"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 13:17:12
on Sun, 25 Nov 2012, Portsmouth Rider
remarked:
See Highway Code Rule 243.

That's a "Do Not", rather than a "MUST NOT".

I just KNEW you were going to come out with that. Now... why do you think
it
says "Do Not" and not "MUST NOT"?

(I know the answer to that, I just want to see if YOU do.)

It says "Do Not" rather than "Must Not", because it's a statement about
driving behaviour and not the law.

Some driving behaviour is so bad that it's also against the law, but much
of what the Highway Code recommends needs to take the local circumstances
into account and is therefore not subject to a blanket legal prohibition.

So, for example, it's not that bad to block a bus stop to drop someone
off, if there's only one bus an hour, and the last one that day ran
several hours previously.
--
Roland Perry

Ah, we see.

Nothing to do with "what's actually acceptable behaviour" and "what is not",
then.

Imagine you are two years old (not a difficult exersize, I would have
thought.....). Your Mummy says "Do not put your fingers in the electric
socket, Roland dear". Given that it is not actually ILLEGAL for you to stick
your fingers in the electric socket, why do you not go ahead and do it
anyway? I'll save you the answer: it is because someone else - in this case
your mother - actually KNOWS better than you.

Here is a clue: The Highway Code is essentially a Code of Practice for road
users. Other road users drive according to the Highway Code, and expext all
those they come into contact with to do likewise - so that their behaviour
becomes predictable. It is written by people who actually do KNOW better
than you about driving habits, accident statistics, road and vehicle
limitations, etc.. ( I think I can see the flaw, here, in your reasoning).

Now let's take the specific instance (which you have tried to mitigate by
introducing the lateness of hour/ infrequency of service.)

Fact 1: In some areas (not all, I know), there is a service all night. How
do you KNOW such a bus is not going to need the stop?
Fact 2: Some buses other than Local Buses as defined by the legislation, to
operate on an entirely casual basis - I am thinking particularly of Access
buses operated by Local Authorities, Social Services and the like. They in
particular need to be able to get in to a bus stop so that the doors can be
positioned right next to the (often raised for the purpose) kerb - so the
users, usually disabled, can get off. And that can happen at any time. (And
don't try arguing about those buses usually being small and based on
minibuses - they need just as much clear space, because the front steering
wheels are usually at the very front, with the door aft of those wheels,
which means a shallow angle of approach; at least a service bus with the
door at the very front can usually get in with the doors overhanging the
kerb, if some ****head has stopped his car inside the busstop area, even if
the arse end of the bus IS left sticking out inconveniencing everyone else).

So we actually have an implied admission from Roland - The contents of the
Highway Code are a "menu" from which he can pick and choose what bits to
obey, and what bits to disregard.

Pillock.

--
PR