Letter: ‘Townies’ urged to slow down on country roads

The locals are always polite and will reverse immediately if that is the best way for two vehicles to get past each other.

They know the passing places. Professional drivers even of white vans are pretty good too.

The idea of a single track road is completely lost on townies. They never register passing places and often refuse to reverse into one even if it is only a few yards back.

They expect you to reverse a long way and will sit there and gesticulate till you do as they tell you.

The solution is not to be in a hurry. If someone is being silly about it then get your phone out and take the opportunity to make the call you should have made days ago. Hands free of course.

As soon as they realise that you have all day and are not going to move they will suddenly notice the solution just behind them. At this time of year there are lots of holiday makers and on busy single track roads the locals probably get very fed up.

We know that reversing a stock trailer is difficult so that if you meet a vehicle with a trailer you need to reverse.

The same with tractors. The Scots mark their passing places with small marker posts that can be seen from a distance. That is really helpful. People who put rocks in their entrances to prevent them being used for passing need to learn that this is annoying and selfish.

If some passing tractor moves the rocks to block their entrance they might realise that. People who park in passing places are also being antisocial.

The country is bankrupt and there is no money for roads.

Landowners are delighted to make money out of clamping and tourism but they should be the first to suggest additional passing places on their roadside fields. Rattus is very much in favour of a tourist tax to fund parking, passing places, footpaths and rural toilets.

Rattus rattus