Level Crossing Idiocy

[STEED]

Give up driving and save lots of money too buy lots of soft toilet paper.

[Rockstar]

Get one of these.

[Jimbuna]

^

[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.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by 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.

U just made my point again! You do all of what is necessary to achieve getting safely across the track before the train comes along. Less than 100% off the track is unacceptable!!! The pudding proof is U did not! Nor have I; apart from actually killing or injuring someone, I've made every error there is myself including thinking I am a defensive driver : to wit: If I'm thinking I am, I'm probably not defensive enough...and that includes with a co-driver just out of truck school with under 100 hours of error free driving; in an Iowa blizzard on a typical 1000 mile day ..."Hi forget everything they taught you; this is reality." In those days I did all the adverse condition driving and falsified both logbooks...Visibility is 20' at 10mph for eight hours passing other vehicles that have fared poorly. As the big-rig's 'Master and Commander': "it was the lesser of two weevils" as pulling off the freeway is not an option; the I-80 offramps nor the truckstops are not plowed out and stopping will get you rear-ended by the idiot behind you in whiteout conditions. Pudding proof: two of my co-drivers did not survive their careers... and I'm 66 and still get paid for long hours behind the wheel.

[STEED]

1 of 72 videos watch the lot and give up driving.

Warning strong language

[Eichhörnchen]

I still don't follow, Aktung... my exit from the danger area is good and clear when I set off across. If other vehicles then pull over in front of me and block it, I don't see how that would be any percentage my fault if I were trapped on the crossing. This is happening to other people too; it's a dangerous planning error in my view.

I don't think we're going to agree on this one... maybe I haven't described it well enough, or maybe your crossings are different to ours.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Eich

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... 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.

Originally Posted by me

...do all of what is necessary to achieve getting safely across the track before the train comes along. Less than 100% off the track is unacceptable!!!

To reiterate: U Know it's poor road engineer planning; U know there R idiots; U know U R a defensive driver; U know U must not end up stuck on the track...U only make a mistake once; after that it's no longer a mistake; it's a preventable forseeable error. Don't use the route or sit longer with emergency flasher ( and ignore people honking) till the way is utterly, indisputably, manifestly clear. Otherwise U R now contributing to the error. Her haste in lane changes is seconded by yours' in moving forward; possibly motivated by impatient motorists behind U leaning on thier horns. Your 'good gap' as with my 65' eighteen wheeler, is obviously insufficient. The logic of your righteous indignation over your culpability has no bearing on the matter. Remember: no 'idiot lanechanger in front' can see as well behind as U can seeing frontwards, therefore the last opportunity, especially with your foreknowledge of the particular condition, for avoidance rests with U.

[Eichhörnchen]

I think I see where we're at odds on this: you say that her error is "seconded" by mine in moving forward, but the situation here is that I have moved forward before her lane-change... I've moved forward towards what is indeed a "manifestly clear" exit; there's no other way for a motorist to use this inside lane: he either drives forward or he sits, and if he's sitting just because he's afraid some idiot will cross to block his exit then he will sit there all day, which is in itself an offence.

[Eichhörnchen]

I just reported it to the County Coucil.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by STEED

1 of 72 videos watch the lot and give up driving.

Warning strong language

And people wonder why we don't have flying cars yet.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Platapus

And people wonder why we don't have flying cars yet.

Indeed.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

I'm sure you don't need to be encouraged too much, but when train comes do not hesitate to drive through crossing arns (they are usually designed to break) and bump those idiots out of your way!

Also I concur with recommendations of dash cam and complaint.

[Moonlight]

Its one of these things you need Mr Squirrel, inform the local council that you're available for hire and make some extra cash for yourself as well. As its Sunday you can have that advice for nothing but don't expect any other freebies as none will be forthcoming.