Operation Gridlock

[grahamb]

I was stopped on the A40 in High Wycombe last night, on the dual carriageway that leads to the Handycross roundabout. Me and about 1000 other motorists. We were held for over 30 mins, and I asked a trio of police constables who were heading on foot to the roundabout what was going on.

"Its an exercise, operation gridlock, where we simulate roads being blocked to test the response times of the emergency services."

Now thats all well and good, but a) I was trying to get on to the M40 so I could go home, b) it was 8pm and I still had another 100 miles to go, and c) why the heck did they have to do it now!

"Dunno mate"

At 8:01pm they removed the road blocks, and I could continue on my journey. Not very impressed.

Did anyone else get caught up in this exercise as it wasn't just at High Wycombe apparently.

[Sponge]

I suppose informing the public before hand could have resulted in their exercise being useless.

[shark_90]

What a crock of poo! That really isn't funny, at all. How long did you have to wait for?

I'd have thought the policeman would have given you another answer, cos there's nothing more frustrating that not knowing the reason for the delay, apart from knowing that there isn't a reason!

[Sponge]

But there was a reason It was to test response times in a situation where the road is busy.

The PC was probably just a grunt on the ground and had no idea why 'The Management' chose that particular time or place. I doubt very much there was anything personal in it either. Just one of those things!

[loafer27]

hmmm i would guess its more likely he was sick of being asked what the holdup was for and thought he would be funnny and invent operation roadblock ?

im pretty sure they would have records of all the response times of emergency vehicles in the area

and its not as if they lined up different ambulances fire engines and plodmobiles and raced them through your traffic with a stopwatch on them i guess

hehe unless they did in which case operation gridlock sounds like a pain in the ass

[grahamb]

Only whitnessed one ambulance racing up the wrong side of the dual carriageway to the Handycross roundabout. It then returned 2 mins later, and that was it. Nothing else.

Just lots of plod standing around at the roundabout, with piles of orange cones stacked neatly at the side of the road. I may write to the Ch. Constable to ask what the heck was going on. Kept me waiting for 30 mins or so. Didn't get home to way later than I was expecting. Still, stretched the legs on the '40 on the way home, even saw 120 a couple of times. Not a plod to be seen. 8-)