Getting around in london
Discussion
I am not sure this is the right place for this but walking through town it’s striking how many new modes of transport people use to get around. It’s not unusual to see people rollerblading in the road, people on skateboards in the road, powered or otherwise, people on mini scooters or powered mini scooters. I even saw a bloke on a mono wheel, hands in pockets casually bumbling along in the middle of the road, no need to stop for traffic lights, obvs. Yesterday I saw someone on what I can only describe as some sort of electric mini motorbike.
It seems to be some sort of pre Cambrian evolutionary explosion of motorised transport.
Not seen any jet packs yet. Disappointing really.
Are there any regulations governing his or are we just letting it all hang out and see where it goes?
It seems to be some sort of pre Cambrian evolutionary explosion of motorised transport.
Not seen any jet packs yet. Disappointing really.
Are there any regulations governing his or are we just letting it all hang out and see where it goes?
Astacus said:
I am not sure this is the right place for this but walking through town it’s striking how many new modes of transport people use to get around. It’s not unusual to see people rollerblading in the road, people on skateboards in the road, powered or otherwise, people on mini scooters or powered mini scooters. I even saw a bloke on a mono wheel, hands in pockets casually bumbling along in the middle of the road, no need to stop for traffic lights, obvs. Yesterday I saw someone on what I can only describe as some sort of electric mini motorbike.
It seems to be some sort of pre Cambrian evolutionary explosion of motorised transport.
Not seen any jet packs yet. Disappointing really.
Are there any regulations governing his or are we just letting it all hang out and see where it goes?
You can see some examples of those forms of transport in this documentary from a few years back:It seems to be some sort of pre Cambrian evolutionary explosion of motorised transport.
Not seen any jet packs yet. Disappointing really.
Are there any regulations governing his or are we just letting it all hang out and see where it goes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhAr_UeroCk
The problem with a lot of the powered stuff is that *legally* they need insurance, registration, lights blah blah blah even though they're OK in other jurisdictions. This would rule them out totally for me, as if some particularly keen plod decided to nick me then by the time they have totted up all of the offences (eg 6 points for no insurance) then I'd get banned from driving. I'd probably be drunk too, so I'd be proper f
ked on the driving licence front.
ked on the driving licence front.Dog Star said:
The problem with a lot of the powered stuff is that *legally* they need insurance, registration, lights blah blah blah even though they're OK in other jurisdictions. This would rule them out totally for me, as if some particularly keen plod decided to nick me then by the time they have totted up all of the offences (eg 6 points for no insurance) then I'd get banned from driving. I'd probably be drunk too, so I'd be proper fked on the driving licence front.
As above.ked on the driving licence front.Personally I think we should let it all hang out. It could be a very bright future with everyone whizzing about on hover boards and the like. Id even go as far as banning cars right in the centre of town when the tech makes these things more than just toys which is pretty much there already.
Right now though, like above with the law as it stands the stress of waiting for that inevitable tap on the shoulder means it's not worth it.
They’ve always been here. It’s part of the nature of a global metropolis. As a child in the 80s I would see people on roller skates and skateboards. There was a crazy old lady in Hampstead who used a kids scooter. 30 years before corporate types decided they were a way to pretend to be less corporate. Down in Victoria there has been a crazy bearded bloke on a very long skate board for twenty odd years.
I guess what has really changed is the addition of some new devices and a strong rise in the desperate and needy as opposed to the pretty constant low level of genuine and entertaining ‘loons’.
I guess what has really changed is the addition of some new devices and a strong rise in the desperate and needy as opposed to the pretty constant low level of genuine and entertaining ‘loons’.
DonkeyApple said:
There was a crazy old lady in Hampstead who used a kids scooter. 30 years before corporate types decided they were a way to pretend to be less corporate.
I remember going for a job interview for a big ISP and when I walked in there were all these beardy people with full sleeve tattoos in the office on those stupid scooters. They also had little sweet dispensers and goldfish bowls on the desks (and of course all the hipster dev knobs had the six pack of diet coke on the desk, like a badge of honour). It was a place that was desperately trying too hard, and I was actually very relieved when the chap started interviewing me about a load of stuff I had never even heard of. I'd have hated it.TwigtheWonderkid said:
Does no one just use their legs anymore? Central London, say the area within the Circle Line, is almost completely flat and full of wonderful buildings and amazing hidden treasures you just don't notice if you're not walking.
Just walk!!!
No one uses legs. We all levitate. Of course everyone still walks!! Just walk!!!
But London is a cultural and liberal hub and if people wish to have fun using something else then there are no brown shirted fascists to demand that they must walk instead.
Harry H said:
More than 120 years ago some pistonhead type chaps are standing at the side of the road
"Look at that knob riding around in that horseless carriage. Why doesn't he just ride a mule or walk like the rest of us"
I doubt they would have said that. Look up the great horse manure crisis of 1894. "Look at that knob riding around in that horseless carriage. Why doesn't he just ride a mule or walk like the rest of us"
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Harry H said:
More than 120 years ago some pistonhead type chaps are standing at the side of the road
"Look at that knob riding around in that horseless carriage. Why doesn't he just ride a mule or walk like the rest of us"
I doubt they would have said that. Look up the great horse manure crisis of 1894. "Look at that knob riding around in that horseless carriage. Why doesn't he just ride a mule or walk like the rest of us"
I still think my Oyster card and Uber app are both pretty mind blowing.
it is basically because the tubes are hell on earth.
Also - total waste of time, and exercise opportunity.
So - if I was to get a train from home to office. I'd get the over ground loser cruiser to Charing X.
Then I have a simple Northern Line to Warren Street currently. Obviously Goodge Street is closer, but well, they have had two lifts of the four not working for years......and they don't seem arsed to fix them.
So it takes about 30/35 minutes door to door using the tube from Charing X (no idea how much it costs, maybe 5 quid?)
I can walk it in 25....................
people don't understand this I think.
Due to the tubes being SO st now - more and more people are doing it.
I use a motorbike obviously, but recent highlights have included
1. Last night, on Tottenham Court road - some dude, lit up like a Xmas tree doing about 30mph on roller blades. I mean proper fast for skates.
2. Yesterday morning - a lady on what I thought was a pushbike............turns out it had no pedals - it was basically a push a long scooter with massive push bike wheels - she was not fast!
3. Mono wheel - see him most days somewhere
4. Young kid, on the back wheel of his pushbike thing over Waterloo bridge.............I'm on my motorbike, over take him about halfway over Waterloo bridge............I re-overtake him (Him still on his back wheel) 10 minutes later, on Tottenham Court Road - I still don't know how that was possible for him!
Also - total waste of time, and exercise opportunity.
So - if I was to get a train from home to office. I'd get the over ground loser cruiser to Charing X.
Then I have a simple Northern Line to Warren Street currently. Obviously Goodge Street is closer, but well, they have had two lifts of the four not working for years......and they don't seem arsed to fix them.
So it takes about 30/35 minutes door to door using the tube from Charing X (no idea how much it costs, maybe 5 quid?)
I can walk it in 25....................
people don't understand this I think.
Due to the tubes being SO s
t now - more and more people are doing it.I use a motorbike obviously, but recent highlights have included
1. Last night, on Tottenham Court road - some dude, lit up like a Xmas tree doing about 30mph on roller blades. I mean proper fast for skates.
2. Yesterday morning - a lady on what I thought was a pushbike............turns out it had no pedals - it was basically a push a long scooter with massive push bike wheels - she was not fast!
3. Mono wheel - see him most days somewhere
4. Young kid, on the back wheel of his pushbike thing over Waterloo bridge.............I'm on my motorbike, over take him about halfway over Waterloo bridge............I re-overtake him (Him still on his back wheel) 10 minutes later, on Tottenham Court Road - I still don't know how that was possible for him!
GetCarter said:
Shame they all have to breath the same dreadful toxic air.
I was following an old SLC merc into London the other day and smelling its lovely pre cat exhaust fumes and thinking how much better the air is than it used to be in the 80s when i lived there. I used to get black collars after a day at work and you could see the smog on some days. GetCarter said:
Underground is disgusting, Roads are slower than they were in 1910, I guess people are being creative with their modes of transport.
Shame they all have to breath the same dreadful toxic air.
Have you seen the effect of organised events like the Ride London Surrey, on air pollution levels, in London, on the day of the event?Shame they all have to breath the same dreadful toxic air.
It is pretty astonishing.
https://cyclingindustry.news/air-quality-sees-dras...
The graphs are in this article.
Edited by GOATever on Tuesday 23 October 14:16
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