Which Way Would You Go?

[Turvey]

Due to a broken manhole cover this was the scene at a mini-roundabout today! 

Cars and vans etc had no problem passing it on the left but driving an 8 wheeler 32 tonner I would have to either mount the pavement or go to the right of the sign! What would you do?

 

 

[Stoney871]

If it is physically imopssible to pass on the left then your only option is to go right.
Could you even pass on the left to go left?
Going right appears to be the only answer.
You'd cause more dramas if you got stuck, flattened the sign or got a wheel caught in the broken manhole tbh.
Lesser of all evils i think.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[CyprusPluto]

I don't drive such a vehicle, but I'd probably use the other side of the road. Chances are you could take the railings with you if you tried to squeeze past on your side

Is that just around the corner from Lidl?

[Micro]

Chances of the police stopping you for using common sense, or cause a traffic jam? We had to do this at a mini roundabout the other day whilst a van was being recovered as no room to get past the bollard and van / recovery vehicle.

[Turvey]

15 minutes ago, Stoney871 said:

If it is physically imopssible to pass on the left then your only option is to go right.
Could you even pass on the left to go left?
Going right appears to be the only answer.
You'd cause more dramas if you got stuck, flattened the sign or got a wheel caught in the broken manhole tbh.
Lesser of all evils i think.

 

You could have gone to the left if you mounted the pavement but I was worried about broken springs and possibly damaging tyres and kerbs so I opted to go right. Had to wait for the ideal moment and caused a wee bit of a jam behind me! 

14 minutes ago, CyprusPluto said:

 

Is that just around the corner from Lidl?

Sure is! Well spotted  I knew you lived in Shetland for a while, did you visit here while you were there? 

[CyprusPluto]

26 minutes ago, Turvey said:

Sure is! Well spotted  I knew you lived in Shetland for a while, did you visit here while you were there? 

Yes. I wasn't there that long, but similar to Lerwick, Kirkwall isn't that big. I still managed to get a bit lost heading towards the harbour though and turned left at that mini roundabout instead of going straight on and I remember driving passed Lidl. I also remember driving over a fabulous causeway to get back to where I was going in the first place.

When I lived in Caithness I looked across at Orkney with envy as, also similar to Shetland, all the house prices were just a TAD too high

[Turvey]

My wife's lived in Kirkwall all her live and she gets lost from time to time! 

 

Churchill Barriers? 

[CyprusPluto]

40 minutes ago, Turvey said:

y wife's lived in Kirkwall all her live and she gets lost from time to time! 

 

Churchill Barriers? 

That's beautiful. Not sure it was that sunny when I was there, but at least it was dry. I drove over the Churchill barriers on my way to catch the Pentland ferry to Caithness from St Margaret's Hope.

Checking on Google Maps  I think the causeway I drove over was Ayre Road (A965) as it took me very quickly back into Kirkwall. Looking further at Google Maps; instead of going straight on at the mini roundabout in your picture, for some reason I turned left (I must have been thinking of getting back to the Northlink terminal). I then drove down Pickaquoy Road, passed Lidl and to the roundabout at the end, I turned right there, over the causeway and back into Kirkwall. So basically I took the scenic route

[simcor]

Whether in a rigid or a unit and trailer I always take the easiest option to get around an obstacle.

If it was a tight squeeze to the left then going right is the only option.

I was taught to straighten the curves out as much as possible, so in the night when it's quiet and safe to do so I use the whole of the lanes on roundabouts etc as long as it is safe to do so.

Looking at the photo with a trailer then a wide berth to turn left would be a must anyway, and in rigid's with the turning circle of a supertanker would be taking it wide as well.

Taking all the road you need is a must when driving large vehicles as it is all part of forward planning.