London Drivers: you win, I give up
Discussion
I've been getting more and more depressed about the state of driving in the capital and today really is the last straw.
1) my road leads onto a main road near a junction. Most days it's a challenge to get out of. This morning there was a gap in the queue so I pulled out and the Polo driver who'd left the gap accelerated, leant on the horn and put his lights on full beam. Cheers for that.
2) I turn down a small side street. I'm cautious after the turn as people tend to pull out of a smaller side street without looking. A Discovery pulled up to this side street and stopped. So I relaxed a little. Then he pulled out. So either he didn't see me, or he did and pulled out anyway causing me to make an emergency stop (from a low speed, but even so)
3) On a road running behind Kings Cross and St Pancras stations they've put in a zebra crossing which, due to the amount of pedestrians is the wrong kind of crossing. A lot of people use the crossing, approaching in dribs and drabs - not their fault, I know. Because of the gaps between people crossing you can wait for ages and a queue usually forms. No-one waits. Pedestrians walk across without acknowledging that a car has had to wait and often don't look, choosing instead to use the "f
k you" force and trust that the drivers and cyclists are paying attention
4) Great Portland street. Two cars drove past the left turn lane onto Marylbone Rd and waited at the lights in the straight-on lane. When the lights changed they both indicated left and turned cutting into the line of cars waiting to go left.
5) Two cyclists on Chapel Street crossing Edgware Rd decided that green means GO!, not go if it's safe to proceed, even though a woman was crossing the road right in front of them
6) Through Hyde park I followed a Golf through at 14mph despite the clear road in front of her. That was until we got to a raised crossing - not a zebra, or pelican crossing just a flat top speed bump with a sign next to it. But she had to do an emergency stop because of the cyclists riding across with no intention of stopping. "fk you" trumps self preservation every time.
7) A car plonked itself at the end of 2 car wide Prince Consort Rd, he was going to turn left or right into Queen's Gate but neither me or the guy next to me could tell which way he was going. Smack in the middle of the road and approaching the junction more or less straight on.
8) scooterists on the narrow Battersea Church Rd / Vicarage Crescent think its a good idea to pass the line of cars no matter what might be coming the other way, are they fking psychic?
9) Turning right out of Vicarage Crescent into York way, two lanes turn right and the Astra convertible driver in front of me took the left lane....then the right one on the turn and then the left one again. If I hadn't done an emergency stop I'd have lost the front of my car (I didn't pip, flash lights or race past, which makes the following even more baffling)
10) Same Astra, the two lane York Rd merges into one lane. She was behind me after the lights but, with the merge coming up, switched to the left lane, pulled up the inside and then blocked me from merging. Cheers you blind fking bh.21`
Every traffic light - and I mean EVERY traffic light - is a worry about the colour of the lights. I'm being forced to go through as lights change more and more because of cars accelerating towards amber / red. The number of times I've thought I've pushed it a bit and should have stopped, then checked the mirror again and seen 2 and even 3 cars racing through. Going through an amber light is now preventing a multi-car pile up with me at the front.
So that's just a typical 45 minute 7 mile drive.
And tonight I have the right turn from Albert Bridge to Chelsea Embankment to look forward to. Black Cabs coming from Kings Road steam through the red light to go across the bridge cause two major problems. They end up queueing in the box junction blocking traffic heading west along the embankment and they cause right turners to wait, when they should be able to go frequently causing cars to be stranded in the centre of the junction as E/W and W/E traffic starts up again. Taxi driving fking s.
So, I'll be buying a 20 year old Toyota Hi-Lux and fitting bull bars. I may or may not bother with insurance. If everyone else is saying fk you, well fk you right back.
Cue (or "que" as I increasing see on here) the Driving's bad, WGAF; move out of London; get a different job; st happens, get over it; poor rant; 3/10 not enough swearing etc, etc
1) my road leads onto a main road near a junction. Most days it's a challenge to get out of. This morning there was a gap in the queue so I pulled out and the Polo driver who'd left the gap accelerated, leant on the horn and put his lights on full beam. Cheers for that.
2) I turn down a small side street. I'm cautious after the turn as people tend to pull out of a smaller side street without looking. A Discovery pulled up to this side street and stopped. So I relaxed a little. Then he pulled out. So either he didn't see me, or he did and pulled out anyway causing me to make an emergency stop (from a low speed, but even so)
3) On a road running behind Kings Cross and St Pancras stations they've put in a zebra crossing which, due to the amount of pedestrians is the wrong kind of crossing. A lot of people use the crossing, approaching in dribs and drabs - not their fault, I know. Because of the gaps between people crossing you can wait for ages and a queue usually forms. No-one waits. Pedestrians walk across without acknowledging that a car has had to wait and often don't look, choosing instead to use the "f
k you" force and trust that the drivers and cyclists are paying attention4) Great Portland street. Two cars drove past the left turn lane onto Marylbone Rd and waited at the lights in the straight-on lane. When the lights changed they both indicated left and turned cutting into the line of cars waiting to go left.
5) Two cyclists on Chapel Street crossing Edgware Rd decided that green means GO!, not go if it's safe to proceed, even though a woman was crossing the road right in front of them
6) Through Hyde park I followed a Golf through at 14mph despite the clear road in front of her. That was until we got to a raised crossing - not a zebra, or pelican crossing just a flat top speed bump with a sign next to it. But she had to do an emergency stop because of the cyclists riding across with no intention of stopping. "f
k you" trumps self preservation every time.7) A car plonked itself at the end of 2 car wide Prince Consort Rd, he was going to turn left or right into Queen's Gate but neither me or the guy next to me could tell which way he was going. Smack in the middle of the road and approaching the junction more or less straight on.
8) scooterists on the narrow Battersea Church Rd / Vicarage Crescent think its a good idea to pass the line of cars no matter what might be coming the other way, are they f
king psychic?9) Turning right out of Vicarage Crescent into York way, two lanes turn right and the Astra convertible driver in front of me took the left lane....then the right one on the turn and then the left one again. If I hadn't done an emergency stop I'd have lost the front of my car (I didn't pip, flash lights or race past, which makes the following even more baffling)
10) Same Astra, the two lane York Rd merges into one lane. She was behind me after the lights but, with the merge coming up, switched to the left lane, pulled up the inside and then blocked me from merging. Cheers you blind f
king bh.21`Every traffic light - and I mean EVERY traffic light - is a worry about the colour of the lights. I'm being forced to go through as lights change more and more because of cars accelerating towards amber / red. The number of times I've thought I've pushed it a bit and should have stopped, then checked the mirror again and seen 2 and even 3 cars racing through. Going through an amber light is now preventing a multi-car pile up with me at the front.
So that's just a typical 45 minute 7 mile drive.
And tonight I have the right turn from Albert Bridge to Chelsea Embankment to look forward to. Black Cabs coming from Kings Road steam through the red light to go across the bridge cause two major problems. They end up queueing in the box junction blocking traffic heading west along the embankment and they cause right turners to wait, when they should be able to go frequently causing cars to be stranded in the centre of the junction as E/W and W/E traffic starts up again. Taxi driving f
king s.So, I'll be buying a 20 year old Toyota Hi-Lux and fitting bull bars. I may or may not bother with insurance. If everyone else is saying f
k you, well fk you right back.Cue (or "que" as I increasing see on here) the Driving's bad, WGAF; move out of London; get a different job; s
t happens, get over it; poor rant; 3/10 not enough swearing etc, etcEdited by Hackney on Monday 20th January 10:42
DaveyBoyWonder said:
You drive 7 miles and takes 45 minutes? Have you thought about alternative commuting methods? I'm led to believe London has a public transport system?
I regularly take public transport and I also cycle.Public transport takes an hour. I can't cycle at the moment.
If I leave at 7:30: Car 45 mins door to door, Bus / train / walk at least an hour
If I leave earlier: Car 35 minuts, bus/ train / walk is still over an hour
Upside to driving: door to door; warm / cool as I require; music I like; always a seat; my own space
Downside: petrol price; dealing with morons / lunatics (see first post)
Upside to public transport: I can read; not dealing with morons / lunatics (at least not driving ones)
Downside to public transport: not door to door; not warm / cool as I require; not always a seat; not my own space
OP - too many people in too little space results in the behaviour you've observed.
London has the most comprehensive public transport system in the country. Last time I lived and worked there, driving was the least attractive option. I used a combination of public transport, cycling and/or running. The only advantage a car seemed to offer was a nice place to sit away from the rest of humanity - many may value that highly, but the cost is getting caught up in the scenarios described.
London has the most comprehensive public transport system in the country. Last time I lived and worked there, driving was the least attractive option. I used a combination of public transport, cycling and/or running. The only advantage a car seemed to offer was a nice place to sit away from the rest of humanity - many may value that highly, but the cost is getting caught up in the scenarios described.
Hackney - I gave up traveling into london by anything other than the tube. I used to use my motorcycle, but even that became a fraught affair. I'll only travel into deepest darkest london early on a saturday or sunday morning on two wheels now. Traveling on the tube gave me time for reading and for listening to music...I dare say, it improved my general state of well-being
I'd never attempt it by car!
I'd never attempt it by car!
scotty_d said:
Move to a nice quite town problem solved. I would hate to live in any big city...
This is the plan. This is definitely the plan.Maybe I noticed it more today because I've spent the weekend driving around Nottinghamshire.
Just realised I missed one from my original list.
11) being thanked when you wait for someone to come through. Doesn't happen in London.
pork911 said:
Hackney said:
Natedoggy said:
OP whats your address? I'll send you a box of tissues
Are you suggesting I stay at home and masturbate instead of driving to work?Or take the train and do it there?
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff