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The Ranty Highwayman

@rantyhighwayman.bsky.social

5.6K followers 940 following 7.4K posts

A highway engineer's adventures in time & space. The street is not too narrow your imagination is too narrow | Independent sustainable mobility design specialist | Better streets & places | Runs @cityinfinity.bsky.social | https://linktr.ee/rantyhighwayman

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · Oct 18

#HelloBluesky, I'm Mark, a civil & highway engineer with nearly 30 years experience, with the last decade as a specialist in sustainable mobility design. I'm a freelancer at @cityinfinity.bsky.social.

I post about highways & transport, often with Opinions.

Also homebrewing, silly films and snark.

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 44m

That's no way to talk about your passengers.

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot @bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social · 57m

London buses infested with cockroaches, drivers say

Drivers say a number of buses and their rest areas are infested with cockroaches.

www.bbc.com

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 2h

Well, I'm sure all the people who voted for it are fine with it.

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 2h

*Sad Bullseye music*

EU Council @consilium.europa.eu · 20h

Today, the entry/exit system gets underway.

This new digital border system will streamline travel, enhance security, and improve the efficiency of border controls for non-EU nationals entering or exiting the EU.

Full implementation is planned for 10 April 2026.

More info → link.europa.eu/mnYbcy

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 15h

This is simply the EU enforcing its existing border controls by means of a new system, not a "threat to throw out second home owners". Again Brexiters believe that the UK should have border controls as regards the EU, but not the other way around.

Niall Ó Conghaile @nialloconghaile.bsky.social · 3d

Entirely unsurprising that the Holiday Villa 'Ndrangheta have found politcal allies at last in the shape of Reform UK.

Reform really do hypocrisy very well.

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H/T @goodclimate.bsky.social & @rolandmcs.bsky.social

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 3h

Thanks; it's getting me out of doing some painting, so there's that!

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 3h

And another night featuring The Shivers.

Looks like another sofa day for me.

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 3h

The DLR just got better.

54 brand new, state-of-the-art trains are rolling out over the next year - with more space, air con, phone charging points and improved accessibility.

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 18h

Counter argument: abolish the boroughs. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

London borough councils call for more devolutionary powers

Borough councils say it will speed up decision-making but the GLA say London is too big for it to work.

www.bbc.co.uk

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 19h

It's not good value for money and the government has failed at transport across the country.

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 19h

cc @transportaction.bsky.social

The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 19h

👀

On the one hand, I don't think NH should be building roads, they should be managers.

But on the other hand, I'm not sure DfT will be any better *and* this climate change incompatible monster should not be built.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

UK ministers take control of £10bn Lower Thames Crossing

Exclusive: National Highways Agency stripped of oversight with project handed to DfT amid Labour government drive for growth

www.theguardian.com

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 20h

I'm contractually obliged to post this

youtu.be/gh5SL6aV3dc?...

REEVES & MORTIMER (S2E1) - Cottage Cheese

YouTube video by FourJamLions

youtu.be

Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

jaj991.bsky.social @jaj991.bsky.social · 20h

@worldbollardassoc.bsky.social I saw this and thought of you. Bollard with elephant on top, from Coventry.

Same elephant, same bollard just a little further away

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Stephen Gower @sjgower.bsky.social · 20h

I made an infographic map. Oxford's Congestion Charge scheme (from 29th Oct) is not like most congestion charge schemes, because you can get to most streets in the city without being charged. My impression is a lot of people haven't realised this.

A street map of Oxford.

Woodstock Road, Banbury Road and the streets in their immediate vicinity are coloured pink. Botley Road and streets off it are coloured green. Cowley Road, Iffley Road and Abingdon Road and streets off them are coloured blue. Streets in Marston and Headington are coloured orange. The ring road matches the colours at each junction and fades between colours as it goes around. A small area in the middle is coloured yellow, and labelled "Central Permit Area". THe Congestion Charge traffic filters are indicated by black circles circles with white segments, those white segments correspond on a 24 hour clock face with when the filter isn't operational (and the remaining black, when the filters are operational). Crosses mark other filters in the city that are enforced by ANPR but are not part of the Congestion Charge scheme.

Text at the top of the image reads "Temporary Congestion Charge for Cars in Oxford 2025-2026. Any road outside the Central Permit Area can be accessed without passing any traffic filers by using the Ring Road and selecting an approporiate exit junction (matching colours on this map)."

A key at the bottom matches the filter types, with text "Traffic Filters. Hollow Way & Marston Ferry Road 7-9am and 3-6pm. St Cross Road, Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street and St Clements, 7am-7pm. £5 daily permit covers all Congestion Charge filters. Free Permits available. For example for residents, business use, health and car, SEND and disabilty. Congestion Charge permits do not apply for other filters, such as High Street or in East Oxford/Cowley."

Small print reads "Full details at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-travel" and "©@sjgower Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations of highway filters are approximate and for overview purposes only. v1.3"

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 20h

Hah, seen it already. I'll be back on the horror this afternoon

Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Hunter D Phoenix 🐦‍🔥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @hunterdphoenix.bsky.social · Jan 16

As a blind dude, your images mean nothing to me without an alt-text description. I know it’s a pain & I have zero expectations of you using this #Accessibility tool so thoughtfully provided by #BlueSky but I appreciate every effort. It doesn’t have to be The Great Gatsby but please include me 😎

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 21h

Applejack or ice-cider.

It is very potent and concentrates the stuff you probably don't want which helps with an almighty hangover.

fesshole 🧻 @fesshole.bsky.social · 21h

Picking apples as they're ready to make this year's cider. last year's was good. I left bottles of it in the shed overnight. The water froze and I what was left still had a slight apple flavour but loads of poke. This year I'm planning on making more.

Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

Mike Cookson 🔶 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @mikecookson.bsky.social · 21h

Interesting read. Protests against immigration, but "protects R kidz" by driving a stolen car at 90mph down the Great North Road, ramming other vehicles, driving on the wrong side of the road.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

Has 35 previous convictions, but is worried about immigrants?

Road menace did 90mph in 30 zone and wrote off two cars during police chase

Jack Fowler, of Elswick, jailed for violent disorder during the Sunderland riot last year, was behind the wheel of a stolen Land Rover when police tried to pull him over

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 21h

In my defence I've had a fever the last 24 hours and haven't been playing along.

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

wariotifo @wariotifo.bsky.social · 21h

"I asked AI to plan my dream summer holiday. Here's how it turned out"

bald british man in shades, sitting in a bin full of water, drinking a cocktail

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 21h

Which of course is perfect for your context 😀

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 21h

There's this one

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteri...

Betteridge's law of headlines - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 23h

Funny how I only ever hear stories about the EU entry scheme, not the UK equivalent...

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 22h

Well that's been a fun 24 hours, shivers, a fever and aches now.

Mind you, vivid dreams last night , including one with me arguing with an architect that a cycle path needs to be visible and not the same colour as the surround paving.

I think my brain has lost some wiring 😂

a cartoon cockroach is sitting on a white surface .

Alt: a cartoon cockroach is spinning round and changing colour. Yes, a bug going round.

media.tenor.com

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The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 22h

Where's the campaign for these non floating bus stops 🤔