Fine for enterting no entry zone in Peckham (Lounged)

[*Bob*]

Wagtap said:

"It's no wonder we on two wheels don't have all the time in the world to take in the excessive amount of pavement-cluttering signage."

And here it is:

[Jeremy]

Loads of us have been caught there. Including me - and to be honest it was mainly my fault, I was in a rush and probably not paying enough attention.

I paid the fine (I believe it's only ?60 as long as you pay promptly), and put it down to experience.

You're obviously pretty pissed off about this, but I think you'd be better off writing to the council or starting a petition for clearer sign posting... that's the *real* issue here. All the talk of democracy, Orwellian blah blah, may be helping you to vent your frustration but you'll find little sympathy.

[*Bob*]

I've been fined too - a few years ago.

Not at this one one - at the one as you go up Bishopsgate and it turns into Shoreditch High Street. Same thing 'no entry': 'buses only'.

I complained in writing and was sent a really nice picture of me on my bike, frozen at the point I passed the 'no entry' sign. My back wheel was right on top of the 'buses only' stamped on the road in three foot letters.

[Jeremy]

Tell me about it, *Bob*. It could have been lifted directly from "1984", don't you think?

[*Bob*]

Yes, it was a bit like that Jeremy.

I was especially dismayed when someone from the council came round a strapped a cage of rats to my head.

And who pays?! Muggins 'ere, that's ooo.

[Administrator]

Talking of 1984, now is the time to move this thread to the "prison of free speech" that is the Lounge.

Keef will be pleased.

[seanmlow]

-- moved topic --

[Keef]

Lounge 101?

[PeckhamRose]

RosieH wrote an interesting point:

"And the council IS supporting its public - the reason it's buses only down that stretch of road is to make public transport run faster and smoother, serving precisely those members of their public who can't afford (or choose not) to drive around town. And more power to its elbow I say."

Why does the council employ an ecology officer in Jon Best, when it forces cars to use excess petrol, wear down badly maintained road surfaces, and generally cause congestion elsewhere (and thus bad air quality for those nearby, when the traffic could just use the street it needs to go down? There are one way systems round the back of Oglander and the back of Rye lane and the back of Nunhead that cause dreadful congestion by forcing traffic on fewer and fewer roads, other traffic to get lost because of INadequate or missing road signage telling you how to get out of the mess it forced you into, and don't get me started on stupid satnavs as an answer!

Wagtap you'r a breath of fresh air. And also, isn't motorcycling - despite all the legislation - still the best way to see anywhere albeit from the inside of a helmet?! Ride safely, and install a really loud horn on your bike.

[SeanMacGabhann]

It doesn't force that at all. That's your interpreteation. You COULD (or most people could) choose to drive less

Far from being a breath of fresh air wagtap is making an argument purely on selfish (I wuz caught) grounds and then regurgitating tired, stale arguments from the Jeremy Clarkson school of thought. There are not "fewer and fewer" roads - there are more and more cars and until people understand physics and maths it is impossible to have an intelligent discussion on this. You can not fit a gallon of liquid into a pint glass. People being fined for not paying attention is merely part of the 7 pints not making it into the glass

[lard]

There seems to be the same argument in all these types of threads..Huguenot and his zero tolerance against others who think there should be a bit of discretion, and can see the harshness of some of fines etc.

I have driven for nearly 20 years. I have never had a crash, and never even had a ticket until inadvertantly going down that road, so my opinion is that it isn't that clear. Rye Lane is a pretty manic road in terms of signs, shops, deliveries, one way systems, bus lanes, road closures at certain times etc.

Plus as others say this turn off for cars isn't for safety anyway, it is for traffic calming measures, so quoting safety figures is irrelevant.

I also agree with the madness of the maze of one way streets near Oglander too...I just seem to go round and round only to end up back on Bellenden Road, and I live here.

But Huguenot believes that there are never any errors in town planning and/or policing, ever. They know best. Do as they say and not as they do etc.

[Jeremy]

Or, it encourages you to drive a different route, instead of down a busy shopping street packed with pedestrians, buses, and delivery vans. Now you know you can't go through there, why not check out the map and figure out a better route.

[lard]

The part after the turn off isn't even as busy as the bit before the turning.

Personally I can't even see the reason for the turnoff. I don't reckon cars going down that bit would any more unsafe or cause congestion. It seems crazy diverting cars into smaller backroads rather than using the straight main road.

[Brendan]

Because when the light goes red it causes a queue of cars which presents problem at the bus stop a little further down the road.

[lard]

When the light goes red where? Further up near the Rye?

[RosieH]

Lard, think you mustn't have ever sat on a bus waiting for some fecker to get out of the way on that stretch of road - it clogs up really easily, add cars and it would be chaos IMHO (does that mean in my humble opinion - i'm not down with the txt spk)

Anyway, I'm not a town planner so can't say that with any authority other than what my heart knows

[lard]

It clogs up just as much if people do the 200 yard cut through detour through Relf Road and then back onto Rye Lane. In fact probably more as they then have to rejoin the road, rather than just trundling along.

If a red light causes problems, then just extend the green light?

Don't get me wrong, it is a busy road. I just don't see how making people leave the road and rejoin it later helps.

[Huguenot]

Sorry if you got the impression that I'm backing the town planners in all circumstances Lard (and others), that wasn't my intention.

I believe in two fundamentals. Firstly that laws, rules and regulations are necessary to protect vulnerable members of society and should be made after due consideration for the likely effects (positive and negative) on all concerned. Secondly that we shouldn't take unilateral decisions to break those laws that we just don't fancy, without forgetting that that will give equal rights to others to break the laws that protect us.

A lot of the arguments on these subjects are based after little consideration for other people, are often dogmatic rather than informed, they rarely make a leap of imagination concerning long term consequences, and are often a rallying cry for a mob rejection of the reasonable rules that bind our society together.

As a consequence I try to populate my arguments with the facts, the supporting data, and after having taken a moment to consider what the impact may be on both other road users and our long term welfare.

I'm aware that's a bit boring, and probably appears to align myself with the grey suits of authority - but it's an unintended consequence ;-)

[PeckhamRose]

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Because when the light goes red it causes a queue

> of cars which presents problem at the bus stop a

> little further down the road.

So... um... strip out traffic lights and put a roundabout in its place.

[*Bob*]

I don't agree with roundabouts.

I reserve the right to ride straight over the top of them, through the flower beds and over the other side with impunity.

[SeanMacGabhann]

PeckhamRose

You have been to Swindon haven't you? A cure-all they are not

[????]

*Bob*.....you forgot "or straight into the side of a giant pineapple"

[*Bob*]

That would be fun, ????.

What I'd really like to do is have Bluewater opened-up especially for me between the hours of 3 and 4am so I can ride up escalators and do doughnuts outside River Island.

After all, I'm a careful rider, there won't be anyone around, it won't be hurting anyone, I pay my taxes, I watch 'Top Gear'..

[HonaloochieB]

You don't need to go that far *Bob*, Westfield at Shepherd's Bush are offering just that 'experience'.

Book it here

www.madbastardsonbikesinshoppingprecincts.co.uk

[*Bob*]

Sorry, 'Looch.. I have forbidden Mrs *Bob* from taking the VISA north of the river.

And the generous parking facilities at Bluewater gives the Range Rover a fighting chance too.