On 3 Mar 2017 at 6:51pm A Person wrote:
This is as much a plea as a rant...
This evening I waited and waited to walk through the Cockshut tunnel with my dog, in the face of a stream of cars racing through. Most didn't even notice us waiting to pass.
Now I'm guessing that there was something on at 6.30 and they were worried about being late, but it really should be possible for ordinary pedestrians to use it without fear of being flattened.
And to the last car who really couldn't wait for me to clear the tunnel with my dog, once I had taken the plunge and hurried through, the person who drove straight at us with lights at full beam, can I suggest that you might want to consult the Highway Code about giving way to pedestrians? A little give and take perhaps?
On 3 Mar 2017 at 6:57pm Meic wrote:
There are some real arseholes around,
Did you take their numberplates? If you did, as well as complaining to the police, who left to themselves might do very little, publicise the number on here and any other social media you take part in.
Driving at you on full beam is not just inconsiderate, It is attempted murder.
On 3 Mar 2017 at 7:13pm Feline wrote:
I have experienced similar. The sports club does seem to have it's fair share of very selfish people, often in V large cars!
On 3 Mar 2017 at 7:26pm A Person wrote:
I couldn't see a thing in the blaze of headlights, beyond the fact that it was a silver small-medium hatchback. I did have the satisfaction of letting off a stream of fairly choice invective in the driver's direction. In fact I may even have shaken my fist! (Not sure I've ever done that before).
On 3 Mar 2017 at 8:14pm GirlAboutTahn wrote:
It's a nightmare! They don't even acknowledge you for patiently waiting with the dog sitting at feet. Wouldn't be so bad if they didn't zoom through like they were the most important person in the world. Whenever I drive through there I always let pedestrians go first. Grrrr.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 7:26am Guy boy wrote:
Did you have a torch with you
On 4 Mar 2017 at 9:44am Jennifer wrote:
Club memberships are expensive and so people might sometimes be in a hurry. It's difficult to drive under that bridge at the best of times but, well not me but my husband gets annoyed if walkers don't control dogs or have a torch when it's dark. Pedestrians should take a safer route to the club or the priory, maybe walking past the football ground instead?
On 4 Mar 2017 at 11:40am A Person wrote:
I wondered when it would start to be my fault.
I don't really understand why the cost of membership might make people more likely to drive selfishly. If they're members they should know that they need to give way to other road users on that short stretch of road, because they'll be regular users. PS: my dog was under perfect control. She waited very patiently at my side.
I didn't have a torch with me, no. We'd stayed out a bit longer than we expected but it was dusk, not dark. We were completely visible: the reason drivers wouldn't give me a chance to walk through wasn't because they hadn't seen us it was because their business was more important than mine. And actually, drivers need to take into account the conditions, and be aware that they might need to take additional care where road lighting isn't great.
Jennifer: thanks so much for your suggestion, which would add about a mile to my walk and mean that I have to make my way back to my house along a busy road (where the same drivers won't let you cross safely either). Sorry, no: just a bit of give and take is all I'm asking. There's even a sign asking drivers to give way to pedestrians and cyclists at that point.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 11:47am Ab person wrote:
So you want to go first , is that what you are sayin
On 4 Mar 2017 at 12:17pm GirlAboutTahn wrote:
Jennifer, are you implying that people that can afford high cost memberships are busier than people that can't? I can only assume you are in which case, you really need to work on being a better human being. And yes, we should find another route because you are above us peasant pedestrians and you are more important. Unbelievable.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 12:24pm Pedro wrote:
Jennifer is some sort of parody of a pretentious, snobby and uppity character. I wouldn't take anything "she" says as serious. Plus its a crappy tennis club there anyway, membership is about £300 per annum which is pretty standard and reasonable, and in no way "expensive" as she would suggest.
Just treat her like the forums Hyacinth Bucket. Its more amusing that way.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 1:34pm A Person wrote:
To "ab Person": no, I'm not suggesting that at all. I'm suggesting that drivers should approach the tunnel slowly and carefully bearing in mind that there might be other users trying to negotiate it safely. It is very obvious, if you're waiting on the tennis club side, whether a driver has any intention of letting someone walk through or not. You can see them accelerating out of the turn from Southover High Street; they're in third gear by the time they get to the tunnel and they have no intention of giving way.
This is a particular problem if you have a dog because while a single pedestrian can flatten himself against the wall to allow the impatient drivers to to pass, someone with a dog needs a bit more space to be safe.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 5:32pm Marken wrote:
That stretch of road has no special provision for pedestrians- it's a shared space. Why do car drivers automatically assume they come first? And do non pedestrians like Jennifer really suggest it's safer for a female or a young teenager to walk past the football ground and through the priory grounds in the dark? Some drivers have been perfectly civil - others idiotically arrogant, and one threatened to drive straight over me next time I was in his way. This was when I was already walking through the tunnel, with my torch on, no dog. Glad to say that this will be my last season at the Club. I bet a fair number of its users are too lazy to walk to their fitness club. How ironic.
On 4 Mar 2017 at 5:52pm time wrote:
Only a matter of time before someone is injured. A handful of tacks scattered under the bridge wouldn't go amiss.
On 6 Mar 2017 at 9:28am No wrote:
@time. A blown tyre on the dual carriageway could take out several lives. Quite a large price to pay for a few seconds of spiteful revenge.
On 7 Mar 2017 at 2:17pm Tunnel user wrote:
It just takes a little consideration from both sides. It is a bit more difficult when lots of cars leave or arrive at once, but it is a minute or two at most.