Man in Red Van - Roadworks Limerick to Shannon

Zero-Cool

Hi,

I saw a thread already about these roadworks but had to give a shout out to a brave man in a red van who blocked the fast lane today meaning there was no bottlenecking and we all sailed through the road works (not at top speed mind, but at least I was moving!)

He took a lot of crap from the ignorant dopes who thought they were more important than the rest of us to use the fast lane and squeeze through at the end (the ones who cause the biggest delay!!) but held his own. One doornob even got out of his truck and ran up to the van roaring at him!

He is a Limerick hero, the man in the red van!

Berty

They are not overtaking you because they are pr*cks. The lane does not close until the end of the lane. There is no direction to merge behind the rest of you because, for some unknown reason, you like queueing.

I saw the sign at 800mtrs and merged at around 500mtrs when there was a massive space and this twat in a Landrover accelerated up behind me beeping the horn and giving me the finger.

I could have, by right, gone right up to 1mtr left in the overtaking lane and merged then.

If you like qeueing stay in the left lane, if you are no fool then use the overtaking lane.

Think about the dock road, its the same theory! :rolleyes:

EDIT BTW, its an OVERTAKING LANE, not a fast lane. Check the rotr - http://www.rotr.ie

Zero-Cool

Hey Berty,

you're dead right, it is an overtaking lane, not a fast lane.

It's just my opinion that people should move into the left lane when they see the sign that the right lane will be closed.

I'm talking about the dopes that will drive in the right lan untill they come to the cones and then just try to force there way in (happened to me every day this week) This causes a bottleneck causing a delay for everyone else behind.

I wanted to post my opinion because it took me over an hour to get home every day this week but today i got home in 30 mins thanks to the red van

Berty

It is not the traffic in the right hand lane at all. It is in fact people braking for no reason whatsoever. Traffic can actually merge without people needing to brake.

The reason people brake is because they assume the person trying to merge is trying to get in front of them, drive fast, car pulls over anyway and brakes hard causing a rippling effect for around 15-20 cars which in turn becomes a ghost traffic jam.

Have you never noticed there is no traffic jam once you get through the bottleneck?

The man in the red van has no authority to police the roads. He could have been arrested for wreckless and dangerous driving.

He actually created a problem on the road this morning. I using foresight went into Clare through O'Briendsbridge, Sixmilebridge and onwards to avoid the bottleneck.

golden

It is common courtesy to queue and wait your turn it is really unfair that people skip the queue and then expect to be allowed into the queue.

Nobody likes queueing and its really the queue jumpers that make it longer for the people who are more considerate and there is adequate signage that the overtaking lane is closing even though they have the distances wrong. (on the shannon to limerick side)

Osk

A lorry did the same thing as red van man the other day and it had the exact same effect. Must be some merit in it - wonder is there any way it could be implemented properly?!?!

I posted on the other thread about fast lane/overtaking lane :rolleyes: last minute larries who shove their way in at the cones. I try to leave space between me and the car ahead to let the car beside me merge in easily whilst we trundle along. 90% of them ignore the space and keep pushing on until the last possible minute. I can't believe how much it irks me - and it is going on until at least the end of Septemner. Aaaaargh! :mad:

Are they constructing the roundabout at the Radisson or what exactly is the reason for the road closure? Have we the same fun ahead when the roundabout at Shiels is being constructed? :eek:

jackrussell007

overtaking everyone in a queue like that is just downright ignorant. It drives me mad to see people let cars merge at the top of the queue. It slows everyone queuing and rewards the ignorant ba**ards that are overtaking everyone queing. If everyone merged back at the end of the queue it would move a lot faster as proved by the guy in the red van.

Fair Play to him!

Berty

You are all living in a private dreamworld.

There is no qeueing.

Do you queue on the dock road when the lane merge by the Shell? No, you drive up the quiet lane because the lane MERGES

The same applies to the dual carraigeway where the roadworks are.

If somebody can show me some legislation to show we MUST sit bored in a long long line then I will agree with it.

If somebody can show me some legislation which provides van/truck drivers the right to stop in an overtaking lane to stop traffic moving legally then I will agree with it.

Just because everybody else happily sits in a queue does not make it the correct way to act. Sheep mentality really.

phog

Berty wrote: »

You are all living in a private dreamworld.

There is no qeueing.

Do you queue on the dock road when the lane merge by the Shell? No, you drive up the quiet lane because the lane MERGES

The same applies to the dual carraigeway where the roadworks are.

If somebody can show me some legislation to show we MUST sit bored in a long long line then I will agree with it.

If somebody can show me some legislation which provides van/truck drivers the right to stop in an overtaking lane to stop traffic moving legally then I will agree with it.

Just because everybody else happily sits in a queue does not make it the correct way to act. Sheep mentality really.

What happens if everyone in the left lane only kept a short distance from the car in front and didn't allow the traffic in the right hand lane to merge?


ROTR -Overtaking

Osk

That would be all fine and dandy Berty if the fast lane actually MERGED. Driving until there is no more road and expecting the 'sheep' to halt their journey to let you through is plain ignorant.

jackrussell007

Berty wrote: »

Sheep mentality really.

its just common courtesey really. the man in the red van proved that things would move along quicker if the wasnt a load of assholes trying to jump the queue and expect to be left in at the top of the queue. a sort of an asshole mentality really

Berty

You are being told the overtaking is closed in 800mts yet the line of traffic in the left hand lane is backed up well over 1.2kms and more.

Who knows why?

If you are not from the area, rental car, company car from other area etc then you will not know why the cars are in that lane so you then see the sign saying lane closed 800mtrs so you try to merge. What to do?

1. Drivers refused to let you in and drive bumper to bumper(dangerous) and rev up to prevent you getting in(road rage).

2. Driver in red van stops dead in lane where traffic is doing high speed.

I drive for a living and come on these roadworks a lot and often see drivers go right up and nearly kiss the cones before they filter into the lane. Thats not illegal, just lazy.

I tried to merge at 500mtrs and was blown out of it, giving the finger and then tailgated by the landrover driver whilst holding his hand on the horn.

If you are happy trudging along in a queue for no reason then so be it.

Every single dual carraigeway motorway eventually comes to an end. You cannot expect everybody to drive in the left lane just in case they might be getting past you.

phill106

phog wrote: »

What happens if everyone in the left lane only kept a short distance from the car in front and didn't allow the traffic in the right hand lane to merge?


ROTR -Overtaking

That what's happening now, and it causes further queues. If you don't let people In, only makes the traffic worse. Don't blame those in the overtaking lane who were SHOCK HORROR overtaking, blame whoever designed this debacle! perhaps they should have a member of the construction crew or even traffic core filtering the traffic at peak times?
As it is, I went through it today, and was a minute or 2 waiting for anybody to let me in, adding to delays. It was a woman who was already let in that let me in at the end. And I didn't just go to o/t lane because it looked quieter, I was overtaking so enough of the vigilante van drivers appreciation.

jackrussell007

phill106 wrote: »

As it is, I went through it today, and was a minute or 2 waiting for anybody to let me in, adding to delays. .

a minute or twos delay for you, but you jumped the queue anyway. If you had just queued with the rest of us you might not have been much longer.

phill106

jackrussell007 wrote: »

a minute or twos delay for you, but you jumped the queue anyway. If you had just queued with the rest of us you might not have been much longer.

see that is the point. i did not jump the queue. we are allowed to drive in that lane if we are overtaking, which i was. now if i ploughed through the cones, and then nipped in front of you, then i would have jumped the queue. before that, no, just driving exactly as allowed by rules of road, construction signes and civic morality.

Osk

This is great. All us left hand lane and right hand lane drivers are getting a wonderful opportunity to vent all that pent up red mist of the past week

Cheaper than therapy!

Berty

Im just glad that went I pass through here on Monday morning it will be at 7am so I should not have to put up with rat race drivers.

By the time I get back down from Sligo the roads should be packed enough to encourage me to exit and take the back roads.

Osk

Speaking of the back roads - has anyone taken the Cratloe road this week around 5/5.30? I took it the first day of the roadworks and it was totally backed up and not moving. Just wondering what it was like this week....

jackrussell007

phill106 wrote: »

see that is the point. i did not jump the queue. we are allowed to drive in that lane if we are overtaking, which i was. now if i ploughed through the cones, and then nipped in front of you, then i would have jumped the queue. before that, no, just driving exactly as allowed by rules of road, construction signes and civic morality.

the point is phil that you are not a tourist, you know that your lane is ending a couple of hundred meters ahead. you know people why people are queuing in the left hand lane and you know that you are jumping the queue by tearing up the overtaking lane. you just choose to apply the asshole mentality to your way of looking at it.

phill106

jackrussell007 wrote: »

the point is phil that you are not a tourist, you know that your lane is ending a couple of hundred meters ahead. you know people why people are queuing in the left hand lane and you know that you are jumping the queue by tearing up the overtaking lane. you just choose to apply the asshole mentality to your way of looking at it.

dont think following the rules of the road clasifies me as an asshole. Now being a keyboard warrior.....

Berty

I have an LH registred car. I can get away with pretending to be a tourist.

I have an Audi which means everybody assumes Im an as*hole.

MarkR

To overtake properly you should have a clear place to re-enter traffic. If there's a line of traffic and your car doesn't have wings, then you are being an inconsiderate driver. I had other words I could have used, but there may be children present.

If you're in the outside lane after passing by dozens of people whose time is worth just as much as yours, you can sit there till Christmas for all I care.

Merging is all well and good, but it requires space. At the speed the traffic travels there, you won't find it. So you have to either wait for some kind soul to take pity on you, realising that you are probably far more important than they, and allow you to enter, or be a cock and barge in.

And as for those people on the dock road roundabout who use the wrong lane because it's quicker, there is a fiery circle of hell awaiting you. Either that or an insurance claim.

Jumpy

Damn it people. Stop being so damn irish.

Everywhere else in the world merges "like a zipper" if you want to merge 200m back when there is a space then happily do so, but its 1 car then 1 car at the point of lane merging.
If you try to block someone then you are a wanker, plain and simple.

fl4pj4ck

Jumpy wrote: »

Damn it people. Stop being so damn irish.

Everywhere else in the world merges "like a zipper" if you want to merge 200m back when there is a space then happily do so, but its 1 car then 1 car at the point of lane merging.
If you try to block someone then you are a wanker, plain and simple.

+1

electron

does it actually say "merges" or "ends"? merging actually does mean "like a zipper", whilst "ends" would mean that the overtaker has to make sure there's space before they overtake. if there's a queue, there's probably no space.

oh and btw, what do traffic studies say, which behaviour is more efficient (from everyone's point of view)? would be interesting to see some simulations...

also, one way to look at it is that there ARE some people who have time. so they can sit and wait and let the more urgent ones thru :rolleyes:

bacon&cabbage

Jumpy wrote: »

Damn it people. Stop being so damn irish.

Everywhere else in the world merges "like a zipper" if you want to merge 200m back when there is a space then happily do so, but its 1 car then 1 car at the point of lane merging.
If you try to block someone then you are a wanker, plain and simple.

+2

phill106

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

+2

+3

Berty

MarkR wrote: »

And as for those people on the dock road roundabout who use the wrong lane because it's quicker, there is a fiery circle of hell awaiting you. Either that or an insurance claim.

You should contact Limerick city council and inform them that the right hand lane on the dock road is illegal and anybody that uses it is a XXXXX.

You want to sit in the left lane, so be it but do not harrass people who have the cop on not to sit in traffic.

Melion

I have to agree with some people on here. If everyone stayed in the left lane from the clondrinagh roundabout until the end of the roadworks(and from Setrights until Sheils' garage) then it would move a lot smoother. The only reason it stops is because of people cutting back into the left lane at the last second(not because of people who merge 500m before the end of overtaking lane)

wylo

I block people from about 600meters onwards because thats just taking the piss. If your going to be an ignorant arsehole then your getting no courtesy from me.
Berty your coming across as a smug driver getting off on a technicality. Would you skip a que in a shop? Its not illegal ???????

Stop being such a dick when driving that road, some of us have to drive it every day and put up with that sh1t. Yes technically your allowed stay in the fast lane but you and all the other drivers know very well your the reason why the traffic is being held up, if every one started moving into the left lane earlier the whole thing would be smooth flow. It sickens me seeing ye people do this and this is probably the first time Ive ever experienced any form of road rage.

Berty

wylo wrote: »

this is probably the first time Ive ever experienced any form of road rage.

Yet YOU are the person committing the road rage. Funny that isn't it? :rolleyes:

So you are doing 100kph and you see the sign saying road ends in 800mtrs. You are saying to give people 200 mtrs to merge and if they do not you will block them.

If you wish to be a road warrior then join the traffic corps.

What makes me smug? Understanding the rules of the road, or is it because I have an Audi? Do I fall into the Merc,BMW,Audi list of bad drivers?

zuroph

the whole roadworks thing needs a huge amount of fresh legislation in this country. They throw up any old signs and work and dont take em down when they're not working. Yesterday, on way to killarney, there was a lightboard on left warning to slow to 35kmph (WTF?!?) due to roadworks that werent even happening. unfortunately, the american in front of me slowed to comply, causing a huge tailback.

signs reading 15kmph regularily get put up by roadworks, thats far too slow except in extreme examples IMO.
to avoid the problems of queue jumping/merging, the cones should go back far enough that the traffic is channelled before it has a chance to build up.
roadworks should have proper schedules and not be allowed go on during rush hours where possible.
stop/go sign people should have to do a course in traffic management. some of them make the problem so much worse.
time lapse temp traffic lights should not be allowed full stop.
There should be a dedicated inspector in each county that has to inspect all roadwork set ups beforehand and during, and can be contacted with complaints.

Osk

Berty, you drive for a living - but driving TO my workplace is as important to me.

Your condescension is fairly irritating. It has been pointed out by a number of posters that earlier constant merging alleviates the problem for all.

End of.

wylo

Berty wrote: »

Yet YOU are the person committing the road rage. Funny that isn't it? :rolleyes:

So you are doing 100kph and you see the sign saying road ends in 800mtrs. You are saying to give people 200 mtrs to merge and if they do not you will block them.

If you wish to be a road warrior then join the traffic corps.

What makes me smug? Understanding the rules of the road, or is it because I have an Audi? Do I fall into the Merc,BMW,Audi list of bad drivers?

What makes you smug is the fact that know well your in the wrong morally but are still insisting on a technicality basis that you can skip ques at other peoples expense, and saying it in a condescending manner. You know well if every one qued up fairly that traffic would flow smoothly.
this very quote makes you smug.

What makes me smug? Understanding the rules of the road, or is it because I have an Audi?

What also makes you smug is that retarted over used smily ":rolleyes:" in an attempt to make me look like an eejit. You know well what I meant by that road rage. I am a very relaxed chilled out courteuos driver, my point was that I am forced against that way of driving because of drivers like you.

As for that Audi remark , I dunno what your on about, unless your trying to remind me you drive an Audi or something I dunno.

And about the "driving 100km/h and you see a sign saying road ends." If your driving and you see that sign and you see everyone queing up beside you the decent thing to do to keep that traffic flowing would be to pull in as well, but you insist on driving onwards with this "why should I Que? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:" attitude at other peoples expense.

This has nothing to do with the rules of the road whatsoever by the way. I dont skip cues in a shop, going to a gig, going to a match so Im not gonna start skipping them just because im nice and safe behind the metal barries of my car going at a speed where I dont have to deal with anyone face to face.

phill106

just went to limerick again today, pulled in about 300 metre mark. what i notice is that all the people here are giving out about people merging from the outside lane to the inside lane, as dictated by the signs. they feel we are encroaching on "their" lane.
How do you feel about it then when "your" lane is then forced onto the opposing carriageway, and into "their" lane. Do you then feel similarly annoyed?Or think they have the right to be?

wylo

With a question like that you are clearly missing the whole point of why people are annoyed tbh.

Osk

phill106 - the majority are not giving out about drivers who merge - it's those who ignore the lane ending signs and stop at the cones expecting to be let in. That's the cause of the delays.

:rolleyes:

Tech3

I'd hate to be driving in from Shannon every day with the road works reducing traffic to one lane. I waited in line the day I came in from the N18. Luckily I dont live on that side of the city. I agree that traffic would run a lot better if people were not skipping and merging at the very end.

Surely taking the sixmilebridge route into Limerick would be better at peak times?

Berty

What happened to the boards.ie rule of attack the post and not the poster.

oh well

phill106 wrote: »

+3

+4

the outside lane on the dock road is not an overtaking lane - its a second lane. If people would feel less agrieved and let cars merge correctly, there'd be far less stopping/starting and traffic would move freely. I've driven the world over the worst ever for merging has to be Ireland.

Mr E

Infraction for Wylo.
Keep it civil, folks... personal attacks on other forum members is not allowed.

jackrussell007

Infraction???

Infraction my ass. ,more like censorship.

big bruvver is watching

Melion

Berty wrote: »

Yet YOU are the person committing the road rage. Funny that isn't it? :rolleyes:

So you are doing 100kph and you see the sign saying road ends in 800mtrs. You are saying to give people 200 mtrs to merge and if they do not you will block them.

If you wish to be a road warrior then join the traffic corps.

What makes me smug? Understanding the rules of the road, or is it because I have an Audi? Do I fall into the Merc,BMW,Audi list of bad drivers?

People shouldnt be doing 100km/h before the roadworks, the speed limit is 50.

MarkR

Berty wrote: »

You should contact Limerick city council and inform them that the right hand lane on the dock road is illegal and anybody that uses it is a XXXXX.

You want to sit in the left lane, so be it but do not harrass people who have the cop on not to sit in traffic.

Care to point out where I said the lane was illegal? Or where I harassed anyone?

A lot of people need to brush up on their driving skills in regard to changing lanes, and overtaking.


How to overtake safely

* Make sure the road ahead is clear so you have enough distance to allow you to overtake and get back to your own side of the road without forcing any other road user to move to avoid you.
* Never directly follow another overtaking vehicle.
* Give way to faster traffic already overtaking from behind.
* Before overtaking check that the way is clear, check in your mirror and blind spots to ensure another vehicle is not approaching from behind. Give your signal in good time, move out when it is safe to do so, accelerate and overtake with the minimum of delay.
* When you are well past, check the mirror, signal and gradually move in again making sure not to cut across the vehicle you have passed.
* Take extra care when overtaking a vehicle displaying a 'LONG VEHICLE' sign. This means that the vehicle is at least 13 metres long and you will need extra road length to pass it and safely return to the left-hand side of the road.
* You must not break the speed limit, even when overtaking.

All of the bolded are relevant.

zuroph

oh well wrote: »

+4

the outside lane on the dock road is not an overtaking lane - its a second lane. If people would feel less agrieved and let cars merge correctly, there'd be far less stopping/starting and traffic would move freely. I've driven the world over the worst ever for merging has to be Ireland.

yes the dock road one is a second lane, the one on the dual carriageway is an overtaking lane though, and with no space to pull back in, a queue should form. The cones should go back much further though

electron

zuroph wrote: »

yes the dock road one is a second lane, the one on the dual carriageway is an overtaking lane though, and with no space to pull back in, a queue should form. The cones should go back much further though

well said! obviously some of us have gotten too used to the idea of a "fast lane" - there's no such thing.

Berty

Ironic really.

Pure Scumbag in the Avensis.

After the roadworks he passed the artic, opened the window and declared a wanker gesture at full arms length.

He then chased the SUV down, undertook it, moved in front of it and pushed hard on the brakes. The SUV visibly moved to block him in the video so they are both guilty of roadrage really.

The Astra got away without being chased down though even though s/he moved dangerously close to the truck to block the car.

Why did I let them in? I do not want confrontations with that "community" and the way he swung his front wheels to move in front of me, he was going to do it anyway.

WE are not all like this driver. No wonder you hate people in the overtaking lane.

He really took the fvcking p*ss though, speeding to within an inch of the cones expecting the sea of traffic to part for him.

D*ckhead is the only suitable term for him. :mad:

Why did I use my digital camera? Ah, the day was going that way and I had 200kms to decide.

Mr E

Nice catch, Berty.

Berty

Mr E wrote: »

Nice catch, Berty.

Thats the way I roll.

wylo

thanks to the truck driver today just before 5pm who forced people into the que by driving the same speed as the que in the right lane, he got my thumbs up, within 2 mins you could see the massive difference on the flow of traffic, i think ill be having to do that too.

Zero-Cool

Haha what a class vid Berty!

Luckily, I turned off at Cratloe, then took a right after some train tracks and came out at the radisson hotel. Saved me so much time plus, no road rage from looking at ghouls like the avensis.

He was definitely going in front of you whether you let him or not haha! muppet!