Bizarre/Illegal things on motorways

PseudoFamous

Jeep with horsebox pulled in in the hard shoulder of M11 Arklow Bypass southbound. Driver standing around smoking. Gone 25 minutes later, so clearly not a breakdown.

Irish and Proud

source wrote: »

Coming home yesterday inbound towards Limerick on the M20, Passing Patrickswell exit a light blue van comes down the on ramp with a car in front of him, decides he's not waiting, and pushes out across the hatch markings. My GF was driving and she had to break hard to avoid him (she was going to pull into the overtaking lane when it was clear). Front of the car was only about a metre or two from the back of the van.

He then forced his way into the overtaking lane and started to bully his way up the road. Gave me great pleasure to see him pulled in getting a bollocking from the GTC just past the Dooradoyle exit.:D

Hearing of this type of driver getting pulled up by the Guards is music to my ears - would love to see it happen myself! - Fed up of that kind - people like that shouldn't be at the wheel of any vehicle! :mad:

flazio

Rovi wrote: »

Also, I live/work adjacent to the Portlaoise toll plaza on the M7, so I get to observe it pretty regularly. The amount of vehicles that pull up on the hard shoulder both before and after the plaza is staggering.

Before, I can understand (but not condone) trying to get your change in order for the toll so as not to delay traffic queuing behind you. (Always do this before setting off) but what are they at after? Checking the attendant gave them the right change?

UpTheSlashers

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0720/freeway.html

Rovi

flazio wrote: »

Before, I can understand (but not condone) trying to get your change in order for the toll so as not to delay traffic queuing behind you. (Always do this before setting off) but what are they at after? Checking the attendant gave them the right change?

I don't know, they can hardly go back to argue over the change, can they?
Although... :rolleyes:


A lot of vehicles (cars, vans, coaches, trucks, etc) stop for no apparent reason at all. They stop, no-one gets out or appears to do anything else, and then drive off again after a few seconds/minutes. Sometimes trucks in particular can be there for quite a while; half an hour or more.
You'll quite often see people getting out for a bit of a walk, or to change drivers, or even occasionally to rearrange luggage or to transfer items from one vehicle to another.
This all seems to occur under the street lights, so anywhere from the toll booths themselves, to the exit lane for the plaza service area, to where the lanes reduce back down to the 2 of the mainline, plus a bit even beyond that.
The 'stopping before the plaza' zone on the other side appears to be about the same length.

Rovi

Rovi wrote: »

The 'stopping before the plaza' zone on the other side appears to be about the same length.

Just in case we ever decide to "go continental" and drive on the wrong side of the road.

niloc1951

Rovi wrote: »

I don't know, they can hardly go back to argue over the change, can they?
Although... :rolleyes:


A lot of vehicles (cars, vans, coaches, trucks, etc) stop for no apparent reason at all. They stop, no-one gets out or appears to do anything else, and then drive off again after a few seconds/minutes. Sometimes trucks in particular can be there for quite a while; half an hour or more.
You'll quite often see people getting out for a bit of a walk, or to change drivers, or even occasionally to rearrange luggage or to transfer items from one vehicle to another.
This all seems to occur under the street lights, so anywhere from the toll booths themselves, to the exit lane for the plaza service area, to where the lanes reduce back down to the 2 of the mainline, plus a bit even beyond that.
The 'stopping before the plaza' zone on the other side appears to be about the same length.

TBH, I have done it myself to take a leak (on-board toilet) and for other reasons.
Before the service areas were opened it was far safer than trying to rejoin straight into lane one from one of the rest areas with no acceleration/merging lane (special thanks to the NRA design team ) when in a vehicle not designed to accelerate from 0 > 80 Kmph in less than 30 seconds.

The truck drivers are possibly taking a break under the Driving Time legislation. and choosing the plaza for the same reason

Irish and Proud

Two observations on the M1 today - one for each direction...

SB at Junction 4 (Lissenhall), I saw this van/4x4 at the gore of the exit ramp inside the hatched area waiting to rejoin the mainline! It boggles me how thick some people are - if he/she made a mistake in coming off, a simple solution would have been to continue up the ramp, across the junction and back down the SB entry ramp. In any case, such behavior is inexcusable - no mater how long the detour could have been.

NB between Junctions 4 and 5 (Courtlough), I saw this tractor and trailer driving slowly along the hard shoulder, followed by a car with its hazards on - yes, if either of those drivers happen to be reading this, 'I know you were a hazard (although you did, at least, recognize that fact). However, there is a good alternative road (R132) running parallel - that's where you should have been at the time'.

mayo23

A few months ago we were travelling to Dublin on the M4. Just past the toll plaza in Enfield (about 300m) there was someone pulled in on the hard shoulder.

Now I know traffic here would only be starting to speed up from rest and would hardly be going even 60km/h at this point, but its still illegal, right?

Whats worse about this guy is that he had a baby in a car seat placed on the ground in the hard shoulder :eek: Any thoughts?

CerebralCortex

mayo23 wrote: »

A few months ago we were travelling to Dublin on the M4. Just past the toll plaza in Enfield (about 300m) there was someone pulled in on the hard shoulder.

Now I know traffic here would only be starting to speed up from rest and would hardly be going even 60km/h at this point, but its still illegal, right?

Whats worse about this guy is that he had a baby in a car seat placed on the ground in the hard shoulder :eek: Any thoughts?

Yes Ireland has an average IQ of 93.

hmmm

Rovi wrote: »

Also, I live/work adjacent to the Portlaoise toll plaza on the M7, so I get to observe it pretty regularly. The amount of vehicles that pull up on the hard shoulder both before and after the plaza is staggering.

Oops guilty of that one myself to change drivers, particularly when driving up from somewhere like Kerry. In an attempt to deflect shame I'll blame the lack of service areas where people can pull in and do this.

kiwipower

hmmm wrote: »

Oops guilty of that one myself to change drivers, particularly when driving up from somewhere like Kerry. In an attempt to deflect shame I'll blame the lack of service areas where people can pull in and do this.

Please dont think I am having a go at you. I also often drive long distances on the motorway systems, (Gorey to Galway, Limerick to the North) I have also taken the wrong exit, or missed an exit. I have done this on motorways I know and motorways I dont, in over three countries. I even managed to end up in rush hour motorway traffic in Nice driving my sister in laws car round the corner, (took the wrong road.)

The only safe and IMO sensible option, is to keep going to the next exit, pull off there and find somewhere safe to stop and assess your options. Pull of the road and swap drivers, clean the windscreen (had to do this in Kildare during the snow, after exiting at an exit I had never used and driving for 5km to find somewhere safe to stop, when the window wash was frozen solid and the screen covered in salt!)

If a driver has taken the wrong exit, there is usually a signed entrance close by, either at the end of the exit ramp, across the road or signed near by.

If a driver have missed their exit all the need to do is go to the next exit, cross over the motorway and join traffic travelling in the opposite direction until they reach their original exit.

L1011

1: Someone pulled out of one of the lethal 'stopping areas' on the M6 too close in front of me and only got up to about 60km/h at that. Was texting.

2: Someone walking along the grass towards traffic from the N4/M50 interchance towards the Red Cow. No broken down car etc. Think he was going to climb up the Coldcut Road bridge...

whyulittle

Saw probably my first 'proper' undertake today. As in car driving in Lane 2, goes into Lane 1, undertakes car, and pops back into Lane 2 - all while Lane 3 was available!

About 30 seconds later a car dashes from Lane 2 straight across into the exit for Tallaght, think they made it just before the hatch lines.

Plus the usual middle lane hoggers, crawling overtakers and one stupid bint who dives out at the last second as I'm about to overtake her and a lorry in front.

Most bizarre thing though was seeing a field full of hay bales on the M50!

mayo23

kiwipower wrote: »

If a driver have missed their exit all the need to do is go to the next exit, cross over the motorway and join traffic travelling in the opposite direction until they reach their original exit.

This is fine on most motorway junctions in Ireland. But if its the M50 it can involve driving well away from the motorway (into the city perhaps!) to find a safe place to turn around. I agree with you, just saying it can a be real nuisance.

dev100

Coming from Loughlinstown headin onto M11 motorway southbound . Im building up speed on the outside lane as Im approaching the hatched lines onto M11. Between my lane and inside lane A clown decides to put on his right indicator. I said to myself he surely aint going to attempt it . As I pass by him He pulls into my lane And flashes his lights like crazy as If Im the one at fault.
What a Moron !!!!

Amtmann

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Yes Ireland has an average IQ of 93.

Good grief. That's embarrassing!

corktina

it is a bit...how does it compare to the Uk? The English are an awful lot of thickos :-)

dubhthach

According to the link given by CerberalCortex the UK has an average IQ of 100

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_the_Wealth_of_Nations#National_IQ_estimates

We are joint 36 (with Bulgaria and Greece), the highest score is Hong Kong at 107, the US is at 98

corktina

dubhthach wrote: »

According to the link given by CerberalCortex the UK has an average IQ of 100

[

ah yes, :cool: if you deduct all the chavs that would explain why I am so intelligent...

SerialComplaint

We can take some comfort from the fact that we're not the worst drivers in the world;

http://www.videobash.com/video_show/accidents-in-moscow-821

NITransport

It gets worse... by 2006 it'd decreased to 92...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality

Those in the North can have a sigh of relief though...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3001361.stm

Very proud to say I come from Derry! :P (That's a very rare occurrence!)

Chris_5339762

Wasnt there a post about a heron in here? Or am I going mad?

Chris_5339762

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Wasnt there a post about a heron in here? Or am I going mad?

I saw it as well, it appears to have disappeared.

whyulittle

Two of you going mad.....

.....or it might be in the M6/M4 thread.

Chris_5339762

Aha thats it

-Corkie-

This was posted in Motors.
http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/07/29/crazy-bmw-driver-causes-bad-accident/

jd

Gorey By-pass today.. I just knew there would be a cyclist on the motorway so phone camera was on (+ phone was in hands free holder)

Met this guy wobbling up a hill

Iwannahurl

jd wrote: »

Gorey By-pass today.. I just knew there would be a cyclist on the motorway so phone camera was on (+ phone was in hands free holder)

Met this guy wobbling up a hill

Is that definitely a motorway? I have seen references to the "M11 Gorey Bypass" so I presume it is. If so, utterly daft behaviour.

What is it about this stretch of road that seems to attract such nutters? AFAIK there have been more than a few fatal crashes there.

L1011

yes, it's definitely a motorway...