C&RT's most useless signs and money wasted

[PeterScott]

23 hours ago, dmr said:

I saw a novel red one today but did not have time to get a picture  "Danger, Giant Hogweed". This was at a winding hole on the offside where there was no pedestrian access. I also wonder if it would have been better just to remove the hogweed?

[ditchcrawler]

16 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

But they planned to fit one, the sign got done but the locking mechanism didn't thankfully

This was part of it https://narrowboatworld.com/7312-fradley-swing-bridge-used-as-a-toy

[dmr]

15 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

 

I note thats an old one with the swan Logo.

I wonder if they will replace it with one with the new logo?

Maybe they already have?

Will check when I pass again in a few days.

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

I note thats an old one with the swan Logo.

I wonder if they will replace it with one with the new logo?

Maybe they already have?

Will check when I pass again in a few days.

Probably next spring. There was also some by the railway line/towpath at Edgbaston 

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

 

I note thats an old one with the swan Logo.

I wonder if they will replace it with one with the new logo?

Maybe they already have?

Will check when I pass again in a few days.

Perhaps they already tried, but the poor signbearer met the hogweed en route and is now pushing up daisies

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Perhaps they already tried, but the poor signbearer met the hogweed en route and is now pushing up daisies

 

surely pushing up hogweed 😀

[MtB]

4 hours ago, dmr said:

I note thats an old one with the swan Logo.

 

More pertinently, where is the giant hogweed? 

 

They are most impressive plants, hard to mistake, and there are none in the photo! 

[tree monkey]

17 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

More pertinently, where is the giant hogweed? 

 

They are most impressive plants, hard to mistake, and there are none in the photo! 

Giant hogweed is biennial, which means it grows the rosette one year and the next it flowers, then will generally die.

Its possible the new rosettes aren't visible yet or even none of the seeds have germinated successfully.

[Midnight]

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

More pertinently, where is the giant hogweed? 

 

They are most impressive plants, hard to mistake, and there are none in the photo! 

The contractor probably put the sign in the wrong place 🙂

[MtB]

Reading the sign again, we could be misunderstanding it. 

 

After several readings, I think the sign might be warning any giant hogweed that happening to be passing, to beware. There is some danger or other, not specified.

[churchward]

On 26/09/2021 at 09:19, Midnight said:

This is the ultimate pith take by Parry & Co. Boaters don't need a sign to spot a winding hole, fishermen, walker, joggers and that oh so important user group cyclists don't give a toss. How much did this cost considering design, printing, manufacture, erection and materials. Meanwhile nearby Llangollen locks have broken paddles with yellow bags or tape covering them. (I suspect the bags cost more than the repairs would). Anymore useless wastes of money (apart from Mr Parry) please post.

 

I know this can seem obvious where one is but winding holes have been signed for a long time with useful information to tell the novice that one should not moor there.

 

This specific sign is a new one for sure but previously there was a B&W BW sign saying the same thing.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, churchward said:

I know this can seem obvious where one is but winding holes have been signed for a long time with useful information to tell the novice that one should not moor there.

 

All these new "Winding hole ahead" signs are in addition to those signs carrying useful information you mention.

 

 

The whole (and only) point of them in my opinion, is marketing, i.e. to display the CRT sinking tyre logo and colour scheme as often as possible.

 

 

[churchward]

51 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

All these new "Winding hole ahead" signs are in addition to those signs carrying useful information you mention.

 

 

The whole (and only) point of them in my opinion, is marketing, i.e. to display the CRT sinking tyre logo and colour scheme as often as possible.

 

 

Possibly but as I said this particular sign you posted the photo of is a new CRT replica in their colours of the same worded sign by BW previous to CRT taking over.

 

Letting people know the canals are not here by accident but manged by someone is probably a good thing too.

[Midnight]

10 hours ago, churchward said:

I know this can seem obvious where one is but winding holes have been signed for a long time with useful information to tell the novice that one should not moor there.

 

It doesn't say you should not moor there nor are there any standard CRT signson the towpath saying don't moor there. That sign may have replaced a previous one (what was wrong with it?) but considering nearby locks have just one paddle working on probably the most popular holiday canal it is "A pith take" 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Midnight

[PeterScott]

 

There have always been perplexing signs. This one on the Southern Stratford is telling us ...  ??

[PeterScott]

 

from 2013 in Macclesfield. Don't know if this one has been tyred yet. This rusting one has/had a label over the ICBM logo.

 

Selection of no-mooring signs here

Edited October 6, 2021 by PeterScott
link

[Jerra]

15 hours ago, MtB said:

 

All these new "Winding hole ahead" signs are in addition to those signs carrying useful information you mention.

 

 

The whole (and only) point of them in my opinion, is marketing, i.e. to display the CRT sinking tyre logo and colour scheme as often as possible.

 

 

It always reminds me of a sewer outlet.

[PeterScott]

[MtB]

2 hours ago, PeterScott said:

 

This really is gratuitous signage, for no other reason than 'branding', I suspect. 

 

 

[Mike Todd]

32 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

This really is gratuitous signage, for no other reason than 'branding', I suspect. 

 

 

More likely because someone recalled a serious incident with someone stepping out into a road from a towpath from below a lock and bridge. Such signs have (in boring black and white) been around for a long time. Only new things are (a) brevity (b) blue colour.

 

It is always a tad irksome to see signs that seem to say the obvious but salutary to realise that we can all be inattentive at times and that CaRT have to take 'reasonable precautions' to prevent harm to their 'users'.

[IanD]

27 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

More likely because someone recalled a serious incident with someone stepping out into a road from a towpath from below a lock and bridge. Such signs have (in boring black and white) been around for a long time. Only new things are (a) brevity (b) blue colour.

 

It is always a tad irksome to see signs that seem to say the obvious but salutary to realise that we can all be inattentive at times and that CaRT have to take 'reasonable precautions' to prevent harm to their 'users'.

 

The job of warning signs is to tell people about unusual or dangerous things that are not "normal" or not obvious at first glance, otherwise every road would be festooned with "Danger -- Traffic" signs and every canal or river with "Danger -- Water".

 

So the overhead power line warnings do make sense, not everyone looks up all the time, fishing is safe in most places, and occasionally people do get killed.

 

But "Road ahead" is just a waste of CART money, it's right in front of anybody walking off the towpath and it should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that bridges usually carry roads. If somebody stepped out in front of a car, there's no way that CART could be held responsible or blamed for not erecting a warning sign, any more than a local authority could be sued because somebody stepped off a pavement in front of a truck.

 

Warning signs do have their place, but this isn't one of them...

[Jerra]

18 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

The job of warning signs is to tell people about unusual or dangerous things that are not "normal" or not obvious at first glance, otherwise every road would be festooned with "Danger -- Traffic" signs and every canal or river with "Danger -- Water".

 

Out of interest do you think the majority of bridges over canals carry roads or are access bridges without road traffic?

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Out of interest do you think the majority of bridges over canals carry roads or are access bridges without road traffic?

There are some particular bad ones like on the S Oxford at Nells Bridge where you have to cross the road to work the lock. Not a common occurance

[Jerra]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

There are some particular bad ones like on the S Oxford at Nells Bridge where you have to cross the road to work the lock. Not a common occurance

True I can think of a one or two.  The point is, I suspect more bridges don't carry traffic than do.   As a result a road which carries traffic particularly as we no not a common occurrence is, in Ian's words, unusual.  As a result it needs a "bum covering" warning sign.

[David Mack]

And judging by the chevron sign in Peter's photo, there is a bend on the end of the bridge which might take a driver's attention, meaning they are less likely to be aware of an approaching pedestrian.