Random Irritations

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but the active traffic (mis)management on our motorways properly grinds my gears.

M42 this morning, a lengthy delay travelling south towards J3 caused by a vehicle fire. But long after that issue had been resolved, the carriageway cleared, vehicle recovered and emergency services had left the scene (I know this because all the travel updates on the radio confirmed it), National Highways STILL had the overhead gantries set with speed limits, and closures and alerts regarding the incident, causing traffic chaos.

I know back in my day, when we had dealt with a motorway incident, the first thing we always did was to ask for the gantry signs to be cancelled. These days the attending civilian Traffic Officers just seem to disappear and leave it. It happens too often to be coincidence.

No wonder so many motorists ignore motorway signs.
 
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but the active traffic (mis)management on our motorways properly grinds my gears.

M42 this morning, a lengthy delay travelling south towards J3 caused by a vehicle fire. But long after that issue had been resolved, the carriageway cleared, vehicle recovered and emergency services had left the scene (I know this because all the travel updates on the radio confirmed it), National Highways STILL had the overhead gantries set with speed limits, and closures and alerts regarding the incident, causing traffic chaos.

I know back in my day, when we had dealt with a motorway incident, the first thing we always did was to ask for the gantry signs to be cancelled. These days the attending civilian Traffic Officers just seem to disappear and leave it. It happens too often to be coincidence.

No wonder so many motorists ignore motorway signs.
If it was a vehicle fire could it be that they kept warning signs on because the fire damaged road had to be resurfaced?
 
If it was a vehicle fire could it be that they kept warning signs on because the fire damaged road had to be resurfaced?

Could have done, but there was absolutely nothing there. And it was evident there hadn’t been for a while. No highways workers, police, breakdown recovery. Nothing.

All the traffic updates confirmed the scene had been cleared at least half an hour earlier, as did the National Highways own website, which I often refer to when doing motorway and trunk road journeys.

Yet they still had a lane one and two closure showing on the gantries, with 40mph limits. All the traffic was filtering over, only to find absolutely nothing there causing an obstruction.

The combination of Traffic Officers and control rooms managing the motorway network, especially in and around the West Midlands, are absolutely inept.
 
Having driving the whole of France twice in the last two weeks, the motorway manners and lane etiquette in France are *far* better than ours. Wasn't expecting that.

It's different in the town centres though! :LOL:

I once hit Le Mans in the rush hour, same old same old.

I could not believe how the friend I was staying with drove round Nantes, certainly had me on the edge of my seat on occasions.
 
Could have done, but there was absolutely nothing there. And it was evident there hadn’t been for a while. No highways workers, police, breakdown recovery. Nothing.

All the traffic updates confirmed the scene had been cleared at least half an hour earlier, as did the National Highways own website, which I often refer to when doing motorway and trunk road journeys.

Yet they still had a lane one and two closure showing on the gantries, with 40mph limits. All the traffic was filtering over, only to find absolutely nothing there causing an obstruction.

The combination of Traffic Officers and control rooms managing the motorway network, especially in and around the West Midlands, are absolutely inept.

If it included a diesel spill they have to close the lane because the diesel breaks up the surface according to our local TV when asked about lane closures on the M5.
 
If it included a diesel spill they have to close the lane because the diesel breaks up the surface according to our local TV when asked about lane closures on the M5.

As I said - there were no actual lanes closed, despite the gantries suggesting there were. That was the problem.
 
Just goes to show how people ignore signs when they do not see a reason for them
If the people responsible for the UK's motorway signs bothered to keep them up to date, maybe drivers wouldn't ignore them.

Contrast with the signs on French autoroutes. Always correct, you can trust them.
 
Who site in a urinal 🤣

But seriously those who violate the "splash zone" are the worst
Speaking of urinals.......I can still remember when I first lived in the UK (1980), there were the occasional pubs that in the bathroom they just had metal walls so that you could just pee against the wall instead of actually having to hit a target. Ahhhh, the good ol' days.
 
Speaking of urinals.......I can still remember when I first lived in the UK (1980), there were the occasional pubs that in the bathroom they just had metal walls so that you could just pee against the wall instead of actually having to hit a target. Ahhhh, the good ol' days.
Ahh that takes me back, always full of dog ends and chewing gum. 😵‍💫
 
AW - FaD

Made it clearer now - sorry for the confusion.
Clear as mud.

But I do like a puzzle.

Might need another clue tomorrow. I'll keep trying.
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I think I might have it.

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But I don't find that irritating at all.
Maybe incorrect, then.
 
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