A Sign of the Times Options

[Andy Capp]

I would imagine all of us have done something that would have come close to qualifying us for a Darwin Award, but for a bit of luck. I see little mileage in mocking people who have been successful. It's little more than being spiteful and arrogant.

[Exhausted]

I would imagine all of us have done something that would have come close to qualifying us for a Darwin Award, but for a bit of luck. I see little mileage in mocking people who have been successful. It's little more than being spiteful and arrogant.

I have just re read the thread and to be honest, I can't see anything which has been said which is spiteful and arrogant. There has been a little 'mocking' but to be honest, nothing that one could say would offend a family. We will never know what was in the mind of the couple when they drove in but it was obviously a lack of attention to their surroundings. It is somewhat akin to driving into the bollards in town or going over the wharf bridge and not seeing the signs. We all love that and are quick to tar all those drivers with the brush of scorn for failing to read the large number of signs in their view as they plod on regardless. As someone else said, if they had just wet their pants we would have been having a right giggle. Pity the result was so terminal for one of the occupants.

[Andy Capp]

I have just re read the thread and to be honest, I can't see anything which has been said which is spiteful and arrogant. There has been a little 'mocking' but to be honest, nothing that one could say would offend a family.

You must have different standards to me...

Well now you've pointed it out, it's Natural Selection..... Thinning the Herd so to speak... And we come back to the Darwin Awards element to this tragedy and whether there is a certain bovine character flaw in some that makes them keep going on when they should really turn back...........

In any case, I wasn't necessarily talking about his thread, more a general comment; people that seem immune to being stupid once and a while. It is called being human and being ignorant of one's own faults.

[motormad]

Probably thin ice considering the occurrence in the last thread. I was as popular as a Jewish man at a meat eating contest.
But to be honest I see (some) people saying basically what I said - however in a more "PC" manner. That is, darwinism and natural selection took their course. How come their posting account was not deleted? Huh? HUH?!

But I digress. I'm glad the road was concreted off. However, how long before someone drives into the bollards "WELL THEY WEREN'T THERE TWO WEEKS AGO".

[blackdog]

I was as popular as a Jewish man at a meat eating contest.

Why would a Jewish man be popular or unpopular at a meat eating contest?

[dannyboy]

Why would a Jewish man be popular or unpopular at a meat eating contest?

I think he meant a prawn cocktail & pork chop eating contest.

[Biker1]

But I digress. I'm glad the road was concreted off. However, how long before someone drives into the bollards "WELL THEY WEREN'T THERE TWO WEEKS AGO".

What has been installed at the ford as pictured by Timbo in post #15 are NOT bollards!
These are bollards!

[Nothing Much]

Where are me bollards?

Brilliant website Biker1. I have a width restriction of 6ft 6in. No metrication in my street! Outside my front door.

I get wrecked cars and white vans all the time. some end up with wheels at right angles. Others are tipped on their sides and the owners have scarpered. Wonder why. They go too fast. Fail to line up and bang, flop flop flop... Then the rumaging in the boot for the spare wheel. A police car did it a while ago on a call out. They then had to call for assistance.

The ones outside are a bit like the bell shaped ones. They are set back a bit to make bigger trucks think twice.
It is just bad driving and hitting the kerb .
ce

[JeffG]

I have a width restriction of 6ft 6in.

Are you on a diet?

[Nothing Much]

Chuckles!!!
ce.

[spartacus]

How long before one of the 'furious farming community' members attach a chain from a <ahem> passing tractor to the concrete barrier in the middle of the night and drag the blocks away so they can get through...

"We're FURIOUS, we are"

I noticed that a bridge at the Ufton Nervet level crossing has been suggested by Network Rail (as if there's a few million lying about waiting to be wasted on that) If the level crossing warrants even a suggestion of a bridge (which is going to do nothing to prevent any suicides there) how about a short overbridge of this ford. It seems the level hasn't dropped below a foot of water for a few years now and unless the water table drops again it probably is more deserving of a bridge. Or in this case would Highways engineers be scuppered by the Environment Agency and their fight to protect the spawning ground of some tiny mollusc or crested newt....

Get the local army regiment involved.. They're Engineers. Ask them to build a bridge as part of their MACC (Military Aid to the Civil Community) task. Plenty of bridging equipment lying around MOD barracks now they're no longer stockpiled to face the Red Army....


Easy to build, bomb proof and generally capable of taking the weight of a tank so a short hop over a little stream would be a piece of cake.

[NWNREADER]

Get the local army regiment involved.. They're Engineers. Ask them to build a bridge as part of their MACC (Military Aid to the Civil Community) task. Plenty of bridging equipment lying around MOD barracks now they're no longer stockpiled to face the Red Army....


Easy to build, bomb proof and generally capable of taking the weight of a tank so a short hop over a little stream would be a piece of cake.

A very different sort of Engineer Regt to those that build bridges, unfortunately. They could do the survey, but not the construction.
Sadly, also there is very limited access to Army manpower etc to work in the community. There is no such thing as a (standing) MACC task. Any such work has to be agreed at a high level, and paid for.

That said, I agree a simple clapper bridge would fit the bill

[dannyboy]

I noticed that a bridge at the Ufton Nervet level crossing has been suggested by Network Rail

if they can build that, then why not at Thacham too. ?

[Nothing Much]

Rope in Donald Sutherland and Clint , Cr?pgame and their maniac ilk.
They bridged a bigger pond,allegedly. I have forgotten the film which I have seen so often.

It does sound like a good idea to have a Baily bridge or two.
ce

[spartacus]

A very different sort of Engineer Regt to those that build bridges, unfortunately. They could do the survey, but not the construction.

Actually like any serviceman they're "Soldier First, Tradesman Second" and would probably consider that as an insult. They're cap badged as Engineers and will all have completed the Combat Engineer Class III course before specialising as surveyors and map-makers.....

But you're right, give them a bridge building task after a few years of never touching one and it will end up a disaster.

I was only half-suggesting it.. These types of bridges are easy to assemble but also easy to dismantle and for that reason you couldn't leave it unguarded as all it takes is for some scrote to remove a pin or three and it would collapse....

But I do think a low level platform bridge should be considered if it's going to cause such a problem for local farmers. Remove the ford and build a bridge.

[Biker1]

I noticed that a bridge at the Ufton Nervet level crossing has been suggested by Network Rail

if they can build that, then why not at Thacham too. ?

Sod it!
Let's build a bridge over all the level crossings in the country!

[dannyboy]

Rope in Donald Sutherland and Clint , Cr?pgame and their maniac ilk.
They bridged a bigger pond,allegedly. I have forgotten the film which I have seen so often.

Kelly's Heroes

[dannyboy]

Sod it!
Let's build a bridge over all the level crossings in the country!

why not indeed.

[NWNREADER]

Actually like any serviceman they're "Soldier First, Tradesman Second" and would probably consider that as an insult. They're cap badged as Engineers and will all have completed the Combat Engineer Class III course before specialising as surveyors and map-makers..... Thank you for pointing that out. I will remind my colleagues when I return to work shortly


But I do think a low level platform bridge should be considered if it's going to cause such a problem for local farmers. Remove the ford and build a bridge. Exactly. Something similar to Tarr Steps, which is only still standing after a couple of thousand years.......

[dannyboy]

Remove the ford and build a bridge.

Remove the barrier & let people be responsible for their own actions.

A quick internet search showed that in 2005 14 people were killed falling from ladders, yet I can pop along to B&Q & buy one & start using it with no training. Ladders would seem to be 1400% more deadly than Headley Ford.....