Motoring Discussion > Does nobody drive anywhere these days? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Mapmaker Replies: 21
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New Tue 8 May 12 14:24 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Mapmaker
Left London 5pm Friday afternoon. Apart from a bit of stickiness around St John's Wood/Finchley, and some 50mph tidal flow near Luton, I was in the suburbs of south Manchester by 8.35pm, having gone M1/A50/M6, a journey googlemaps reckons should take 3h25m. Never broke the speed limit.

And returning yesterday evening, I went M6/M42/M40. There was a warning of congestion at the M6/M5 junction so I went M6 toll, but the only thing holding me up was the torrential rain.

Is this the recession? Fuel prices? Or normal?
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New Tue 8 May 12 14:37 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Zero
They were all on the M3 A303 friday morning.

Who the hell would drive north anyway? (actually as it happens their weather was better than ours)
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New Tue 8 May 12 14:44 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - -
If you'd have left London lunchtime Friday the journey time would have different, you probably timed that as well as possible.

As for driving anywhere for pleasure purposes as such, thats history, unless work calls then you won't find us further than walking distance from our sanctuary on a bank hol or other lemming time.

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New Tue 8 May 12 14:59 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - bathtub tom
I've always found Saturday afternoon to be a good time to travel at bank holiday week-ends. Kids used to count the broken down cars.
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New Tue 8 May 12 15:03 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - DP
I was only thinking how this morning's rush hour produced some of the worst local traffic conditions I've seen in many months. The first 5 miles of my journey took me 40 minutes.
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New Tue 8 May 12 17:31 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Runfer D'Hills
>>you won't find us further than walking distance from our sanctuary on a bank hol or other lemming time.

Too true, it took us an age just to get to B&Q and back yesterday. Still managed to spend an extra fifty quid on stuff I didn't go for. What is it with those places? I only went in for a box of grass seed and two gate hinges.
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New Wed 9 May 12 10:40 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Mapmaker
>> If you'd have left London lunchtime Friday the journey time would have different, you probably
>> timed that as well as possible.

So leaving London in the peak evening rush hour counts as good timing?!
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New Wed 9 May 12 10:56 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - commerdriver
>> So leaving London in the peak evening rush hour counts as good timing?!
>>
5 pm may be peak hour on most weekdays but Friday it is a good 2 hours after the worst of the rush in my experience
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New Wed 9 May 12 11:09 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Bromptonaut
>> 5 pm may be peak hour on most weekdays but Friday it is a good
>> 2 hours after the worst of the rush in my experience
>>

Some London Boroughs had a teacher training day on Friday 4 May which would have an effect on traffic.
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New Wed 9 May 12 12:23 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - -
>> So leaving London in the peak evening rush hour counts as good timing?!
>>

Fridays are a weird day. i detest being on the road in the afternoon, roads can be lovely clear and fast moving in the morning, then its just like someone rings a bell at 1pm and all hell breaks loose.

If you left at 2pm the trip would have been hell, by leaving at 5pm the lemmings were several hours and accidents in front.

This does not apply to any other weekday though when 4 to 5pm is the worse time.
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New Tue 8 May 12 15:23 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Bromptonaut
Covered some of same ground previous weekend ending with a return from Chester via M56/M6. Awful weather then too, hence the longer route rather than A41 or A483/A5.

OK at Nothern end then took toll for same reason as Mapmaker. South of Coventry the M6 was full; 3 lanes all varynig between 50 and 70.

Didn't fancy the addition of M1 traffic to that mix and baled out @ M6/J1 onto A426 then a near deserted A5. Steady 60 all the way to the village turn save the 30's through Kilsby and Weedon and the short 50 at Watford Gap. Took out the one slowcoach on the 'crawler' stretch out of Kilsby.
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New Tue 8 May 12 19:13 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Dave_
I agree with everything said above. When fuel prices shot up by 20% in 2010 (interesting table here www.speedlimit.org.uk/petrolprices.html ) there was a corresponding 20% decrease in the amount of traffic on the roads. All the usual traffic jams started later, finished earlier and were shorter in length. It's been at that level ever since.

I noticed this morning that there was more traffic around than usual, it started with me not getting the chance to use the main beams once in a 13 mile commute at 3.30am - normally I see only two or three lorries on the way to work and maybe one car. Everywhere I've been today has had noticeably heavier traffic, at first I put it down to post-Bank Holiday movements but of course everybody had already got to work or school first thing so I don't know what the reason was.
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New Tue 8 May 12 19:45 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - WillDeBeest
When fuel prices shot up by 20% ... there was a corresponding 20% decrease in the amount of traffic on the roads.

That's a curious connection to make, Dave. What if the price increase had been 100%?

I suppose the general trend in traffic is down as the economy continues in reverse and fewer people have jobs to go to. Those that do have them, though, don't make the decision to keep going to work on the basis of fuel prices.
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New Tue 8 May 12 19:46 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - R.P.
Oddly quiet at particular times on the A55 of late and at particular times....no doubt as I start commuting next week again it will seem as busy as ever.
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New Wed 9 May 12 12:03 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Mike Hannon
Almost nobody in our 12-house hamlet walks anywhere. You can see every other house from ours and 300 metres covers the lot but if we have a 'do' with the neighbours there's always a long line of cars parked in the road.
The Leclerc supermarket in the nearby town has a 500-space car park but they've had to install concrete 'tank traps' outside the main doors to stop people parking within centimetres of the entrance - or trying to actually drive into the shop...
Last edited by: Mike Hannon on Wed 9 May 12 at 12:04
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New Wed 9 May 12 12:14 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Runfer D'Hills
Tee hee ! Our next door neighbours run a small business in our town. It's at the very very most a ten minute level walk across a pretty park to their premises. To drive there takes at least 15 minutes due to one way systems and traffic volumes. However, they both (husband and wife) take their individual cars to work and park them behind their business !

lazy gtis !

If I need to go into town I take my bike. 5 minutes max each way. I know that's the work of the devil to some here but I find it really hard to care about that !

:-)
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New Wed 9 May 12 12:52 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Mapmaker
That's the point of a bike, Humph. Have you got yourself a pass for the Boris bikes yet?

Brompton - I hadn't realised that re Baker Days.
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New Wed 9 May 12 16:30 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Dave_
>> When fuel prices shot up by 20% ... there was a corresponding 20% decrease in the amount of traffic on the roads.

>> That's a curious connection to make, Dave. What if the price increase had been 100%?

I don't know... I think people curtailed their spending on fuel, days out and so on. They still needed to get around for work though.
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New Wed 9 May 12 15:53 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Kithmo
>>
>> Who the hell would drive north anyway? (actually as it happens their weather was better
>> than ours)
>>

And our petrol's cheaper ;0)
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New Wed 9 May 12 15:56 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Armel Coussine
>> our petrol's cheaper ;0)

Perhaps, but I got some in Sussex two days ago where the sign outside said 140.9 per litre, and the price on the pump, so the price paid, was 137.9, cheapest for months round here.
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New Wed 9 May 12 20:55 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - mattbod
Was thinking the same thing. Returned from the West Country yesterday and was a lovely free flowing run even on the M25. I think it must be the fuel prices. Fuel is ridiculous now even with my fuel sipping TDI. The Diesel premium is crazy too.
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New Wed 9 May 12 22:18 
 Does nobody drive anywhere these days? - Ted

I've not put any derv in the Suzy for well over a month now and it's still 3/4 full. The main reason is that since we got the Flexitys running at the back, I use them all the time. Went to the Lowry Mall today for a new chainsaw blade...door to door tram and all for free. Took longer but I was in no hurry.

I use it whenever I can now......unless I need to take the battery pack or something like that.

Ted
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