Regulations Myths

[ebee]

Fair enough. I did say "in most cases" and I still think such a situation is pretty unusual. I've certainly come across a good few situations in which a plug could not be removed without moving furniture, but in 'most' of them one would also have had to move furniture to get to the switch.

Yes John in most cases you are correct but there are also quite a lot of instances were sockets are not easy to get at and far easier to switch off so to a lot of people in a lot of situations it becomes a common option in a lot of situations.
If all sockets were DP switched it would tend to cater for this not unlikely trend.

The problem is human nature, if something better costs a little extra then lots of folk will not pay the extra to have a socket moved or added to a more convenient place for ease of use and that`s before they consider damage to decor.

One example of human nature triumphing over common sense and logic (and this infuriates me a bit) near where I live is a short dtretch of dual carriageway leading to a simple large roundabout. One left exit, dual forward exit and dual right exit directly to the start of the motorway.
The signs and road markings all showed left hand lane to go left or forward, right hand lane to go right to motorway , simple safe logical, in my opinion ideal.
Over the years the police ran many checks each year to catch the growing trends of many motorists using the left hand lane to make the right hand exit onto the motorway, simple madness in my opinion of a few but growing number of impatient motorists waiting to gain a few seconds on their journey to the motorway.
The checks and penalties did not discourage enough folk apparently.
So instead of greater time on checks and penalties to discourage many more folk, what did they do?
Changed the markings and signs to make the left hand lane approach a permit entry to the roundabout to go to the right hand exit to the motorway.
There are still quite a few "cut ups" and "iffy situations" occurring with this more recent change but perhaps the number of near misses has been halved from its previous position.
I view it as bowing to the will of idiots, if folk will not obey the law we change the law instead of enforce the law sort of ideology.
Madness? yes in my humble opinion! Idiosyncrasy wins over common sense?

Will folk unplug a socket if it`s easier to switch the socket off? Often not!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The signs and road markings all showed left hand lane to go left or forward, right hand lane to go right to motorway , simple safe logical, in my opinion ideal.
Over the years the police ran many checks each year to catch the growing trends of many motorists using the left hand lane to make the right hand exit onto the motorway, simple

Happened to me, similar layout at a roundabout. Left lane for left, either lane for straight-ahead, right lane only for turning right. All very clearly marked. I was 'making progress', entering in right lane, to go straight across. Slow driver in left lane, drove into the side of me, as I was trying to exit. I managed to mostly avoid him, but he took my nearside mirror off. He stopped, I stopped along side the road about, and began making my way over to have words with him, him 50 yards down the road. Before I could get to him, he took off at speed. My camera had caught his reg number, I reported it to the police. The police were unable to track him down, the car had no tax, no insurance, no MOT. The driver likely had no licence either, and looked like an immigrant. Cost me £400, for a new mirror.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes John in most cases you are correct but there are also quite a lot of instances were sockets are not easy to get at and far easier to switch off so to a lot of people in a lot of situations it becomes a common option in a lot of situations. ... If all sockets were DP switched it would tend to cater for this not unlikely trend.

Fair enough - but to keep this in perspective, even if that situation exists and the switch is only SP, then one has to scrape the barrel quite deeply for situations in which that would be 'an issue' (or 'danger') - so, as with so many things, 'extremely improbable'

 

[ericmark]

Oh, that brings back memories of learning to drive a HGV. "At roundabout ahead, turn right" followed by "straddle lanes you will not get this around in right-hand lane" so next roundabout "At roundabout ahead, turn right" followed by "Right-hand lanes to turn right, this roundabout is bigger" it did seem what ever I did was wrong, but I did pass, but medicals too expensive so let it drop.

I also remember driving my car onto the centre of a roundabout, we were setting up lights for police, so all above board, but I could see one PC running towards me, and those behind him who knew me, indicating I should wind him up.

And one motorway roundabout had a water pumping station in the middle of the roundabout. All good fun.