Fed up about cars ending up in yard because of driving too fast

I cant dig the state owned ditch out nay more can I?

Where would I find one of these guard rails I could purchase on my own?

The cars take the turn too fast I think. The speedlimit is 25 but they go alot faster. One of the problesm is they slide from going too fast after even a light rain because it is so slippery.

I like your idea about the fence and water but I would hate to have to replace that fence every year.

I think it wouldbe ugly unless you cover it like you said. But if I cover it would there be a legal problem. I mean the drive just sees a hedge and "aims" his car for the hedge thinking it is safer?

I have been under the impression for a long time that valves used on portable high pressure tanks have a definite designed in "weak point" with an orifice below it small enough to limit gas flow to rates which won't cause "rocketing." When impacted hard enough, the valve is supposed to snap off beyond that orifice.

At least that's what I heard 40+ years ago about the "J" and "K" valves we used on our Scuba tanks. Can someone straighten me out on this point?

'Course there's alsways some fool who will beat the most foolproof systems man can think up. Lots of us used fire extinguisher bottles as diving tanks in the early days of Scuba, they were rated for 1800 psi and were a heck of a lot cheaper than "official" tanks. Worked just fine if you used them correctly.

I still get shivers when I remember what happened to a guy in our diving club. We had to use 3/4" to 1/2" NPT reducing bushings to adapt the 1/2" threaded Scuba valves to the fire extinguisher bottles. Only this poor guy didn't know the difference between materials and used a cast iron plumbing bushing instead of a steel one. The threads sheared off the bushing the first time he filled the tank. The valve blew out and entered his head under his chin, killing him on the spot.

Sad story, but it sure increased my respect for the amount of energy in compressed gasses. I think of that guy everytime I see a compressed gas bottle standing up without a safety chain to keep it from falling.

Jeff

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Well, here I am as the Devils Advocate again, as usual, arguing with some of what's been said.

I'm sure that your first priority is to keep your family safe, and then to avoid damage to your property, but I'd be a bit wary of "forcing" the municipality to "do something", as you may not be very pleased with what they do. How would you and the neighbours like to have a nice grey concrete barrier 5 feet high for 200 feet along your frontage? What would it do to the access to your driveway? How would the neighbours like to have the "rumble strips" in front of their house? That's the kind of thing that can happen if you attempt to force the authorities into believing that a danger and risk exist. Better for you to plant some really decently heavy and substantial low evergreen shrubbery on the actual property line, maybe widening into your yard along the latest tire tracks. Cuts down on the grass cutting too.

Does the grass-wrecking occur at any time, or just nights, or what? Do you think that there is a reason people "miss" the curve/corner? Would better warning signs be useful?

A bit far-fetched and maybe expensive, but how about a radar gun, set up on your property, to watch the zone, attached to a control for a strobe beacon. Any vehicle travelling over the posted safe speed for the curve would activate the strobe. You might even consider breaking the law yourself by making it look like a cop cars bubble gum machine. That gets the brakes on real quick!

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

DOWN THE ROAD a guy put out a radar gun abd got aressted for pointing a gun at someone

Do this and you will have a line of people at your door 24x7

Wayne

In our case, the guy went through the arborvitae hedge (destroying about 4) and was stopped (very luckily, he probably would have kept driving into our livingroom) by the fact that it had been raining and our front yard has poor drainage - he sank up to his axles in the ground. So if it happened a lot (it doesn't this was just an exceptionally skilled drunk) I would probably go with a similar mud trap - or water feature. I think a good thick mud would absorb most of the energy. Mythbusters made a quicksand tank - maybe that would work.

First time I've ever called the cops on a guy...

Forget the sign, hang an actual lawyer out front.

Gary

Cheap solution. professionally painted sign

"Nudist Resort - 500 Ft."

||The cars take the turn too fast I think. The speedlimit is 25 but they ||go alot faster. One of the problesm is they slide from going too fast ||after even a light rain because it is so slippery. || ||I like your idea about the fence and water but I would hate to have to ||replace that fence every year. ||

Texas Parts Guy

||In article , || snipped-for-privacy@txol.net ( snipped-for-privacy@txol.net) wrote: || ||> Buy a $100 used car - 70s Buick or similar. Keep it licensed, inspected, and ||> parked beside the road in the Target Zone. You might also put a reflective red ||> stripe down it's flanks. ||> After it gets wacked, collect insurance, sell car for scrap, replace car, ||> pocket difference. New Game || ||I love it, best idea so far ;)

Is there a prize? percentage of the take?

Texas Parts Guy

I like it!

Gunner

"I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

If you owned a backhoe and a shotgun, you could have avoided calling the cops.

They say drunk drivers are really nice people, down deep.

Gunner "I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

Then just put in the pond. Excavate it about five or six feet deep and plant it with rushes, willows, etc. You'll have a beautiful feature for your yard and if the pond's deep enough I guarantee these idiots won't be driving out of it.

(NB: Pirahanas are optional, although a 'beware of the pirahana' sign would be fun, even if you don't have any.)

--RC

Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

Actually I see the nucleus of a good idea here. How about getting a contract from the city to raise revenue by operating a radar/camera speed trap at that location. You just send the photo proof of speeding to the city and they send out the fine and give you a cut.

I missed the staff meeting but the minutes show "NoOne N Particular" wrote back on Tue, 30 Nov 2004 17:11:13 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :

Well, there are drawbacks, but at least they will be walking,a nd not driving up tot he door. :-)

Not if the hedge happens to be in your yard! Besides, the hedge would actually cushion the impact for the car. Guard rail is made to deform and absorb the energy of the car. As someone else mentioned, the poles also absorb lots of the energy by being pulled out of the ground. I used the stuff for years to stop cars from smashing my traffic signal boxes and concrete poles. I had to replace each instalation every year or so when it got hit, but that was much easier than replacing a traffic signal control box. We never got sued, but we sure filed claims against lots of people after they bent our guard rail.

I remember that we had no problem buying the stuff locally. If you can't find it in the yellow pages, ask your local county Streets Department who their vendor is.

From:

Guardrail Description:Traffic barriers are used to reduce the severity of accidents that occur when an errant vehicle leaves the traveled way. Galvanized steel beam guardrail provides a steel shiny appearance.

Approximate Cost:

$ 20 - 25 per Linear Foot

Advantages:

- Low maintenance and repair cost

- Choice in end terminals

Disadvantages:

- Some reflectivity

- Color of Guardrail sections may not be consistent.

- Does not blend into natural surroundings.

- Not pedestrian friendly.

- Pedestrian rail is needed for vertical drop protection.

Another information source:

>

Up here in the frozen north, a chap got into trouble after he successfully registered his soldering gun and heat gun under our multi-million dollar, federally mandated long gun registry. Gerry :-)} London, Canada