Unbelievable...
Discussion
Croydon.
What a hole. Now, I already knew this (and most of you probably do as well), and I have the misfortune to work there. However, I did a really silly thing just now and tried to stray off the main roads in the centre.
It has possibly THE most convoluted and inefficient system of roads I have every come across. It is a maze of 1 ways, no entries, tram only routes, bus lanes, and pedestrianised sections. Possibly the worst thing is the signage - you cannot move for totally useless signs which you spend all your time scanning for useful information, and so a) are concentrating less on the road than you could be, and b) miss anyway.
I have just sat down with streetmap and worked out my route, I will post it for you all to enjoy ;) :
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/Croydon.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/Croydon_z.jpg[/pic]
Colour goes : green - purple - cyan - red - yellow
And involved amongst other things ending up in a multistorey car park by accident!
I am generally good at driving in strange built up areas, but NOTHING (Bham, central London, etc.) has ever come close to this.
By the way, I was trying to get to Maplin and the nearby car park (blue circle on the map). The trip was to get 1 USB plug. :mad:
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/tea.gif[/pic]
Ah, that's better :)
What a hole. Now, I already knew this (and most of you probably do as well), and I have the misfortune to work there. However, I did a really silly thing just now and tried to stray off the main roads in the centre.
It has possibly THE most convoluted and inefficient system of roads I have every come across. It is a maze of 1 ways, no entries, tram only routes, bus lanes, and pedestrianised sections. Possibly the worst thing is the signage - you cannot move for totally useless signs which you spend all your time scanning for useful information, and so a) are concentrating less on the road than you could be, and b) miss anyway.
I have just sat down with streetmap and worked out my route, I will post it for you all to enjoy ;) :
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/Croydon.jpg[/pic]
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/Croydon_z.jpg[/pic]
Colour goes : green - purple - cyan - red - yellow
And involved amongst other things ending up in a multistorey car park by accident!
I am generally good at driving in strange built up areas, but NOTHING (Bham, central London, etc.) has ever come close to this.
By the way, I was trying to get to Maplin and the nearby car park (blue circle on the map). The trip was to get 1 USB plug. :mad:
[pic]http://www.helloleum.demon.co.uk/pub/tea.gif[/pic]
Ah, that's better :)
It was an OK place until the created the parking zones then the whole lot f
d up. I used to live in Caterham and work in Purley and found it was quicker to go out onto the M25 and back in via the A23 then go in via the A22? Also used to work in Tanfield Road that was an utter nightmare! I did try to cycle into work once and nearly choked to death on the diesel fumes.
Anyhow how is that tram system getting on? and is fiveways still a pain in the ass?
scaredbut>
Amazing - did you work at Croydon Music Service? Because that's exactly where you've ringed on the map!
The tram is OK, but pretty useless late at night when I would need it, and overrun by Chavs (but that's jsut Croydon really). 5ways is a nightmare in rushhour and that crappy derelict pub is still there!
I wish I could have got there by walking but it was on my way home and naively I thought I would be able to pop into Maplin to buy a USB plug
Does anybody know what route I could have taken??
My GPS clearly doesn't have the slightest clue!
Amazing - did you work at Croydon Music Service? Because that's exactly where you've ringed on the map!
The tram is OK, but pretty useless late at night when I would need it, and overrun by Chavs (but that's jsut Croydon really). 5ways is a nightmare in rushhour and that crappy derelict pub is still there!
I wish I could have got there by walking but it was on my way home and naively I thought I would be able to pop into Maplin to buy a USB plug
Does anybody know what route I could have taken??
My GPS clearly doesn't have the slightest clue!
NiceCupOfTea said:
Does anybody know what route I could have taken??
Without knowing where you work its tricky, unless I missed something.
For me it would be - Dingwall Road > into Whatgift via Underpass > through Woolies > Right down North End > Maplins = 10 min walk
Parking is your biggest knightmare, hence the walking part
I was working way out towards Mitcham. I know I have parked round the corner at the P next to the blue circle before, but that was a few years back. Pretty sure I came down London Road.
According to autoroute I should have gone via West Croydon Station.
Usually my GPS is very good but it let me down big time with this. Maps are 2 years old though...
According to autoroute I should have gone via West Croydon Station.
Usually my GPS is very good but it let me down big time with this. Maps are 2 years old though...
NiceCupOfTea said:
scaredbut>
Amazing - did you work at Croydon Music Service? Because that's exactly where you've ringed on the map!
No I used to work for a company called Ferroglen (makers of computers+electronic stuff in the 80's/early 90's). T'was a huge building.
I heard about the tram system and thought oooo what a good idea, but I believe they lost millions of quid from what I read.
Shame 'cos Croydon was such a go-getting place in the late 80's and the place to be (man).
So you see my problem 
Just follow the line that I took from the top right. I changed the colour of my route periodically as it would be more confusing looking at the bits I did 4 times if it was all one colour! The order of the colours is posted just beneath the second map.
If you think that is confusing you should have seen the log from my GPS (including the bits where it lost reception and I appear to have drifted off the road by 200 feet at a speed of 100mph plus...
Just follow the line that I took from the top right. I changed the colour of my route periodically as it would be more confusing looking at the bits I did 4 times
if it was all one colour! The order of the colours is posted just beneath the second map. If you think that is confusing you should have seen the log from my GPS (including the bits where it lost reception and I appear to have drifted off the road by 200 feet at a speed of 100mph plus...
You don't have to! 
I was following my GPS which seems to have out of date maps, but the signage is atrocious, and it's all so unnecessary.
First time I ended up in the multi-storey
Second time I avoided it but missed the left turn towards North End,
Third time I took the turn (GPS was telling me to take it) and it took me to a dead end as North End is pedestrianised!
Fourth time was an accident as I had driven north and approached from a different angle!
As far as I am concerned, Croydon has no redeeming features whatsoever. I mean, Birmingham is much nicer and has improved a lot over the last 10 or 15 years, and even Leeds has nice bits!
I was following my GPS which seems to have out of date maps, but the signage is atrocious, and it's all so unnecessary.
First time I ended up in the multi-storey
Second time I avoided it but missed the left turn towards North End,
Third time I took the turn (GPS was telling me to take it) and it took me to a dead end as North End is pedestrianised!
Fourth time was an accident as I had driven north and approached from a different angle!
As far as I am concerned, Croydon has no redeeming features whatsoever. I mean, Birmingham is much nicer and has improved a lot over the last 10 or 15 years, and even Leeds has nice bits!
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