Which part of NO WAITING do you not understand?

I will sound like a stickler saying this, but people, traffic rules are usually there for a reason, dammit.

Today, one stupid schmuck was responsible for getting a whole lotta people stuck for 25 minutes.


There's a little turning from North Bridge Road onto North Boat Quay, which is a really short little road that joins to River Valley Road. You can see the MICA building and Clarke Quay from it. I pass through it very frequently on my way home, often driving, and there's one thing that never fails to irk me.

Right by the road facing a bus stop is High Street Centre. There is bunch of cars and trucks *very* illegally and perennially parked there along the no-wait zone (marked by a yellow zigzag). Since it's a small road with only two lanes, those inconsiderately parked vehicles manage to cause a bottleneck most hours of the day. I always wondered why the traffic cops have never had a field day there.

Today, I was on the 195, heading home after a tiring day at rehearsal (where I'd managed to do something weird to my lower back).

It is 5.45pm. As the bus driver gingerly tries to make the tight turn, he finds the bus blocked by a truck (with its hazard lights blinking) stopped right at the start of the no-wait stretch. Being a long vehicle, there is no way the bus can clear the turning without taking the lamp post and a few small trees with it if the truck doesn't make way. Naturally, the bus driver starts honking. After a minute or two, it becomes clear that the truck driver is nowhere nearby.

After 10 minutes, a few passengers decide to get off the bus and try their luck elsewhere, but I am too tired to follow suit. Meanwhile, curious passers-by are starting to peer into the truck and look around to see how they can help.

After 15 minutes, the building security guard comes round to check things out. One assumes he isn't clairvoyant enough to figure out where the truck driver is.

20 minutes later, a traffic cop arrives. He, too, walks around the truck, checking it out. He too can't clairvoyantly find the missing driver. By this time, a very long queue of cars waiting to turn has formed behind the bus since that junction sees a constant flow of traffic, especially at friggin rush hour. PLUS a long queue of cars on the down-ramp of the building's parking lot that can't get out because of the hold-up.

25 minutes later, the idiot driver finally shows up wheeling a trolley, and the oh-fuck look on his face is clear as he spots the cop. The young punk wisely decides to avoid eye contact with anyone else while he goes to move his truck out of the way.

I hope he gets a MAJOR summon.