Motorway Stoppages.

[guzzijon]

For the second time in a week a motorway has been brought to a halt by emergency services- including EOD- having to deal with a "hazardous substance."

So are these attempted terrorist attacks, hoaxes or actual attacks- ie is the disruption the aim rather than a by-product.
When a major route is disrupted for most of a Saturday, have the perpetrators achieved their aim? And what can be done to expedite the process of dealing with this?
Today's (Saturday 23rd Sept) incident on the M3.
M3 Winchester Closed Due To 'Potential Hazardous Material' Bomb Scare | HuffPost UK
Tuesday's Incident on the M1.
Motorists stuck on M1 for six hours after 'suspicious' substance found under a bridge near Milton Keynes

 

[beefer]

Motorway Sandwiches

 

[guzzijon]

Ah, I did have a look- didn't see that one. Although if I had seen it, and knowing it to have been started by a female, I would just have assumed it was about sandwiches. Maybe diversifying into complaints at the shocking state of service station flowers and the limited number of romantic comedies in the DVD section .

Edited to add: @The_Snail 's thread is about sarnies ffs

 

[Mech_Eng]

Edited to add: @The_Snail 's thread is about sarnies ffs

If you ask nicely, dearest @The_Snail has a menu.

 

[The_Snail]

Ah, I did have a look- didn't see that one. Although if I had seen it, and knowing it to have been started by a female, I would just have assumed it was about sandwiches. Maybe diversifying into complaints at the shocking state of service station flowers and the limited number of romantic comedies in the DVD section .

Edited to add: @The_Snail 's thread is about sarnies ffs

I was being childish. Sorry.

 

[Tired_Tech]

My thread is the definitive...

Motorway standstills.

 

[Mech_Eng]

I was being childish. Sorry.

Don't you dare be sorry, you play hopscotch all you want.

 

[dingerr]

The last time an operator dealt with devices under motorway bridges there was a GM in it for him.

 

[Tired_Tech]

A Gin Martini?

Hope that was afterwards...

 

[greyfergie]

I blame all the traffic wombles - they closed a lane on the M4 last month because someone had thrown a plastic bottle in the road....

 

[dingerr]

Yes that's right, because in military parlance GM means gin martini

 

[Tired_Tech]

Yes that's right, because in military parlance GM means gin martini

Oh, military parlance... why didn't you say so.

Guided Missile? Seems harsh and a tad dangerous.

 

[Porkbrain]

I haven't seen any mention of what the object investigated on the M1 turned out to be.

Has anyone seen a report anywhere of what it actually was?

 

[kelvin_273]

I haven't seen any mention of what the object investigated on the M1 turned out to be.

Has anyone seen a report anywhere of what it actually was?

LSD apparently.

 

[exbleep]

I haven't seen any mention of what the object investigated on the M1 turned out to be.

Has anyone seen a report anywhere of what it actually was?

A five-litre container of a highly corrosive substance, believed to hydrochloric acid which at a high concentration can burn skin and cause fatal injury, was pouring across two lanes of carriage way when police blocked off the road, leaving commuters stuck while the incident was dealt with.

According to the Telegraph from a couple of days ago.

 

[DemsMaShoes]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks it's a cunning plan to keep the public in a state of fear/concern.
Easier to control us that way.

 

[beardyProf]

So are these attempted terrorist attacks, hoaxes or actual attacks- i.e. is the disruption the aim rather than a by-product.

My understanding to date is they are a by product of a better safe than sorry procedure.

When a major route is disrupted for most of a Saturday, have the perpetrators achieved their aim?

If it was a 'dummy' terrorist attack then yes; even if it's a cautious approach you can argue that the terrorists are achieving disruption.

And what can be done to expedite the process of dealing with this?

Take more risks both with the lives of the EoD team sent to investigate and the motorists being allowed to keep driving past until they arrive. Rather you than me explaining that to the BBC reporter after it's gone wrong though.

 

[BossHogg]

I blame all the traffic wombles - they closed a lane on the M4 last month because someone had thrown a plastic bottle in the road....

No we didn't!

 

[beardyProf]

A five-litre container of a highly corrosive substance, believed to hydrochloric acid which at a high concentration can burn skin and cause fatal injury,

Would also damage your tires, although whether enough to be a genuine cause blow outs and crashes hazard I'm not sure.

 

[skid2]

Yes that's right, because in military parlance GM means gin martini

He meant a Vauxhall........stupid.