Quackers!!!

[Midnight]

Encountered my first towpath duck lane on the Calder Navigation last week alongside Cromwell Lock. I wonder if someone in CaRT has gone quackers as it seems like a bit of an insult to boat license payers.

 

The same lock has the safety pawl missing on one of the the top C&H paddles. So while ducks are kept safe (?) from speeding cyclists us poor boaters have to be very careful that the spike doesn't spring back and clout you somewhere about your body.

 

Wonder at the cost of painting the (far too subtle message) duck lane in comparison with a new pawl and nut.

 

Great idea Cart, suppose Mr Parry will say "Education" is required now to help ducks understand the rules.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Midnight

[Joe Bourke]

Must be literate ducks!

[Chewbacka]

Latest CR&T job advert -

Duck trainer required to teach ducks to stay in lane and to apply the green cross code when crossing adjacent lanes.

Ducks will also be required to apply the colregs sound signals.

[Flyboy]

 

Encountered my first towpath duck lane on the Calder Navigation last week alongside Cromwell Lock. I wonder if someone in CaRT has gone quackers as it seems like a bit of an insult to boat license payers.

 

The same lock has the safety pawl missing on one of the the top C&H paddles. So while ducks are kept safe (?) from speeding cyclists us poor boaters have to be very careful that the spike doesn't spring back and clout you somewhere about your body.

 

Wonder at the cost of painting the (far too subtle message) duck lane in comparison with a new pawl and nut.

 

Great idea Cart, suppose Mr Parry will say "Education" is required now to help ducks understand the rules.

 

 

 

CaRT are probably not aware of the missing pawl. I assume you have reported it to them.

[dave moore]

Duckin' Ridiculous! I had a duck encounter on a farm mooring path a while back. I had finished a lettering job and was driving away when a couple of drakes, engaged in serious combat, blocked the way. I thought an oncoming car might divert them but not a bit of it! Neither did a long blast on the horn. Eventually I had to get out of the car and approach them, at which point they grudgingly jumped in to the cut and continued their quarrel. Bloody birds!

 

Dave

[carlt]

So on the one hand we moan about speeding cyclists on the towpaths and on the other we moan about CRT's light hearted and relatively inexpensive way to raise awareness and hopefully slow folk down.

 

What a miserable whining bunch us boaters are.

[Graham Davis]

Do we actually know it was CaRT that painted the duck signs and not someone else?

[Delta9]

It was actually the ducks themselves

[Guest]

Do we actually know it was CaRT that painted the duck signs and not someone else?

There was a similar scheme in the big cities (London, Birmingham) in which the Trust painted these on the towpath. as Carl indicates it's to raise awareness of the need to share the tow path responsibly with others (particularly wildlife).

 

It looks like they have replicated oop North.

[patty-ann]

So on the one hand we moan about speeding cyclists on the towpaths and on the other we moan about CRT's light hearted and relatively inexpensive way to raise awareness and hopefully slow folk down.

 

What a miserable whining bunch us boaters are.

I didn't realise sign intended to slow cyclists down by raising awareness..bit subtle for me......

[trackman]

We got some d*****g stupid paintwork on the towpath here in Nottingham too!

 

I had no idea what it was meant to signify until I came across it on a CRT email.

[Guest]

Some of the best campaigns are the ones where it's not bleeding obvious from the outset what the message is.

 

It gets people talking about it (just as is happening here) and the word spreads all by itself......

 

It's actually a clever concept (if a bit too hard to grasp for some).

Edited October 19, 2015 by MJG

[Midnight]

Yes I understand the subtle message and I like a bit of humour but does anyone really think this is a good way to spend limited resources?

 

Does anyone really think it will make a blind bit of difference?

 

Wouldn't have minded so much if the painter had fixed the pawl.

 

If CaRT want to make us smile why don't they fix the broken paddles along that canal there's plenty to go at.

 

It's all about priorities and CaRT seem to miss the target time and time again.

 

There were about 50 walkers at the lock, I encouraged all of them to phone CaRT's emergency number and ask for guidance should they notice any duck stray onto the non-duck area. Regrettably no ducks were around so maybe CaRT should have done a duck audit prior to painting the lane, could have wasted a bit more money.

[Midnight]

Do we actually know it was CaRT that painted the duck signs and not someone else?

 

 

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/thats-quackers-forget-cycles-lanes-10204712

[tidal]

CaRT are probably not aware of the missing pawl. I assume you have reported it to them.

In case you missed it

[peterboat]

i am with you on this one martin just makes me smile never a bad thing on a cool evening

[Phil Ambrose]

Duckin' Ridiculous! I had a duck encounter on a farm mooring path a while back. I had finished a lettering job and was driving away when a couple of drakes, engaged in serious combat, blocked the way. I thought an oncoming car might divert them but not a bit of it! Neither did a long blast on the horn. Eventually I had to get out of the car and approach them, at which point they grudgingly jumped in to the cut and continued their quarrel. Bloody birds!

 

Dave

I often had a duck encounter when I was on the Milk. Delivering along the Maud Foster Drain in Boston the ducks would mob my milk float, dozens surrounding it preventing any movement. I had to launch bread from the back of the float to draw them away so I could move on.

Phil

[Guest]

Yes I understand the subtle message and I like a bit of humour but does anyone really think this is a good way to spend limited resources?

 

Does anyone really think it will make a blind bit of difference?

 

Wouldn't have minded so much if the painter had fixed the pawl.

 

If CaRT want to make us smile why don't they fix the broken paddles along that canal there's plenty to go at.

 

It's all about priorities and CaRT seem to miss the target time and time again.

 

There were about 50 walkers at the lock, I encouraged all of them to phone CaRT's emergency number and ask for guidance should they notice any duck stray onto the non-duck area. Regrettably no ducks were around so maybe CaRT should have done a duck audit prior to painting the lane, could have wasted a bit more money.

Your sarcasm in the last paragraph however betrays you have no actual idea what this is about.

 

CRT get berated for not doing anything about inconsiderate towpath behaviour and when they attempt something novel they get the piss taken out of them...they just can't win with some people.

[patty-ann]

I often had a duck encounter when I was on the Milk. Delivering along the Maud Foster Drain in Boston the ducks would mob my milk float, dozens surrounding it preventing any movement. I had to launch bread from the back of the float to draw them away so I could move on.

Phil

They are the moments life memories are made of..they alleviated the boredom of the day for you and gave you a challenge.

[Rickent]

On the towpath near the Hope and Anchor in Syston there are ducks painted on the ground , with the message underneath "share the space".

[magictime]

Yes I understand the subtle message and I like a bit of humour but does anyone really think this is a good way to spend limited resources?

 

It's all about priorities and CaRT seem to miss the target time and time again.

 

Seems like a pretty cheap and cheerful way to raise awareness to me. For the cost of the painting, CaRT get not just some light-hearted in situ reminders about sharing the towpath, but also a chance to plug the towpath code in news stories all over the web as well as in local and national newspapers (and perhaps on TV and radio). These stories will have been read by millions of non-boaters with whom CaRT have no direct contact via email etc. What would it have cost to take out similarly prominent ads doing the same job?

 

Our priorities as boaters will differ from those of walkers and runners, which will be different from those of cyclists, which will be different from those of anglers, which will be different from those of canoeists. The CaRT have the unenviable task of balancing the interests of all these people as well as those of ducks and other forms of wildlife living in, on and around the waterways. The "Share the space" campaign is all part of this more general attempt to ensure that as many different people as possible can enjoy the canals.

[Midnight]

 

Seems like a pretty cheap and cheerful way to raise awareness to me. For the cost of the painting, CaRT get not just some light-hearted in situ reminders about sharing the towpath, but also a chance to plug the towpath code in news stories all over the web as well as in local and national newspapers (and perhaps on TV and radio). These stories will have been read by millions of non-boaters with whom CaRT have no direct contact via email etc. What would it have cost to take out similarly prominent ads doing the same job?

 

Our priorities as boaters will differ from those of walkers and runners, which will be different from those of cyclists, which will be different from those of anglers, which will be different from those of canoeists. The CaRT have the unenviable task of balancing the interests of all these people as well as those of ducks and other forms of wildlife living in, on and around the waterways. The "Share the space" campaign is all part of this more general attempt to ensure that as many different people as possible can enjoy the canals.

 

Actually that's a good point.

[Rob@BSSOffice]

I often had a duck encounter when I was on the Milk. Delivering along the Maud Foster Drain in Boston the ducks would mob my milk float, dozens surrounding it preventing any movement. I had to launch bread from the back of the float to draw them away so I could move on.

Phil

Just outside the Horncastle Road chippie? Always a big duck gathering there.

[Bearsteen]

The one on the Nottingham towpath made us smile when we saw it last week, it was a timely warning of goose poo ahead

[cuthound]

I didn't realise sign intended to slow cyclists down by raising awareness..bit subtle for me......

And probably cheaper and certainly less intrusive than periodic "share the space" signs on posts.