Level Crossing Idiocy

[Eichhörnchen]

Forgive the hasty computer drawing; I'll never be a digital artist.
This stupid road manoeuvre on this stretch of the A16 into Boston has nearly caught me out more than once, and I saw it done twice to other people today putting their lives at risk. Someone will be killed here one day... it's arisen only recently when they changed the road layout: two lanes leading to a roundabout and a single lane oncoming.

As simply put as I can: at a level crossing I am in the green car waiting for the traffic on the other side to move off and leave me free to cross. The traffic ahead duly moves on and I start to cross, when suddenly the RED car (and sometimes those behind it too) cuts across into my lane and comes to a stop ahead of me where the blue car was before. I am now trapped on the crossing with nowhere to go if the barriers come down. A stupid idiot woman did this to me yesterday and she was probably too dim to realise why I suddenly started pounding the horn.

I've not seen a dangerous two-lane road over a crossing like this anywhere else... wtf? Shouldn't I complain to the Borough Council?

[STEED]

I bid..



For that work of art.

[Eichhörnchen]

Cheeky sod

[Martin James]

I would say make a complaint to the police. There might be video of the crossing. At the risk of sounding like an old fogy, people are so in a rush these days, putting life at risk for what 1 sec in front?

[vienna]

Your situation is very familiar. In California, because of gridlock caused by drivers clogging intersections, a law was passed requiring drivers not to enter an intersection or crossing unless they could clear the opposite side safely. The downside is it has led to situations similar, if not identical, to the one you describe. I see it all the time around the city and have seen a couple where both cars have ended up colliding and truly clogging the road(s). I would complain to the authorities and see if they can, perhaps, place police officers at the intersection at random times and cite the offending drivers. This is a tactic used here and has been somewhat effective. Once an intersection becomes known as a "trap", the 'regular' users are more wary of using questionable tactics. You might also look into getting the media involved; maybe there is some sort of 'investigative advocate' on one of the TV stations who would be interested in looking into what is a public safety matter. The more noise you make, the more you will get noticed...




<O>

[Moonlight]

Get in touch with the local highways dept Mr Squirrel and inform them of the danger of that section of road, its more than likely it has already been reported and they could just think it was a one off incident but until you get in touch you'll never know will you.

That'll be £125.00 for my lawyer fees old boy, what are you still doing here Mr Squirrel, find out which pub the head of that dept goes in and give him a smack in the nose, my opening fee for that one will be £475.00, yes, yes, yes I know my rates are cheap but I'm just trying to help out a destitute artist who can't afford a quicker off the mark car aren't I, I am too kind by far you know.

[Eichhörnchen]

Your fees are oppressive and getting worse

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

Your fees are oppressive and getting worse

Oh, just pull a Trump and refuse to pay him...




<O>

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Moonlight

Get in touch with the local highways dept Mr Squirrel and inform them of the danger of that section of road, its more than likely it has already been reported and they could just think it was a one off incident but until you get in touch you'll never know will you.

That'll be £125.00 for my lawyer fees old boy, what are you still doing here Mr Squirrel, find out which pub the head of that dept goes in and give him a smack in the nose, my opening fee for that one will be £475.00, yes, yes, yes I know my rates are cheap but I'm just trying to help out a destitute artist who can't afford a quicker off the mark car aren't I, I am too kind by far you know.

Strangely, Moonlight's 'quick off the mark' comment is appropriate: U R at fault for allowing yourself to be caught on the crossing. Even though an illegal unsignaled lane change has occurred; Rule 1: "the idiocy of others is ALWAYS foreseeable to a good defensive driver. (rule 2: always drive defensively)" Pair that with the maxim: "the leading cause of death is other people" usually your wife or your physician and/or an errant driver....Sometimes it's a combination of all three: the errant driver sends you to the hospital; the doctor says you're 'brain dead'; and your wife....ever mindful of her timely life in$urance payment premium$ on your wretched hide....acquie$ce$ to "pull the plug' (rule 3: 'girls gotta eat') Had U been in a eighteen-wheeler for example,, the track crossing maneuver would anticipate the need to safely pass under all conditions including the idiotic lane shift. The fault dear Eich is 70% U and 30% her. PS: I have a similar RR crossing(Napa Valley wine train) with three signal light intersections and freeway off/on ramp and two corner gas station: three blocks from my home. All busses stopping to look as required by law, the commute hour makes passage a 1/2 hour ordeal. Offset lanes through a misaligned intersection has caused asinine jockeying and fatal accidents through the years. <thin grey line parallel to freeway is RR track -getting over the freeway is simply awful and has a camera monitor from time to time as the city's budget occasions. Sig llights at Solano Ave. and each of the on/off Hwy 29 ramps and RR barricades make it miserably tough. EDIT: I just caught Vienna's post: precisely so!

[Eichhörnchen]

I take your point, Aktung, but I am the world's number one defensive driver, always telling Moira to beware that the other driver may do this or that. I always allow a good gap the other side before crossing, and I have to go sometime, don't I, to avoid getting honked at by those behind. I can't see how I am culpable in this at all.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Eichhörnchen

Cheeky sod

How about two trillion?

You can buy a lot of toilet paper with that you know.

[Jimbuna]

Invest in a Dash Cam and show them the SD card recording...irrefutable proof.

[Eichhörnchen]

Good suggestion... probably not expensive either so we're going to do just that.

One other thing I hadn't emphasised: the traffic queue is always slow-moving in this outside lane on these occasions so even if you wait until there's a good long gap on the other side of the crossing, several of these scumbags have already decided to switch lanes just as you start across, and they block your exit from the danger area.