Holmfirth Traffic

maltrab

maltrab

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Spotted on a Facebook group that the main traffic lights in Holmfirth had failed at this evenings rush hour, the locals were delighted as the traffic flowed so much better without them.

I looked on the webcam and everything was moving along with none of the usual hold ups, I also looked at the traffic in real time on Google Maps and the usual red lines for some distance around those light was flowing smoothly, so even the traffic that has to turn against the main road traffic must of been moving okay

Makes you wonder
 
In certain areas traffic lights are inconsequential because lots of people ignore whether they are green, amber or red .Pedestrians do not fair any better .I had to pull up fairly sharply twice today with people stepping out to cross the road . In both instances they were ten yards from a pelican crossing and couldn't be bothered to go that extra ten yards to cross safely . Perhaps the Department of Transport should place assign for them to warn drivers of "Pillock [not] on Crossing" :mad:
 
I always seem to struggle crossing the road in Holmfirth. The road near sids and the Church is hectic. Usually cross at Hollowgate and walk back that way. Huddersfield road is busy too near the crossing to Victoria park
 
captain clutterbuck said:
In certain areas traffic lights are inconsequential because lots of people ignore whether they are green, amber or red .Pedestrians do not fair any better .I had to pull up fairly sharply twice today with people stepping out to cross the road . In both instances they were ten yards from a pelican crossing and couldn't be bothered to go that extra ten yards to cross safely . Perhaps the Department of Transport should place assign for them to warn drivers of "Pillock [not] on Crossing" :mad:
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Peerhaps their feet hurt and even ten extra yards is too much!
 
It may be just me but as pedestrians are mainly car drivers on foot why do they immediately forget the highway code and think that they can step into the road whenever it's convenient to themselves to the detriment of the vehicles on the road at the same time :cool:
 
simonite said:
It may be just me but as pedestrians are mainly car drivers on foot why do they immediately forget the highway code and think that they can step into the road whenever it's convenient to themselves to the detriment of the vehicles on the road at the same time :cool:
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A lot of peole I know are pure pedestrians who do not drive at all. Probably about half the people I know rely on public transport to get around - or is that just a facet of living in Yorkshire?
 
:confused::confused:Over here most people drive and Simonite's comments are valid here! I think a truism I learned early in my Plod career is appropriate.!

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF HUMAN STUPIDITY!

I can also say (from experience ad-nauseam) EVERYBODY!!! I repeat.. EVERYBODY!!! is an idiot on the road on some occasions. The more people that are around, the higher the chance you will meet one having their moment.
This is not to forget the ones who are ALWAYS, or USUALLY an idiot, in general.
:02::12::13::33::confused:
 
If there are tourists who are Americans, this is not by way of excuse, but there is the natural inclination to always look to the left and inadvertently step off the curb at the worst moments and to make invalid assumptions regarding traffic behavior. And we will not to even address trying to drive on the left.
 
I do not consider myself a good driver hands up high but I do feel I try to be responsible . A number of roads in my area , including the one I live on , are designated to be unsafe and the speed limit is set at 20 miles per hour . I am probably one of a handful of people who observe it same applies where my Mam lives . On my way to hers the other day driving down her 20mph street I was flashed at by the car behind , the easy to reach for horn was going at a speed that Herb Albert would be proud of on his trumpet and when I turned off I got the usual reverse Churchill hand signal .

In the UK traffic has exploded on the roads which just cannot cope, people get exasperated by delay and try to make up time but in my eyes is it worth the risk are you really that tied into the clock , roundabouts and traffic lights have become a visit to the roulette table at the Casino . The number of L plate drivers on fairly main roads cause anger amongst drivers and you see people taking risk to get past them only to join another queue a few yards on .

I don't have a magic bullet answer public transport is not great , people shop quite often at places where a car is pretty much essential to get to . The changes in how they sell cars where basically for a couple hundred of quid a month you can lease a top range car has resulted in there being this explosion of cars on the road and effectively a bit like a hire car if you don't own it then you take more risks than , in days gone by , when you had to save hard to get a deposit for a car , it was your baby and you were protective of it taking far fewer risks than you would in a lease car.
 
In anticipation of my visit next July I have been watching various driving videos of Britain on "Utoob" etc. Although driving in Britain and Australia is very similar (Both drive on the left for example) there are a few differences with road rules, etiquette and so on which I have been trying to familiarise myself with. (At least I do not have to learn a completely new system AND drive on the opposite side of the road)

The really different thing I notice is the width (or LACK of it) of the road when off the motorways. It is extremely rare over here for two vehicles not to be able to pass each other, even on what WE would classify as a narrow road.

The other difference is the Roundabout system over there. We have roundabouts here but nowhere near the amount I have noticed over there and the small painted ones do not exist here (Well in the West at least, not 100% sure of the other States but I don't think they have them either.) They cause problems over here too as no-one seems to know how to use them properly (Note: our lane discipline here is slightly different to the UK's, eg. we CAN overtake on the left!) However you guys seem to be more exotic with some of yours..."spiral" ones, multiple "mini" ones etc etc. Are you sure your Road Authorities are not trying to cull your population???

Having watched these various videos, from just general driving (including some actual driving lesson videos), to tourist driving to the "Car Crash" variety I have to say we BOTH have an abundance of idiots on the road, however I think some of the British ones are, shall we say more "creative" on the whole.

I have seen some pretty bad driving (and the results thereof) over here in my time and have put some really awful drivers behind bars, but for sheer variety of stupidity you guys take the cake!

While I don't expect too many problems driving over there I have learned one thing...I definitely will NOT be riding a bike there. It is dangerous enough over here, even on a huge white thing with blue lights all over, but the motorcyclists over there seem to be suicidal! and if they are not, the car drivers are Homicidal maniacs when it comes to bikes. I gave up riding over here a few years ago, from what I have seen I definitely will NOT be taking it up again over there! Having Cancer seems a safer option to me so I will just stick with that!:12:
 
There's an advert running at the moment where there is an old guy whose main vehicle is a Traction Engine quite amusing at one point when he passes a hitchhiker and offers him a lift . It ends with him polishing it in the drive with his family and him telling them one day it would be there's , much to their disdain . So Brian when get to the UK for get the bikes, forget the car get a Traction Engine
 
captain clutterbuck said:
There's an advert running at the moment where there is an old guy whose main vehicle is a Traction Engine quite amusing at one point when he passes a hitchhiker and offers him a lift . It ends with him polishing it in the drive with his family and him telling them one day it would be there's , much to their disdain . So Brian when get to the UK for get the bikes, forget the car get a Traction Engine
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Bit slower but definitely would come off best in any collision as they are solid!
 
Brian Johns said:
In anticipation of my visit next July I have been watching various driving videos of Britain on "Utoob" etc. Although driving in Britain and Australia is very similar .....

I have seen some pretty bad driving (and the results thereof) over here in my time and have put some really awful drivers behind bars, but for sheer variety of stupidity you guys take the cake!

......!:12:
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Captain has explained why we have the problems - does not excuse them. However as said previously the incidence of non drivers is quite high arounf here. About 50% of those known to me do not drive. Just think if they all drove, as is more common in other countries!!

In Summer Wine not every one drove or even if they had a licence rarely did so which is probably quite common around here.

Another example of how despite common language (more or less) and original background our approach to things is widely different.
 
For a period of my working life I worked with a rather eccentric Gentleman who when registering cars that he may possibly use for onsite parking included his motorised lawnmower . In an effort to diffuse confusion when one colleague parked an identical car next to his he differentiated his by painting a big red cross on the roof .
 
Captain, your story about painting a red cross on the roof reminds me of an actual incident which happened many years ago when I was flying the police aircraft. This was long before police cars here had their callsigns painted on them. There came up an urgent job one day when our defectives..oops, sorry Detectives, had to do a low key, but high priority prisoner escort and they wanted the aircraft overhead to look out for anyone trying to infiltrate or block their little convoy. As they would be in plain cars we asked how we would recognize THEIR vehicles. "No problems" we were told. "We will put on a coloured strip of tape on the roof of ours"

They drove mainly WHITE cars that day, Guess what colour the tape was?????????????:02:

As for your suggestions of driving a Traction Engine or tank...I had actually considered renting a tank, but that long barrel keeps getting in the way. :08:

You can get your car licence over here at 17 and it is extremely rare to find a male over here older than 17 & 2 days that hasn't at least TRIED to get a licence. The ladies are not quite so eager but even so most have licences. I am led to believe this trend is just starting to change, however the distances involved in travel here basically necessitate having a vehicle and a licence apart from a small group who have ready access to public transport on a daily basis, and that really only applies in parts of the Perth Metro area.
 
Driving in Britain some days is like being in a horror movie ,drivers not looking,no indicators used,no lights .only one headlight,inability to park,and using sat navs. I drove for a living all of my working life and easily someone else who has also done so by the care taken but nowadays young drivers have no clue how to treat others.When ever I watch the Holmfirth cameras it does not look to busy wish it was like that were I live .I must admit if I can get the bus, I do have a bus pass and my favourite is the train .Shame the train to Holmfirth closed so long ago it would have been good to see the shoddy shed that was one the main traffic providers ,oh and by the way the viaduct near Holmfirth fell down just before the line opened!
 
My daughter was a sales rep who drove up to 2000 miles per week. Her biggest gripe and still is the fact that no-one seems to know who should give way at islands!:02:
 
dick said:
My daughter was a sales rep who drove up to 2000 miles per week. Her biggest gripe and still is the fact that no-one seems to know who should give way at islands!:02:
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Now which Islands are we giving away this week Dick? Isles of Scilly or something larger like the Isle of Wight!
 
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