Legal Lollipop Lady?

optimus_primera

rev_henry wrote: »

Some lollipops are being fitted with cameras now apparently to catch such bad drivers going through a lollipop. The black bar on the lollipop traditionally was painted in blackboard paint to write on it the reg numbers of cars who didn't stop. A lollipop person holding a lollipop means EXACTLY the same thing by law as a red light. End of.

Urban myth about the black bar i'm afraid.
And the lollypop lady or man needs an adult witness as well.

cyclonebri1

bosseyed wrote: »

The ones that leap out at the last second pulling faces, going 'WAAAAARRRRRRGH' and waggling the lollipop - sadly never last very long.

Its a hard life on Britains roads, survival of the lollipop fittest and so on

Yep, that's the guy we get sometimes, looks like that old git the used to be on Corry st, Percy .............?

Regshoe

Inactive wrote: »

Not being awkward at all, just stating the obvious, if you need to swerve or make an emergency stop, you are driving to fast for the prevailing conditions.

Rubbish!

If you were driving along at lets say 10mph in a 30mph zone (with a massive queue of people behind you shouting "come on grandad!") and I step out into the road 2 feet in front of your car you will hit me. Are you driving too fast for the prevailing conditions, er no. Would I be a complete pillock for stepping in front of a car, er yes! If I stepped out say 5-10 feet in front of you then you might be just able to do an emergency stop in time.

Take another example - boy racer coming the opposite way screams around a corner and spins into my lane. Even if I am driving at a speed approriate to the prevailing conditions I might still need to make an emergency stop.

Let's say I'm driving an artic and some twit in a BMW (isn't it always....) cuts in front of me and rams his brakes on. I had an appropriate gap in front of me before and was driving at a speed appropriate to the prevailing conditions, but I might now have to make an emergency stop because of the unforseen actions of another road user.

Let's take another (somewhat farfetched) example, some numpty is towing a banner behind his plane gets tangled up, he crash lands right in front of my car - which I was driving along at 5mph, I might still need to stop suddenly, say an emergency stop.

Admittedly in many cases people have to make emergency stops or swerve because they are driving too fast for the "prevailing conditions". But this is not always the case, which is why we learn how to do emergency stops when we are leaner drivers and may be tested on it during the driving test. If there could be no legitimate reason for us to need to make an emergency stop then presumably it would not form part of a driving test, like say a handbrake turn.

Inactive

Regshoe wrote: »

Rubbish!

If you were driving along at lets say 10mph in a 30mph zone (with a massive queue of people behind you shouting "come on grandad!") and I step out into the road 2 feet in front of your car you will hit me. Are you driving too fast for the prevailing conditions, er no. Would I be a complete pillock for stepping in front of a car, er yes! If I stepped out say 5-10 feet in front of you then you might be just able to do an emergency stop in time.

Take another example - boy racer coming the opposite way screams around a corner and spins into my lane. Even if I am driving at a speed approriate to the prevailing conditions I might still need to make an emergency stop.

Let's say I'm driving an artic and some twit in a BMW (isn't it always....) cuts in front of me and rams his brakes on. I had an appropriate gap in front of me before and was driving at a speed appropriate to the prevailing conditions, but I might now have to make an emergency stop because of the unforseen actions of another road user.

Let's take another (somewhat farfetched) example, some numpty is towing a banner behind his plane gets tangled up, he crash lands right in front of my car - which I was driving along at 5mph, I might still need to stop suddenly, say an emergency stop.

Admittedly in many cases people have to make emergency stops or swerve because they are driving too fast for the "prevailing conditions". But this is not always the case, which is why we learn how to do emergency stops when we are leaner drivers and may be tested on it during the driving test. If there could be no legitimate reason for us to need to make an emergency stop then presumably it would not form part of a driving test, like say a handbrake turn.

Most of that does not apply to approaching a school crossing patrol, as suggested by another poster, they should be approached as you would approach traffic lights, ready and prepared to stop safely, and proceed only if the way is clear.

There should never be the need to make an emergency stop or swerve.

cyclonebri1

Inactive wrote: »

Most of that does not apply to approaching a school crossing patrol, as suggested by another poster, they should be approached as you would approach traffic lights, ready and prepared to stop safely, and proceed only if the way is clear.

There should never be the need to make an emergency stop or swerve.

I'm afraid never say never applies in this case, I've seen kids run diagonally across the road, effectively from behind a slowly approaching car after seeing the friendly lolly in the middle of the road. Bluddy unpredictable things kids, which is why we need to be exceptionally carefull at at times of the day not just under lollipop conditions, but examples as above shows just how trickey it can be to avoid the little blighters Should all be chained together and marched single file to school with a hazard warning sign at each end:o:o:o;)

Wig

gardner1 wrote: »

THEN two horse riders who decide they own the f!!!!!g road:mad:

Because as everyone knows the roads belong to the car drivers and all other users must grovel and and bow to cars as they drive past.

Wig

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

I think they do a useful job, but it does wind me up when they wait till you're 10ft away before jumping in to the road, pole first, causing me to either do an emergency stop or swerve. Doubly annoying when its clear traffic opposite way and behind me.

Where are these nice totty then, cyclone? I thought to be a lollipop lady, you had to be old enough to remember the Boer war and have a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp?

Inactive wrote: »

If you need to do either, you are driving too fast for the prevailing conditions anyway.

I was going to make the same point I highlighted in bold in JD's post.

I think you're wrong to say "driving too fast". If you are driving along and someone steps out infront at a distance of 10 feet you don't have any option but to swerve or emergency stop. You don't have to drive past lollipops on the pavement at less than 10 mph just because they are on duty.

When the road is completely empty infront of you and behind you. And the lollipop decides to stop you and only you it is infuriating.

Wig

Inactive wrote: »

Not being awkward at all, just stating the obvious, if you need to swerve or make an emergency stop, you are driving to fast for the prevailing conditions.

I can honestly say that I have never needed to.

So whenever you see a side road you slow down to less than 10mph to go past it on the main road ? Just incase a car should come out without stopping or the car that is there waiting might pull out infront of you.

Same principle with a lollipop, you don't need to slow down to ridiculous speeds just because they are there. They have a responsibility to use caution before stepping out. You are already using caution by driving at 25 mph and have observed them and made an observation that no one is stepping into the road at this time therefore it is safe for you to continue your journey.

The fact that you have never done an emergency stop is immaterial. The potential for a situation to occur when you do have to is always going to be there and by definiton it is not something you can avoid. Because we can't all drive at 5 mph with a man waiving a red flag walking/jogging in front of us. We all are expected to drive within the speed limits to use good observation at all times, thats all we can be expected to do.

Inactive

Wig wrote: »

So whenever you see a side road you slow down to less than 10mph to go past it on the main road ? Just incase a car should come out without stopping or the car that is there waiting might pull out infront of you.

.

Don't talk such rubbish, I said " prevailing conditions ", that means that there are pedestrians standing near to the lollipop control, hence a driver should be approaching at a speed that they can safely stop if necessary.

Wig

Who says there are "pedestrians standing near to the lollipop control"? I never read those words from Jaydee.

The LC still needs to use caution and enter the roadway in a sensible manner whatever the conditions.