Roadworks

The temporary traffic lights on Plumstead Common Road have been causing mayhem. Over the past few days, they have already failed a couple times and been stuck on red. Red means stop, but red on all lights means gridlock and gridlock means irate drivers honking their horns. At 5AM, this means residents get woken up. Here is a photo taken from my bedroom window.

In this age of technological wonder, is it so difficult to produce a pair of traffic lights that work properly? Even I could make up a simple switch so that when one light turns green, the other one turns red. Link it up to a timer and bingo. Set the problem as an ICT project and we're good to go (just like the traffic).

Speaking of gridlock, how long does it take to build a roundabout? Not something the size of the large hadron collider at Cern, but more like a junction between Upper Wickham Lane and Okehampton Crescent in Wellingshire. Children have been conceived and born into this World in the time it has taken to roll out out this circle of tarmac. I just hope the contractors aren't working on a daily rate. Here's a gorgeous photo I have purloined from the incredible Google Streetmap.