Road anarchy

lounakin

I see a lot of posts with people giving out about the cyclists, motorists, bus drivers, pedestrians etc...
The truth is there is a high number in each category of people who totally disregard the law, the rules and common sense.
I live in the city centre and I cannot decide who's worse! So let's stop complaining about one another and start taking action because it's one of the worst places I've seen (and I've lived in Rome and Moscow).
Today I counted the cars that ran the red light at high speed on the quays passed Capel st as I was waiting with my buggy: 5.
Bottom or parliament st, waiting to cross the street, I was 9 months pregnant. I see a guy (tracksuit, looking really out of it, probably late for a meeting) running down parliament street. I see the street lights turn orange to red for the cars going down the quays. Cars stop, a cyclist is not showing signs of wanting to stop at the light so I stay on the curb even though it's my time to cross. The guy running sees the green light and goes for it, the cyclist runs into him, he flies half way down the street while the guy on his bike runs into me. I had backed up so he only caught my feet.
On George's St, coming down onto Dame st: cars were lining up to go left, not really looking at the pedestrians crossing exchequer street even though they have priority. One guy who was going straight was annoyed at the pile of cars in front of him and made his engine roar, turned his wheel left hard and pressed the gas pedal. The light was blinking orange (proceed with caution but stop to let pedestrians who are already engaged cross the street) and most people were waiting to cross. One guy decides to cross halfway down the street, runs across. Nobody looking. A sequence of event that could have ended badly. I start closing my eyes but the car missed the guy and then had to break very fast because of the 4 cars stopped at the red light in front. What is the point of all this? No time was gained, nothing but aching nerves.
In the words of my grandmother's english teacher: evribadi eer iz veri baaad.

pat_cork

Cool story, the formatting really makes it.

dan1895

Can we just agree that everyone's a pr*ck and be done with these types of thread?

snubbleste

What's a gas pedal? Does it make you laugh?

Sh1tbag OToole

I don't understand why car drivers hate cyclists or the other way around it's fcuking stupid to pick one mode of transport and start defending it like it's your own turf.

I also notice that junctions where there are no traffic lights people are a lot more careful yet more people get through the junction and when traffic lights are added it usually only slows things down. Maybe the system is at fault and a good lot of the traffic lights should just be got rid of altogether

Sh1tbag OToole

snubbleste wrote: »

What's a gas pedal? Does it make you laugh?

The thing that lets the Propane into the engine

MadsL

Pedestrians in the US have absolute right of way at all times. Hit one and you have a hell of a court case mess and are lucky to miss some jail time.

Consequence: If you even look like walking out, cars jam on. Even in car parks, cars will stop 50-60 feet away to let you cross.

Result - much politer attitude to pedestrians and cyclists.

Cungi

Road anarchy is a bit of an exaggeration. India has road anarchy. Ireland has road arseholes.

humbert

What impresses me is that anyone can walk down the street in any town in Ireland and come across road traffic violations...except, it seems, the gardai.

If people knew they might be reported if seen my any random garda I think this would stop.

AlekSmart

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I don't understand why car drivers hate cyclists or the other way around it's fcuking stupid to pick one mode of transport and start defending it like it's your own turf.

I also notice that junctions where there are no traffic lights people are a lot more careful yet more people get through the junction and when traffic lights are added it usually only slows things down. Maybe the system is at fault and a good lot of the traffic lights should just be got rid of altogether

Here y'are Sh1tbag,this is the lad for you....the late Hans Mondermann.

http://www.pps.org/reference/hans-monderman/

There's a lot of sound sense in this mans work.

AlekSmart

humbert wrote: »

What impresses me is that anyone can walk down the street in any town in Ireland and come across road traffic violations...except, it seems, the gardai.

If people knew they might be reported if seen my any random garda I think this would stop.

Ah here now Humbert (General ?)....Some random Gardai are well able to come across stuff too.....like two lanes of the M50 :eek:

Quite why we continue to rely on this Human element mystifies me.....Junction Monitoring Camera's have been gainfully deployed throughout The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for some years now.....

Although it does raise the odd hackle or two by times...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375016/The-sneaky-box-junction-thats-netted-1m-fines-road-bosses-admit-markings-deceptive.html

Can't come soon enough to Dublin,now that Gardai are a thing of wonderment.