Lane Markings? What are they?
Been a while since I posted, so its time for a rant. I’m pretty certain that everyone who drives will have had one or two dodgey experiences where you’ve ended up in the wrong lane whilst driving. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but you’d think that people who travel at peak times probably do it every day and as such, should know the lanes on the roads they use.
Well, think again.
Everyday, I have a round trip of approximately 74 miles. Typically, during that journey I will have to put up with tail gaters, plonkers that pull out in front of you on islands and a whole variety of other driving misdemeanours, but most infuriating of all are the people who get in the wrong lanes at two major traffic islands I have to use.
The first is at junction 28 on the M4. Its off the motorway and is a focal point for the motorway slips, one of the main roads into Newport, the A48 and the road up to Risca. Now in the morning, I come down the A48 and want to go up the east bound M4 slip to go to Junction 26. This is real simple. Get in the left hand lane of the A48 (but avoid the turn to Risca) and join the island, staying in the left hand lane. Now every morning I observe the clearly defined arrow that points straight on towards the slip road and the big M4 accompanying it. In the lane to my right, there is a similar arrow that says M4/Newport.
Clearly, the lane I use only says M4. The one on my right, the busier of the two clearly says M4 and Newport. Not many people who want the M4 end up in that lane because its quicker to use the left hand most lane (the one I’m in which is supposed to be used soley for the M4). Well defined purposes for the seperate lanes and clear road markings, what more could you want as a driver??? Clearly though, its not enough of a hint for the *#@!$* morons who insist on using the left hand lane to go into Newport!!! I can’t begin to explain how angry this makes me because more often than not, we (the people who want the M4) get stuck behind these plonkers trying to squeeze their way into… yes, you guessed it, the lane to our right, which is of course chock solid with traffic. ARGH!!!!!
The second is on the journey home, again on the M4, but this time at Junction 26. The road in question comes down the hill through Malpas towards the round about underneath the M4. This is a simpler roundabout, essentially there to provide the slip roads onto and off the M4. So, we have the two sets of slip roads and the dual carriageway through Malpas into Newport. Simple enough and again, well defined lane markings that are clearly visible.
I want to turn right at this island and go west on the M4 to junction 28, so, as the lane markings tell me, I get in the right hand land which is clearly marked straight on and right. The left hand lane is marked left and straight on. See that subtle difference… LEFT and straight on Vs. RIGHT and straight on. Nowhere in the left hand lane does it say LEFT, straight on AND RIGHT. So why is it that tosspots insist on going down the left hand lane and then turning right on to the westbound M4, cutting those of us who use the correct lane up in the process. ARGH!!!! Again, I’ve come to the conclusion the reason they do it, is simply because they don’t want to wait in the queue like the rest of us.
I’ve calmed down an awful lot of late and no longer find myself getting really angry at the average idiot on the road since I have come to realise that that idiot could just as easily have been me… lost, struggling with directions, unfamiliar route… but these people who choose not to follow simple lane markings when travelling at peak times… ARGH!!!! They do it every bloody day so its shere bloody mindedness on their part… its almost like they’re giving you a big up yours as you drive past.
People are penalised for box junction abuse… its about time that persistent offenders got penalised for lane abuse.
