Is tomorrow the worst day for driving in entire year?

[RockDriver]

So far we have:

• Storm
• Cancelled trains
• Cancelled flights
• Euro tunnel closed last minute due to strikes
• Friday before the Christmas weekend

Gotta head from London towards Calais tomorrow afternoon. Under ideal circumstances it would suck, but under current circumstances I imagine it will be a complete mayhem.

[abzmike]

There are only so many slots on tunnels and boats that people can head for, so that is a natural limit.
When I was in the south and heading north, I always found Easter was worse than Christmas - at Easter it’s all compressed into 4 days, at Christmas it’s over a much longer period.

[Paulm4]

Working from home tomorrow and the Scottish Highlands are pretty quiet in winter so might go for a wee drive just for fun 😁

[Sebring440]

RockDriver said:

Gotta head from London towards Calais tomorrow afternoon. Under ideal circumstances it would suck, but under current circumstances I imagine it will be a complete mayhem.

Well get off PH then, and get yourself organised!

[Killer2005]

I have to drive to Bradford.

[RockDriver]

abzmike said:

There are only so many slots on tunnels and boats that people can head for, so that is a natural limit.

I bought a ferry ticket, but if I get stuck in traffic and miss it, I could be seriously screwed.

abzmike said:

When I was in the south and heading north, I always found Easter was worse than Christmas - at Easter it’s all compressed into 4 days, at Christmas it’s over a much longer period.

Indeed, but I imagine that wherever everyone is going, they wanna get there by Christmas Eve. The return of course can be more spread out.

[Pica-Pica]

abzmike said:

There are only so many slots on tunnels and boats that people can head for, so that is a natural limit.
When I was in the south and heading north, I always found Easter was worse than Christmas - at Easter it’s all compressed into 4 days, at Christmas it’s over a much longer period.

For a couple of years we had to drive to visit my mum in a home on Boxing Day. We gained a reputation for having Christmas dinner in McDonalds, en route. That aside, Christmas Day travel was always fine, steady traffic, not heavy, and not always empty. As said, Easter is much worse.

[Clivey]

I've already decided to only drive my old stbox Nissan Terrano and park-up the other cars until after Christmas, after experiencing the absolute carnage (downed trees, walls and other debris everywhere) and the amount of stressed last minute Christmas shoppers driving like they're on fairground dodgems over the last few days. I honestly don't know how some of them manage to survive given the severe shortage of brainpower on display. My wife had to remind 3 people to turn-on their headlights in the space of a couple of minutes yesterday evening (she was walking past a queue of traffic that'd just exited a car park).

[Second Best]

I work nights so for the most part I tend to visit empty supermarkets, or bump into staff who generally let their guard down as they know we're awake at later, empty hours.

I had the pleasure of going to a supermarket at around 1pm yesterday. I don't know how I put up with it when I was on days.

• Drove in to see some 800 year old guy trying to park. Went round and parked downstairs.
• Saw at least 4 women confused why they were trapped in the lunch area because someone had brought a pallet in and was unloading it into the lunch aisle. Nobody thought to ask "excuse me" and just ended up wandering around the area they were trapped in.
• Self checkouts. Oh my god. I thought I was stupid.
• Numerous complaints about meal deals because someone had fked off to the other end of the shop.
• Complete inability to understand how car parks work; I waited for at least 2 minutes watching a lady take a 13 point turn to park in the space next to me... all the time I had my indicator on and was gesturing that I was leaving.
• The 800 year old guy was still parking when I left.

I went back at 10pm, was in and out within about 5 minutes including wishing the staff a merry christmas.

[the-norseman]

I'm heading from MK to Cheshire at around 1900 once I finish work.

[Vasco]

Killer2005 said:

I have to drive to Bradford.

You have the sympathy of many. At least the drive will probably be more enjoyable than the destination.

[POIDH]

Second Best said:

I had the pleasure of going to a supermarket at around 1pm yesterday.

I walked to our local supermarket and could only smirk at the queue coming out who had been blocked by the queue coming in, which led to cars being driven on pavements, beeping of horns, blocked roads and more.
Of course no-one thought to get out and tell the w*nk*r in the Range Rover that by half pulling into the entrance they had successfully blocked the road AND car park. She was genuinely horrified at the suggestion of reversing to allow everyone out, which in turn would allow everyone in. Apparently everyone else could move.

I just left her to it.

And discovered multiple characters like her inside with trolleys...

[Tom4398cc]

You have the sympathy of many. At least the drive will probably be more enjoyable than the destination.
[/quote]

There’s still a lot that is great about Bradford. Yes it has had its share of challenges, but it has a proud history and a bright future. The biggest thing holding it back is negative perceptions that are not that accurate.

[the-norseman]

We went shopping yesterday at about 1pm and thought to ourselves seems a little quiet compared to what we were expecting.

[ChocolateFrog]

RockDriver said:

So far we have:

• Storm
• Cancelled trains
• Cancelled flights
• Euro tunnel closed last minute due to strikes
• Friday before the Christmas weekend

Gotta head from London towards Calais tomorrow afternoon. Under ideal circumstances it would suck, but under current circumstances I imagine it will be a complete mayhem.

Could be worse.

You could be working on a boat or trian tomorrow.

[Mr E]

I have the joy of the m4-m25-m20 to pick up parents and then return them to my house. So a nice 320 mile round trip in a car with a ~260 mile battery.
I will be doing it late on the 23rd and returning early on the 24th.

And then 3 days later I’ll do it again.

[Fleckers]

RockDriver said:

abzmike said:

There are only so many slots on tunnels and boats that people can head for, so that is a natural limit.

I bought a ferry ticket, but if I get stuck in traffic and miss it, I could be seriously screwed.

abzmike said:

When I was in the south and heading north, I always found Easter was worse than Christmas - at Easter it’s all compressed into 4 days, at Christmas it’s over a much longer period.

Indeed, but I imagine that wherever everyone is going, they wanna get there by Christmas Eve. The return of course can be more spread out.

the M20 was a lorry park yesterday so recommend using the A2 to get to the ferry

[LeeM135i]

At this time of year we walk or train where we can, weather is rubbish and people usually put driving 4th or 5th on their priority list when behind the wheel.

The M20 in Kent was shut last night, Eurostar closed, Ferry's delayed due to the weather. I have every sympathy for people trying to get to or back from wherever they need.

We usually go to the supermarket after dinner on a Thursday and its dead quiet but last year the shelves were bare so we are having our shopping delivered this year hopefully they have everything. If not we can walk the mile unto the local Sainsburys to get anything they've missed.

Have a safe and great Christmas everyone!

[vikingaero]

I think these days, Unions and Staff are much more militant and willing to strike at the most inconvenient times.

[CanAm]

Killer2005 said:

I have to drive to Bradford.

Suzie Blake as BBC Announcer, "We'd like to apologise to our viewers in the North. It must be awful for you."