[Rant] Drivers in Sandyford

markpb

Is there something about being stuck in traffic in Sandyford that makes people forget basic rules of the road and common courtesy? I get as frustrated as everyone else when I venture out of work and see a wash of red lights in both directions but I've never seen anything like the crap that goes on in Sandyford every evening. Let's take a highlight of yesterday (yes, all this happened in a single day!)

1. Drivers on Drummartin Link getting to the end of the segregated section, putting their indicator on and blocking the whole lane behind them just so they can illegally cross the hash markings to get into the lane. Get in the right bloody lane at the roundabout and queue like the rest of us!

2. Drivers on Blackthorn road driving over 200m on the wrong side of the road, forcing oncoming traffic to stop, just so they can turn right into BSQ.

3. Drivers on Bracken road creating a second lane where none exists, queueing with more than half of their car on the wrong side of the road, blocking everyone going in the opposite direction and then complaining when I won't move out of their way. (DLR CoCo are aware of it and won't do anything. They won't put in wands to split the road because they think drivers are so bad, they'll drive into them all the time.)

4. Drivers on Blackthorn avenue queueing to turn right so far back that they're in my right turning lane so I can't get into lane. Are the giant arrows and hash markings not clear or are they too stupid to care?

5. A total refusal to keep junctions clear so people turning right from Corrig to Blackthorn are completely blocked in the evenings. Much better to sit on the bumper of the guy in front of you rather than let one poor soul into the queue.

6. My personal favourite - people queueing to turn left at the Beacon, blocking the cycle lane or nearly hitting cyclists going straight and then driving right through the pedestrian lights. Yes, they can turn red sometimes! I used to walk through this junction a few years ago and was nearly hit at least four times every week by people blind to the lights.

And lastly, what's with the ignorant obsession with parking inside the segregated cycle lane outside Spar? I mean really, if you tried to be a bigger a*****e, would it be possible?

Vic_08

It's all learned behaviour. One arsehole tries it and gets away with it, next day a few more do the same, nobody ever gets punished and soon enough everyone who sits there like a good citizen ends up feeling like a muppet for actually following the rules.

McGrath5

Manners usually go out the window during rush hours, morning and evening.

OP take a visit around the Knocklyon area any morning, the Woodstown roundabout in particular, if you want to witness some obnoxious behavior in a different area.

PrettyBoy

McGrath5 wrote: »

OP take a visit around the Knocklyon area any morning, the Woodstown roundabout in particular, if you want to witness some obnoxious behavior in a different area.

The behaviour there is somewhat justified though - the council have made a complete and utter fuck up of that roundabout. I can't for the life of me understand how the plans were ever approved. It's causing absolute chaos for the residents and it's not surprising that people are frustrated.

Isambard

Nothing is going to change for the better, if you don't like your life as it is, then shouldn't you do something to change it? Life is too short as it is.

fancy pigeon

That happens everywhere and not just Sandyford, just that there may be a bigger concentrate of muppets there at a given time

EdgeCase

The one I see regularly in Little Island industrial estate in Cork is drivers who want to go right on a roundabout simply skipping the queue by driving up the wrong side of the road, often aggressively into oncoming traffic. I got beeped at by one guy who was actually driving towards me on incorrect side of the road.

I flashed lights and got beeped at, aggressively flashed, finger given etc etc

I think Irish drivers are getting a LOT worse in the last few years and it's down to absolutely no visible traffic policing anywhere.

GreeBo

markpb wrote: »

6. My personal favourite - people queueing to turn left at the Beacon, blocking the cycle lane or nearly hitting cyclists going straight and then driving right through the pedestrian lights. Yes, they can turn red sometimes! I used to walk through this junction a few years ago and was nearly hit at least four times every week by people blind to the lights.

I stopped shot of the bike lane last night as there were 3 cars in front of me and I would have been straddling the bike lane with no where to go.
Cue the taxi behind me going ape **** that I was somehow holding him up.

Interesting to note that said taxi had just moved off from the Beacon where he had blocked the entire lane with his hazards on. Its beyond belief.

Another one that grinds my gears are the guys coming up Blackthorn Drive in the right lane and then cutting into the left lane at the junction, or worse still just blocking the right lane while they wait for someone to let them in....who are these people that let them in?!

I was delighted when they added the bollards on Drummartin Link Road but they need to extend them, I dont get why they stopped them before the junction.

Finally the idiots who turn right at the Dundrum roundabout from the left lane just to avoid the queue in the right hand lane. You all deserve to die.

markpb

Isambard wrote: »

Nothing is going to change for the better, if you don't like your life as it is, then shouldn't you do something to change it? Life is too short as it is.

I live nearby so Sandyford IE is about the easiest commute I'll ever have. I already walk and cycle some days but the same a**hat behaviour that makes driving a pain, also applies to those modes of transport. I already mentioned peoples inability to stop at red lights (so walking is a pain) and their wonderful desire to park inside a segregated cycle lane (so cycling is also a pain). Cycling inside the estate is a mixed bag anyway. Apart from the cycle lane on Blackthorn Rd between Carmenhall and Blackthorn Ave, there's nowhere else safe to cycle. There's also no cycle lane on Drummartin Link (and DLR CoCo's plan for one is daft) coming from Sandyford village so no sign of any improvement in the future.

I considered buying a helicopter but I suspect some idiot would end up parking on it!

Wishbone Ash

GreeBo wrote: »

... or worse still just blocking the right lane while they wait for someone to let them in....who are these people that let them in?!
....

Contradicting yourself? Complaining about those blocking the right lane and querying those who help unblock it.

Drifter50

markpb wrote: »

Is there something about being stuck in traffic in Sandyford that makes people forget basic rules of the road and common courtesy? I get as frustrated as everyone else when I venture out of work and see a wash of red lights in both directions but I've never seen anything like the crap that goes on in Sandyford every evening. Let's take a highlight of yesterday (yes, all this happened in a single day!)

1. Drivers on Drummartin Link getting to the end of the segregated section, putting their indicator on and blocking the whole lane behind them just so they can illegally cross the hash markings to get into the lane. Get in the right bloody lane at the roundabout and queue like the rest of us!

2. Drivers on Blackthorn road driving over 200m on the wrong side of the road, forcing oncoming traffic to stop, just so they can turn right into BSQ.

3. Drivers on Bracken road creating a second lane where none exists, queueing with more than half of their car on the wrong side of the road, blocking everyone going in the opposite direction and then complaining when I won't move out of their way. (DLR CoCo are aware of it and won't do anything. They won't put in wands to split the road because they think drivers are so bad, they'll drive into them all the time.)

4. Drivers on Blackthorn avenue queueing to turn right so far back that they're in my right turning lane so I can't get into lane. Are the giant arrows and hash markings not clear or are they too stupid to care?

5. A total refusal to keep junctions clear so people turning right from Corrig to Blackthorn are completely blocked in the evenings. Much better to sit on the bumper of the guy in front of you rather than let one poor soul into the queue.

6. My personal favourite - people queueing to turn left at the Beacon, blocking the cycle lane or nearly hitting cyclists going straight and then driving right through the pedestrian lights. Yes, they can turn red sometimes! I used to walk through this junction a few years ago and was nearly hit at least four times every week by people blind to the lights.

And lastly, what's with the ignorant obsession with parking inside the segregated cycle lane outside Spar? I mean really, if you tried to be a bigger a*****e, would it be possible?

Good point, all of these are pinch points in Sandyford IE access and for the few that don`t follow the rules of the road for everyone else, its frustration, delay etc etc.

I traverse these junctions 6/7 times a day and have to stop behind these idiots especially on the Drummartin link road. The bland stupid expressions on the faces of the culprits " Oh I did`nt realise I should`nt be here. The only way is hand to horn,they can`t move so they will all get the picture eventually.

ITS ILLEGAL TO CROSS CHEVRON MARKINGS UNLESS ITS AN EMERGENCY

Rant over

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I drive out of Sandyford every day for work. Its a car park. You just look around and its all just people trying to get home after a long day, and a lot of people going to the hospital that dont know the area. Best to just chill out and listen to the radio, getting aggrivated does nothing buy raise your blood pressure. If everyone stuck to the letter of the law nothing would move at all.

Relax the cacks

markpb

Ramona Rapid Undergarment wrote: »

If everyone stuck to the letter of the law nothing would move at all.

It's funny that you say that because literally everything I posted results in traffic coming to a standstill. The only people it's helping are the idiots breaking the law. One car stopped on Drummartin Link - twenty cars in the correct lane not able to go anywhere. One car doubling up on Bracken Road - me unable to turn left and all the cars in the junction behind me coming to a stop. One idiot parked in the cycle lane forcing cyclists onto the road - everyone in their cars thinking that it's not safe to cycle so I'll stay here in my car making traffic worse.

Best to just chill out and listen to the radio, getting aggrivated does nothing buy raise your blood pressure.

Want to come in the car with me and two tired children and suggest that?

GreeBo

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Contradicting yourself? Complaining about those blocking the right lane and querying those who help unblock it.

No.
These selfish pr1cks are relying on these other suckers to let them in, day after day and so they keep doing it.

A couple of cops for a day with a big old book of tickets would take care of it for good. But we dont do that over here for some reason, instead once a year we do "Operation Freeflow" and pat ourselves on the back for obeying the rules of the road once.
Its pathetic.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

markpb wrote: »

Want to come in the car with me and two tired children and suggest that?

Ah....see there is the issue, your tired and stressed. Even more reason to relax and chill. You can only drive your own car, and let everyone else do the same. (yes I have children)

RebelButtMunch

Ramona Rapid Undergarment wrote: »

Ah....see there is the issue, your tired and stressed. Even more reason to relax and chill. You can only drive your own car, and let everyone else do the same.

Must be great when nobody obeys the rules of the road. Lemme check the traffic in India and see how that works for them

el Fenomeno

markpb wrote: »

1. Drivers on Drummartin Link getting to the end of the segregated section, putting their indicator on and blocking the whole lane behind them just so they can illegally cross the hash markings to get into the lane. Get in the right bloody lane at the roundabout and queue like the rest of us!

I don't know if it's still the case, but when I first moved to Sandyford and didn't know the area well enough, I used Google Maps to go everywhere. If you were coming off the M50 and going into Sandyford Industrial Estate, it would tell you to take the left turn that leads to that segregated section, rather than continuing straight and taking the first exit at the roundabout. It didn't indicate that the left turn was only if you were proceeding straight down Drummartin Link road (or turning left up towards Maxol / Back way to Dundrum), and that if you wanted to go right off the road you were turning onto, you need to come onto that road at the roundabout instead.

See here: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2723709,-6.2222634,3a,75y,97.08h,85.7t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syv7U41nkOr011qpL380uJQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

If it's still that way, that's a genuine excuse for some. Granted, I imagine 90% of people are taking it so they don't get caught at the traffic lights at the roundabout.

My main gripe with Sandyford is down towards the Luas stop near where AIB is:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2775846,-6.2068377,3a,75y,13.36h,80.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjQYUMQYq0psqtMlEBu4raQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There are two lanes for turning right (onto a one-way road with two lanes), and one for turning left. Of the two that turn right, the one on the left will take you towards Leopardstown by crossing over the Luas tracks. In my experience, 90% of cars wanting to go to Leopardstown will use the right hand side lane, and as soon as they make that turn they cross over into the left hand lane, following the yellow line in the attached picture. If they use an indicator, you should feel blessed. Most of them don't even know they're crossing into another lane, blissfully unaware that both lanes are turning right.

mfceiling

GreeBo wrote: »

No.
These selfish pr1cks are relying on these other suckers to let them in, day after day and so they keep doing it.

A couple of cops for a day with a big old book of tickets would take care of it for good. But we dont do that over here for some reason, instead once a year we do "Operation Freeflow" and pat ourselves on the back for obeying the rules of the road once.
Its pathetic.

100% agree. As bad as the twats who queue jump are, it's the knobs who gladly let them in who are just as bad. I regularly watch drivers go right up past a queue of traffic in a "right turn only" lane then stop at the lights and throw on their left indicator expecting to be let in. How about NO. You don't queue jump in tesco or the bank or the dentists so you can p¡ss off in your car.

Frisbee

GreeBo wrote: »

Finally the idiots who turn right at the Dundrum roundabout from the left lane just to avoid the queue in the right hand lane. You all deserve to die.

The amount of times I've nearly been clipped while in the right lane by some clown doing this is unreal. You'd wonder what goes through their head.

blackwhite

markpb wrote: »

Is there something about being stuck in traffic in Sandyford that makes people forget basic rules of the road and common courtesy? I get as frustrated as everyone else when I venture out of work and see a wash of red lights in both directions but I've never seen anything like the crap that goes on in Sandyford every evening. Let's take a highlight of yesterday (yes, all this happened in a single day!)

1. Drivers on Drummartin Link getting to the end of the segregated section, putting their indicator on and blocking the whole lane behind them just so they can illegally cross the hash markings to get into the lane. Get in the right bloody lane at the roundabout and queue like the rest of us!

2. Drivers on Blackthorn road driving over 200m on the wrong side of the road, forcing oncoming traffic to stop, just so they can turn right into BSQ.

3. Drivers on Bracken road creating a second lane where none exists, queueing with more than half of their car on the wrong side of the road, blocking everyone going in the opposite direction and then complaining when I won't move out of their way. (DLR CoCo are aware of it and won't do anything. They won't put in wands to split the road because they think drivers are so bad, they'll drive into them all the time.)

4. Drivers on Blackthorn avenue queueing to turn right so far back that they're in my right turning lane so I can't get into lane. Are the giant arrows and hash markings not clear or are they too stupid to care?

5. A total refusal to keep junctions clear so people turning right from Corrig to Blackthorn are completely blocked in the evenings. Much better to sit on the bumper of the guy in front of you rather than let one poor soul into the queue.

6. My personal favourite - people queueing to turn left at the Beacon, blocking the cycle lane or nearly hitting cyclists going straight and then driving right through the pedestrian lights. Yes, they can turn red sometimes! I used to walk through this junction a few years ago and was nearly hit at least four times every week by people blind to the lights.

And lastly, what's with the ignorant obsession with parking inside the segregated cycle lane outside Spar? I mean really, if you tried to be a bigger a*****e, would it be possible?

You missed the traffic on Drummartin link, coming from the M50, turning right into Sandyford. At least 5-6 cars through the reds on each sequence in the mornings, and will usually end up sitting in the junction blocking outbound traffic which is coming from Goatstown direction headed to M50. Ignorant sower of c**ts one and all :mad:

blackwhite

Ramona Rapid Undergarment wrote: »

I drive out of Sandyford every day for work. Its a car park. You just look around and its all just people trying to get home after a long day, and a lot of people going to the hospital that dont know the area. Best to just chill out and listen to the radio, getting aggrivated does nothing buy raise your blood pressure. If everyone stuck to the letter of the law nothing would move at all.

Relax the cacks

If everyone in Sandyford drove to the letter of the law then it'd probably move a bit better than it currently does at rush hour.

Instead you get d*cks full of their self-importance who think it's perfectly fine to block a lane whilst trying to cut in, or to block a junction because they're too f*cking stupid to spot the yellow markings on the road.

Cerco

blackwhite wrote: »

If everyone in Sandyford drove to the letter of the law then it'd probably move a bit better than it currently does at rush hour.

Instead you get d*cks full of their self-importance who think it's perfectly fine to block a lane whilst trying to cut in, or to block a junction because they're too f*cking stupid to spot the yellow markings on the road.

Could also be drivers unfamiliar with the area and road layout, realizing at last minute they are in the wrong lane.
It’s not a battle out there and a little courtesy shown might even make you feel better. We all make mistakes.

blackwhite

Cerco wrote: »

Could also be drivers unfamiliar with the area and road layout, realizing at last minute they are in the wrong lane.
It’s not a battle out there and a little courtesy shown might even make you feel better. We all make mistakes.

Drivers at rush hour will be a majority of commuters. Given it happens every day, and repeatedly at the same spots, it's stretching the bounds of credibility to try and claim it's all poor naive visitors who are incapable of reading road signs and road markings.

If they have the common decency to show some regard for other road users then they wouldn't need the "courtesy" of expecting people to facilitate their d*ck-acting. :rolleyes:

RacoonQueen

Cerco wrote: »

Could also be drivers unfamiliar with the area and road layout, realizing at last minute they are in the wrong lane.

It's not. It's ignorant assholes who think they should be able to get home quicker than others.

I use blackthorn drive to go towards the mint to go home, the amount of drivers using the straight/right turn lane there when they want to go to the M50 is ****ing laughable. They clog our lane, hold all of us up so they can skip traffic in the left turn lane then hold us all up further by trying to squeeze back in at the last minute.
Happens in the other direction in the mornings too. I turn right from Blackthorn Dr to Blackthorn road so I'm in the right lane going in. The left lane always has a longer queue but I miss at least one set of lights every morning sitting behind people in the right lane who actually want to be in the left and squeeze in there when halfway across the junction because they are too important to sit in the correct queue like everyone else.

Anyone who doesn't know the area and chooses wrong lane and tries to squeeze back in at last minute has no excuse either. If I miss a turn or take wrong lane I continue on and find somewhere to turn back safely adds very little extra time to my journey.

blackbox

For people not familiar with the area, some of the signage is very poor. There is little or no signage to tell you which lane to get in.
There are markings on the road, but these can be difficult to see if they are covered in traffic and in certain light conditions.
In addition, the road arrows often do not indicate in advance which is the correct lane to be in.

PS: I do love a good rant!

eko

Has anyone else noticed that, starting perhaps from last week, the traffic coming off of the M50 at Junction 13 northbound onto the roundabout / overpass into the Drummartin Link Road has been significantly worse? There is now each past morning a queue on the off-ramp even up to about 09:30, whereas before it had been quite a bit less. Has the traffic light sequencing or timing been changed perhaps at the Beacon Hotel / Blackthorn Drive?

Drifter50

blackbox wrote: »

For people not familiar with the area, some of the signage is very poor. There is little or no signage to tell you which lane to get in.
There are markings on the road, but these can be difficult to see if they are covered in traffic and in certain light conditions.
In addition, the road arrows often do not indicate in advance which is the correct lane to be in.

PS: I do love a good rant!

I dont`t think this is just drivers unfamiliar to the area, its the same twats every day. If you come off the M50 on Junction 13 and head along the link road to get into Sandyford Industrial Estate, you can almost tell the cars driven by the plonkers who will take the left hand lane for Kilmacud and try to squeeze across to the right hand lanes thereby holding everyone up trying to head down that lane legitimately.
YOU CANNOT CROSS THE CHEVRONS!!!!!!
Grinds my gears. I`m the one sitting on the horn by the way, pity there is not more of us, might put manners on some of these idiots.

markpb

eko wrote: »

Has anyone else noticed that, starting perhaps from last week, the traffic coming off of the M50 at Junction 13 northbound onto the roundabout / overpass into the Drummartin Link Road has been significantly worse?

I think the lights have definitely changed, it used to be rare that you'd get a green light at drummartin/blackthorn drive and then get a red light at blackthorn Dr/blackthorn ave but it seems to happen quite a lot lately.

I think traffic in the estate has gotten a lot heavier lately. I have started leaving home (near Sandyford) at 8am instead of 8:30am and it makes no difference. I also leave at 5pm instead of 5:30pm and the same.

pcardin

Ah, Sandyford Industrial. My favourite. Whoever programmed sequence on these traffic lights turning right should be located and beaten up with a pink rubber dildo. What an arse! :mad:

awec

el Fenomeno wrote: »

I don't know if it's still the case, but when I first moved to Sandyford and didn't know the area well enough, I used Google Maps to go everywhere. If you were coming off the M50 and going into Sandyford Industrial Estate, it would tell you to take the left turn that leads to that segregated section, rather than continuing straight and taking the first exit at the roundabout. It didn't indicate that the left turn was only if you were proceeding straight down Drummartin Link road (or turning left up towards Maxol / Back way to Dundrum), and that if you wanted to go right off the road you were turning onto, you need to come onto that road at the roundabout instead.

See here: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2723709,-6.2222634,3a,75y,97.08h,85.7t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syv7U41nkOr011qpL380uJQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

If it's still that way, that's a genuine excuse for some. Granted, I imagine 90% of people are taking it so they don't get caught at the traffic lights at the roundabout.

My main gripe with Sandyford is down towards the Luas stop near where AIB is:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2775846,-6.2068377,3a,75y,13.36h,80.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjQYUMQYq0psqtMlEBu4raQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There are two lanes for turning right (onto a one-way road with two lanes), and one for turning left. Of the two that turn right, the one on the left will take you towards Leopardstown by crossing over the Luas tracks. In my experience, 90% of cars wanting to go to Leopardstown will use the right hand side lane, and as soon as they make that turn they cross over into the left hand lane, following the yellow line in the attached picture. If they use an indicator, you should feel blessed. Most of them don't even know they're crossing into another lane, blissfully unaware that both lanes are turning right.

That right turn at AIB is completely messed up. There are two lanes to turn right, but the road is actually narrower by a good bit once you make the right turn thanks to an extra wide grassy area and a cycle lane.

The turn itself is far too tight in the right hand lane as well.

Which means, when two cars make that right turn at the same time it gets uncomfortably close.

awec

awec wrote: »

That right turn at AIB is completely messed up. There are two lanes to turn right, but the road is actually narrower by a good bit once you make the right turn thanks to an extra wide grassy area and a cycle lane.

The turn itself is far too tight in the right hand lane as well.

Which means, when two cars make that right turn at the same time it gets uncomfortably close.

The issue there is from when DLRCC redesigned Blackthorn road to be two way a few years back in their wisdom thought they could give one of the existing lanes to the new lane going the opposite way and just have a single lane and small slip to go left.

Of course losing a full lane and leaving one for going both left and right at AIB resulted in a month of tailbacks and gridlock throughout the entire estate in the evening rush hour. They then had to quickly redesign it, put the cycle path on the actual path and squeeze back in a second lane. This is why it’s so narrow turning right at AIB as the grass verge and pedestrian lights was designed for one lane going right. They never paired it back despite there being plenty of space.

I can see the junction from the work canteen and the amount of close calls between trucks and cars every few minutes is unreal.