Traffic

It's probably just over a two mile round trip from my house to Southend Town Centre and back, but it's just taken me half an hour. Sunday before last I drove to Oxford for what, according to my SatNav, was a one hour and forty minute journey. It took two hours, fifty. Then there was the nightmare some weekends back when Blackwall Tunnel was closed and everyone, including me and my family who were on our way to London, suffered. My wife and I spent two days in Barcelona back in March. We stayed in the city centre and did a lot of touristy walking, as well as taking two tours on the open-top tourist bus. We never saw a single traffic jam. I find it hard to believe that Westcliff and Southend has more traffic than central Barcelona. So what are they doing right, or us wrong?
I take my hat off to all out there who drive for a living. Tom Pepper, et al, stand up and take a bow. It must be horrendously stressful. I used to be a money broker, but I find one hour's driving these days more stressful than I used to find a whole day in the Money Market. One day this country will simply grind to a halt.

chalkey wrote:

It's probably just over a two mile round trip from my house to Southend Town Centre and back, but it's just taken me half an hour. Sunday before last I drove to Oxford for what, according to my SatNav, was a one hour and forty minute journey. It took two hours, fifty. Then there was the nightmare some weekends back when Blackwall Tunnel was closed and everyone, including me and my family who were on our way to London, suffered. My wife and I spent two days in Barcelona back in March. We stayed in the city centre and did a lot of touristy walking, as well as taking two tours on the open-top tourist bus. We never saw a single traffic jam. I find it hard to believe that Westcliff and Southend has more traffic than central Barcelona. So what are they doing right, or us wrong?
I take my hat off to all out there who drive for a living. Tom Pepper, et al, stand up and take a bow. It must be horrendously stressful. I used to be a money broker, but I find one hour's driving these days more stressful than I used to find a whole day in the Money Market. One day this country will simply grind to a halt.

Thanks for your kind words Chalkey, the only time I feel any kind of stress is when the job in the back gets fed up with the traffic, hands me the fare and gets out.
THEN I'm sitting in an empty cab, in a sea of traffic, earning nothing, nada, zilch, now that's stressful.
You are right on the money when you compare traffic in other major cities to ours.
In Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, wherever, the idea seems to be, "let's try and ease traffic flow if at all possible," in London I am convinced that there is an office in the mayor's H.Q. where they gather around a table and say, "Right, how can we REALLY screw up the traffic?" "What's that Blenkinsop, make The Embankment no entry? Why didn't I think of that?"

Re "It's probably just over a two mile round trip from my house to Southend Town Centre".

That's 15-20 minutes each way on foot. Unless you're physically unable to or carrying a very large amount of stuff, why didn't you walk? Surely it must take nearly that long to drive, find somewhere to park and then walk across the car park.

It would be even quicker to cycle.

How much of the congestion of which you complain is caused by people taking unneccessary car journeys, do you think?

Rambling Phil wrote:

Re "It's probably just over a two mile round trip from my house to Southend Town Centre".
That's 15-20 minutes each way on foot. Unless you're physically unable to or carrying a very large amount of stuff, why didn't you walk? Surely it must take nearly that long to drive, find somewhere to park and then walk across the car park.

It would be even quicker to cycle.

How much of the congestion of which you complain is caused by people taking unneccessary car journeys, do you think?

Cannot argue with your logic Phil, but maybe Chalkey was taking/picking up someone who finds walking difficult, a wheelchair user perhaps?
Alternatively, as you stated, perhaps he was transporting some heavy stuff.
I am emphatically NOT disagreeing with you, a 2 mile walk to Southend and back sounds like an enjoyable method of exercise.

Good point, Phil, but I was actually dropping off my 83 yerar-old neighbour for her optician's appointment. She used to get a mini cab, which charged her five quid each way for that little journey. Perhaps I should have mentioned that, but I assumed, (always a dangerous thing to do,) that you wouldn't have thought I'd have the cheek to complain about the traffic if I was an un-necessary part of it.
You're right, Debrajoan, it is a nice walk to Southend and back, along the sea front that is. When I was a kid it was a once-a-year treat to have a day out at Southend. I know it's not the most salubrius place in the world, but I like it and feel lucky to have it on my doorstep, so to speak. As A Londoner I still miss London, though, and now a day there is the occasional treat I look forward to.
Funny old world.

Hi Chalkey - I wasn't getting at you.

I realise that sometimes driving is necessary and I'd hoped to cover all bases with the phrase "Unless you're physically unable or carrying a very large amount of stuff...".

The previous post was prematurely sent - I didn't meant to end as abruptly as that.

The coastal walk sounds lovely - I've not been to Southend, but do know how to get there from the traditional Essex folk song "A13 - Trunk Road to the Sea".

Phil

Phil, every Londoner should have a day at Southend at least once in their lifetime. It's the law!
There's lots of work going on here at the moment, to restore Southend to it's former glory, so if you can hold on until next summer it will be worth the wait. The pier, the longest in the world incidentally, is undergoing major redevelopement, as is the seafront. It should all be finished within a few months, so why not organise an old fashioned Beano? A coachload of Se1-ers for a day out in 'Saafend.' I could meet you all for a pint.
Jan, (The old one,)I can just imagine you with a 'kiss-me-quick' hat and a candyfloss!
Apologies for digressing from the original thread. A bad habit of mine.

To get the thread back on track:

Any idea how long it would take to drive from SE1 to Saafend?

Well, Phil, under normal circumstances about one hour and twenty minutes. That's what we allowed for a couple of months ago when we drove to the Globe Theatre to see my daughter's opening night. Hadn't bargained for Blackwall Tunnel being closed and so it took us two and three quarter hours. Should have checked.
Have I whetted your appetite?