I don't know if this is a regular occurrence or not, but last night about 6.15pm as I was walking up towards the junction of Honor Oak Road and the South Circ at the Tesco garage two cars made a right turn onto the South Circ by going around the wrong side of the traffic island i.e. going on to the wrong side of the road. Traffic from Honor Oak Road was being held back from turning left because of queues on London Road going towards Forest Hill, but that was no excuse for such appalling driving.
Aside from being illegal this struck me as particularly dangerous at that busy crossing where pedestrians always need to take their chances between traffic light phases. It was raining heavily at the time and both cars were travelling at speed as they raced from several places back in the queue to make it round before the lights changed. An innocent pedestrian crossing, particularly one anxious to get out of the pouring rain, could easily have been hit having checked that no traffic was coming from the legitimate direction.
It is to catch behaviour like this that we need cameras, not where someone has nipped into a bus lane 20 yards early. Both drivers deserved at least 6 points on their licences if not a ban.
Unfortunately, I think such appalling driving is pretty endemic.
Tonight while driving home via Old Kent Road, I saw two people drive on the wrong side of the road to beat the traffic (which was sluggish, as is normal with Old Kent Road in the rush hour, but not all that bad).
I agree needs ban but in reality will not get caught and even if banned these are the sort who think nothing of driving without a license.
The timing of those lights is criminal. You get 3 seconds on green. 10 minutes on red. No wonder people take the law into their own hands. If cars weren't forced down to the South Circular in the first place by having no entry on the roads leading to Sainsbury's then perhaps such driving wouldn't be necessary....
Foxe
Whilst I agree that these lights can be extremely frustrating, and I have uttered the odd curse or fifty myself whilst waiting for them to change, this does not in any circumstances make an illegal turn using the wrong side of the road 'necessary'. If we all broke the law everytime it caused us a minor frustration then civilisation would quickly break down.
I know exactly what drove these drivers to do what they did. They probably consider themselves to be reasonable citizens. However on this occasion their actions could have easily led to severe injury or death and were thus totally unacceptable and worthy of substantial punishment.
I haven't looked but for once I really do hope that there is a camera on that junction which caught their actions.
You see to be condoning the action. I think your timings are a bit exagerated but except not long out of HOR but breaking the law in this dangerous way is not the answer
It is already a nightmare for pedestrians crossing HOR , this action would make things 10 times worse as they would not be expecting traffic from that direction.
Why oh why are there not pedestrian lights on this junction????
What could possibly be so urgent to these people that they are happy to break the law in this way. Conference call with President Bush, running late for a heart transplant or just arrogant *****.
Is it that chap in a mitsubishi evo again Londonerz?
My point is simple, if traffic management officials make driving difficult, people try to get around it. That is guaranteed. It's human nature. If the whole world and his dog are funnelled onto the south circular (now owned by NCP) and before they have the pleasure of sitting in that queue they have to sit in one at HOR watching the pretty red lights then they are going to get frustrated.
The last thing they should do is introduce a crossing for dawdling nusiance pedestrians with their bags stuffed full of chicken nuggets and cheap booze from the petrol station. That will just add to the horror. It would be about as welcome as a permanent set windscreen cleaners pouncing on us at the junction.
What amazes me is that some folks sit in their cars for hours patiently waiting for the lights to change how ridiculous is that!?!
Your comments re pedestrians are a bit over the top but good fun.
I believe there is a real problem here for pedestrians getting across. That can include primary school groups going to the Museum . Not all pedstrians are chavs.
Grrrrrrr, that Evo driver again. You lot know how to wind a person up!!!
The issue is, if we choose to drive a car in London we KNOW that it will involve traffic so why get upset about it. I choose to ride a motorbike because I know I can usually get round the traffic.
At least 3 times in the last few days, while queuing to get out of Honor Oak Road, I've had to lock my doors as there is a person begging from the queue-cars. I don't think he is a Big Issue seller from Sainsburys. Has anybody else been begged?
The last thing they should do is introduce a crossing for dawdling nusiance pedestrians with their bags stuffed full of chicken nuggets and cheap booze from the petrol station.
Do you work in planning by any chance foxe?
If I did then I'd give the lights much longer on green! On second thoughts I might remove them all together and let people negotiate it themselves. The day the lights went out was great. I whizzed around FH in my car and took no prisoners!