Monday, June 28, 2004

M11 madness

I could say that I was nearly killed yesterday, but that would be a slight exaggeration. Only, slight.

Around 5:00 I was driving south on the M11 and had just pulled out to pass someone who was maintaining the 40MPH limit past the end of the roadworks. I was doing about 50 or so myself. {I hadn't yet seen the new - why did it take so many months? - signs indicating that the 70MPH limit resumes just after the first Bray interchange.}

Anyway, as I said I was doing about 50 or so. I was keeping an eye on all that was happening around me - checking to see what, if anything, was entering the road from Shankill, trying to determine whether it was safe for me to return to the left lane. All of a sudden, I see a guy pull out in front of me from the verge on the right! He was barely moving. I had to slam on the brakes to keep from slamming into him. Neither I nor my wife had seen him until it was almost too late.

After I settled down I realized that he had decided to bale out on the northbound M11 because the traffic was so bad. He figured it was better to risk his life (as well as all of ours) to avoid a few minutes in traffic. I also realized that he was not alone as other cars were following his lead. Unbelievable.

I understand that road works happen, but I don't know why they can't be better signed? Why aren't there signs way back announcing that a lane is closed between Shankill & Loughlinstown? That would allow people who have other options (go through Bray/Enniskerry, whatever) to decide.

Still, nothing excuses what that moron (and the other morons behind him) did yesterday. I was really disappointed that the police weren't there to arrest him - a ticket would have been insufficient.

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