Shafting The Motorist!

I've just had the journey from hell. I live around five miles from Lancaster but it took forty five minutes. Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Police seem to hate motorists. In recent days we have had numerous new speed limit signs appear in our streets, and invariably the speed limits have changed. 30mph limits are down to 20mph limits. 40mph limits are down to 30mph and so on. The same stretch of road, no change in population or building density, and it suddenly changes from 40 to 30mph for no apparent reason. Then bang, you hit a speed camera.

This whole area is suddenly plastered with speed signs. It looks to me like they are splashing out on speed signs to use up their leftover budgets before the end of the financial year. Or some dodgy bureaucrat or councillor has shares in a sign company.

There is ample evidence that the less 'furniture' there is cluttering our streets the safer they become. The idiots in control in this country seem to think that turning our streets into obstacle courses with warning signs every five yards, chicanes, speed humps and ever more complex traffic light sytems is helpful. Well it's not you pillocks! Like every other aspect of life piss off and get off our backs, life would be much more bearable if you did!

Read this article about shared space in Drachten.

Or this article about shared space in Bohmte.

Problem here is your nanny state doesn't trust you. And don't even get me started on those patronising effin' signs that light up a smiley face if you are under the limit and frown if you are speeding. Or bloody mothers who treat other motorists like potential child killers, then drive abominably and park even worse when picking up little Kylie or Jason from school because the fat little pampered brats can't waddle the mile home on their own.

They deserve their own post. But I'm off for a brew now.

Let's All Move To Swindon

At last, a bit of commonsense with Swindon Borough Council getting rid of those ridiculous speed cameras. Let's hope the next move is to get rid of traffic lights, then all the other paraphernalia that makes motoring such a bind.

Martin Cassini, and others, must be pleased at this move in the right direction. But a little cynical part of me can't stop thinking that the only reason the Tories did it was because they pay £320,000 each year to maintain them, then the government keeps all the revenue from 'fines'.

Dismantle Traffic Lights

I have just been contacted by Martin Cassini asking for a link to an article I wrote earlier this year on 'shared space', or abolishing traffic signals, road signs and markings. He is putting together this website.

I also found this article that Mr Cassini had in the Times last year, which is an excellent read for those of us who want to liberate our roads.

Liberating the Motorist

Here is an article I have written that is featured on the UK Independence Party website. It was prompted by some discussion and comments on an earlier post on this blog.

Thanks to those who contributed and prompted me to delve a little deeper, especially Mark Wadsworth who has some posts on his blog along similar lines well worth looking at.