Increased police presence.

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stowie

Legendary Member
There seems to be now just gaggles of PCSOs loitering around junctions with zero interest in anything that is going on. I was stopped today near Aldgate and 3 of them were chatting away about some new video game. Just after the lights the police had seen fit to park their 4x4 on the "Superhighway" blue point necessitating me to negotiate my way into the traffic flow as it was roaring away from the lights.

It all seems monumentally pointless. No doubt Boris can claim it is a success even though the 6 cyclist deaths in 2 weeks was a statistical blip which thankfully was unlikely to be repeated with or without sullen PCSOs manning random junctions.

In all the time I have been at junctions one thing not policed is traffic blocking pedestrian crossings when in traffic. Yet arguably this is dangerous and certainly anti-social. Near Aldgate the crossing is so blocked that the green man is over by the time the crossing is cleared and anyone with a buggy or wheelchair has to weave inbetween stationary traffic.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
In all the time I have been at junctions one thing not policed is traffic blocking pedestrian crossings when in traffic. Yet arguably this is dangerous and certainly anti-social. Near Aldgate the crossing is so blocked that the green man is over by the time the crossing is cleared and anyone with a buggy or wheelchair has to weave inbetween stationary traffic.
I believe, that crossing points for pedestrian crossings should be left clear, much like the yellow boxes, you should not stop on them.
Highway code rule 192:
In queuing traffic, you should keep the crossing clear.
hc_rule_192_keep_the_crossing_clear.jpg
 

RedRider

Pulling through
In all the time I have been at junctions one thing not policed is traffic blocking pedestrian crossings when in traffic. Yet arguably this is dangerous and certainly anti-social. Near Aldgate the crossing is so blocked that the green man is over by the time the crossing is cleared and anyone with a buggy or wheelchair has to weave inbetween stationary traffic.
Definitely. If there was a website called PedestrianChat I'd be far more active on threads like this than I am on here.
 

stowie

Legendary Member
Yes, but again, "should" != "must".

Yes, but considering that the police are lecturing cyclists about helmets and hi-viz, both of which are recommendations then I don't know why they wouldn't advise drivers who are regularly blocking crossings at every phase of the lights.

Interestingly I notice another rule which states

Pelican crossings which go straight across the road are one crossing, even when there is a central island. You MUST wait for pedestrians who are crossing from the other side of the island.

This is a must and yet how many drivers will wait for pedestrians crossing before the island to complete to the other side if there is an island in the middle? I have never seen this happen. It makes me realise what a raw deal we get as pedestrians and that the police aren't really interested in helping them very much - otherwise they would be making sure that their facilities aren't rendered inoperable by other road users.
 

Twelve Spokes

Time to say goodbye again...
Location
CS 2
bloody pinch points.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland

Frood42

I know where my towel is
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