An Unusual British Export to America
It has been said many times to me by American friends that roundabouts don’t work. But then American driving rules are a bit strange, with the four-way stop something that you never see in Europe. So it was a surprise to see this article on the BBC web site.
I just wonder though how Americans would get on with some of the European experiments of completely clutter-free streets, with no signs and barriers. Apparently, it’s being tried in Ipswich. I should look next time I go to the football.
A Good Reason For Not Owning A Car
As I walked to get the paper today, someone had broken down in an almost brand-new BMW X-5. The service van had just arrived and the driver of the BMW had that About-Time-To look on his face. As I walked back the service van was leaving.
I suddenly realised that doesn’t happen to me anymore! It must be a good reason to not own a car!
If my bus or train breaks down, it’s not my problem! When a train was an hour late recently, they sent me some vouchers, which I might use for a trip to somewhere exciting like Margate or Brighton. It might actually be Birmingham, as that appears to be hay-fever free at the moment.
Chaos Around the Essex Road
An accident, where a motorcyclist was badly hurt, closed the Essex Road in Islington today and effectively shut down the area all the way to Newington Green, Dalston Junction and Highbury Corner for several hours.
I saw the remains of the bike jammed under a van. It looked like the rider hadn’t been going slowly and carefully.
I hope he survives, but surely one accident like this shouldn’t be allowed to cause this much chaos. Whoever was at fault, should face the full force of the law!
As it is, in the end I had to walk all the way home from the Angel in the pouring rain.
Luckily all I was carrying was two ready meals from Marks and Spencer, so it wasn’t a bad inconvenience.
More on Chris Huhne
Popbitch also dicloses two facts about Chris Huhne.
His father made his money selling speed cameras to the government. If this is actually true, then surely he should have known that you can get caught for speeding.
Hi mother used to be the voice of the speaking clock. If that is true, there is a history of public speaking in the family.
Range Rover Evoque
I went to a launch on the Range Rover Evoque at Earl’s Court last night. In some ways it was a bit of a waste on me, as I don’t drive, but a friend thought ashe might buy one, so she thought she’d take an engineer along.
I won’t comment too much about the vehicle, but I think it will sell well, especially if the 58 mph claimed for the diesel is obtained by real drivers. If I hadn’t had the stroke, I would probably have at least given one a test drive to replace my X-Type Jaguar estate. But it will never match the style and panache of my Lotus Elan.
What annoyed me was the presentation. It was all about style, with plenty of scantily-clad boys and girls, lots of lights and very little substance about the tjings that matter in a car. They didn’t even have any brochures!
Ten or so years ago, the lights would have caused me to have a headache and lose my vision. But since, I’ve been gluten-free that doesn’t happen anymore to me. So perhaps, it was a good test that my brain and eyes are working well in unison. But if I had needed to leave the presentation, it wasn’t obvious how I would have done it.
When I was shown the Discovery 2 or 3, it was an invite to a nice hotel and then I was given a map to take it for a drive. I didn’t buy one, but it was much more persuasive than a horde of scantily clad ladies.
A Pedestrian Collision Avoidance System
They are talking on BBC Breakfast about the sort of sound that electric cars should make.
As someone, who for a few months had very limited vision to the left, I can sympathise, but really do we want to negate one of the big advantages of electric cars; the fact that they are silent, which I think makes people drive them slower.
So could we do something better to stop collisions between vulnerable pedestrians and vehicles. And of course between cyclists and vehicles too.
With airliners they have a system called TCAS or Traffic Collision Avoidance System. It works well, as you don’t get too many collisions between airliners.
So could something simpler be used by pedestrians and vehicles that they might not see or hear.
In it’s simplest form a vehicle would emit a coded electronic signal with perhaps a range of say twenty to fifty metres. Pedestrians would perhaps have a wristwatch-sized device that made some sort of sound as the vehicle approached. I would suspect that smart phones could also be developed to be pedestrian devices.
Thinking about this idea, it would have other implications.
- You could just drive up to your garage door and a detector programmed with your vehicle’s code would open the door automatically.
- Systems could be used to make car parks more user-friendly. All you would have to do is drive in and out and the system would bill you automatically.
- Vulnerable pedestrians, such as the blind and deaf, could also carry an emitter, which could be received by vehicles to warn them that the person by the side of the road had limited vision or hearing.
- There could also be an emergency mode, so that say if a pedestrian was feeling unwell or had a probe, they could immediately call help from those near at hand. In fact borrowing from flying rules, you could have two levels of emergency; serious and I just need a little bit of help. The latter might be used by say someone who was blind or a bit confused, who perhaps was lost in a strange town.
- One of my biggest problems is those in scooters, who drive them fast in places like shopping malls and come up behind me. I was nearly run over in Canary Wharf yesterday, by someone going far too fast and only avoided trouble, because the lady driving it, hit a man, who called her a stupid idiot in a very loud voice. A device warning of fast traffic from behind would have avoided that problem.
The possibilities are endless.
I doubt it will happen though.
Careless Driving
It is being reported that the government is thinking about bringing in fixed penalties for careless driving.
As a pedestrian, I’d like to see careless cycling, buggy pushing and obstruction placing dealt with in the same way.
The Selfish Fuel Protestors Are At It Again!
I’ve said it before but energy prices are too low, if we are to meet our commitments to our descendents to stop global warming.
So what do those who object to fuel prices do? They blockade Ellesmere Port and demand that fuel prices are lowered by 24p a litre. They should probably be raised and more money put into the provision of much-needed charge points for electric cars and also subsidies for those like the disabled to buy electric cars.
After all, I used to drive 40,000 kilometres a year, but now because of my stroke I can’t and manage very well on public transport.
I could also argue that the real selfish ones are those that live a long way from their work and do hundreds of kilometres a week ferrying children to schools in the other direction, before they burn up the motorway to London or Manchester, when they could easily live in the city or work over the Internet.
After all cutting the miles you drive by 25% would be equivalent for you as a similar drop in the price of fuel.
Here where I live, I get the impression that many walk or cycle their children to school and then carry on to their place of work, perhaps by taking a bus.
If I can manage public transport after a stroke, that some say nearly killed me, then others who are fit and well surely can. Or are they more unfit than I am and just too selfish?
I shouldn’t worry about it, as in a couple of years time, we will all have to make those lifestyle changes, that circumstances have forced me to take.
Littering From Cars
The government is thinking about allowing councils to fine people £80 for throwing litter from cars.
Good.
But they should also stop people throwing litter into my letter box!
The Anonymous Widower 