Discussion
Is it only me (in the NE of Scotland) that bitterly hates the A96? Whether it's the dawdlers on the single carriageway crawler lanes in the north or the detestable quality of driving on the dual carriageways leading in to Aberdeen, why do people just negate to follow any kind of decency?
The amount of times I get flashed for overtaking on clear and open stretches never ceases to entertain me yet equally frustrate me. I suppose, we are all just grumpy sheep shagging buggers to anyone not from here...!
The amount of times I get flashed for overtaking on clear and open stretches never ceases to entertain me yet equally frustrate me. I suppose, we are all just grumpy sheep shagging buggers to anyone not from here...!
No I hate it too, although I am only familiar well with the Elgin to Inverness stretch. It must strangulate the economy in the North East.
I did recently go from Elgin to Huntly and it is not at all pleasant to drive, even when the road is relatively quiet - commuting or using it for business must be hellish.
I did recently go from Elgin to Huntly and it is not at all pleasant to drive, even when the road is relatively quiet - commuting or using it for business must be hellish.
It's a terrible road. From Aberdeen to Inverurie there is a roudabout ever 6 feet, always someone doing 60 in lane 2, often unmarked police, at least one lane shut every weekend round the AWPR works for no apparent reason and then as you head north onto the single carriageway stretches it's like its a 45mph limit half the time and plenty cameras or police on some of the overtaking spots. It's a hateful road. A bit like the A90. Living in Aberdeen it's impossible to avoid both alas.
I also have some dislike for the A96. When heading north, turn off at the Oyne fork, nip through back of Bennachie, left at Insch, then re-join the 96 by the glens. (Watch for ice on the corners...)
When heading back to Aberdeen, turn left onto the 920 past the Morgan McVeighs place, then into Inverurie - this used to be faster than the 96 going under the rail bridge, now replaced by the Inveramsay bridge.
When heading back into Aberdeen, I have decided against a 45 min A96 drive, and gone A920 through Dufftown, Tomintoul, Lecht, Muir of Fowlis, Dunecht, Westhill, but this is a 3 hour drive instead of 45 min!
When heading back to Aberdeen, turn left onto the 920 past the Morgan McVeighs place, then into Inverurie - this used to be faster than the 96 going under the rail bridge, now replaced by the Inveramsay bridge.
When heading back into Aberdeen, I have decided against a 45 min A96 drive, and gone A920 through Dufftown, Tomintoul, Lecht, Muir of Fowlis, Dunecht, Westhill, but this is a 3 hour drive instead of 45 min!
Peanut Gallery said:
I also have some dislike for the A96. When heading north, turn off at the Oyne fork, nip through back of Bennachie, left at Insch, then re-join the 96 by the glens. (Watch for ice on the corners...)
When heading back to Aberdeen, turn left onto the 920 past the Morgan McVeighs place, then into Inverurie - this used to be faster than the 96 going under the rail bridge, now replaced by the Inveramsay bridge.
When heading back into Aberdeen, I have decided against a 45 min A96 drive, and gone A920 through Dufftown, Tomintoul, Lecht, Muir of Fowlis, Dunecht, Westhill, but this is a 3 hour drive instead of 45 min!
If you're heading to Muir of Fowlis I'd head south past Craigievar Castle, then left at the crossroads onto the B9119 all the way to Westhill - quieter than the road from Alford through Dunecht and good fun in places.When heading back to Aberdeen, turn left onto the 920 past the Morgan McVeighs place, then into Inverurie - this used to be faster than the 96 going under the rail bridge, now replaced by the Inveramsay bridge.
When heading back into Aberdeen, I have decided against a 45 min A96 drive, and gone A920 through Dufftown, Tomintoul, Lecht, Muir of Fowlis, Dunecht, Westhill, but this is a 3 hour drive instead of 45 min!
But yes that is quite a detour you're taking just to avoid the A96, albeit on roads our southern cousins would be quite jealous of!
Keith - Dyce - Keith daily, Monday to Friday.
Lane discipline on the dual carriageway is poop, lots seem to sit in the overtaking lane just because they need to turn right 5 miles down the road.
Speed can be poop - Some dawdling on single carriageway when not needed then people too scared to overtake 40mph HGVs.
Foglight w
kers
The 10mph crawl between the Inveurie roundabouts
Dual carriageways - Muppets queuing in lane one only then thinking you are killing their first borm by being in lane 2
Still, commuting daily means that I can have the same sized house in a quiet area for about 120k less than living in Inverurie or Aberdeen.
Also, my 45 mile commute can take the same time as some colleagues who stay in the Garthdee area of Aberdeen.
Lane discipline on the dual carriageway is poop, lots seem to sit in the overtaking lane just because they need to turn right 5 miles down the road.
Speed can be poop - Some dawdling on single carriageway when not needed then people too scared to overtake 40mph HGVs.
Foglight w
kersThe 10mph crawl between the Inveurie roundabouts
Dual carriageways - Muppets queuing in lane one only then thinking you are killing their first borm by being in lane 2
Still, commuting daily means that I can have the same sized house in a quiet area for about 120k less than living in Inverurie or Aberdeen.
Also, my 45 mile commute can take the same time as some colleagues who stay in the Garthdee area of Aberdeen.
ALBA MELV said:
Keith - Dyce - Keith daily, Monday to Friday.
Lane discipline on the dual carriageway is poop, lots seem to sit in the overtaking lane just because they need to turn right 5 miles down the road.
This is particularly bad north/west bound towards the Kintore roundabout. If I'm using the A96 out of town that's where I come off and I've lost count of the number of people I've undertaken well before the roundabout.Lane discipline on the dual carriageway is poop, lots seem to sit in the overtaking lane just because they need to turn right 5 miles down the road.
I know it's illegal etc etc but honestly these mouthbreathers need killed in a bad way
I do the bits around Inverurie daily too. Driving standards are miserable. Manners in the Inverurie morning stand-still merge-in-turns are generally good, but there's always two or three playing the game of "I'm not making eye contact so I don't have to let you out".
The dual carriageway bits are terrible. Basically a few cars doing 60mph in lane 1, and everyone else queued up in lane 2, attempting to convey to the driver in front, usually by tailgating, how important it is that they achieve 85mph immediately, while simultaneously attempting to convey to the driver behind that you'll need to wait, there's nowhere to go, it's the guy in front holding us up, it's not me, so no, I won't be pulling into lane 1 to let you past, but that doesn't make me just as bad as him because the rules don't apply to me, and if I pull over, nobody will let me out again, because we're all, for some reason, utterly dreadful drivers around here.
Nobody seems capable of firmly accelerating firmly off a roundabout either. Oh, you need to pass that lorry up ahead? Well, could you pull back in to lane 1 for 30 seconds till we get to it, please? No? You're going to sit in lane 2 all that way? OK. Right, we're past the lorry now. Oh, you're going to stay there because you're turning right in 2 miles? Oh for frog's snakes!
And you have to love all the queue jumping at Inverurie westbound at home time as it goes down to one lane after the L of K roundabout. Oh, I'm accidentally in the wrong lane. I'll just limp along innocently in the right-turn lane until I see half a car length of space in lane 1, then DIVE in there before you can stop me. I won't wave, because I don't need to thank you, because I didn't actually give you any choice. Mwhahaha!
At least it's slippery season, so we can play "Who can count the most cars facing the wrong way on a roundabout exit".
The dual carriageway bits are terrible. Basically a few cars doing 60mph in lane 1, and everyone else queued up in lane 2, attempting to convey to the driver in front, usually by tailgating, how important it is that they achieve 85mph immediately, while simultaneously attempting to convey to the driver behind that you'll need to wait, there's nowhere to go, it's the guy in front holding us up, it's not me, so no, I won't be pulling into lane 1 to let you past, but that doesn't make me just as bad as him because the rules don't apply to me, and if I pull over, nobody will let me out again, because we're all, for some reason, utterly dreadful drivers around here.
Nobody seems capable of firmly accelerating firmly off a roundabout either. Oh, you need to pass that lorry up ahead? Well, could you pull back in to lane 1 for 30 seconds till we get to it, please? No? You're going to sit in lane 2 all that way? OK. Right, we're past the lorry now. Oh, you're going to stay there because you're turning right in 2 miles? Oh for frog's snakes!
And you have to love all the queue jumping at Inverurie westbound at home time as it goes down to one lane after the L of K roundabout. Oh, I'm accidentally in the wrong lane. I'll just limp along innocently in the right-turn lane until I see half a car length of space in lane 1, then DIVE in there before you can stop me. I won't wave, because I don't need to thank you, because I didn't actually give you any choice. Mwhahaha!
At least it's slippery season, so we can play "Who can count the most cars facing the wrong way on a roundabout exit".
rossub said:
ALBA MELV said:
Also, my 45 mile commute can take the same time as some colleagues who stay in the Garthdee area of Aberdeen.
Although that will no longer be the case when the bypass eventually opens. 90 miles every work day on the A96.... I wouldn’t last a week.TartanPaint said:
I was reminded of one upside to this commute this morning: The stunning sunrises!
AMEN to that! I have the joys of a very short commute from Inverurie to Kintore for work, and I agree with the thoughts that manners are generally good for trying to get out of streets etc in Inverurie (minus the odd grumpy sod)!I'm loving the LoK roundabout stuff though, I am the guy that just breezes past everyone sitting in Lane 1 making the consious choice to go through Inverurie to get home as the bypass is a joke... And I hate the roundabout at Morrisons as nobody seems to understand the lane discipline! I got cut up very badly the other week by an actual child in a 'limited edition' corsa with a PH sticker in the window. Whoever you are, twunt, you need neutered, oh and banned from here.
I sometimes cut through Inverurie too on the way home if lane 2 seems to be flowing better, but it's a coin toss whether it's any quicker than the bypass + Morrison's roundabout. I've measured against other cars, and sometimes they come out ahead, sometimes behind. Most days I just sit in the bypass queue and enjoy and extra 2 minutes of Eddie Mair.
My usual B977 route has been closed since September due to AWPR works, and I've been forced to use the A96 for my daily commute to the Bridge of Don from Kintore.
I fully agree with most of the comments above regarding poor driving standards and poor lane discipline during rush hour.
The most frustrating scenario is the hogging of the outside lane, all the way from Bucksburn as the driver will eventually be turning right at Inverurie. Most drivers just seem to treat the outside line like joining a checkout queue at the supermarket - too scared to venture into the almost empty inside lane as they will lose their place in the queue to the 20+ cars in a concertina behind them. Even worse if they take forever to reach their maximum speed of 65mph when leaving a roundabout and any cars that they have overtaken pass them by on the inside lane.
Rather than get frustrated by them never pulling over, I now more or less stick to the inside lane all the way. It costs me maybe 30 - 60 seconds in overall journey time, but it's much less stressful.
I fully agree with most of the comments above regarding poor driving standards and poor lane discipline during rush hour.
The most frustrating scenario is the hogging of the outside lane, all the way from Bucksburn as the driver will eventually be turning right at Inverurie. Most drivers just seem to treat the outside line like joining a checkout queue at the supermarket - too scared to venture into the almost empty inside lane as they will lose their place in the queue to the 20+ cars in a concertina behind them. Even worse if they take forever to reach their maximum speed of 65mph when leaving a roundabout and any cars that they have overtaken pass them by on the inside lane.
Rather than get frustrated by them never pulling over, I now more or less stick to the inside lane all the way. It costs me maybe 30 - 60 seconds in overall journey time, but it's much less stressful.
ALBA MELV said:
Lane discipline on the dual carriageway is poop, lots seem to sit in the overtaking lane just because they need to turn right 5 miles down the road.
I'm in Blackburn and every morning without fail there's a gimp in a 65 plate Golf GTD who hits the outside lane as soon as we leave the village. He sits there until he gets to the Haudagain then dives to the inside lane to turn left. He refuses to use the middle lane along Auchmill Road for some reason (even though this is the correct lane to turn left, bus lane on the inside).Almost 7 miles of him being a lane-hogging f
king tt.Love all the previous comments about driving standards on the dual carriageway stretch!
I don't think it's peculiar to the A96 though. If I doth venture south for a weekend, driving back to Aberdeen on a Sunday evening you can see the tone of the driving change instantly at the left turn for Aberdeen/Forfar in Dundee. Suddenly you're surrounded by aggressive bellends in 90% German motors jostling for pole position off that last roundabout and the promise of the NSL sign!
Back to the '96, what's with all the queuing in one lane near the new exhibition centre at the moment, 800 fkING YARDS before it goes
down to one lane!?! Two lanes are open at the traffic lights (heading Aberdeenwards) yet everyone seems to think it logical to go through them in single file and you're an utter wk if you use the free lane and merge in 400 yds later...
And don't get me started on the new bit of the A947 just outside Dyce where the new two lane / merge in turn bit is for ornamental purposes only.
I don't think it's peculiar to the A96 though. If I doth venture south for a weekend, driving back to Aberdeen on a Sunday evening you can see the tone of the driving change instantly at the left turn for Aberdeen/Forfar in Dundee. Suddenly you're surrounded by aggressive bellends in 90% German motors jostling for pole position off that last roundabout and the promise of the NSL sign!
Back to the '96, what's with all the queuing in one lane near the new exhibition centre at the moment, 800 f
kING YARDS before it goesdown to one lane!?! Two lanes are open at the traffic lights (heading Aberdeenwards) yet everyone seems to think it logical to go through them in single file and you're an utter w
k if you use the free lane and merge in 400 yds later...And don't get me started on the new bit of the A947 just outside Dyce where the new two lane / merge in turn bit is for ornamental purposes only.
Did anyone notice yeterday morning when the traffic lights at Dyce Drive were out of action, the traffic flowed wonderfully in all directions with minimal delays despite being down to one lane outside the new AECC?
This morning the lights are working again in their usual "only one direction at a time" mode and there are tailbacks in both lanes beyond Marshal Trailers heading towards the city.
And I suspect I'm not the ony one who thinks that traffic on the new airport roundabout would flow much better at all times (at least until the AWPR opens) if the lights were switched off. Even at weekends, it can take 5 minutes to get from Marshal Trailers to Bucksburn due to the sequencing of the lights. Once the AWPR opens, then I can see the need for the lights at peak times only.
This morning the lights are working again in their usual "only one direction at a time" mode and there are tailbacks in both lanes beyond Marshal Trailers heading towards the city.
And I suspect I'm not the ony one who thinks that traffic on the new airport roundabout would flow much better at all times (at least until the AWPR opens) if the lights were switched off. Even at weekends, it can take 5 minutes to get from Marshal Trailers to Bucksburn due to the sequencing of the lights. Once the AWPR opens, then I can see the need for the lights at peak times only.
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