Box Junction
Posted: Sat 10 February, 2007 Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Thoughts, Weirdness 6 Comments »Just down the road from where I work, there’s a big four-way crossroads, which is invariably snarled up and jammed. There are actually two reasons for this :
- It’s been designed by an utter tosser
- People are tossers
Reason One is fairly standard – after all, it’s just a four-way crossroads with a nightmare of traffic lights.
Reason Two, though, is different, although it’s related to Reason One. Because the traffic lights screw things up, the planners/designers decided to make it ‘safer’, and covered the entire junction with yellow cross-hatch markings. It’s a box junction.
Box junctions aren’t difficult to deal with – well, unless you’re a BMW driver – and the simple rule is At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.. Not rocket science, is it?
But the reason this junction is a nightmare is because everyone ignores that concept completely, and instead buckets into the junction, try to turn, and then realise they can’t get out of the junction. And oooh, look – suddenly they’re blocking the next flow of traffic, which invariably includes a sodding big bus. Oops.
I have no idea how this can be fixed, and nor do I have any idea how you can get drivers to look ahead and figure out that there’s nowhere for them to go. Personally, I can’t see a problem with a car that detects the road markings, and if you stop on a box junction, it gives you a small electric shock. That’d soon stop it. Just call me Mr Pavlov…
Mind you, if I could come up with the answers to either of those things, I’d be a very wealthy man.
i had a problem myself with those yellow boxes on the roads, like the rules say you cant enter unless the other side is clear , so i sat there till i could pass through the yellow box and while i was waiting some cunt behind me was beeping his horn and flashing his lights at me i was in a mind to get out my car and explane the yellow box rule to him, also thats why they are so many acidents on the roads nower days as drivers dont follow the simple road rules or even slow down a little either one day the idiot driver will maybe use some common sence on the roads
I think it would be fun if it were legal to shoot out the tires of any motorist ignoring the rules of the road. Groups of vigilanties could sit by the side of the road taking pot-shots at morons driving down the bus lane, jumping the lights, and parking on double yellow lines. If the highway code was more rigorously enforced, there would be a much more even playing field for motorists, and people would get a lot less angry with each other.
Richard’s proposal is similar to my own – that is be both acceptable and encouraged to attack any car that ignores the Highway Code. It would also reduce stress as all you’d have to do if you’re feeling a bit wound up is go out for a wander with a cricket bat and therapuse yourself on some idiot’s BMW.
It is usually BMWs, isn’t it?
I’m considering getting one of those LCD screen things for my rear window that will light up with a suitable message at the touch of a button. Maybe a choice:
1. Flash your lights once more and feel my wrath
2. Warning – armed psychopath on board
or the ever popular:
3. Fuck off. Now.
i would be the first to be lined up with a shot gun at the side of the road lol and shoot the crap out of the tyers of any motorist doing any wrong on our roads it would make my day
I’m confused… I was taught that you are allowed to wait in a box junction if you’re turning right. Ie, if the only thing stopping you is oncoming traffic, you’re allowed to wait within the markings.
Yep, you’re right, if the only thing stopping you is the flow of oncoming traffic, that’s fine.
However, in this case, there’s no oncoming traffic, as it’s been stopped by traffic lights. So that point is moot – but absolutely right to point it out.
But in this case, it’s the opposite that’s true – the stuff turning right ends up blocking the oncoming traffic that has right of way…