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Driving standards


hayfield

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Today, while driving into my local town,Ipswich, on a single lane road, I noticed a Police 4x4 with emergency lights on coming towards me in the other lane, but held up by cars in front, in the same lane, who couldn't pull over due to parked cars on their side. I pulled over, just past a turning on my side and vehicles behind me did the same before the turning, creating space for the police vehicle to overtake and get through, however a vehicle driver sat at the side road junction on my side, decided to come out into my lane, overtake me and blocked the police vehicle. They carried on quite oblivious to the police vehicle or why other vehicles had pulled over and stopped.

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Today, while driving into my local town,Ipswich, on a single lane road, I noticed a Police 4x4 with emergency lights on coming towards me in the other lane, but held up by cars in front, in the same lane, who couldn't pull over due to parked cars on their side. I pulled over, just past a turning on my side and vehicles behind me did the same before the turning, creating space for the police vehicle to overtake and get through, however a vehicle driver sat at the side road junction on my side, decided to come out into my lane, overtake me and blocked the police vehicle. They carried on quite oblivious to the police vehicle or why other vehicles had pulled over and stopped.

I hope the police noted his number. By the look of it he was completely oblivious to all around him including the police car.

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The ferry at Glenelg still has a turntable deck, although it's used more to align the deck with the slipway rather than to turn the vehicles completely around.  Usually, the boat itself turns round at one or other end of the crossing.  The MV Glenachulish was originally built for the crossing at Ballachulish, then became the backup vessel for Corran, Kessock and Kylesku before finally ending up at Glenelg.  (The Ballachulish, Kessok and Kylesku crossings all now have bridges.  Corran got a new ferry of its own in 2001.)

And an interesting trip across it is at mid-tide. There's a very strong tidal flow through there, easily visible like a large river. The ferry angles quite a way off into it when it leaves to be brought back in rather than constantly fighting it to try to go in a straight line, watched by several seals when I was there.

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I have noticed the Waitrose in Wallingford has a turntable, the artic drives on, presses a button and it turns the entire truck and trailer round to line up with the loading bay. It can then drive out forward afterwards.

 

Are these common, but hidden or the exception?

 

Not the UK, or a shop, but the building I worked in in Canberra a few years ago had a turntable underneath to get (I think) the bin trucks into the loading bay. It was chequerplate steel and a slippery b&$*@%d of a thing to cross on a bicycle if it was raining.

 

On a smaller scale, I remember a house on St Johns Lane in Bristol having a very restricted yard that someone had put a turntable in to make it possible to park more than one car in it.

 

Apropos of nothing very much, I lived in Wallingford when the one supermarket in town changed from Key Markets to Waitrose. That was long before the flash new building went up though. It was in the much more constricted premises further south which, if Google Streetview is to be believed, looks as if its now been demolished.

Edited by PatB
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Another use for a road vehicle turntable, just in case the world suddenly decides to stop turning on its axis and you happen to have a Lamborghini Countach* to hand:

 

 

 

(Apologies for the poor video quality; it is from some time 1985-1987.  I first saw on Italian TV when I was working in Turin, so it must originally date from that period.  I believe it did turn up on TV in the UK sometime later.)

 

* Tousled hair and floaty white dress optional.

Edited by ejstubbs
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Some **** in a Peugeot 206 has just knocked off my door mirror, then failed to stop. HD04 JXC - I've got your number.

Written on the back of your hand?

 

Before you posted it here, of course...

 

 

Seriously - what a barsteward :(

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Some **** in a Peugeot 206 has just knocked off my door mirror, then failed to stop. HD04 JXC - I've got your number.

 

That'll put your legal prowess to the test.

 

On a slightly lighter(?) note, a trip out to Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings today produced several prize examples. Inability to park "accurately" in a public carpark, manoeuvre a car that is clearly too big for their ability (a young woman in a KIA SUV), realise that driving along the middle of Aldeburgh High Street at 15mph in their Audi TT is inappropriate and going the wrong way round the Snape Maltings one way system is just plain stupid.

 

On Saturday we will be visiting a friend in Sheringham, whose apartment overlooks the Esplanade. Hours of amusement can be had watching visitors coping with manoeuvring their cars into parking bays or just parking within a short walk of the pavement.

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Already filling out DVLA form V888

 

Thinking about your predicament I wouldn't tackle the owner of the other car directly, nor would I seek out their address and accuse them of anything. I would definitely go to the Police and let them handle it because you don't know what sort of person you are dealing with and they might have previous convictions for violence. Also, accusations should be based on evidence and if you act quickly, the Police might be able to look at his vehicle and forensically corroborate any accusations that his vehicle indeed struck yours causing damage. The other thing is, if this individual goes around doing things like that they should be punished by the law.

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...... I would definitely go to the Police and let them handle it because you don't know what sort of person you are dealing with and they might have previous convictions for violence. Also, accusations should be based on evidence and if you act quickly, the Police might be able to look at his vehicle....

 

One thing that won't help is the fact that this happened within the Metropolitan Police's purview. Things like this are very low priority for them.

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One thing that won't help is the fact that this happened within the Metropolitan Police's purview. Things like this are very low priority for them.

Tell them you think the other car owner hit you because they were looking down posting a mean tweet with their mobile. They'll rush round their gaff.

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That'll put your legal prowess to the test.

 

On a slightly lighter(?) note, a trip out to Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings today produced several prize examples. Inability to park "accurately" in a public carpark, manoeuvre a car that is clearly too big for their ability (a young woman in a KIA SUV), realise that driving along the middle of Aldeburgh High Street at 15mph in their Audi TT is inappropriate and going the wrong way round the Snape Maltings one way system is just plain stupid.

 

On Saturday we will be visiting a friend in Sheringham, whose apartment overlooks the Esplanade. Hours of amusement can be had watching visitors coping with manoeuvring their cars into parking bays or just parking within a short walk of the pavement.

 

I'll  :bye: as you go past... Sheringham High street is almost as much fun....

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One thing that won't help is the fact that this happened within the Metropolitan Police's purview. Things like this are very low priority for them.

 

Tell them it made you spill the line you were snorting, that should get their attention.

 

Mike.

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