The chaos round town caused by inconsiderate motorists is nothing when compared to the Tesco car park. Were it a council car park, someone would've designed far fewer spaces. Were it a council car park, by now someone would've written indignantly to the newspaper. But it seems it's only the council that's fair game. Everywhere else, we accept what we're given.
On Saturday, some woman in a black car stopped in the midst of a very busy morning for a long chat with a trolley-pushing man. Down came her window and, preoccupied, she was totally oblivious to her surroundings. The volume of traffic meant that the car park actually seized up. Incoming traffic could not gain access to any of the spaces because of the queue behind the natterer. Stalemate ahead of and behind her. The queue built up inside around the corner and at the entrance, in the opposite direction. Lôn Parcwr halted. Traffic from the so-called Briec (Station Yard) roundabout had to wait for queuing cars from the Glasdir direction to clear, before entering. This sort of thing happens every single Saturday and no doubt at other busy times.
On this occasion, the woman might've been the catalyst but the reason for the gridlock was substandard design. The ratio between store size and car park simply doesn't take spikes in demand into account. These peaks aren't just at Christmas and Easter. They occur frequently.
It's one thing maximising parking space but quite another doing so by putting people at risk. The nature of the car park is such that there are ill-defined and insufficient safe walking areas for people with loaded, wayward, erratic trolleys; and insufficient space to park the trolley in the carriageway while loading the car. The whole situation is a bit of a melee that simply wouldn't be tolerated in public spaces. This is less of a problem for agile people and more of a worry for older people and youngsters.
Meanwhile, increasing numbers are finding their own solution. Visible more so when damp, there's a defined track over the grass in a straight line from Tesco to the free craft centre car park. People may not be willing to walk far in town but some are happy to cross the road to the craft centre, especially if they haven't trolley loads. And on Saturday morning, at least one motorist had given up and was parking opposite the bus stop on Lôn Parcwr itself, facing Glasdir, causing yet more confusion. Not seen anyone do that, before. Another solution is simply to try the Co-op.
Not that the craft centre is immune from silly parking. Though spaces may abound, how often do we see lazy, inconsiderate motorists parking on the lighter, pedestrian pathways? Again, no problem for the nimble, but what about wheelchairs and buggies?
Motorists appear to be their own worse enemies. Just please make sure the roads and car parks are clear so I can manoeuvre my Jag when I need to. It's a big car and I need the space. Thank you.
On Saturday, some woman in a black car stopped in the midst of a very busy morning for a long chat with a trolley-pushing man. Down came her window and, preoccupied, she was totally oblivious to her surroundings. The volume of traffic meant that the car park actually seized up. Incoming traffic could not gain access to any of the spaces because of the queue behind the natterer. Stalemate ahead of and behind her. The queue built up inside around the corner and at the entrance, in the opposite direction. Lôn Parcwr halted. Traffic from the so-called Briec (Station Yard) roundabout had to wait for queuing cars from the Glasdir direction to clear, before entering. This sort of thing happens every single Saturday and no doubt at other busy times.
On this occasion, the woman might've been the catalyst but the reason for the gridlock was substandard design. The ratio between store size and car park simply doesn't take spikes in demand into account. These peaks aren't just at Christmas and Easter. They occur frequently.
It's one thing maximising parking space but quite another doing so by putting people at risk. The nature of the car park is such that there are ill-defined and insufficient safe walking areas for people with loaded, wayward, erratic trolleys; and insufficient space to park the trolley in the carriageway while loading the car. The whole situation is a bit of a melee that simply wouldn't be tolerated in public spaces. This is less of a problem for agile people and more of a worry for older people and youngsters.
Meanwhile, increasing numbers are finding their own solution. Visible more so when damp, there's a defined track over the grass in a straight line from Tesco to the free craft centre car park. People may not be willing to walk far in town but some are happy to cross the road to the craft centre, especially if they haven't trolley loads. And on Saturday morning, at least one motorist had given up and was parking opposite the bus stop on Lôn Parcwr itself, facing Glasdir, causing yet more confusion. Not seen anyone do that, before. Another solution is simply to try the Co-op.
Not that the craft centre is immune from silly parking. Though spaces may abound, how often do we see lazy, inconsiderate motorists parking on the lighter, pedestrian pathways? Again, no problem for the nimble, but what about wheelchairs and buggies?
Motorists appear to be their own worse enemies. Just please make sure the roads and car parks are clear so I can manoeuvre my Jag when I need to. It's a big car and I need the space. Thank you.