Scottish Infrastructure

[Abdul_Latif]

SNP taking a fair bit of heat this morning about the A9 fatality figures for this year.

13 fatalities, which is the highest number since 2010.

No chance they are meeting their promise of dualing Perth to Inverness by 2025, as they are only 11 miles completed of 77.

Should be a resignation job for Jenny Gilruth, but also begs the question of what needs done in the short term?

I drive the Perth to Inverness section a couple of times a month and one small change I don’t think would impact motorists too much, but improve safety is a total ban on overtaking on single carriageways.

A little extra time on your journey for others safety is a small price to pay.

 

 

[welshbairn]

I find the road between Elgin and Fochabers on the A96 confusing, it keeps changing from single lane to dual and it's not always immediately clear which. Nearly shat myself the other day thinking I'd pass a lorry on the outside lane when a car appeared in the other direction. There's the odd bit on the A9 like that too.

[Todd_is_God]

5 hours ago, Abdul_Latif said:

SNP taking a fair bit of heat this morning about the A9 fatality figures for this year.

13 fatalities, which is the highest number since 2010.

No chance they are meeting their promise of dualing Perth to Inverness by 2025, as they are only 11 miles completed of 77.

Should be a resignation job for Jenny Gilruth, but also begs the question of what needs done in the short term?

I drive the Perth to Inverness section a couple of times a month and one small change I don’t think would impact motorists too much, but improve safety is a total ban on overtaking on single carriageways.

A little extra time on your journey for others safety is a small price to pay.

Absolutely f**k that. Unless you are planning on banning slow moving vehicles from the road.

[Abdul_Latif]

8 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

Absolutely f**k that. Unless you are planning on banning slow moving vehicles from the road.

To be clear I only meant on the A9 as a temporary measure till it’s all dualed.

You’re never that far (10 miles or so) from a passing section or a stretch of dual carriageway, so a few more added would make a big difference.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Abdul_Latif

[Todd_is_God]

3 minutes ago, Abdul_Latif said:

To be clear I only meant on the A9 as a temporary measure till it’s all dualed.

You’re never that far (10 miles or so) from a passing section or a stretch of dual carriageway.

Right, that's a bit different to what I thought you meant!

[ICTChris]

On 12/05/2022 at 08:51, ICTChris said:

Not sure this is entirely infrastructure related but thought it fitted. Slovak questions after watching a video about American suburbia.

Britain isn’t quite like this (yet) but I see a lot of similarities in big identikit new build estates.

Of course, the States has all sorts of reasons for developing in the way it has but thought it was interesting. Particularly interesting to me is the demand for a garden featuring fake grass, a patio heater and a hot tub, which some people seem to really like but to me is just a sterile waste ground.

Good article about how awful plastic grass is

https://himbonomics.substack.com/p/artificial-lawns-the-devils-carpet

 

[MazzyStar]

Himbonomics 

[highlandcowden]

On 05/12/2022 at 16:13, Abdul_Latif said:

To be clear I only meant on the A9 as a temporary measure till it’s all dualed.

You’re never that far (10 miles or so) from a passing section or a stretch of dual carriageway, so a few more added would make a big difference.

It's still a crap idea.if you want to ban overtaking on single carriageway roads do it everywhere please,not just for us teuchters

 

 

[welshbairn]

On 12/05/2022 at 08:51, ICTChris said:

Not sure this is entirely infrastructure related but thought it fitted. Slovak questions after watching a video about American suburbia.

Britain isn’t quite like this (yet) but I see a lot of similarities in big identikit new build estates.

Of course, the States has all sorts of reasons for developing in the way it has but thought it was interesting. Particularly interesting to me is the demand for a garden featuring fake grass, a patio heater and a hot tub, which some people seem to really like but to me is just a sterile waste ground.

I remember spending time in a place on the coast near Savannah where the temperature was 25c in November with a steady breeze but nobody hung their laundry outside to dry when it would be quicker than in a machine, and free. 

[hk blues]

10 hours ago, highlandcowden said:

It's still a crap idea.if you want to ban overtaking on single carriageway roads do it everywhere please,not just for us teuchters

 

 

At first read I thought that said teachers, and I was thinking bloody typical!

[Jimmy Shaker]

On 05/12/2022 at 13:35, welshbairn said:

I find the road between Elgin and Fochabers on the A96 confusing, it keeps changing from single lane to dual and it's not always immediately clear which. Nearly shat myself the other day thinking I'd pass a lorry on the outside lane when a car appeared in the other direction. There's the odd bit on the A9 like that too.

Lulwot. 

[RiG]

On 05/12/2022 at 13:35, welshbairn said:

I find the road between Elgin and Fochabers on the A96 confusing, it keeps changing from single lane to dual and it's not always immediately clear which. Nearly shat myself the other day thinking I'd pass a lorry on the outside lane when a car appeared in the other direction. There's the odd bit on the A9 like that too.

There are no stretches of dual carriageway on that stretch of the A96. There are some stupidly short crawler lanes but this isn't dual carriageway.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Shaker said:

Lulwot. 

 

1 hour ago, RiG said:

There are no stretches of dual carriageway on that stretch of the A96. There are some stupidly short crawler lanes but this isn't dual carriageway.

A traffic cop on the news the other day said it's a major cause of deaths on the A9.

Edited December 10, 2022 by welshbairn

[Todd_is_God]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

A traffic cop on the news the other day said it's a major cause of deaths on the A9.

A dual carriageway has a central reservation. The dual carriageways on the A9 are clearly defined. There is a part where you cannot see the other carriageway and could perhaps mistake it for a single carriageway if you weren't paying attention, but not the other way round.

If you genuinely cannot tell when a dual carriageway begins and ends maybe you should give serious thought to your fitness to drive.

[welshbairn]

17 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

A dual carriageway has a central reservation. The dual carriageways on the A9 are clearly defined. There is a part where you cannot see the other carriageway and could perhaps mistake it for a single carriageway if you weren't paying attention, but not the other way round.

If you genuinely cannot tell when a dual carriageway begins and ends maybe you should give serious thought to your fitness to drive.

I didn't mention dual carriageways, I was mainly talking about overtaking sections. There are roundabouts on the A96 where the entrance to a dual laned  section looks nearly the same as the entrance to a single laned section at the next roundabout.

Edited December 10, 2022 by welshbairn

[Hillonearth]

On 09/12/2022 at 10:59, ICTChris said:

Good article about how awful plastic grass is

https://himbonomics.substack.com/p/artificial-lawns-the-devils-carpet

 

American subdivision housing has got to be the most sterile environment on the planet...a lot of the areas have comprehensive rulebooks on what you can and can't do with your own property, so it encourages uniformity and conformity....people end up not wanting to rock the boat or fall foul of neighbourhood committees who seem to have a lot more power than anything similar would here.

It's almost devoid of wildlife too - I remember staying in the Virginia suburbs of DC for a week or two and thinking there was a good chance of seeing a lot of new species of birds to me around where I'd be. Almost f**k all...the odd American robin and a few mockingbirds and mourning doves were about it, and similar kinds of development seemed to stretch for miles.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

Yanks are cranks as I've said a million times. going by the comments of that tweet they seem to associate any business with a potential for crime and just want to live in their little secluded castle away from the rest of the scum, and, as has been mentioned before, alot of suburbia planning and regulations ere founded in racism

There is a bit of that creeping in to Scotland and the UK too tho, not so much the suburban racism part but the way curtain twitching c***s suspiciously view local shops and especially pubs and takeaways as magnets for the dreaded "anti social behavior"  Falkirk council planning department treat new applications for hot food takeaways very stringently and often refuse permission based on objections from residents due to concerns over noise, litter, parking & congestion and you guessed it "anti social behavior"  all of which the owner can do f**k all about

[TxRover]

21 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I remember spending time in a place on the coast near Savannah where the temperature was 25c in November with a steady breeze but nobody hung their laundry outside to dry when it would be quicker than in a machine, and free. 

A lot of American communities have specific covenants in their deeds that prohibit air drying in public view.

11 hours ago, Hillonearth said:

American subdivision housing has got to be the most sterile environment on the planet...a lot of the areas have comprehensive rulebooks on what you can and can't do with your own property, so it encourages uniformity and conformity....people end up not wanting to rock the boat or fall foul of neighbourhood committees who seem to have a lot more power than anything similar would here.

It's almost devoid of wildlife too - I remember staying in the Virginia suburbs of DC for a week or two and thinking there was a good chance of seeing a lot of new species of birds to me around where I'd be. Almost f**k all...the odd American robin and a few mockingbirds and mourning doves were about it, and similar kinds of development seemed to stretch for miles.

Which begs the question, have you lot experienced the joys of Home Owners Associations yet? It’s a feature of many American neighbourhoods whereby restrictions on activities are maintained to “keep up community standards”. The most common problems these little Hitlers have to deal with is people letting their grass get too long, houses painted the wrong colors, roofs replaced with the wrong colour shingles, unapproved building extensions/additions/outbuildings, flying an unapproved flag, etc. Oh, and they charge a monthly, quarterly or yearly fee too. If you fail to comply with their rules or pay their fees, they can legally fine you and eventually lien your house to collect.

I had a run in with them once, they sent me a nasty note about my grass being too tall (it had been raining for a couple of weeks)…except they made a mistake and referenced the rule they said I violated. It turns out that the City I lived in had a contrary restriction with a 6” limit for the grass, and 12” for the occasional seedhead…while the HOA was trying to enforce a flat 5” rule that mentioned the predominant height of the growth. It was a letter about if I didn’t mow it within a week, they would have it mowed for me and I’d be charged the cost of that (about $300 it turns out, what a scam for some landscape company) plus a fine. So I remembered an article about the City passing a new law on grass height, and looked it up, and it specifically preempted all HOA rules in the City. Then I went out and measured my grass, 3-4” high. So, out comes the asshole in me, and I send a note to the HOA Compliance Committee demanding a either a picture of my violation (specified in the HOA Rules they must provide evidence of any violation) or a signed statement by  the complaining Board member…with a CC to the City Enforcement agency and another CC to the local newspaper.

The HOA Committee doubled down and sent a signed statement, which I proceeded to provide to the City Enforcement Board with a complaint that the HOA was attempting to override City laws. The City Board contacted the HOA Committee and threatened legal action if they didn’t get their shit together and they all quit…a small victory, and I moved out a few months later.

Another neighbour had his bushes die during an especially cold winter, and got a nasty note about not maintaining appearances, so he spray painted the dead bushes green, checkmate.

[Newbornbairn]

There's a Hollywood film with Adam Sandler in that 

[HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows]

5 hours ago, TxRover said:

A lot of American communities have specific covenants in their deeds that prohibit air drying in public view.

Which begs the question, have you lot experienced the joys of Home Owners Associations yet? It’s a feature of many American neighbourhoods whereby restrictions on activities are maintained to “keep up community standards”. The most common problems these little Hitlers have to deal with is people letting their grass get too long, houses painted the wrong colors, roofs replaced with the wrong colour shingles, unapproved building extensions/additions/outbuildings, flying an unapproved flag, etc. Oh, and they charge a monthly, quarterly or yearly fee too. If you fail to comply with their rules or pay their fees, they can legally fine you and eventually lien your house to collect.

I had a run in with them once, they sent me a nasty note about my grass being too tall (it had been raining for a couple of weeks)…except they made a mistake and referenced the rule they said I violated. It turns out that the City I lived in had a contrary restriction with a 6” limit for the grass, and 12” for the occasional seedhead…while the HOA was trying to enforce a flat 5” rule that mentioned the predominant height of the growth. It was a letter about if I didn’t mow it within a week, they would have it mowed for me and I’d be charged the cost of that (about $300 it turns out, what a scam for some landscape company) plus a fine. So I remembered an article about the City passing a new law on grass height, and looked it up, and it specifically preempted all HOA rules in the City. Then I went out and measured my grass, 3-4” high. So, out comes the asshole in me, and I send a note to the HOA Compliance Committee demanding a either a picture of my violation (specified in the HOA Rules they must provide evidence of any violation) or a signed statement by  the complaining Board member…with a CC to the City Enforcement agency and another CC to the local newspaper.

The HOA Committee doubled down and sent a signed statement, which I proceeded to provide to the City Enforcement Board with a complaint that the HOA was attempting to override City laws. The City Board contacted the HOA Committee and threatened legal action if they didn’t get their shit together and they all quit…a small victory, and I moved out a few months later.

Another neighbour had his bushes die during an especially cold winter, and got a nasty note about not maintaining appearances, so he spray painted the dead bushes green, checkmate.

This boys documentarys are always pretty good, he talks about the origins of the lawn uniformity in America.