The pitfalls of having tunnel vision

FROM MY CORNER .... With Ann Brunswick

Reading coverage of the opening of the Clem7 tunnel it struck me how many people were saying they became confused and took the wrong exit at its northern end. Having driven through the tunnel for the first time at the weekend, before the freebie period expires, it is obvious to me those who were complaining have very good reasons to do so.
Approaching the northern exit from within the tunnel there are signs giving you several exit options. One points you to “Sunshine Coast” via Lutwyche Road. The other inexplicably says “Spring Hill”. Given that Spring Hill is hardly adjacent to the tunnel exit this certainly caused confusion in my mind. The same exit sign also had “Eagle Farm” and a pointer to Brisbane Airport on it.
It caused me so much confusion that the exist destinations on other signs were a blur to me. So, “Spring Hill” it was. My rationale was that at least that particular exit would land me somewhere familiar. But then the next sign had no mention of Spring Hill. It pointed to Eagle Farm, and another sign pointed me to Ipswich and Toowong. The Ipswich and Toowong exit, my reasoning went, would take me to the inbound inner-city bypass, and so it did. I
t was then possible for me to toddle home to my inner-west abode. Which all poses the question, do traffic engineers have any grasp of reality? Spring Hill is nowhere near the tunnel exit, so why put it on the exit sign?
On Sunday a friend related her similar experience. “Why put Spring Hill on the sign. The exit is nowhere near Spring Hill,” she said. Here’s a hint for free, unlike the no-doubt expensive professional advice that led to Spring Hill being used to confuse motorists.
Why not have the first exit sign in the tunnel say something like “Inner-City Bypass”. Then the second sign could point drivers either to “Kingsford Smith Drive” or “Hale Street”. That way everyone would know where they were going. Too difficult? Apparently it is.

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On the subject of the tunnel, approaching it from the west on the inner-city bypass takes you up Hale Street past the What-Used-To-Be-Called-Lang-Park Stadium and under Musgrave Road.
At that point if you look to your right (only if you are not behind the wheel, mind) you catch a glimpse of The Place-Where-Footy-Players-And-Cougars-Supposedly-Hook-Up-For-Intimate-Moments Hotel, before continuing on. As you drive over the crest of the hill to your right you can see the-Very-Rich-But-We-Still-Cry-Poor-So-We-Get-Taxpayer-Subsidies Boys School and next door the Just-As-Rich-But-We-Also-Cry-Poor-So-We-Get-Taxpayer-Subsidies Girls School.
Up to this point the speed limit on the inner-city bypass is 60kph. But it changes towards the bottom of the hill to 80kph just as you approach on your left the It’s-A-Miracle-No-City-Council-Has-Flogged-Off-The-Land-To-One-Of-Their-Sleazy- Developer-Mates Golf Course.
At about that point the speed limit lifts to 80kph, although in my experience most other drivers have been doing that speed since the What-Used-To-Be-Called-Lang-Park Stadium. A few hundred metres further there is an exit that takes you to the Royal Totally-Rebuilt-At-Great-Expense-But-Apparently-Still-Inadequate Brisbane Hospital and the Royal Soon-To-Disappear-Thanks-To-A-Really-Stupid-Decision-By-Peter-Beattie Children’s Hospital.
For some bizarre reason at that point there is a large traffic sign saying the speed limit is 60kph. It took me a moment to workout that the sign in fact applies only to exiting traffic.
Is it too difficult to position the sign so it doesn’t cause confusion? Apparently it is. Then, if continuing on the bypass, the 80kph limit falls to 60kph halfway through the tunnel under the Royal It’s-The-Same-Crap-Every-Year-Just-Higher-Admission-Prices Brisbane Showgrounds. But then a hundred metres or so further, it jumps back up to 70kph.
Again, is it too difficult to do away with yo-yoing speed limits simply by removing the 60kph sign in the tunnel and have only one drop in speed, from 80kph to 70kph? Apparently it is.

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From my Corner would like to send a big heartfelt cheerio to the Queensland Railways employee enjoying a cup of tea on the platform at Bowen Hills about 8am on Monday as our cattle train ... I’m sorry, I meant CityRail service ... made its way into the city.
The passengers whose faces were pressed solidly against the windows probably got a better view of this than I did, but said employee nonchalantly pulled his tea bag out of his cup, wandered over and threw the soggy mess between our carriage and the platform and onto the tracks below. As our cattle train service .... I’m sorry, I meant City Rail service ... moooved ... I’m sorry I meant moved ... off, our litterbug looked quite happy with himself and his actions.
Certainly none of the three other QR employees he was with gave the slightest impression that he had done the wrong thing. I guess he can at least take credit for being a very good bad example for all those school kids on the train who saw his actions and now know exactly where their empty drink cans and chip packets are meant to go after they’re finished with them.