On the M4 today I saw.....

Hodders

Hodders

Hodders

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Riding my bike
1) On the inside hard shoulder of the M4 on a long bend. A police car with the traffic side door open being lent on by a policeman with a lser speed gun.

Now I have been of the opinion that stopping on the hard shoulder is about the most dangerous thing you can do. So WHY is this deemed sensible behaviour by the police ?

2) A Highways agnecy 'Traffic Officer' was towing a transit on the carridgeway using a peice of rope. I though that towing on the motorway was illegal unless using a solid metal towing device....

3) Another highways agnecy 'Traffic Officer' was parked on the hard shoulder attending a broken down car with his vehicle and wheels angled out into the main carridgeway.

What is with 'road safety' these days.....:mad:

And then I get to Bristol head down the M32 and find a huge queue because a lane is closed for no flaming reason - ARRGGHHH.

I'm having a great day so far ;)
 
Hodders said:
M4

And then I get to Bristol head down the M32 and find a huge queue because a lane is closed for no flaming reason - ARRGGHHH.
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Hmmmmmmm. I've this journey starting at 19:00 this evening. I hope it's all better then...
 
Hodders said:
1) On the inside hard shoulder of the M4 on a long bend. A police car with the traffic side door open being lent on by a policeman with a lser speed gun.

Now I have been of the opinion that stopping on the hard shoulder is about the most dangerous thing you can do. So WHY is this deemed sensible behaviour by the police ?

2) A Highways agnecy 'Traffic Officer' was towing a transit on the carridgeway using a peice of rope. I though that towing on the motorway was illegal unless using a solid metal towing device....

3) Another highways agnecy 'Traffic Officer' was parked on the hard shoulder attending a broken down car with his vehicle and wheels angled out into the main carridgeway.

What is with 'road safety' these days.....:mad:

And then I get to Bristol head down the M32 and find a huge queue because a lane is closed for no flaming reason - ARRGGHHH.

I'm having a great day so far ;)
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I recently got pulled off the M6 @ Hilton Park by a Police Range Rover and a tow rope, I was in a fully loaded 44tonner at the time!

The Traffic Officer positions his car thus to make other road users steer clear of the broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder, protecting the poor repair bod.

Your "Non reason" for a lane closure could be a fault in the road surface, or, something amis with that elevated section of the road perhaps? Rarely are Motorways such as the M32 closed for no reason, no apparent reason certainly, but a reason your un-aware of will be there ,in most cases, I assure you.

Not exactly rocket science I'm afraid. ;)
 
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Wheels should be angled AWAY from the carrieageway though. Else if someone hits the vehicle, oh look, it's been shunted right into the path of fast moving vehicles rather than a hedge.

Rocket science eh? ;)
 
Hodders said:
And then I get to Bristol head down the M32 and find a huge queue because a lane is closed for no flaming reason - ARRGGHHH.
Click to expand...

Yes the M32 is officially the most annoying motorway in the world at the moment. I drive down it every week and they seem to make zero progress doing anything there- I'm not even entirely sure what they are meant to be doing!
 
nutcase_1uk said:
Wheels should be angled AWAY from the carrieageway though. Else if someone hits the vehicle, oh look, it's been shunted right into the path of fast moving vehicles rather than a hedge.

Rocket science eh? ;)
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The car will, if hit, veer into the road, and not hit the people on the hard shoulder, whom are not protected by the car they are travelling in, I'd have thought....

Woosh! Watch them rockets go! :p :D :D :D
 
AA and RAC vehicles always park along way back with the wheels pointing into the verge. This gives enough space to protect the vehicle being worked on and if the van is hit it will move into the verge and stop, hopefully with the vehicle that hit it still behind.
 
Alibaba99 said:
AA and RAC vehicles always park along way back with the wheels pointing into the verge. This gives enough space to protect the vehicle being worked on and if the van is hit it will move into the verge and stop, hopefully with the vehicle that hit it still behind.
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Which is exactly how the two I saw on the M4 were yesterday.
 
Bes said:
Yes the M32 is officially the most annoying motorway in the world at the moment. I drive down it every week and they seem to make zero progress doing anything there- I'm not even entirely sure what they are meant to be doing!
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They're completely gutting the city centre and building a new complex. So far they've demolished the car park at the end of the M32 and also that big building which was next to McDonalds. The bridge between the tollgate carparks has also gone too.

I imagine that it's gonna be pretty messed up for quite some time so better get used to the queues!
 
eidolon said:
They're completely gutting the city centre and building a new complex. So far they've demolished the car park at the end of the M32 and also that big building which was next to McDonalds. The bridge between the tollgate carparks has also gone too.

I imagine that it's gonna be pretty messed up for quite some time so better get used to the queues!
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Ha my family live near Bristol, and I rarely venture in (I live in Sheffield most of the time these days). I went to catch a train from Temple Meads for a work meeting in London. Got to Temple Meads station, car park was chocka. OK no problem I'll go park in Bond St car park. I drive out and :eek: the City Centre looks like a bomb's hit it!! I had no idea any of this was happenning! It took me an hour and 20 to find alternative parking that was open late enough and I missed my train :(
 
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