I know I rant on about matrix signs but...

[TheCarpetCleaner]

I saw the most pointless speed restriction ever today

Near Slough on the M4, one of those small matrix signs with "40"

Then less than 1/10th of a mile later "End"

NOTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD, NOTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!


Come on highways agency, I know you guys cry wolf all the time but thats just pathetic!!

I drove up that section of road on the other side to get to Heathrow airport less than an hour earlier and there were no problems, so I cannot believe that in the hour I was gone, something happened that required a 40 limit to be declared on a stretch of road less than 1/10th of a mile long!!

[David Godfrey]

the only useful and correct notices that I have seen on our stretch of the M4 are:

• Merry Christmas
• Happy New Year

Edited by David Godfrey on Wednesday 5th September 17:28

[supermono]

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

[supermono]

David Godfrey said:

the only useful and correct notices that I have seen on our stretch of the M4 are:

• Merry Christmas
• Happy New Year

Maybe another one could be "Useful has one l"



SM

Edited by David Godfrey on Wednesday 5th September 17:29

[David Godfrey]

supermono said:

David Godfrey said:

the only useful and correct notices that I have seen on our stretch of the M4 are:

• Merry Christmas
• Happy New Year

Maybe another one could be "Useful has one l"



SM

oops, dam spell checker again

Edited by David Godfrey on Wednesday 5th September 17:30

[SGirl]

supermono said:

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

I like the ones that say FOG - but you can't see them until you're on top of them because it's foggy. Definitely one of those "no sh1t Sherlock!" moments.

[s2art]

SGirl said:

supermono said:

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

I like the ones that say FOG - but you can't see them until you're on top of them because it's foggy. Definitely one of those "no sh1t Sherlock!" moments.

What they should have is lots of signs saying "THERE IS NO FOG".
Then when you cant read them you would know there was Fog!

[Hooli]

'if you can read this you should be watching the road' would be worth putting up for a giggle.

[Bing o]

"Honk if you bonk"?

[Vaux]

TheCarpetCleaner said:

I saw the most pointless speed restriction ever today

Near Slough on the M4, one of those small matrix signs with "40"

Then less than 1/10th of a mile later "End"

NOTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD, NOTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!


Come on highways agency, I know you guys cry wolf all the time but thats just pathetic!!

1. It's an advisory limit.
2. Surprisingly enough, the signs can't get cancelled immediately. There's a delay. Get over it. You have no idea why it was initially set.
3. Even worse, the bloody signs sometimes "lock on" and display what was last sent to them. Bloody computers....... Get over it.

[CommanderJameson]

supermono said:

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

That's because the Pharos Marine fog detectors that are installed on the M25 are extremely old and rubbish. They're easily confused by spiders, smoke and even white vans pulling up next to them.

They're being replaced soon.

[Einion Yrth]

CommanderJameson said:

supermono said:

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

That's because the Pharos Marine fog detectors that are installed on the M25 are extremely old and rubbish. They're easily confused by spiders, smoke and even white vans pulling up next to them.

They're being replaced soon.

I generally find that the MK I eyeball has excellent fog recognition capabilities, I do not need a sign to tell me that it is foggy; equally I can tell if there is spray, and tend, if there is, to slow down - so I don't need that stupid bloody sign either.

[CommanderJameson]

Einion Yrth said:

CommanderJameson said:

supermono said:

The other day they all said "Fog" on the M25. Clear and sunny mid afternoon.

SM

That's because the Pharos Marine fog detectors that are installed on the M25 are extremely old and rubbish. They're easily confused by spiders, smoke and even white vans pulling up next to them.

They're being replaced soon.

I generally find that the MK I eyeball has excellent fog recognition capabilities, I do not need a sign to tell me that it is foggy; equally I can tell if there is spray, and tend, if there is, to slow down - so I don't need that stupid bloody sign either.

You are a significant cut above the Mk 1 Average Motorway Driver, then.

[Percy Flage]

The M60 and M62 gantry signs have recently started telling you how far it is to Junction X and how long that stretch will take you, presumably at a steady 70mph.

Why not just say "No delays east bound"?

[CommanderJameson]

Percy Flage said:

The M60 and M62 gantry signs have recently started telling you how far it is to Junction X and how long that stretch will take you, presumably at a steady 70mph.

Why not just say "No delays east bound"?

Because there might be big delays beyond that junction. "East bound" is a pretty broad brush.

[7db]

What really get my goat is "Delays on M25 Jn 3" as I drive in on the M4.

How hard would it be to add "Swanley" to that so that I know where the f*ck J3 is, without reading a map whilst driving.

[arfur]

Percy Flage said:

The M60 and M62 gantry signs have recently started telling you how far it is to Junction X and how long that stretch will take you, presumably at a steady 70mph.

Why not just say "No delays east bound"?

This morning at about 0600 the M25 was showing 18 minutes to M11 from the M1 ... Utter cock ! ... took less than 15 minutes

[TheCarpetCleaner]

Vaux said:

TheCarpetCleaner said:

I saw the most pointless speed restriction ever today

Near Slough on the M4, one of those small matrix signs with "40"

Then less than 1/10th of a mile later "End"

NOTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD, NOTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!


Come on highways agency, I know you guys cry wolf all the time but thats just pathetic!!

1. It's an advisory limit.
2. Surprisingly enough, the signs can't get cancelled immediately. There's a delay. Get over it. You have no idea why it was initially set.
3. Even worse, the bloody signs sometimes "lock on" and display what was last sent to them. Bloody computers....... Get over it.

1. I know its an advisory limit
2. Then changes should be made to the system, if they keep crying wolf, people will just ignore them as standard then when there is a serious problem it will be harder to slow people down. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.
3. Then get an engineer in to fix the problems! If there is a fault=, fix it. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.

[CommanderJameson]

TheCarpetCleaner said:

Vaux said:

TheCarpetCleaner said:

I saw the most pointless speed restriction ever today

Near Slough on the M4, one of those small matrix signs with "40"

Then less than 1/10th of a mile later "End"

NOTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD, NOTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!


Come on highways agency, I know you guys cry wolf all the time but thats just pathetic!!

1. It's an advisory limit.
2. Surprisingly enough, the signs can't get cancelled immediately. There's a delay. Get over it. You have no idea why it was initially set.
3. Even worse, the bloody signs sometimes "lock on" and display what was last sent to them. Bloody computers....... Get over it.

1. I know its an advisory limit
2. Then changes should be made to the system, if they keep crying wolf, people will just ignore them as standard then when there is a serious problem it will be harder to slow people down. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.
3. Then get an engineer in to fix the problems! If there is a fault=, fix it. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.

1. What's the problem?
2. How do you know it's "crying wolf" when you're blatting down the motorway? Some kind of omniscient superbeing observing all lanes at all times, are you? How do you know the signs didn't go off the very second you passed them?
3. The faults get fixed, but like every system, there are a finite number of engineers and so everything cannot be fixed immediately.

[TheCarpetCleaner]

CommanderJameson said:

TheCarpetCleaner said:

Vaux said:

TheCarpetCleaner said:

I saw the most pointless speed restriction ever today

Near Slough on the M4, one of those small matrix signs with "40"

Then less than 1/10th of a mile later "End"

NOTHING AT ALL IN THE ROAD, NOTHING WHATSOEVER!!!!!!


Come on highways agency, I know you guys cry wolf all the time but thats just pathetic!!

1. It's an advisory limit.
2. Surprisingly enough, the signs can't get cancelled immediately. There's a delay. Get over it. You have no idea why it was initially set.
3. Even worse, the bloody signs sometimes "lock on" and display what was last sent to them. Bloody computers....... Get over it.

1. I know its an advisory limit
2. Then changes should be made to the system, if they keep crying wolf, people will just ignore them as standard then when there is a serious problem it will be harder to slow people down. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.
3. Then get an engineer in to fix the problems! If there is a fault=, fix it. Get over what? There is nothing in my way.

1. What's the problem?
2. How do you know it's "crying wolf" when you're blatting down the motorway? Some kind of omniscient superbeing observing all lanes at all times, are you? How do you know the signs didn't go off the very second you passed them?
3. The faults get fixed, but like every system, there are a finite number of engineers and so everything cannot be fixed immediately.

1. There is no problem, I was just replying that I knew it was an advisory limit
2. It was such a short section of motorway there could not possibly have been any point of it being there, but the time people would have slowed down to 40 they would have hit the end sign! When there are no obstructions, no signs of debris, no delays, nothing at all it is a resonable assumption that there were no problems and once again, there was probably no reason for the signs (a la fog, etc etc)
3. Been seeing this for the last 10 years or so - even for government IT projects that is taking the piss.