Any - Council Hypocrisy - Snakey

In this day and age where eating an apple or taking a sip of water at the wheel is regarded as dangerous, and using a phone is extremely dangerous I find it amazingly hypocritical that a local council (South Tyneside) has erected a massive 20 foot square advertising board/TV in the central reserveration of a dual carriageway.

This is a council who like all the others bleat about their poverty, yet this monstrosity must have cost a fortune and its sole purpose is to display adverts. As it is basically a large TV it is massively distracting as it is so bright, and the adverts change frequently. Its not used to display anything useful, just who has a sale on or where to buy the best pizzas.

If I even glance at my phone in view of plod I would be tasered to the ground (slight exageration maybe) so how do they get away with plonking a huge expensive tellly next to a busy road!

Surely it will take years for this thing to even break even on the cost level? And its a ugly great thing especially as they've surrounded the base with Berlin Wall style concrete blocks - to protect it from any possible crashes, which again suggests its in the wrong place.

So if anyone in the are wonders why their potholed street hasn't been fixed, or why their streetlights are out you know where the moneys gone!

Dangerous, distracting,stupid and pointless. You've got to love the local authority m****s who decide these things.

Edited by Snakey on 06/01/2017 at 08:09

Any - Council Hypocrisy - SLO76
Doubt it'll be the council that'll have paid for it. These are installed and paid for by private advertisers firms who then sell advertising space to local and national firms. The council would have had to approve it via its planning application though.
Any - Council Hypocrisy - RobJP

The council will not be paying anything out for this - if they own the site, then they'll most likely be leasing it to one of the advertising companies, so it will be BRINGING IN money to pay for other works, not taking money away. But it may be a privately owned hoarding, and nothing at all to do with the council

As to the location, locations for advertising hoardings are limited by planning permission. If you feel that it is in a dangerous position or is distracting to drivers, then I suggest that you get in touch with the Highways Dept at the council with your concerns.

Whining on a forum isn't going to do anything.

Any - Council Hypocrisy - Sofa Spud

It's for passengers to look at, not drivers!

Any - Council Hypocrisy - nailit

"This is a council who like all the others bleat about their poverty,"

Reminds me of 2008 when Icelandic banks went t*ts up, leaving many UK councils owed millions that they had 'invested'. Not sure they all got every penny back;

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icesave_dispute

www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/oct/10/localgove...d

Any - Council Hypocrisy - hillman

"It's for passengers to look at, not drivers!"

It's for distracting drivers !

Any - Council Hypocrisy - daveyjp
A few years ago our Council decided to raise income by installing streetlights with advertising panels. I can only assume no one informed them that if you have a 1.5m x 1m advert 3m above ground level it is impossible to read what is on it when driving past at 40mph.

Most of the panels are now advertising the fact they are available to advertise in!

Considering a huge traditional proper roadside advert panel only raises £3-5000 a year I doubt an advert panel no one can read is worth anything.
Any - Council Hypocrisy - barney100

Here in sunny Basingstoke the council don't discuss road problems with me. I have to refer to the county lot in Winchester who don't bother replying. We have the daftest, useless, time wasting, damgerous road furniture imaginable.

Any - Council Hypocrisy - gordonbennet

It has to be superbright Snakey, otherwise how are going to read the advert, your eyes will already be screwed up tight and your night vision history due to the 4 billion watts of DRL HID and other completely unecessary front lights you are constantly assaulted by, not forgetting the ever brighter fast flickering LED brake lights designed to sear your eyeballs.

You know it makes sense, a committee approved it.

There's one of these alongside the M6 near the RAC building by top M5 junction, so ridiculously bright it must save local residents money in lighting their own homes.

Sometimes only a double face palm will do.

Edited by gordonbennet on 06/01/2017 at 23:47

Any - Council Hypocrisy - Snakey

It has to be superbright Snakey, otherwise how are going to read the advert, your eyes will already be screwed up tight and your night vision history due to the 4 billion watts of DRL HID and other completely unecessary front lights you are constantly assaulted by, not forgetting the ever brighter fast flickering LED brake lights designed to sear your eyeballs.

You know it makes sense, a committee approved it.

There's one of these alongside the M6 near the RAC building by top M5 junction, so ridiculously bright it must save local residents money in lighting their own homes.

Sometimes only a double face palm will do.

Fortunately the only positive side of the location of this monstrosity is that its not near residential houses, so its main aim it to blind motorists or persuade them to buy shoes. Or blind their passengers!

As for whining/complaing to the local authority, when, ever, did that work for anyone? They are a law unto themselves.

Edited by Snakey on 07/01/2017 at 18:54