A day in the life of the A23/27

[ironictwist]

This morning I notice it's busier than normal @ 8:20 when passing Devils Dyke for the A23 turn off, it's as if theres been an accident, go over the hill, come down the other side (very very slowly), avoiding everyone criss crossing as the Devils Dyke slip road + A27 meet. Odd! But it happens occasionaly. No obvious hold up either, so I crawl down the A23 slip road, occasionaly stopping or toddling along @ 1mph. Very odd!

Come round the bend to see the A23 before me, oh look, nothing to hold us up, so why is everyone going so slowly?!

Go along a little further, see flashing lights in the other lane, something overturned. But what i just COULD NOT BELIEVE. Everyone, in all 3 lanes along the A23 heading out of Brighton, SLOWING DOWN to rubber neck & see exactly what went on, people slowing down to a crawl, have a look, then carry on. Christ almighty, the sheer numptyness of it all astounded me!

So i then proceeded to undertake everyone in attempt to avoid said numptys & continue on my way so i didn't contribute to the backlog building as the slip road meets the '23.

Eurgh! Why would you DELIBERATELY SLOW DOWN?!

<rant over>

Oh also, unlucky to any folks that got stuck in tailback, looked like it stretched quite a LONG way.

=

Journey home this time round! A27, just before the Devils Dyke turnoff this time, @ around 8:15pm heading home towards Worthing. What looks like a Mazda RX8 being doused by firefighters, looked as though something in the engine bay had caught fire as the whole front was pretty shagged from fire, huge plumes of smoke covering both sides of the carriageway.

If by some miracle the owner is on here, I hope you're ok :|




...& before anyone says anything, I did NOT slow to a crawl to have a gander @ the RX8

Edited by ironictwist on Wednesday 2nd July 23:13

[LukeBird]

I'm so glad I don't commute at 'normal' times now!
All that joyous fun can be left for others!

Although commuting over Devils Dyke isn't so bad!
I do try and take in a blast through Lyndhurst every now and then for work, fantastic roads that are empty!
That and I can slow down through the town and drool at the Ferrari/Maserati dealer!

[normalbloke]

You mentioned numpty then went on to write this....

"So i then proceeded to undertake everyone"

[GTWayne]

I must be lucky then, I NEVER seem to get held up anywhere I go and if I do it is not for long. Mind you, I am off to Norfolk this evening and now that I have stated the facts above I am BOUND to get some greif, but I have said it now, so lets see.

Undertaking does seem to be a necessity nowadays and in certain circumstances I think that it has become more acceptable but because it states in the High Way code that it is a no no, it will be a long time before, and in deed if ever, it is an acceptable way to drive.

[FUBAR]

I got caught in that yesterday morning. Typical, only day I 'had' to be in Brighton for a 9am meeting!

I 'luckily' hit the back of the A23 tailback right next to the 'on ramp' from Albourne, so (along with a couple of others who followed me) I went (slowly) up the on ramp the wrong way and headed off towards Devil's Dyke with a smug grin on my face....to run into another tailback starting almost at the Poynings roundabout all the way to the top of Dyke Rd Avenue

Apparantly the problem was a mahoosive great big tractor squished a transit van. All a bit messy so Im told

Edited by FUBAR on Thursday 3rd July 16:06

[FUBAR]

ETA: Highway Code ruling 163

"stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left "

[Red Firecracker]

It's a lovely junction for the mouth breathers doing their morning commute that one. I fail to understand their almost pathological insistence that they MUST join the back of the queue to the A23, even if it means cutting across the hatch marking's ONTO the slip road from the Dyke, when there are ample gaps to filter into further down the hill.

The Mazda was being shoved onto a trailer when I went past at about 9:30. Didn't look well at all.

[normalbloke]

FUBAR said:

ETA: Highway Code ruling 163

"stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left "

So you'll also be familiar with rule 267,which clearly states that you should overtake ONLY on the right.

Moving to the left to make progress is very different to queuing lanes moving at varying speeds.

Have fun

[GTWayne]

Let us not forget the recommended braking distances either as fortunately technology has been somewhat stunted since the advent of the faithful old HWC and so it is as relevant now as it ever was, NOT!

[minimatt1967]

LukeBird said:

I do try and take in a blast through Lyndhurst every now and then for work, fantastic roads that are empty! That and I can slow down through the town and drool at the Ferrari/Maserati dealer!

I do love it on the way out of Lyndhurst, the A35, time it right and the ovetaking opportunities are almost limit-less oooo Meridien sooo much good stuff

Edited by minimatt1967 on Thursday 3rd July 19:20

[FUBAR]

normalbloke said:

FUBAR said:

ETA: Highway Code ruling 163

"stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left "

So you'll also be familiar with rule 267,which clearly states that you should overtake ONLY on the right.

Moving to the left to make progress is very different to queuing lanes moving at varying speeds.

Have fun

Yes, but the OP said the outside lanes had slowed to a crawl. The inside lane was moving faster. So the ruling states he can undertake (if in flow of traffic)

Dont get me wrong, I cant stand the idiots who undertake dangerously, at speed, because they are aholes.

163 and 263 contradict each other as far as I can tell.

I always have fun.

[ironictwist]

normalbloke said:

You mentioned numpty then went on to write this....

"So i then proceeded to undertake everyone"

I know what you're saying, my post wreaks of hypocrisy.

Despite that, if you were in my shoes (bearing in mind you weren't there of course), what do you think you would have done?

Join the chaos in lane 2/3 & put up with mass braking so people can rubber neck or drift past in Lane 1 so you avoid the potential carnage Food for thought!

[ironictwist]

Red Firecracker said:

It's a lovely junction for the mouth breathers doing their morning commute that one. I fail to understand their almost pathological insistence that they MUST join the back of the queue to the A23, even if it means cutting across the hatch marking's ONTO the slip road from the Dyke, when there are ample gaps to filter into further down the hill.

The Mazda was being shoved onto a trailer when I went past at about 9:30. Didn't look well at all.

Oh tell me about. The lunacy of some people who try and get onto the slip road & cause so many near misses as they try and nab a spot is quite something. How in the name of all thats holy do people not realise the effect theyre having on the traffic behind them.

Just loco!