Yesterday’s road blockage
caused nine cars to be marooned all day with their owners unable to drive on to the open road. I was on standby to pick someone up from Gatwick
but fortunately not required.
It is easy to blame the disruption on the idiot driver of Audi ST10 TSV but there will always be idiots driving cars; what one
should not have to put up with is police (Officer 244CC) who refuse to enforce the law, Chief
Highway Engineers who are happy to design idiotic roads and vindictive Cabinet Members who are equally happy to let them do it.
It was Andrew Bashford (Photo 1) who lied to me that Abbey Road was redesigned
in accordance with Transport Research Laboratory guidance when the TRL
consultant who issued the guidance was adamant that Abbey Road didn’t comply. Peter Craske (Photo 2) needs no introduction, his lies are legion and reported here many times over the years.
As you might imagine some tempers are being frayed and strongly worded notes
may soon give way to something more hurtful.
Maybe a fire in the open garbage bin would have a salutary effect on the morons in charge.
Unfortunately the local Councillors are powerless to help and I am not convinced they are trying particularly hard despite circulating
a letter to residents.
Today’s blog was written yesterday afternoon
to provide me with a free day on 2nd June and there is a postscript…
Just after 5 p.m. Thursday the Audi driver returned to his car and was
seen delving into his boot. I went to take a look and saw that a tyre was deflated. Someone must have let it down late in the afternoon.
I told him that he had prevented residents getting to work, stopped at least one
family taking the day out with their young children for a holiday treat and
caused others to risk a Penalty Charge Notice. He was
very apologetic and the excuse was he assumed the Mercedes wouldn’t be where it is for long.
As the Mercedes is the only completely legally parked car in the street it was a
rather lame excuse. Ironically it was me who had to pump up the tyre in order
to not prolong the disruption for which Bexley Council is ultimately
responsible. Later today they are going to finish
resurfacing the road. More fun and games.
At seven o’clock this morning a van parked opposite the Mercedes blocking the road even more severely than yesterday’s Audi. I was able to intercept the driver and persuade him to park in a more sensible fashion, alongside the kerb as everyone should. The parking bays are the size and shape they are for a reason even if the useless Bexley Council has forgotten it.