Use BOTH Lanes? Repairing Worn out Carriageway!

I had to go into York earlier and ended up on the bypass, where a misleading sign caused me some thought. The sign read "Congestion Relief Experiment - for City Centre Use Both Lanes."
Now, I would have though that using just one lane would have been better. But keen to oblige I straddled both lanes with my van. Try as I might, I couldn't keep both lanes fully occupied though, and drivers kept sneaking down the inside, or overtaking me. Clearly they didn't read or understand the sign, as they were intent on using just one lane. I can't see how it helps relieve congestion myself. I mean if you did use just one lane, then other traffic could use the other and then you'd get twice as much traffic into the City so much quicker. Maybe that is the point. By asking us to straddle both lanes, the volume of traffic entering the city is halved, so congestion within the City Centre is reduced. And maybe the people in the queue get fed up of waiting and go home instead.
In an attempt to follow the directions on the sign I started weaving between the two lanes - this had the effect not only of reducing congestion, but also of slowing the traffic down, as no-one could overtake me any more. A sort of mobile traffic calming scheme, although after a while I did start to feel seasick. And then I attracted the attention of a nice young man in a Volvo with a fancy paint job. And Disco lights.
He explained to me, after the breathalyser test that the sign actually meant I could use EITHER lane, not both. I can only assume that the sign maker had run out of E, I and R but had BO in abundance. Either (or is that Both) that or he had no grasp of basic English. Funny the difference a word can make.

Another Road Sign I liked in the roadworks was one that said "Repairing worn out carriageway." Nothing like laying the guilt back on the motorist is there? We've worn it out, so they've had to come out and mend it. Isn't that what we pay you to do? Don't lay the guilt back on us. And if you are going to give explanations for the roadworks then let's see some real honesty. "Repairing shoddy workmanship." perhaps, or "Removing substandard materials and replacing them with the stuff we should have used in the first place."

I also like the sign that reads "Lane closed for the safety of workforce" and it's cousin, "Speed limit for workforce safety" These are placed in the miles of cones which precede any actual roadworks, and the irony is the workforce they refer to is NEVER EVER present. In fact the only thing they protect is the lanes of parked vehicles and equipment which is not in use. The honest version of the sign would actually read "Lane closed for parking of workforce vehicles." Why can't they park their cars at the services or in a lay by and then walk or be bussed to the works area? They don't all need their private cars there surely?

For this reason Sign writers and Road workers are now consigned to Room 101.

Weight loss

Well here we are at the start of another New Year. Well okay, the post is somewhat belated, so It's actuallt Feb 1st as I write, but the sentiment is there. My New Years Resolution is to get a little bit fitter.
So I have renewed my healthy eating campaign and using my gym more frequently - every other day in fact. I will also resume my cycling to work just as soon as it stops snowing and freezing - there are limits dontcha know. m Meanwhile I am air walking, cycling and using the multigym and even the hated rowing machine. I might even start swimming once a week too.
Already I have been for a run - a quick one miler, but you have to start small and build up. Thusrday is Emmas Dance night, and because it's only 45 minutes it means if I drop her off then drive home there isn't really time to do anything before it;'s time to head back and pick her up again. Normally I've sat in the car in the car park and read a book. Not any more. Now I have a run round the village - and then sit in the car and read a book. But the plan is to run a little further each week, and read a little less.
And the practical upshot of all this? I've lost 5 pounds in 14 days. Call it 15 days, that's a pound every three days. Which means that by March 2017 I will have disappeared altogether!
I'll be happy to get down to 15 stone, but if I can reach a trim 14 I'll be delighted. Not so long back I was tipping 16 stone , so it's going well. And I'm already feeling the benefits in both health and wealth. Pack up lunches instead of take aways. No drastic diets, no stupid mega workouts, just a gentle change in lifestyle.