Bollards Options

[Blake]

Has someone hit the bollards in the town center again?

How many times has it been now. Seems to happen almost twice a month.

[funinuk]

My window looks directly onto the Bartholomew Street bollards and can see everything going on outside.
Today a woman from out of town hit the bollards, oil is all over the road and her car is damaged, yesterday an elderly woman hit the bollards (and her head against the windowscreen) again, oil all over the road and a very damaged car.
Last week an elderly man and a young man hit the bollards.
I have been here foe just over 3 months and have seen al least 10 people hit these bollards and that is not counting people who actually manage to get over them!
Quite obviously they are not working and are not as 'visable' as people claim. They should be replace with a lift up arm or a camera which records the numberplates and sends out bills to those who drive in the restricted area.
It is so sad to see these people break down and cry when they realise what a silly misjudgement they have made and it's worse when the little green wardens come running almost instantly, ready with their pens and tickets to allocate another blow. Pathetic!

[Margo]

I work in the call centre at Sovereign Housing and our office is directly opposite the Bartholomew Street Bollards near the Kennet Centre.
We have a huge floor to ceiling window looking directly onto the bollards and can see everything going on outside.
Today a woman from out of town hit the bollards, oil is all over the road and her car is damaged, yesterday an elderly woman hit the bollards (and her head against the windowscreen) again, oil all over the road and a very damaged car.
Last week an elderly man and a young man hit the bollards.
I have been here foe just over 3 months and have seen al least 10 people hit these bollards and that is not counting people who actually manage to get over them!
Quite obviously they are not working and are not as 'visable' as people claim. They should be replace with a lift up arm or a camera which records the numberplates and sends out bills to those who drive in the restricted area.
It is so sad to see these people break down and cry when they realise what a silly misjudgement they have made and it's worse when the little green wardens come running almost instantly, ready with their pens and tickets to allocate another blow. Pathetic!

That elderly lady yesterday (Monday) I think was me. I hit these bollards while following another vehicle and my car is a write off. If you were the very kind lady from the office who came to help me thank you so much. I did hit my head and I think was very dazed and could not stand for a while, and my arms and chest have huge bruises and so far have whiplash cannot move my right arm above my head. My headache is still quite bad but thankfully I did not harm anybody. Yes I cried when I realised I had gone wrong but I did not see the signs. I am not a careless driver and I was not trying to race or cut corners as other letters on this site seem to indicate. I simply was a visitor and was baffled by where I was since the road usage has changed since \i was there before. I have not ever done anything like this before, I am not a criminal and not usually careless. I am very angry at this aggressive way of controlling traffic without sufficient signage but I really want to say a huge thankyou to all who helped me to contact relatives to rescue me, brought me a cup of tea and helped move and empty my car.
A special thankyou also to my son Mark who left his business to come and collect me.

Margaret Oakton.

[Gumbo]

That elderly lady yesterday (Monday) I think was me. I hit these bollards while following another vehicle and my car is a write off. If you were the very kind lady from the office who came to help me thank you so much. I did hit my head and I think was very dazed and could not stand for a while, and my arms and chest have huge bruises and so far have whiplash cannot move my right arm above my head. My headache is still quite bad but thankfully I did not harm anybody. Yes I cried when I realised I had gone wrong but I did not see the signs. I am not a careless driver and I was not trying to race or cut corners as other letters on this site seem to indicate. I simply was a visitor and was baffled by where I was since the road usage has changed since \i was there before. I have not ever done anything like this before, I am not a criminal and not usually careless. I am very angry at this aggressive way of controlling traffic without sufficient signage but I really want to say a huge thankyou to all who helped me to contact relatives to rescue me, brought me a cup of tea and helped move and empty my car.
A special thankyou also to my son Mark who left his business to come and collect me.

Margaret Oakton.

You have my sympathies Margaret, unfortunately you will find that some people on this site are perfect and never make mistakes. The system is rubbish and dangerous. I have said it before and I will say it again the correct way to punish motorists who miss the signs or want to cheat is to have a camera that catches them and then sends them a nice little fine and 3 points in the post. This does not destroy the vehicle, this does not mean any harm will come to anybody, this does not mean the tax payer becomes liable for bollard repairs and it does mean that the person will learn from their mistake. As previous posters have said there are too many signs at the moment and if you are coming in to the town for the first time in a long time unless you are driving at 2mph and ignoring all other traffic around you then there is a good chance you will miss one of them.

No doubt you will join that ever growing list (and I am not just talking of people who get impaled on bollards) of people who say "I am never going to that town again".