Bloomin half term quiet roads.
Bloomin half term quiet roads.
Author
Discussion

Madkat

Original Poster:

1,147 posts

201 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
It's amazing around here as soon as its half term the traffic magically evaporates, this morning was like 9pm on Thursday night levels of traffic.

Usually i'd think great less cars on the road but it in fact annoys me that i spend the rest of the year battling idle pupils and parents taking the car to school when i live in a city with many many buses (leaking oil and diesel everywhere), trains and plenty of options for taking your bike or god forbid walking the few miles to one of the many schools around here. Mind you many commuters could also leave the car behind too. Obesity crisis! nope lazy arse crisis more like.

If you live 20 miles from school in the country then fine. But your in a city make them find their own way to school.

Edited by Madkat on Tuesday 18th February 09:41

jimbobsimmonds

1,824 posts

194 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
My "commute" from Higham to Rochester Airport (5 or 6 miles at a guess) goes from 25mins to 12 mins when the kids are off.

Enjoy it!

007 VXR

64,187 posts

216 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Madkat said:
It's amazing around here as soon as its half term the traffic magically evaporates, this morning was like 9pm on Thursday night levels of traffic.

Usually i'd think great less cars on the road but it in fact annoys me that i spend the rest of the year battling idle pupils and parents taking the car to school when i live in a city with many many buses (leaking oil and diesel everywhere), trains and plenty of options for taking your bike or god forbid walking the few miles to one of the many schools around here. Mind you many commuters could also leave the car behind too. Obesity crisis! nope lazy arse crisis more like.

If you live 20 miles from school in the country then fine. but your in a city make them find their own way to school.
Errm, sorry.. Iam i reading that wrong or should you just take a bus/train/bike or just walk to work ?

Madkat

Original Poster:

1,147 posts

201 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
007 VXR said:
Madkat said:
It's amazing around here as soon as its half term the traffic magically evaporates, this morning was like 9pm on Thursday night levels of traffic.

Usually i'd think great less cars on the road but it in fact annoys me that i spend the rest of the year battling idle pupils and parents taking the car to school when i live in a city with many many buses (leaking oil and diesel everywhere), trains and plenty of options for taking your bike or god forbid walking the few miles to one of the many schools around here. Mind you many commuters could also leave the car behind too. Obesity crisis! nope lazy arse crisis more like.

If you live 20 miles from school in the country then fine. but your in a city make them find their own way to school.
Errm, sorry.. Iam i reading that wrong or should you just take a bus/train/bike or just walk to work ?
I ride to work daily.

RizzoTheRat

28,922 posts

221 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Took me under 20 minutes to get to work this morning, it's not uncommon for it take me twice that long, and I live in a fairly small town and work in another small town. Dread to think how bug the difference is in a city.

mikeyr

3,397 posts

222 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Whilst it would be quieter if more kids were walking/cycling to school normally don't forget that most of the people who aren't slowing you down this week will be work commuters that have taken time off to look after their kids.

Maybe each county could have different half term weeks which would lessen traffic over a longer period...and spread the peak prices for holidays too.


George7

1,130 posts

179 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
My daily commute is cut from 30 minutes to 15-20 minutes when the schools are off. Absolutely brilliant. I can't believe how much extra congestion the school run develops eek

Impasse

15,099 posts

270 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
In other news, the Pope met a bear in the woods today.

budgie smuggler

6,057 posts

188 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
My route is 90% dual carriageways (A130/A127). It's gone from around 35 mins to about 20 this week. I suppose it's probably more down to parents taking the week off and hence not commuting rather than the lack school run mums. MPG gone from 34 to 38 as well biggrin

Graebob

2,172 posts

236 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
So OP...

You're upset that normally, other people are driving cars along the same route as you, and they don't take the swifter public transport options or pedal/foot power.

Why don't you take those options then?

RizzoTheRat

28,922 posts

221 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
mikeyr said:
Maybe each county could have different half term weeks which would lessen traffic over a longer period...and spread the peak prices for holidays too.
Some places do that already, and it's a right pain for people with kids in different schools

KarlMac

4,626 posts

170 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
I never understand why the motorways are so quiet during half term. There can't be that many people booking time off work can they?

supertouring

2,228 posts

262 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Graebob said:
So OP...

You're upset that normally, other people are driving cars along the same route as you, and they don't take the swifter public transport options or pedal/foot power.

Why don't you take those options then?
He said he rides to work.

Madkat

Original Poster:

1,147 posts

201 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Graebob said:
So OP...

You're upset that normally, other people are driving cars along the same route as you, and they don't take the swifter public transport options or pedal/foot power.

Why don't you take those options then?
As already said i ride to work and walk part of the way with my wife if you want me to be pedantic.

mikeyr

3,397 posts

222 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
Some places do that already, and it's a right pain for people with kids in different schools
Agree but is it any less ideal than the current situation - and how common is it to have kids in different schools in different counties?

Sir Humphrey

387 posts

152 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Its not just the number of cars, you don't have over 1000 kids stopping traffic because some old codger takes 3 minutes to walk with their sign back to the pavement.

Toaster Pilot

14,864 posts

187 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Working from home this week due to the stupid weather but half term normally takes my 2-2.5 hour drive down to 1.5 or less, it's nuts.

Graebob

2,172 posts

236 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
Madkat said:
Graebob said:
So OP...

You're upset that normally, other people are driving cars along the same route as you, and they don't take the swifter public transport options or pedal/foot power.

Why don't you take those options then?
As already said i ride to work and walk part of the way with my wife if you want me to be pedantic.
So you did, I clearly can't read readloser

RizzoTheRat

28,922 posts

221 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
mikeyr said:
Agree but is it any less ideal than the current situation - and how common is it to have kids in different schools in different counties?
We've got a couple of parents in that situation in a company of 50ish people, agree not that common but a surprising amount, I believe to due to catchment areas for primary and secondary schools being different.

Don't have kids but the Mrs is a teacher so I'd also be quite happy with the idea of holidays in the school holidays being cheaper, unlike the students she can't just take a week off in the middle of term to go on holiday.

JQ

6,809 posts

208 months

Tuesday 18th February 2014
quotequote all
OP, you do realise that the vast majority of the drop in traffic is not down to school runs, it's down to people taking holidays.