Brimstone wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 15 Jan 2005:


What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working perfectly well
elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of the UK are in some way less
intelligent or able to to adapt than the people of Holland? Or are you in
favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the Nursery.


I haven't quite worked out whether this scheme will also involve
removing the street lights - and if it does, is that not an invitation
to pickpockets, muggers, etc? In which case, pedestrians will probably
avoid the street after dark, thus removing a great deal of the problem
at one swell foop!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 2 January 2005

What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working perfectly well
elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of the UK are in some way less
intelligent or able to to adapt than the people of Holland? Or are you in
favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the Nursery.


Has any consideration been given to the blind or those who are genuinely
mentally less alert than some of us?

Talk about "nanny" and the rest is all a good headline-grabbing soundbite, but
let's deal with the reality, and not the fantasy of urban designers and others
who simply make their money out of "novelty" and "change for change's sake".

" Or are you in
favour of further dumbing down?"

I am simply in favour of what works: properly defined kerbs work, ill-defined
kerbs don't.

Marc.

"Brimstone" wrote in message
...

"Mait001" wrote in message
...
AIUI the whole point is to force both pedestrians and drivers to switch
their brains on. That can only be good can't it?



Sadly, increasing numbers of both appear to have no brains to switch on,
and
the 2 forms of traffic (foot and wheeled) need to be kept apart by as
sensible
means as possible. This has been, for about a Century (or longer in some
places) by means of kerb and bollards. Why reinvent the wheel now?

Pedestrians and drivers need to know their demarcation: pedestrians on
the
pavement, vehicles on the road. Simple. Straightforward. Each knows where
he
can and can't (or shouldn't) go. Why make life impossibly difficult for
all
those that are too stupid to make these decisions for themselves?

In an age of dumbing-down, this invention of "choice" seems a retrograde
step,
and will inevitably lead to those incapable of making the right choice to
make
the wrong one.


What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working perfectly
well elsewhere?

Cos it's apparently going to cost them a million quid to implement.

It's what the lady on the London news said.

tim


Are you suggesting that the people of the UK are in some way less
intelligent or able to to adapt than the people of Holland? Or are you in
favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the Nursery.

wrote:
What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working
perfectly well elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of the
UK are in some way less intelligent or able to to adapt than the
people of Holland? Or are you in favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the
Nursery.

This works fine in rural parts of Britan where the councils have
neither the need nor the money to put extra signs and footpaths in.
The differennce between rural Britain and London is that in London
there is a lot more traffic, drivers are often stressed and the
driving style is completely different.

It works perfectly well in Holland.

As someone with experience of
living in both London and a small rural village I beleive I can make
this comment.

I too have lived not only in London and a small village, but in a number of
other towns and cities in England and have travelled most of mainland UK and
quite a few of the smaller islands as well, plus continental Europe and in
Canada. Many other contributors to this NG have also lived and driven in
many different places.

The essential problem in the UK is that people are told what to do all the
time, what to expect etc so they tend to switch off. If all these signs and
demarcations between different types of traffic are removed then people will
have to switch on and pay attention to what's going on around them.


Also, there are some very old trees growing out of the footpaths on
Exhibition Road - are they going to be left there when the footpath
becomes the road?

You'll have to ask the local authority.

Brimstone wrote:
wrote:
What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working
perfectly well elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of
the
UK are in some way less intelligent or able to to adapt than the
people of Holland? Or are you in favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the
Nursery.

This works fine in rural parts of Britan where the councils have
neither the need nor the money to put extra signs and footpaths in.
The differennce between rural Britain and London is that in London
there is a lot more traffic, drivers are often stressed and the
driving style is completely different.

It works perfectly well in Holland.

I didn't dispute this point. I made the point that London drivers have
a unique driving style which will not fit in well with this idea.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Brimstone wrote:
wrote:
What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working
perfectly well elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of
the
UK are in some way less intelligent or able to to adapt than the
people of Holland? Or are you in favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the
Nursery.

This works fine in rural parts of Britan where the councils have
neither the need nor the money to put extra signs and footpaths in.
The differennce between rural Britain and London is that in London
there is a lot more traffic, drivers are often stressed and the
driving style is completely different.

It works perfectly well in Holland.

I didn't dispute this point. I made the point that London drivers have
a unique driving style which will not fit in well with this idea.


Are there not already pedestrian street in London? If not London drivers
will have to adapt.

Mrs Redboots wrote:
Brimstone wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 15 Jan 2005:


What is the point in arguing against a scheme that is working
perfectly well elsewhere? Are you suggesting that the people of the
UK are in some way less intelligent or able to to adapt than the
people of Holland? Or are you in favour of further dumbing down?

Look upon this as a first step in despatching Nanny back to the
Nursery.


I haven't quite worked out whether this scheme will also involve
removing the street lights - and if it does, is that not an invitation
to pickpockets, muggers, etc? In which case, pedestrians will
probably avoid the street after dark, thus removing a great deal of
the problem
at one swell foop!

My impression is that it is not total mushroom (street) management.

I heard from a reliable source that there are a group of RAA students who are planning to take the 'Naked Road' notion to what they believe to be its natural conclusion. Their idea is to appear on the street at some point with no clothes on, armed only with easels on which to paint still life... . . Nice idea. Look forward to seeing it .. . if they can find anything still to paint on Exhibition Road.