Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Owain
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Owain »

EpicChef wrote: Wed Jun 20, 2018 20:31Another thing, with END or NSL there should be a message after particularly bad traffic saying "THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE" which fits perfectly onto an MS3 or MS4 display with 2 lines and 13 characters on each line (I counted the matrices on the MS3s.)
But most people ignore the advisory speed limits put up on VMS displays, so it's hardly appropriate to thank them for their non-compliance.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Owain wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 19:24
EpicChef wrote: Wed Jun 20, 2018 20:31Another thing, with END or NSL there should be a message after particularly bad traffic saying "THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE" which fits perfectly onto an MS3 or MS4 display with 2 lines and 13 characters on each line (I counted the matrices on the MS3s.)
But most people ignore the advisory speed limits put up on VMS displays, so it's hardly appropriate to thank them for their non-compliance.
THANKS FOR NOTHING MATE! might fit the bill then.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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crb11 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 21:13
Owain wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 19:24
EpicChef wrote: Wed Jun 20, 2018 20:31Another thing, with END or NSL there should be a message after particularly bad traffic saying "THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE" which fits perfectly onto an MS3 or MS4 display with 2 lines and 13 characters on each line (I counted the matrices on the MS3s.)
But most people ignore the advisory speed limits put up on VMS displays, so it's hardly appropriate to thank them for their non-compliance.
THANKS FOR NOTHING MATE! might fit the bill then.
Back before the enforcement came in, during a filter lane breakdown closure at Meadowhall on the M1, the VMS read "RED X MEANS LANE CLOSED." I detected a hint of controller snark in those orange letters - directed at all the European lorries slamming the anchors on to avoid bulldozing the police car in the carriageway. "Thanks for nothing" after the closure probably would have been very well deserved.
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Owain
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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crb11 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 21:13
Owain wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 19:24
EpicChef wrote: Wed Jun 20, 2018 20:31Another thing, with END or NSL there should be a message after particularly bad traffic saying "THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE" which fits perfectly onto an MS3 or MS4 display with 2 lines and 13 characters on each line (I counted the matrices on the MS3s.)
But most people ignore the advisory speed limits put up on VMS displays, so it's hardly appropriate to thank them for their non-compliance.
THANKS FOR NOTHING MATE! might fit the bill then.
:laugh: Perhaps we need announcements more in keeping with London Underground announcements I've heard, such as 'STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS DOES NOT MEAN THROW YOURSELF HEADLONG AT THE DOORS IN A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO BOARD THE TRAIN", and "YOU WITH THE RED COAT: WHAT PART OF THE PHRASE 'STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS' DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

Maybe:

- "WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SLOW DOWN SO THAT YOU DON'T REAR-END THE COW THAT'S STANDING ON THE CARRIAGEWAY"

- "DO YOU REALLY WANT YOUR BRAND-NEW AUDI TO HIT THE SHED LOAD COVERING LANES 2 AND 3?"

- "CAN'T YOU SEE THERE'S STANDING WATER?"

- "REG AB12XYZ - STOP DRIVING LIKE A MORON"

- "TAILGATING IS FOR *insert chosen insult*"
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Owain wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 14:37
crb11 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 21:13
Owain wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 19:24

But most people ignore the advisory speed limits put up on VMS displays, so it's hardly appropriate to thank them for their non-compliance.
THANKS FOR NOTHING MATE! might fit the bill then.
:laugh: Perhaps we need announcements more in keeping with London Underground announcements I've heard, such as 'STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS DOES NOT MEAN THROW YOURSELF HEADLONG AT THE DOORS IN A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO BOARD THE TRAIN", and "YOU WITH THE RED COAT: WHAT PART OF THE PHRASE 'STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS' DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

Maybe:

- "WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SLOW DOWN SO THAT YOU DON'T REAR-END THE COW THAT'S STANDING ON THE CARRIAGEWAY"

- "DO YOU REALLY WANT YOUR BRAND-NEW AUDI TO HIT THE SHED LOAD COVERING LANES 2 AND 3?"


- "CAN'T YOU SEE THERE'S STANDING WATER?"

- "REG AB12XYZ - STOP DRIVING LIKE A MORON"

- "TAILGATING IS FOR *insert chosen insult*"
Oh the London Underground.
"Please stand clear of the closing doors"
[doors close, and promptly reopen because someone wasn't standing clear]
"PLEASE stand clear of the closing doors. They're closing... now."
[doors close and reopen again]
"The doors are the big red slidey things on the side of the train that open and close. Repeatedly."
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Owain »

Temporary VMS on an A road in Bradford this afternoon: "Come on England!"

Now, I don't give a fig about football, but it made me smile. We need more of this kind of thing.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Fenlander »

The train information boards at Peterborough had it as the 2nd line of info on their displays the other day.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Saw one of those saying something about a closure on the M11 on the A1, in North Yorkshire. On one of my UK visits, a few years ago that was.
I fail to see why. Are most A1 drivers in that area bound for the M11? I shouldn’t think so.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:57 Saw one of those saying something about a closure on the M11 on the A1, in North Yorkshire. On one of my UK visits, a few years ago that was.
I fail to see why. Are most A1 drivers in that area bound for the M11? I shouldn’t think so.
Actually, a lot of traffic heading for the SE and the channel ports would use A1/A14/M11.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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nowster wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:15
1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:57 Saw one of those saying something about a closure on the M11 on the A1, in North Yorkshire. On one of my UK visits, a few years ago that was.
I fail to see why. Are most A1 drivers in that area bound for the M11? I shouldn’t think so.
Actually, a lot of traffic heading for the SE and the channel ports would use A1/A14/M11.
They would.
But I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much of that traffic on the A1 in Yorkshire.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by Herned »

1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:21 They would.
But I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much of that traffic on the A1 in Yorkshire.
Probably not, but putting a message there would give any traffic the opportunity to go down the M1 instead and avoid sending more traffic through the dodgy southern bits of the A1
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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A1/M11 or M1 from the split in Yorkshire are common alternatives to the South East. If one of them has a problem it is normal to sign it there. The downside is that it is several hours away and there doesn't seem to be decision making on whether it is likely to have cleared by the time you get there.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Herned wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 14:53
1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:21 They would.
But I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much of that traffic on the A1 in Yorkshire.
Probably not, but putting a message there would give any traffic the opportunity to go down the M1 instead and avoid sending more traffic through the dodgy southern bits of the A1
I live in Leeds:

- if I am driving to Stansted Airport or Dover/Folkestone, I will use A1-M11 to get there (passing to the east of London)

- if I am driving to Kew or to Gatwick Airport, I will use M1 (passing London to the west)

If my chosen route is affected, I will use the other one, and it is useful to be given advance warning before I'm committed.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by crb11 »

1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:57 Saw one of those saying something about a closure on the M11 on the A1, in North Yorkshire. On one of my UK visits, a few years ago that was.
I fail to see why. Are most A1 drivers in that area bound for the M11? I shouldn’t think so.
In return, the M11 gets signage about closures in Yorkshire - I've seen a couple west of Cambridge referring to the Blyth/M18 stretch. Helpful for the reasons suggested, but on one occasion the A14 was closed from Girton east and it would have been nice to have been told about that as well!
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Owain wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 15:46
Herned wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 14:53
1971-Chris wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:21 They would.
But I wouldn’t have thought there’d be much of that traffic on the A1 in Yorkshire.
Probably not, but putting a message there would give any traffic the opportunity to go down the M1 instead and avoid sending more traffic through the dodgy southern bits of the A1
I live in Leeds:

- if I am driving to Stansted Airport or Dover/Folkestone, I will use A1-M11 to get there (passing to the east of London)

- if I am driving to Kew or to Gatwick Airport, I will use M1 (passing London to the west)

If my chosen route is affected, I will use the other one, and it is useful to be given advance warning before I'm committed.
Unless it's way off, I would use M1, even for Stansted and the like. The reason being that we can sail down the ALR on the M1 and then sail down the ALR on the M25 instead of negotiating A roads which is painful.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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EpicChef wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:03 Unless it's way off, I would use M1, even for Stansted and the like. The reason being that we can sail down the ALR on the M1 and then sail down the ALR on the M25 instead of negotiating A roads which is painful.
While I knew that you liked looking at matrix signs, you must really like them if you're willing to significantly extend your journey time so you can experience a very unreliable M25 instead of an unreliable A14.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Johnathan404 wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:14
EpicChef wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:03 Unless it's way off, I would use M1, even for Stansted and the like. The reason being that we can sail down the ALR on the M1 and then sail down the ALR on the M25 instead of negotiating A roads which is painful.
While I knew that you liked looking at matrix signs, you must really like them if you're willing to significantly extend your journey time so you can experience a very unreliable M25 instead of an unreliable A14.
Most of the M1 is now so-called 'smart' motorway. I've seen at least five cars get zapped by the new-style speed cameras in the past few weeks, and on a couple of occasions I'm sure it happened when the variable speed limit function was switched to NSL. One even zapped me when I was coasting at about 63 when the signs showed 60 (although I haven't received a ticket).

There are no speed cameras on either the A1, A1(M), or the M11.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Fenlander wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 10:13 The train information boards at Peterborough had it as the 2nd line of info on their displays the other day.
At Selby station yesterday, on the platform indicator, one of the trains to Hull was given the additional note
"It's going Hull, it's going Hull
It's going ... Choo choo's going Hull"

While I detest everything about footballism, that one made me chuckle!
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

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Johnathan404 wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:14
EpicChef wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:03 Unless it's way off, I would use M1, even for Stansted and the like. The reason being that we can sail down the ALR on the M1 and then sail down the ALR on the M25 instead of negotiating A roads which is painful.
While I knew that you liked looking at matrix signs, you must really like them if you're willing to significantly extend your journey time so you can experience a very unreliable M25 instead of an unreliable A14.
Well I do like MS4 signs but I’m not so excited I would extend a long journey. I’m just not used to the A14, while I know that part of the M25 like the back of my hand (I live near J23) and anyway it would be down to the traffic. But if the traffic was good and there was no difference in journey time the motorway route seems more practical than the A road route.
Plus I believe in smart motorways’ ability to reduce journey times.
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Re: Pointless motorway overhead messages

Post by ManomayLR »

Johnathan404 wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:14
EpicChef wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 20:03 Unless it's way off, I would use M1, even for Stansted and the like. The reason being that we can sail down the ALR on the M1 and then sail down the ALR on the M25 instead of negotiating A roads which is painful.
While I knew that you liked looking at matrix signs, you must really like them if you're willing to significantly extend your journey time so you can experience a very unreliable M25 instead of an unreliable A14.
And how do you know I like MS4 signs? I’m surprised cus you’re dead right!
MS3s not so much.
Though roads may not put a smile on everyone's face, there is one road that always will: the road to home.
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