper tyre and wheel killers.
Even in my Merc Sprinter van I have to be very alert to the road surface ahead I am driving on.
Roads never seem to get repaired properly, just a quick fix. Maybe there should be some guarantee on the work WE pay for?
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