Bunch of mugs keep risking life and limb to 'crockery bomb' sad little roundabout
- Reference: 1597931050
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/08/20/crockery_bombing/
- Source link:
Fresh from heralding the [1]return of the Turkey Twizzler as a three-metre graven idol, the Eastern Daily Press has brought us word of the phenomenon engulfing the town of Gorleston, literally on the arse end of England (Norfolk).
Centred on a sad little roundabout along the A47, a battle for the ages is unfolding between china (small C) and Highways England. Towards the end of July, assorted tea cups and mugs [2]began appearing in the middle .
No one knows why, but reportedly it got to a stage where there were 40 cups occupying the island, accompanied by a chamber pot and a tea pot.
The agency responsible for maintaining England's highways and byways has stepped up patrols and removed the offending earthenware as and when they see it, though there are lingering safety concerns.
A spokesbeing told the Daily Press at the time: "We're as puzzled as everyone else about the mysterious appearance of the tea cups on the A47 Gorleston roundabout.
"However, placing the tea-cups on a busy roundabout is dangerous; not just for the perpetrator but also for the drivers using the roundabout and our on-road teams who have to remove them."
You'd think such foolish crazes – like "flash mobs" (remember them?) or the vaguely associated "yarn bombing" – would fizzle out, but no, the arms race only seems to be intensifying.
What a load of bollards! Object of bloke's street furniture romp run over [3]READ MORE
Now a rather robust-looking mug [4]bearing the words "Mr Big" has been erected at the roundabout, sitting proudly atop a plinth all of its own.
Some goon on social media was quoted as saying: "The mugs will win. Next time I'm coming up I'm bringing mugs with me. It's art."
The Register isn't so sure of that, but there have been reports that the local council flipped its wig when residents took it upon themselves to tidy up what is [5]a rather depressing road feature .
Could it be that the phantom crockery bombers are merely trying to draw attention to the fact that it's quite a miserable welcome to another dying seaside town?
Either way, some townsfolks' cupboards must be getting rather bare now, which is strange given England's [6]fixation on tea . ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/17/turkey_twizzler_comeback/
[2] https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/cups-mugs-and-chamber-pot-on-a47-roundabout-gorleston-1-6769361
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2019/11/15/bollard_run_over/
[4] https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crockery-bombing-fresh-twist-on-a47gorleston-1-6797798
[5] https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5695628,1.7256289,3a,82.4y,234.77h,74.54t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sKUdr6n2JqNvvcPhMbFDerQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DKUdr6n2JqNvvcPhMbFDerQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D122.7986%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/21/international_tea_day/
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Oh come on...
But, but, but it's DANGEROUS!!!!!
You can't expect a council to condone anything DANGEROUS!!!!!
How would they explain to the grieving relatives of some stupid arse who got himself or herself (or its-self) mown down that it was just a bit of fun? Councils aren't there for fun.
Re: Oh come on...
"Councils aren't there for fun."
And boy do they enjoy letting you know it :-)
Re: Oh come on...
Won't somebody think of the children!!
Re: Oh come on...
Or even: "What great japes! Send us your mugs and we'll arrange them for you".
Re: Oh come on...
They're referring to the time of placement, not the fact that the crockery is there.
Drivers wouldn't normally expect to encounter pedestrians on a roundabout.
I still think they're over-reacting, but at least I can understand what they're concerned about.
Obviously the only safe option is to deposit said china by quadcopter.
Re: Oh come on...
"Pair of jugs"?
That's a bit 1970's of you.
a rather depressing road feature.
Methinks (comparing backgrounds with the local media's pictures), it's not the linked-to roundabout which has the crockery, but the nearby but further inland one... although both are equally depressing.
I'm sure with that important clarification, you can now all rest more easily in your beds :-)
Tea Junction?
Tea Junction?
Perhaps; I was wondering "saucery", resulting in a Magic Roundabout.
Pity it wasn't in Boston, lincolnshire.
Are you going to the party?
Are you going to the Boston Tea Party?
Going to the party?
Are you going to the Boston Tea Party?
Going to the party?
Are you going to the Boston Tea Party?
Going to the party?
Are you going to the Boston Tea Party?
Upvoted for the SAHB reference!
tea
and towels
I want to start a kickstarter!
Get as many folks as possible to send in all their spare china (small c) to help the artists express themselves to a much greater degree.
How much fun could be had with a few megagrams of crockery sent to the town?
Re: I want to start a kickstarter!
I have a few taking up space better used for beer glasses!
In the words of Winston Churchill: [this sort of nonsense] makes you proud to be British
You can see their point...
It’s clearly dangerous and all that loose crockery is likely to cause significantly more damage to cars than if the car hit the road signs and lamposts, or kicked up all those loose chippings....
Council staff clearly have too much time on their hands.
Plants!
If they really want to stop it, they can build it up, put some soil in and some plants.
But they would have to make a committee to study it for a year, three years to bid it out, two more years to build it and six months later bulldoze it all over.
Maybe the mugs are a better idea.
Re: Plants!
Hmm, perhaps (very) long vehicles sometime drive over the roundabout, because they are too long to steer around it?
Re: Plants!
You mean the Council is worried they'll smash the mugs? That WOULD be a pity!
Where is the danger ?
Honestly, where ?
Do traffic laws in Britain mandate that one drives through the roundabout ? I don't have a British driver's license, but somehow I think they teach you to drive around the middle, just like in every other country.
The picture speaks for itself : there aren't all that many cars and the roundabout isle itself is barren. You can easily drive your car onto it, get out without bothering traffic at all or putting yourself into any sort of danger (unless there's a spy chase barreling down on you - then all bets are off and you're probably dead even if you weren't in the middle of the road), set your mugs artfully and then drive off without any trouble.
Especially if you have the help of a spotter who tells you when the road is free to get back on.
Sure, I understand that it is not something any municipal counsel is actually supposed to condone, but from there to cautioning people about danger, come on.
You could put a lounge chair in the middle and set yourself up with a table, a glass, an ice bucket with a nice bottle of Claret and a book and spend a marvelous afternoon. With a parasol if the sun is a mite hot. The only problem you'll risk is that of a police officer coming to get rid of you.
Re: Where is the danger ?
There are a couple of roundabouts near me which are in small junctions and only marked by a painted circle, and maybe a layer of bricks set into the tarmac. As one of these is the entrance to a Tesco store the trucks do go straight over the centre as there isn’t enough room to go round, try it on a bike and the kerb is just high enough to tip you off though.
Yes I do know from experience....
Re: Where is the danger ?
Claret? Surely tea is the more obvious choice?
BOFH mug
wait a minute, is there still a BOFH in existence?
Re: BOFH mug
Working from home makes it a bit difficult to cattle-prod a beancounter or push the boss out of a window. I imagine by now Simon's dog is avoiding him!
Oh come on...
"placing the tea-cups on a busy roundabout is dangerous"...
True, but no more dangerous than crossing any other road.
"not just for the perpetrator but also for the drivers using the roundabout"
Ffs. A handful of mugs on a roundabout is dangerous to a driver? Why? Are they distracting in some way, more so than any other random roundabout decorations, or even a sodding traffic cone? A pair of jugs maybe, but not a bunch of mugs.
None of the above is an issue beyond the normal or everyday. Common sense and driving / crossing with due care and attention negates any real risk. The council could have come across as a lot less tight-assed by saying "Well, we don't get it but it's just a bit of fun. Just take care doing it and don't do it if it would put you in danger."