Loading Truck Traffic Lights

We were in the car, and I was enjoying a rare stint as a passenger, window rolled down and a cool summer breeze caressing my brow. My good friend James, also in a relaxed mood from finishing our long four year course, turned into the backstreets of our cosy seaside town as we drove towards our favorite haunt, the Uplands Cafe.

My impatient friend's mood was shattered, however, by a large lorry parked on the corner, delivering crisps to the nearby pub; as we were turning right, a car whooshed past, and James (who is personally insulted by others' stupidity) vehemently cursed the driver and the truck in equal amounts. In my mild mannered (and never offensive) manner, I pointed out that the truck hardly had an option as to where he parked if he had a delivery to make, but my pacifying seeds fell on stony ground.

The perfect solution presented itself to me: delivery vehicles should have a set of traffic lights mounted to the front and back sides, which would proscribe right of way to those people who need to pass - they could be controlled by a very simple sensor/timing feature which would automatically kick in when the truck was parked with its back hatch open, and might save lives, as well as confusion, and the temper of my irrascible friend.