Courtesy too far.
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From: Zimmy on 13 May 2010 03:59 "ChelseaTractorMan" <mr.c.tractor(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message news:9i8nu5lm2bnteilk7slns2pmjq92qecv8n(a)4ax.com... > On Wed, 12 May 2010 15:26:24 +0100, Mike Barnes > <mikebarnes(a)bluebottle.com> wrote: > >>There's a fundamental difference between the HC and a dictionary. The HC >>describes how we *ought* to behave. A dictionary describes how we >>*actually* use the language. > > very true, but when almost everybody demonstrates the need for a > ruling, shouldn't it give one? It already did. Its just that some people like to override it with their own "ruling". Next you'll be saying "lets get rid of traffic lights and just flash people across at junctions" The existing rules are tried and tested and they work. Its only when people try to override them with their own ideas that the problems occur. Z
From: ChelseaTractorMan on 13 May 2010 04:03 On Thu, 13 May 2010 08:59:11 +0100, "Zimmy" <z(a)y.x> wrote: >> very true, but when almost everybody demonstrates the need for a >> ruling, shouldn't it give one? > > >It already did. Its just that some people like to override it with their own >"ruling". >Next you'll be saying "lets get rid of traffic lights and just flash people >across at junctions" er, no. I'm talking about sensible change. -- Mike. .. . Gone beyond the ultimate driving machine.
From: Mortimer on 13 May 2010 04:04 "ChelseaTractorMan" <mr.c.tractor(a)hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message news:h48nu59nq83tsgtugv9b6almpaftb1vdp8(a)4ax.com... > On Wed, 12 May 2010 18:54:16 +0100, "Mortimer" <me(a)privacy.net> wrote: > >>which only means "I will wait for you". > > I would say "the car with green light is giving way to somebody (it > may not be you)". Then by teaching what the risks are you make > everybody aware so you should get a better system than the present > head in the sand - there is no giving way signal. Subject to the condition that you mention - that traffic needs to decide "is he giving way to *me*", I think there needs to be a way of positively signalling that you intend to give way to traffic. If there was no way for me to signal this intention from afar, and the only way was to slow down and stop and w-a-i-t until the person decided that I really *was* giving way to them, then it's very simple: I'd stop giving way to anyone because it would put me to much more inconvenience and slow down the traffic behind me much more. The only time I've seen any ambiguity about who an "I'm giving way to someone" headlamp flash is intended for is when traffic is approaching a side road and there is traffic waiting to turn left or right out of it and also traffic in the middle of the road waiting to turn into it. But usually they are both covered by the same signal: if I give way to oncoming traffic that is turning right across my path into the side road, traffic turning left out of it can also go. A cross roads is a difficult one: if I'm on the major road, am I letting out traffic from the road on my left or the one on my right? If it is frequently necessary at busy times to let traffic out from side roads, otherwise it will *never* get out, that is an admission that the road junction needs a roundabout or traffic lights. If I want to turn right onto the main road at the end of my partner's road, which is just at the point where a dual carriageway (on my right) becomes a single-lane road (on my left), I could be waiting for ten minutes or more for a gap to occur both ways simultaneously. The usual remedy is to turn left and then do a U turn into and out of a side road on the right a couple of hundred yards away. Even though I now only have to consider one stream of traffic instead of two, it can still result in long delays - now with no means of escape as the road that I do a U turn into is a cul-de-sac ;-)
From: ChelseaTractorMan on 13 May 2010 04:41 On Thu, 13 May 2010 09:04:10 +0100, "Mortimer" <me(a)privacy.net> wrote: >The only time I've seen any ambiguity about who an "I'm giving way to >someone" headlamp flash is intended for is when traffic is approaching a >side road and there is traffic waiting to turn left or right out of it and >also traffic in the middle of the road waiting to turn into it. But usually >they are both covered by the same signal: if I give way to oncoming traffic >that is turning right across my path into the side road, traffic turning >left out of it can also go. I have been in situation of telling pedestrian I am giving way and stopping (to speed things up as you say) and there's been a car waiting to pull out which also accepted the signal as to them. So you need to be ready to give way to all once you give the signal or if the situation is complex, don't give it at all. -- Mike. .. . Gone beyond the ultimate driving machine.
From: Mike Barnes on 13 May 2010 03:36
ChelseaTractorMan <mr.c.tractor(a)hotmail.co.uk>: >On Wed, 12 May 2010 15:26:24 +0100, Mike Barnes ><mikebarnes(a)bluebottle.com> wrote: > >>There's a fundamental difference between the HC and a dictionary. The HC >>describes how we *ought* to behave. A dictionary describes how we >>*actually* use the language. > >very true, but when almost everybody demonstrates the need for a >ruling, shouldn't it give one? I don't see any need for a ruling. I always treat a headlamp flash as ambiguous, and I would encourage others to do the same. I don't expect things to change in that regard within my lifetime. FWIW there already is a system of green lights on trucks in India, which I think means "I can see the road ahead and it's safe to overtake me". (Er, no thanks) -- Mike Barnes |