unbelievable chaos outside brunstfield primary today. complete gridlock. mostly dads in white vans as far as i could tell.
what a start to the holidays
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
end of term mayhem
(17 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Amazing what a wee bit rain does.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I managed to escape it in the Blue van .... just like the mini's n the original Italian Job....
Posted 11 years ago # -
It does show just how bad it would be if more than the usual 10% tried to pick up their kids by car everyday.
Posted 11 years ago # -
lot of drunk peds out there too
I was regaled by very tall, friendly drunk leaving grassmarket towards pubic triangle. He felt there was too much traffic. I agreed.
Posted 11 years ago # -
This was one of the topics at the last but one PY: the phenomenon among a percentage* of parents whereby one believes that no rule or law or social convention or microsecond of thought for other people should ever apply to them once they have achieved the miracle** of childbirth, which has never happened to anyone else and therefore the other parents should just get out their way, because it's Their Child and let's face it, children are the future of the human race. Well, their children are.
*It's around about the same percentage of parents that raise little scumbags. I cannot confirm a causal connection between these two phenomenon, but...
**Bill Hicks.Posted 11 years ago # -
That is certainly a phenomenon that we're all prone to, but this, I think, had more to do with idiots who think no one should ever get in their way. 'why shouldn't I drive down this road in front of the school?'. No sense of the implications of their actions on others. Nothing to do with the kids in this case, except the extra hassle of a noon pickup on a weekday.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Surely it's the council/cyclists' fault for blocking off the NE end of the street?
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Surely it's the council/cyclists' fault for blocking off the NE end of the street?"
I'm assuming that was written with suitable irony...
I was a parent at BPS when that scheme was proposed/implemented.
It took a lot of effort to get that road closure.
"The residents will object". We pointed out that they might actually like living in a cul-de-sac with no through traffic. (Not sure if anyone asked them.)
The Zebra on Viewforth nearly didn't happen because 'it might hold up the traffic' - at the time it included large S&N beer tankers...
Fortunately I was passing the day they started work and saw the marking out and realised that the buildouts in front of the school weren't going to be as big as we had been led to believe, so that two cars would still be able to pass.
Fortunately the guy on the ground was willing to check and alter things.
So traffic jams are all my fault.
The inadequate drainage (I assume there are still ponds at the crossing points) wasn't my fault.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks for the history lesson - very interesting.
I actually only used that cut through for the first time a few months ago - I prefer MontPelier Park to Viewforth (the only reason I've deliberately gone up VF recently was when playing Strava).
The cut through was handy for going to evening classes at Boroughmuir.
There must be 100 other streets in Edinburgh that would benefit from such a scheme.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I live on a cul-de-sac, and I can say that how quiet it is very much depends on what's at the other end. In my case, there's a mini-industrial estate/commercial zone at the 'quiet' end of the street (not sure who thought that was a good idea when zoning the land!) and hence we get customers for the two asian food stores, delivery lorries (huge artics sometimes), commercial vans, etc. trundling up and down.
Purely residential cul-de-sacs must be oases of calm in comparison.
Posted 11 years ago # -
If we return to Bruntsfield Primary pick up, this is the phenomenon every time the school closes on a half day is it not? [unless on a friday when white vans are less frequent] THe street is full of white vans between nine and two every day. They exist in harmony with the pick up and drop off world. However come 12 noon end of term they conflict with the teachers going for xmas lunch and the parents picking up their weans. The white vans have not changed their timetable and are perplexed. the white vans do not know it is term end, or have chosen to not know this etc.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Not usually so bad on Fridays. My sense was that these were all - or mostly - parents who don't usually do the pick-up.
Posted 11 years ago # -
For once, road in front of school was bare of cars dropping off madly...sadly it was because there were three police vehicles blocking the road. No idea what was up. Didn't appear to be connected to the school/school run.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Lulz, as the kids say.
There were two police traffic wardens standing by the front gate of mine on Wednesday, apparently not doing anything to the three Morningside panzers plonked in the bus lane. All three had a driver still present, which may mean you're allowed to do that, or that the Child=LawInapplicableToMe phenomenon I detailed above is in effect.
Posted 11 years ago # -
It didn't feel like end of term this morning. One mum shouting at the top of her voice at her child who was by then at the other side of the playground. Two mums and a dog doing their best to block the entire footpath.
Three oncoming motorists in quick succession deciding I didn't exist, and therefore presenting no hindrance to their speedy, safe passage past parked cars. I turned on my front light after that. One motorist who thought the absolute best time to overtake me was at the narrowest point of the road at a pedestrian crossing island. One motorist who thought the absolute best time to overtake me was at the roadworks on Inglis Green Road, where the road is narrowest. One motorist who thought safe responsible driving in the wet was to tailgate me while I was doing 25 in a 30.
Nothing like crap weather to bring out the best in people.
Posted 11 years ago # -
By that judgement my riding around in London was a doddle this week, almost all perfectly behaved... the drivers that is. One cyclist got the sharp edge of my tongue. setting off as a group she turned right from a position to the left of the flow, no rear check no signal, and I had to slam on brakes to avoid a collision.
Lovely moment with scaffie truck driver crossing Gower St me offside to turn right look across and point right, he smiles and points straight ahead. Low height cab so we are practically at eye level.
Posted 11 years ago #
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