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I can't believe that there's anyone stupid enough to think that booby-trap bollards are OK.

I feel a PR coming on...

Mum’s car ‘speared’ by bollards in city centre.

Mike Keegan, Manchester Evening News, Wednesday 11 October 2006

“My baby could have been killed, says Natalie”

“Barriers claim four new victims in five days”

The infamous rise-and-fall bollards on St. Mary’s Gate in the heart of Manchester have now claimed four victims in just five days.

The pair of 3ft-high telescopic posts were installed after it emerged that the road was one of the worst accident hotspots in the city.

They use sensors to sink into the street and allow buses through, before rising to bar other traffic.

But this week’s catalogue of mishaps has led to fears that lives may be in danger unless they are removed.

On Monday, a new 4 x 4 vehicle became the week’s first victim of the bollards, which claimed a further two on Thursday. First, they tore through the front of a mother’s car, narrowly missing her nine-month-old daughter, who was strapped into a chair in the front seat.

Then, hours later, a Metro shuttle bus, legally entitled to pass through, was left marooned in the middle of the road after the posts struck again.

And on Friday, the bollards claimed another hit in the shape of Fatima Abrar’s Rover.

Thursday’s victim, Natalie Kelly, 35, who suffers from spina bifida, said she was in the city centre with her disabled mother and daughter Annie on a shopping and was struggling, for somewhere to park. She was outside Marks & Spencer in her Toyota Starlet, when she sae a free spot in the disabled bay on the other side of the bollards.

She then followed a bus through – only for the posts to impale the front of her car. “I’d actually had second thoughts about going in and stopped to use the intercom there to make sure that it was all right” said Natalie, “But then I heard this massive bang and knew right away what had happened.

“If I had gone any further, Annie could have been killed.”

Natalie claims that the warning signs by the side of the road do not spell out the dangers clearly enough – and that she parked in the same spot without any problems a week before.

A council spokesman said they had done “everything we can to make clear that there is a closure in place between 11am and 7pm seven days a week”.

“New high visibility ‘no entry’ signs have been put in place. Unfortunately, some motorists have deliberately ignored the ban, trying to ‘tailgate’ Metro-shuttle vehicles while the bollards are down.” he said.

Their actions are illegal and extremely dangerous and a number of drivers have been, quite rightly, prosecuted by police for driving without due care and attention.”

On Monday, a new 4 x 4 vehicle became the week’s first victim of the bollards, which claimed a further two on Thursday. First, they tore through the front of a mother’s car, narrowly missing her nine-month-old daughter, who was strapped into a chair in the front seat.

Higher quality vids on the DM site:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1770

The black 4x4 appeared to be very close to the pushchair - if they hit the right hand bollard it would have landed on the child.

If I had something like this on my private driveway to "Exclude" trespassers and a "Trespassing" vehicle was damaged and/or driver or occupant injured or killed the police and lawyers would be all over me like flys on horseshit!

Even older cars had bumpers which are there to take an impact, but these things go right past all of the safety systems in place and straight into the vulenerable parts of the car!

It's only a matter of time IMO before one of these things hits the floorpan directly under an occupied seat and crushes the person up against the roof of the car, and you can bet it will be whitewashed over when it does happen.

However, I suspect that the DM have an agenda and won't publish my comment

I fully agree with everyone who says that these motorists get what they deserve - I am all for serious physical injury and potential death as punishments for attempting to avoid a one-way system. In fact, personally, I'd like to extend the scheme so anyone committing any kind of traffic infraction is immediately shot in the face by a sniper, that'll teach those murderous motorists.

Looks like I was right. They've published another pro-bollard comment but not published my anti-bollard one. Has anyone else posted a comment to the DM site that has not been published?

They haven't published mine either, but they HAVE published one from "Harv" in Chicago who doesn't understand they are there the block all traffic except buses.