Nostalgic ramble
Discussion
I'm going to start this as a new thread to get away from any arguments about children or school runs.
We should be campaigning like mad for huge investment in public transport. Plenty of buses around town - with their own lanes if they want. Trains coming out of our ears. Stop building motorways, they're just boring. If I want to go from one end of the country in a hurry let me take the train.
Then those of us who drive cars not because they get us from A to B but because we love doing it can have the roads back. Not the bits in front of schools - let them have their 20mph limits and speed bumps. Not the M25, let it grind to a halt. Not housing estates, let them put width restrictions in - who cares.
No, I'm talking about all the open roads there used to be when I started driving. It's not that long ago but on a Sunday you could blatt around just for the fun of it. No cameras were needed - what kind of pillock wouldn't slow down when he got to a village, it's just good manners.
If I was going some distance I'd plan out a route to avoid motorways, we talked about some of the roads in Derbyshire in another thread. Stockport to Cambridge via Leek, Ashbourne, Derby, Melton Mowbray and goodness knows where else. It was FUN. The longer it took the better, you didn't want it to end.
The fun doesn't come from driving to work, I'd do that on the train if it wasn't more expensive, dirtier and more difficult than driving. It doesn't come from driving children to school - stick them on the bus.
It comes from seeing the white lines stretching into the distance and coming out of a corner thinking YES!! I drove that just right.
Am I just becoming a nostalgic old fart or can it ever come back if we find a government who can get a grip on transport?
We should be campaigning like mad for huge investment in public transport. Plenty of buses around town - with their own lanes if they want. Trains coming out of our ears. Stop building motorways, they're just boring. If I want to go from one end of the country in a hurry let me take the train.
Then those of us who drive cars not because they get us from A to B but because we love doing it can have the roads back. Not the bits in front of schools - let them have their 20mph limits and speed bumps. Not the M25, let it grind to a halt. Not housing estates, let them put width restrictions in - who cares.
No, I'm talking about all the open roads there used to be when I started driving. It's not that long ago but on a Sunday you could blatt around just for the fun of it. No cameras were needed - what kind of pillock wouldn't slow down when he got to a village, it's just good manners.
If I was going some distance I'd plan out a route to avoid motorways, we talked about some of the roads in Derbyshire in another thread. Stockport to Cambridge via Leek, Ashbourne, Derby, Melton Mowbray and goodness knows where else. It was FUN. The longer it took the better, you didn't want it to end.
The fun doesn't come from driving to work, I'd do that on the train if it wasn't more expensive, dirtier and more difficult than driving. It doesn't come from driving children to school - stick them on the bus.
It comes from seeing the white lines stretching into the distance and coming out of a corner thinking YES!! I drove that just right.
Am I just becoming a nostalgic old fart or can it ever come back if we find a government who can get a grip on transport?
quote:
We should be campaigning like mad for huge investment in public transport
Yes, totally agree.
But if you're justification for this is so that you can have quieter roads to go for a nice drive in your sports car then it won't get very far. The same funds have to pay for more schools, hospitals, etc etc.
The campaign would have to come with a cost justification - like business profits rising and therefore tax revenue to the goverment rising (to help pay for the improvements).
quote:
The campaign would have to come with a cost justification - like business profits rising and therefore tax revenue to the goverment rising (to help pay for the improvements).
But aren't there all these people banging on anyway about how congestion costs business umpteen billion pounds per year?
Guys
What Yertis hasn't mentioned is that outside the south east there still are huge expanses of empty A and B roads gagging to be driven on. Plenty of those sweeping bends you speak of Steve.
The point is all (alright most) of the worst traffic problems are in the south east. There is no such thing as conjestion in Chipping Sodbury or Acton Turville, or Farrington Geurney (sp) unless the Landlords Dog goes to sleep in the middle of the road.
I know that pay is better in London but property is now stupidly expensive there, and you have to sit is some of the worst traffic in the world watching your temp gauge needle bend against the stop. Add to that Red Kens Communist charging to use something you have worked hard to pay for, makes me wonder why the lot of you dont just move away!! That'll bugger him when the only people who live in London and its environs are on benefit!!!
I'm glad I got that off my chest... I'm off for a nice drive on an empty country road
Cheers Dan
What Yertis hasn't mentioned is that outside the south east there still are huge expanses of empty A and B roads gagging to be driven on. Plenty of those sweeping bends you speak of Steve.
The point is all (alright most) of the worst traffic problems are in the south east. There is no such thing as conjestion in Chipping Sodbury or Acton Turville, or Farrington Geurney (sp) unless the Landlords Dog goes to sleep in the middle of the road.
I know that pay is better in London but property is now stupidly expensive there, and you have to sit is some of the worst traffic in the world watching your temp gauge needle bend against the stop. Add to that Red Kens Communist charging to use something you have worked hard to pay for, makes me wonder why the lot of you dont just move away!! That'll bugger him when the only people who live in London and its environs are on benefit!!!
I'm glad I got that off my chest... I'm off for a nice drive on an empty country road
Cheers Dan
quote:
makes me wonder why the lot of you dont just move away!! That'll bugger him when the only people who live in London and its environs are on benefit!!!
Thats exactly what I am doing, fcuk him, I'm taking me and 'er indoors disposable incomes and putting them to use somewhere much nicer and leafy.
This country is completely fcuked and thats basically the bottom line.
Matt.
quote:
What Yertis hasn't mentioned is that outside the south east there still are huge expanses of empty A and B roads gagging to be driven on. Plenty of those sweeping bends you speak of Steve.
Thats true but they're slowly taking the good roads that are also major routes away from us too. Reducing speed limits, installing tax cameras. Steve mentioned Stockport to Cambridge via Leek, Ashbourne, Derby... That road is now becoming completley fcuked and as a result is no longer much fun to drive. Same thing when your always looking out for coppers or hidden tax cameras.
quote:
Guys
What Yertis hasn't mentioned is that outside the south east there still are huge expanses of empty A and B roads gagging to be driven on. Plenty of those sweeping bends you speak of Steve.
The point is all (alright most) of the worst traffic problems are in the south east. There is no such thing as conjestion in Chipping Sodbury or Acton Turville, or Farrington Geurney (sp) unless the Landlords Dog goes to sleep in the middle of the road.
I know that pay is better in London but property is now stupidly expensive there, and you have to sit is some of the worst traffic in the world watching your temp gauge needle bend against the stop. Add to that Red Kens Communist charging to use something you have worked hard to pay for, makes me wonder why the lot of you dont just move away!! That'll bugger him when the only people who live in London and its environs are on benefit!!!
I'm glad I got that off my chest... I'm off for a nice drive on an empty country road
Cheers Dan
Dan that's not really true is it? Everytime I drive up to Cirencester the road is busy (not always i admit, but usually). And I picked up three points in Farrington Gurney at half past midnight when there was literally nothing else awake.
DAN: www.bristolmc.org.uk
a local club for local people! and anyone else in the south west for that matter!
a local club for local people! and anyone else in the south west for that matter!
quote:
Dan that's not really true is it? Everytime I drive up to Cirencester the road is busy (not always i admit, but usually). And I picked up three points in Farrington Gurney at half past midnight when there was literally nothing else awake.
Granted the roads aren't always clear, but generally speaking I can drive to work without sitting in traffic, (live in Bristol work in central Bath) and at weekends it doesn't take much to find a nice relatively clear road.. anyway it's nice to have a numpty or two to overtake.
But... the point I'm making is that the South East is horrendous in comparison. Oh and bad luck for getting done in Farrington, was that by camera or a real live copper??
quote:Is that site defunct? It doesn't seem to be working.
DAN: www.bristolmc.org.uk
a local club for local people! and anyone else in the south west for that matter!
Maybe they've been at the cider again...
Forget public transport - it's dead.. beaten... give it up.. Build more roads as priority number one.. it'd be more cost effective and for the majority, more acceptable, once they get to grips with the idea that the sort of money that the Public Tansport infrastructure needs could tarmac the entire surface area of the country.. now there's an idea
I thought of that doing that when I was a younger (Not literally doing it but it being done by someone) It would be great cos all you would need to do is point in the right direction and hope you didn't hit anything. Even the greens would be happy cos less petrol would be used. Kids are stupid sometimes though 
Even the greens would be happy cos less petrol would be used. Kids are stupid sometimes though seems to work when i try it
try a google search for it under bristol motor club and then follow that link providing it does indeed generate the link!
www.bristolmc.org.uk once again for good luck!
needless to say they are a great motor club with a lot of events throughout the year and numerous socials and the like. the club meets at the Compass Inn in Tormarton on the first tuesday of the month, drop me an email if you fancy coming down one evening.
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 11th June 16:14
try a google search for it under bristol motor club and then follow that link providing it does indeed generate the link!
www.bristolmc.org.uk once again for good luck!
needless to say they are a great motor club with a lot of events throughout the year and numerous socials and the like. the club meets at the Compass Inn in Tormarton on the first tuesday of the month, drop me an email if you fancy coming down one evening.
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 11th June 16:14
...Ok chaps, go with me on this one. The "when I was a kid I thought of tarmac'ing the whole country" bit got me thinking. Generally speaking the population in this country is slightly reducing year on year. Each one of us can only drive one car at a time. So you multiply the number of people by an amount of designated road (say 50 metres per person) and build it. If everyone in the country then wanted to drive, they could without the roads being full.
Of course this is ridiculous in practice but there must be a theoretical point whereby, with a massive road building programme, the congestion problem is solved and doesn't get any worse unless the population starts to increase again.
I'll stand back and await your comments.....
Of course this is ridiculous in practice but there must be a theoretical point whereby, with a massive road building programme, the congestion problem is solved and doesn't get any worse unless the population starts to increase again.
I'll stand back and await your comments.....
Imagine the greens would have something to say, and the people who had new roads built in their back gardens. And the fact that more people need to drive in London than the Scottish Highlands. Traffic density overall might be reduced but reducing the density in the areas with congestion problems is the key. But, unless you start building in the sky, or underground, or knocking down vast numbers of buildings it can't happen because there's nowhere to build.
Put simply Tarmacing the Grampians won't take the traffic jams out of London (or anywhere else for that matter)
Put simply Tarmacing the Grampians won't take the traffic jams out of London (or anywhere else for that matter)
Yeah, of course I agree - Like I said, ridiculous in practice, I had in mind the knocking down buildings/green outrage/cost/NIMBY/etc issues in mind. But, as you say, the answer must be a lot more roads + better public transport in congested areas together with better traffic management. As much as I hate my morning commute in my TVR through the variable speed limits on the M25 it does seem to get the capacity through (except this morning!)......
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff