I'd like to know, too. I've got a stopwatch that goes to a millisecond or something. If you want to play the ?saddo? poker game with me, then I think that I just showed my hand. It was a straight flush.

P.S. Saddo. Great word. I'm gonna call my boss that later today when the moment is right. It's got a charming potency that should nicely fit in with my passive/aggressive nature.

The traffic was smooth this morning. I kick up my bike stand at Woodcombe Crescent and cycle to Marylebone each day. The trip took about 50 minutes door-to-door. That's a clear 10 minutes quicker. From Forest Hill Road to beyond The Clockhouse pub there wasn't a single car on that stretch at about 7am. Usually it's heaving. Where is everyone today? Invasion of the body snatchers? Or were they all back at Manor Mount trying to sneak down the hill?

They were all in the clink having been arrested for sneaking down the Hill the wrong way

monika makes a valid point - any traffic calming measures must not slow the ambulances down.
So I withdraw my suggestion to put humps on this road.

I now suggest we make Manor mnt 2-way, but put a barrier up between Davids Rd and Manor Mnt - (but give the ambulance station dual access into both roads.)
Likewise with pearcefield Ave. Both barriers could be open outside of the rush hour. Residents of Davids Rd to be issued with a fob.

Not sure the cost of this, but car parks used to all have barriers - this is just an extension of that idea. If our technology is no longer up to this, then the gates will have to be manually opened and closed at the said times.
He/she could also be in charge of the Perry Vale station side entrance - we could call this person the master of the keys.

I bet they are all foreigners. Foreigners are sneaky. Except me. I'm the exception to prove the rule.

The teenager movie watching geek in me is developing a fantasy that involves a bazooka. Camouflage. And a highly surprised driver sneaking down the wrong way.

A large spring hidden in the road and activated by me, hidden in undergrowth wearing full cammo gear, flinging the offending car miles into the air and landing in a crumpled heap in the police pound

If this is true then this could really put Forest Hill on the map. I'll see you in the undergrowth tonight Londondrz. We'll clean up The Hill. Instead of cammo gear, let's dress as Batman and Robin but in a Del and Rodney style.

I'll swing the Reliant Regal van around and pick you up tonight.

Oh, just remembered...The Hob quiz is on. Shall we pencil our dynamic duo clean up of Manor Mount for later in the week?

I can?t help but feel killing people or subjecting them to insanely cruel torture is not an appropriate response to a minor traffic infringement, Even the Taliban where more lenient on their people.

Far be it for me to tell you what to do sir, but maybe just relax about it and if you see someone driving the wrong way down just do what I do and sigh, give them a look and leave it at that. Swinging into their way to provoke an argument will sooner or later provoke a fight instead.

If we want to be really radical ask the council to increase the timings on the lights or re-instate the 2-way system. I appreciate there will be less grieving widows and orphans that way than firing them into the air, but it might be more fitting in our society.

"Most" of my comments were light hearted.

It is a pity that as a human race we have got to the point where we have to have a massive post just to deal with the fact that some people cant be a***d to observe a simple road law.

Londondrz, You know that Dan on the Hill is right. I propose that we chill and lose the tension within ourselves and loosen the tension on that large spring hidden in the road.

But maybe we could still dress up as Batman and Robin and rid The Hill of other things.

It seems that I've hijacked Roz's original posting and swung attention away from the reason that Roz originally raised so I'll just pop the posting below and get dressed up in my Robin outfit to save The Hill from the scum and villiany that stalk the streets.

CD I agree although I must say I never get wound up about these things, after all, it is only the internet.





Scurries off to dust off his Fatman Suit[/align]

I see that speed measurement wires have been layed in Waldenshaw Road as well as Manor Mount. Interesting to see the results (if published).

There's also a set down Devonshire Road. I suspect a 20 mph zone being planned. I would not be in favour, unless they removed all the road humps as a quid pro quo (which will never happen!)

I for one would be happy to see a 20mph zone but no speedhumps. Any lorry going over a speedhump near our house makes the house wobble, none of that thank you.

I dont understand the need to spend a fortune on speed humps, cameras etc. Why not have traffic police sit there one rush hour every few weeks and fine speeders, they wont be to keen on speeding when they have 3 points and a few hundred quid fine. Only problem is can anyone remember when they last saw a traffic officer other than on a motorway.

It's been suggested a few times on this thread that the top part of Manor Mount be made two-way. The problem is that this is how it was for decades, and what happened was that a massive traffic jam built up during the evening rush hour. It went from the South Circular at the bottom of David's Road right back to at least half-way up Manor Mount, for three hours every evening. This was a nightmare for everyone, and even worse for the ambulance, which was often delayed getting out. After years of this the no-entry was finally put in.

The specialised speed humps which do not affect broader-based vehicles like ambulances (and, I assume, lorries) might help with slowing down the cars coming down illegally from the top. The ambulance service always opposes speed humps as a matter of principle, however, and that's why there aren't any in Manor Mount or David's Road. We need them down here as well.

The real solution (apart from the claymore mines suggested earlier, which seem an excellent suggestion) is for the police to do their job. If you got a fine every few months you'd soon stop.

The Council now have powers to take action- I understand that they are proposing to install a mobile cctv vehicle there at regular intervals in order to catch offenders and over time this will cease. I think we should allow this arrangement a chance to work and if not look at any other measures. I think the problem with the police is/was that this was never going to be a major priority for them and they were also major violators of the one way system. Hopefully the Council will prove better able and more efficient at this now that they have a dedicated service.

Excellent news!

Could I ask for any information you can provide about tailbacks on Honor Oak Road (to the junction with London Road).

* What are the worst times of day?
* How long can it take to get from Ewelme Road to London Road at these times?
* How are the traffic lights phased at this time?

I think I may have made contact with somebody useful in TfL and I want to provide them with full details of the problem.

Send me a PM or just detail your experiences here.

I was waiting for a P4 at the foot of HOR one Saturday lunchtime just after the last time this thread was current. I was there for nearly half an hour, and I made a note in my phone of how many vehicles were getting through the lights each time.

4, 3 (someone was sat on his handbrake), 6, 4, 5, 5, 7, 4, 7, 5 (the last of which being my bus).

There was a bit of amber gambling going on. I'd say 75% of cars turned right out of HOR towards Lordship Lane, though the slower speed of vehicles turning left meant that most of the threes and fours were occasions when there was more than one left turner.

I agree at least 75% of traffic turns right from Honor Oak Road onto London Road (A205 South Circular Route). Most of this right turning traffic travels only a short stretch of London Road, before turning left onto Sydenham Rise - opposite the Horniman Museum. Why? Because TfL and Lewisham traffic planners have turned Honor Oak Road and Sydenham Rise into the "Forest Hill Bypass".

Regarding the Honor Oak / London Road junction, I said a few posts ago that 'I think I may have made contact with somebody useful in TfL'. Well I had - this is the response I recieved today (all bold is made by me).

Please do keep observing the queues on this road at all times of day. Have the changes made a difference?