Traffic wardens at traffic lights?

BlackEdelweiss

failover wrote: »

A"good" driver will always anticipate children/animals ending up out on the road for whatever reason. If you need to brake sharply then you are driving too fast for the environment you are in.

It is only because I am anticipating these things that I am able to avoid hitting them. I am not sure if you are familiar with Taylors Hill Road but it is a narrow road with several curves. Traffic is busy in both directions in the morning rush. I am very wary of my kids even walking along it as a trip would land them into the path of oncoming traffic. I wont even go into a discussion about parents who let their kids cycle along it. If I walk along the road with my kids I hold their hand and there is a strict no messing policy until we get off the road and onto a more open space.

failover wrote: »

Also, read the Citizen's Information regarding School Traffic Wardens while you are at it. They have the same power as gardai to stop traffic if they see fit. Get over yourself, feeling so put out by having to stop when told to do so!

Another silly point. I dont know what you mean by it. I know the rights or powers they have and I did not question that. I questioned their placing at traffic lights and that they stop traffic for adults, not just school kids.

The traffic warden at Nile Lodge is on a crossroads with 4 separate crossings. There is one warden. Do kids coming from other directions not count as much? Is it only kids from Taylors Hill Road going to the Jez that count?

gordongekko

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Can anyone explain why there are traffic wardens posted to stop traffic at actual traffic lights / pedestrian crossings around Galway city?

There is one a Nile Lodge who stands about 10 feet away from a traffic light at the junction and I saw another one at the junction at Mr Price in Westside who stands at the actual traffic lights. I was at the lights which were red and this person walked out in front of my car with her pole and allowed a kid to cross in front of me. I could understand this if it were a dangerous road and she had to stop traffic but I was stopped anyway and the pedestrian crossing light was green.

The lady at Nile Lodge stops traffic when the vehicle lights are green (which is a short window) and lets kids, parents, general population cross the road if they have missed the green pedestrian crossing window.

I just dont understand the thinking behind this. The traffic lights have a dedicated pedestrian mode, why do they need a traffic warden? It is very frustrating when they hold you up on a green light and you then have to sit through another cycle of the traffic lights.

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

Yes because it is at a traffic light!

If they are there for the single purpose of letting school children cross the road they should not take advantage of their position and stop traffic to allow adults to cross.

Now you've changed your argument.

BlackEdelweiss

gordongekko wrote: »

Now you've changed your argument.

I dont see how. Care to elaborate?

Stark

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Perhaps your sarcasm-detector needs servicing.

Ah classic

biko

Some posts removed.
The bicker went too far.

failover

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

It is only because I am anticipating these things that I am able to avoid hitting them. I am not sure if you are familiar with Taylors Hill Road but it is a narrow road with several curves. Traffic is busy in both directions in the morning rush. I am very wary of my kids even walking along it as a trip would land them into the path of oncoming traffic. I wont even go into a discussion about parents who let their kids cycle along it. If I walk along the road with my kids I hold their hand and there is a strict no messing policy until we get off the road and onto a more open space.



Another silly point. I dont know what you mean by it. I know the rights or powers they have and I did not question that. I questioned their placing at traffic lights and that they stop traffic for adults, not just school kids.

The traffic warden at Nile Lodge is on a crossroads with 4 separate crossings. There is one warden. Do kids coming from other directions not count as much? Is it only kids from Taylors Hill Road going to the Jez that count?

Please try to be more considerate and understanding of the job wardens do. They are not there to "abuse their power" by making drivers wait while pedestrians cross the road. The wardens are there at that junction for a good reason, to keep impatient drivers from possibly running red lights and hitting a kid.

Edited to be nicer.

Mrs OBumble

failover wrote: »

Please try to be more considerate and understanding of the job wardens do. They are not there to "abuse their power" by making drivers wait while pedestrians cross the road. The wardens are there at that junction for a good reason, to keep impatient drivers from possibly running red lights and hitting a kid.

Edited to be nicer.

But their job is to facilitate KIDS, not adults.

I was 100% being sarcastic in saying that kids are too thick. They ain't.

But having traffic wardens override lights, and stop traffic for adults, is just teaching the kids that rules don't matter on the road. Which is not what we should be doing.

gordongekko

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

I dont see how. Care to elaborate?

Your first argument is that they were near lights or not near schools. When the reason for that was explained to you, you've now decided that they shouldn't be there as adults use them

The biggest controversy to hit Galway since the grass

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

The biggest controversy to hit Galway since the grass

Anybody have the timing sequences for the lights in question. The mappings for which will always tell a story.

BlackEdelweiss

gordongekko wrote: »

Your first argument is that they were near lights or not near schools. When the reason for that was explained to you, you've now decided that they shouldn't be there as adults use them

See quote from my first post, I think you will find that I was equally agrieved by their presence as I was about them stopping traffic to led adults and general pedestrians cross the road.

"The lady at Nile Lodge stops traffic when the vehicle lights are green (which is a short window) and lets kids, parents, general population cross the road if they have missed the green pedestrian crossing window."

BlackEdelweiss

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

See quote from my first post, I think you will find that I was equally agrieved by their presence as I was about them stopping traffic to led adults and general pedestrians cross the road.

"The lady at Nile Lodge stops traffic when the vehicle lights are green (which is a short window) and lets kids, parents, general population cross the road if they have missed the green pedestrian crossing window."

What did they say when you made an official complaint?

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

But their job is to facilitate KIDS, not adults.

I was 100% being sarcastic in saying that kids are too thick. They ain't.

But having traffic wardens override lights, and stop traffic for adults, is just teaching the kids that rules don't matter on the road. Which is not what we should be doing.

No I disagree, it doesn't tech kids that rules don't matter.
It teaches kids what I teach my kids about the road. And the drivers. That there are many many a holes on their road to school in Renmore that are only worried about their coffee in the full duck, phone or work, lights and kids lives come last.
I see it every day, light on Renmore park, light at scoil Caitríona, roads all around the full duck, parents parking Everywhere at the school, in and out the church on the wrong side..
And then I teach my kids never to be like those a holes.

zf0wqv9oemuasj

gordongekko wrote: »

That's the whole point..... Would you have stopped and let the young children cross if they weren't there?

Hi, sorry but why would a driver stop when he has a green light to allow children or any other pedestrian cross? They can wait for the green man like everyone else.

I agree with the first poster on this on the point he made of lollipop ladies stopping at traffic lights that are green for drivers. They are probably needed at pedestrian crossing and they are needed where there are no controlled crossings but if they are at traffic lights they should not be stopping traffic that has a green light, holding up drivers going to work, deliveries etc when she could wait for the green man to usher children across.

at1withmyself

Its a shame the lights don't automatically kick in the green man for pedestrians when they are red for cars. The amount of times I'm top of the queue in the car watching people stand in the rain when the cars at also at a red is ridiculous. How hard can it be to make traffic lights smarter?

Anyone see the pedestrian crossing outside the Westside community center, you press to cross, wait a few minutes, get to the island in the middle of the road and begin the process again, all in nearly 4 minutes to cross a road! Surely once the first light is activated the second one should know to come on within 30 seconds.

gordongekko

If you don't realise at this stage why small children might need a little bit of extra assistant crossing a busy road near a school. If you can't see the reason why this should take priority over a car and a fixed set of lights I'm not sure what can be said in this thread that will explain this to you.

failover

gordongekko wrote: »

If you don't realise at this stage why small children might need a little bit of extra assistant crossing a busy road near a school. If you can't see the reason why this should take priority over a car and a fixed set of lights I'm not sure what can be said in this thread that will explain this to you.

100% agree! Talk about a total lack of compassion, consideration and understanding for pedestrians, especially kids who have to stand and wait at lights, often in bad weather just so drivers, in warm and cosy cars can take priority on the roads, and then be pedantic about light sequences, kid vs pedestrian blah blah. Wardens have been placed at the junctions for good reason. They have the authority to stop cars regardless of the colour of the light. Just get over it and stop moaning! I can just imaging how a letter of complaint to the council/gardai would read. "I am being delayed in my car because the warden allowed kids to cross the road...even though THE LIGHTS WERE RED!!" I'd say it would be rolled into a ball and thrown in the bin. Pathetic attitude to vulnerable road users!

what_traffic

Going to post same point again. Show us the timings for any traffic light junction in this City. Pedestrians are only getting a tiny fraction of overall time. Safely say less than 10% - even places where pedestrians have heavier traffic in comparison with vehicular traffic on streets in the City- they are still not been accommodated.

biko

The OP have their answer - it wasn't a traffic warden but lollipop lady.

Since we already have a traffic thread there is no need for a second on the exact same topic.