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So pulled off junction 11 of the M4 to eat at the Madejski hotel on spec since I was passing, as I often have in the past. Had an irritable child in the back. No signs to warn me to keep away.
Quickly got caught up in about 4 hours of traffic jams. Cars forced down routes with no choice whatsoever. Many roads shut. Many roads shut at the end after no warning at the other end where you entered. No directions for any sensible route back out of the chaos.
Badly or untrained security guards acting as a local militia, arrogantly bossing pedestrians and drivers around, directing traffic in very dangerous ways. And driving dangerously around way above the speed limit (with many pedestrians around) with their amber lights flashing as if they were an emergency service.
When I told one of these security guards in no uncertain terms how unimpressed I was with his traffic direction skills I asked him on what authority he had to stop cars on a road since he was clearly not a police officer. He replied, “it’s a private road” (maybe but I doubt this gives him the powers he thinks it does). I let it pass. But noted also that the A33 had similar security guards stopping and redirecting traffic, I doubt that’s a “private road” by anyone’s definition. Like a banana republic have we really come to this? Idiotic dangerous traffic direction from thugs in security outfits.
As someone who innocently got stuck in hours of traffic jams, in places where emergency services would clearly have not been able to get to us if anyone in cars similarly stuck were in trouble, with routes shut for no real reason to support the event they were running, trapping us in artificial dead ends. With a thirsty carsick child in the back.
Shambles Mr Madejski and the powers that be in Reading really need bringing to book. These clowns should be done for obstruction, false arrest, impersonating a police officer, and so much more. Dangerous ill thought through nonsense that really shouldn’t be allowed.
Have we really degenerated into such a tin pot banana republic that all semblance of normal life is disrupted by organised thugs in security outfits in the name of a bloomin running competition?
Give me strength.
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