Lemmings? Options

[spartacus]

Yes lemmings!

We've all heard the popular myth that lemmings will follow the herd, will march unstoppably onwards to their deaths, will blindly go where others have gone before despite any warnings of their imminent demise (Except they don't, that's actually a myth invented for a Disney wildlife documentary where they pushed the creatures off cliffs to their deaths to make for a better wildlife documentary and the reputation has stuck ever since – but I digress)

Recent local events make me wonder how many DNA links some drivers are away from these furry little rodents, as some seem to have an illogical desire to dismiss warnings and will ignore whatever their eyes are telling them and march straight on to their potential demise (in most cases thankfully, it’s just the cars that cough their last)

Anyway I have a friend in the Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service who is getting a bit fed up of getting called out from work to respond to emergency calls, only to find that the ‘emergency’ is some clueless motorist who has driven onwards, forgetting they have a ‘reverse gear option’ and has got themselves stuck in the ‘notorious and deadly’ Headley ford. Over 20 times this year he tells me him and his crewmates have dragged bedraggled motorists out!

As he knows I work in the highways arena in Reading he asked if I could take a look and see why this might be happening and what I could recommend the local authorities do to improve matters.

There was another event this week which prompted him to get in touch.

I was quite astounded!



Take a look at the following photos and tell me if you think there’s a case for these motorists to be charged with wasting emergency services resources and for their insurance company (or the drivers themselves) to be held to account for gross stupidity. Words fail me!

Short of putting a concrete barrier in place (which I understand was done at one stage but as this is an important link for local farmers - who are able to cross fords because their vehicles are built for that sort of thing – they were removed as there was a greater risk to having loaded tractors and trailers using the A339 to get around the closure.

Having seen what’s in place it’s almost an overkill. I don’t think I’ve seen so many warning signs in place in advance of one feature in all my professional life. Yet these are being ignored.


Suffice to say I’ve called back my friend and his Watch Commander and have recommended that the next sorry looking soul they drag out from this spot is prosecuted by the attending police officers. I do hope nobody has too much sympathy for the driver after reading the report in the NWN as I don’t think it actually reflects what is there on site. It comes across in the article as an ‘honest mistake’ yet it’s just criminal, or at the very least it’s a serious case of ‘driving without due care and attention’.

I do hope their insurance companies don’t pay up without investigating further.

(Thornford Road advance warning)


(Warning signs at the junction)

[spartacus]

Maximum depth 4 inches the sign says and the depth gauge is showing nearly two foot....




And viewed from the Hampshire side

[Andy Capp]

It mixes its units. It says max advised depth 4 inches, but all the depth gauges are in feet and metres.


Remove all the signage and put a car in the middle, to one side, so tractors can get past.


Or perhaps a life size manikin in the middle?

[spartacus]

It mixes its units. It says max advised depth 4 inches, but all the depth gauges are in feet and metres.

Not true. The sign saying max depth 4 inches is on the WBC side and the depth gauge on that side is only in feet

The warning signs also say that it's 100 yards to the ford, not 100 metres. That's the way they have to be.

[Andy Capp]

Not true. The sign saying max depth 4 inches is on the WBC side and the depth gauge on that side is only in feet

Er... that's my point?

It mixes its units. It says max advised depth 4 inches, but all the depth gauges are in feet and or metres.

Better?

[spartacus]

Oh right....


perhaps the yellow warning sign should have said 'max advised depth 0.3 foot'?

[Andy Capp]

The warning signs also say that it's 100 yards to the ford, not 100 metres. That's the way they have to be.

Who in practical terms knows what either means, other than any second now.

It is a bit like knowing the stopping distances: who actually knows what those distances look like; we don't have measuring devices in our eyes yet.

[Andy Capp]

Like I said: have a big sign saying 'Deep Ford', then have something easy to relate to in the middle as a guide. People will still go in though.

[Andy Capp]

Oh right....


perhaps the yellow warning sign should have said 'max advised depth 0.3 foot'?

[spartacus]

Or perhaps a life size manikin in the middle?

I'm dyslexic. Do you mean mankini or mannequin?

[Andy Capp]

I'm dyslexic. Do you mean mankini or mannequin?

You know me: Berkshire born Berkshire bred, strong in the arm, thick in the 'ead.

[spartacus]

Like I said: have a big sign saying 'Deep Ford', then have something easy to relate to in the middle as a guide. People will still go in though.

The problem with having something in the middle is that it will often CAUSE as much of a problem as it resolves. Fallen trees and branches and other river detritus and washaway will collect around it and the river can build up, making the ford depth deeper than it needs to be.

[Andy Capp]

In your apparent job, I'd say you are on to a hiding to nothing.

[Andy Capp]

Umm...



If the water is
touching this
post then it is
too deep for
cars to cross.



Or perhaps solar powered No Entry signs that react to a certain water level?

[je suis Charlie]

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits"

A Einstein.

[blackdog]

One more sign on either side - "Cost of tow out £1,000 dial 0800 IDIOT"

One slightly more serious point - there doesn't seem to be much scope to turn round at the ford. Many drivers baulk at reversing any distance.

[On the edge]

The signs are pretty clear, no searching for detail needed; so quite right, prosecution if only as due warning to others is quite right. As to a solution. I'd suggest the answer lies in this bit of the original post:-


Short of putting a concrete barrier in place (which I understand was done at one stage but as this is an important link for local farmers - who are able to cross fords because their vehicles are built for that sort of thing – they were removed as there was a greater risk to having loaded tractors and trailers using the A339 to get around the closure.

If the only issue on blocking access to the ford is that it prevents farm use, then why not simply close the road at each end, what farmers get up to, is then wholly up to them?

[Sherlock]

Just on a point of information, it's a myth that lemmings commit suicide. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=...;articles_id=56

In most species evolution by natural selection deals with situations like this.

[blackdog]

Just on a point of information, it's a myth that lemmings commit suicide.

As was pointed out in the original post.

[Nothing Much]

This how you cross fords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDQog_deDrU