Cunting lorry drivers.
in [UK Drivers]
|
From: leandr42 on 26 Nov 2009 06:09 On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:31:01 -0000, <boltar2003(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:18:17 +0000 > dan(a)telent.net wrote: >> I don't think the feudal lords were responsible for much of anything at >> all by 1450: the Hundred Years War (archers) and the Black Death >> (reduction in available peasants) had pretty much put an end to >> feudalism between them by then. >> >> But maybe Boltar has some particular road and some particular >> tenant-in-chief in mind > > Ok fine , my history needs improving... > Even the bloody > motorways in this country can't be built straight FFS even though > compulsary > land purchase is a must with these projects anyway. Maybe your motorway history needs a bit of work as well. The M1 (more or less the first to be built) does have long straight stretches, but good practice now considers curves to be safer. "Uniquely among Britain's motorways, the M1 contains very long, straight stretches. The design reflected how easy it was for the government to acquire land - five houses were demolished to make way for the first 72-mile stretch and there were two protests. On later motorways it was considered safer to build curves to help drivers concentrate." (http://www.allbusiness.com/transportation/road-transportation-trucking/13373848-1.html) -- Rob
From: Clive George on 26 Nov 2009 06:24 <boltar2003(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:helld5$qls$1(a)aioe.org... > On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:18:17 +0000 > dan(a)telent.net wrote: >>I don't think the feudal lords were responsible for much of anything at >>all by 1450: the Hundred Years War (archers) and the Black Death >>(reduction in available peasants) had pretty much put an end to >>feudalism between them by then. >> >>But maybe Boltar has some particular road and some particular >>tenant-in-chief in mind > > Ok fine , my history needs improving. The point is that the roads even > when > county councils had the chance were never straightened but instead still > follow the old trackways which in turn generally follow old field > boundaries > or the whims of the local drovers. What might have been convenient for > shifting cattle 300 years ago to avoid boggy ground or whatever is > irrelevant > for modern vehicles on tarmac roads. If the railways generally can be > built > straight or with gentle curves so can the roads. I dread to think of the > amount of fuel wasted by all manor of vehicles constantly slowing down for > endless bends in the road then having to speed up again. Even the bloody > motorways in this country can't be built straight FFS even though > compulsary > land purchase is a must with these projects anyway. One thing USians comment on when they come over here is how scary the roads are - narrow and twisty, full of fast cars, and they're talking about A-roads not rural single-laners. I believe our roads improve our drivers - people have to look where they're going in order to stay on the road, rather than what you get with straight wide roads which is people getting bored and doing their makeup etc even more than they do over here. The fact that our nominally more dangerous roads have better casualty records than USian ones supports my idea.
From: boltar2003 on 26 Nov 2009 06:44 On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:09:50 -0000 leandr42 <leandr42(a)googlemail.com> wrote: >Maybe your motorway history needs a bit of work as well. The M1 (more or >less the first to be built) does have long straight stretches, but good >practice now considers curves to be safer. So does the M40 but its a small minority of its overall length. >"Uniquely among Britain's motorways, the M1 contains very long, straight >stretches. The design reflected how easy it was for the government to >acquire land - five houses were demolished to make way for the first >72-mile stretch and there were two protests. On later motorways it was >considered safer to build curves to help drivers concentrate." A load of political drivel probably used as a cover for the real reason which was to save money buying the cheapest land possible - an empty field would be a lot cheaper and less hassle than a house. Anyone who says a curved road is safer than a straight one and would make the slightest difference to whether a driver falls asleep at the wheel or not is a liar or a buffoon. Or in the case of politicians probably both. B2003
From: boltar2003 on 26 Nov 2009 06:49 On Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:24:10 -0000 "Clive George" <clive(a)xxxx-x.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: >I believe our roads improve our drivers - people have to look where they're >going in order to stay on the road, rather than what you get with straight >wide roads which is people getting bored and doing their makeup etc even >more than they do over here. The fact that our nominally more dangerous >roads have better casualty records than USian ones supports my idea. That probably has more to do with seatbelts not being compulsary in a number of states than the roads themselves. Having driven in the US and canada I'd far sooner drive on their wide , straight roads than the overgrown kart tracks we have over here. B2003
From: Clive George on 26 Nov 2009 06:49
"Conor" <conor(a)gmx.co.uk> wrote in message news:MPG.25779c7764188eae989990(a)news.eternal-september.org... > In article <mn.cc017d9b464f9932.106911(a)NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk>, Harry > Bloomfield says... >> >> Conor explained on 25/11/2009 : >> >> ..and the vast majority of that experience in a situation where you >> >> have nil chance of overtaking anything. >> > >> > So the 300 miles per week I did in my car, I never overtook anything? >> > When I go out on a night now, I never overtake anything? Strange I can >> > recall overtaking EVERYTHING on the way back from Bridlington to >> > Driffield on Sunday night. >> >> I was of course refering to when you are driving an HGV. > > But the subject was about cars overtaking HGVs so surely its more > relevent that I was in a car and doing the overtaking? And as I said, I > overtook plenty of HGVs in my car. On a road you've never driven before? Oh, no, it's one local to you you know very well. Makes a huge difference - you know where the safe overtaking places are already. Yes, full beams from the person in front won't be as much extra help as they are on an unknown road. |