Conversations at a crossing
The worse traffic signals at a road crossing I know can be found in the suburban village of Bramhall, close to the TudoRama headquarters in Woodford. The signals are cruelly in favour of cars over pedestrians. Green crossing lights are as rare as Liverpool football supporters.
Throughout the day, the queues of citizens wait for the red light to change to green at the curb side. The anger often morphs into mindless acceptance of the delays as motor traffic sweeps past unhindered.
if there was a Guinness record for delayed road crossings, the Bramhall entry would win against all-comers.
Picture the scene. As I approach along Bramhall Road South today, i join the end of a queue hurrying across on a rare green light at the infamous pedestrian crossing. Part of the malevolence of the system is its tendency to leave insufficient time for the entire queue to crossInevitably, the lights change to red just as I am about to step forward.
There is frantic rush against the lights past me led by a lady in an invalid car, and a mother pushing a pram at a dangerous speed.
I stop behind these understandably frustrated lawbreakers, resisting their understandable natural urge to cross against the lights. Often someone attempting this, ends up not safely across at the fresh fruit shop, but in Stepping Hill A&E department ...
