scoobynutta555

Driving through London last night, I was shocked at the amount of Gatsos there were linging the streets. There were two of us in the car with a sat nav that picked out 90% of the cams, but what a chore it was. Having to keep an eye out for where we were going, the speedo, bad drivers, constantly differing speed limits and cameras it was a bloody stress, and I wasn't even driving!

I haven't driven through London myself for about 5 years, but cameras and various road sineage seems to have sprung up everywhere. How do you guys that have to drive in London cope with it, do you have any licence left!

There were cameras literally every few hundred yards.

KiwiGTI

I generally find you can't drive fast enough in most areas anyway. But you must be taking about the outskirts because there aren't many in central London.

But then again perhaps you shouldn't speed in the first place in such a built up and congested area.

scoobynutta555

Yes the outskirts mainly, past Canary Wharf, under the Blackwall Tunnel and around the North Circular and onto the M1. It was around 10 o'clock last night, so traffic shouldn't be gridlocked..

KiwiGTI

Mind you that initial section of the M1 from the North Circular to the M25 is a fantastic bit of road for high speed testing.

PPPRob

Minus the M1 bit, thats virtually what I have to do to get to work n back

I simply don't bother to try n go quick. There just isn't any point

powerman1

went down to london a few months ago on the M1 and it was really quick until we hit the North circular ring road towards Ealing and it took nearly 45 mins to get down hanger lane to ealing a distance of about 3 miles and noticed the cameras but i suspect they will catch the unwary new comers

T4molie

<cough> Yep

Leslie

They've got to pick a pocket or two haven't they!

Les

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

my daily drive is M40/A40 through into central london.
SatNav has saved me a few times (when I have been in dozing mode), but really the traffic and congestion is so bad, that at most times you dont get the chance to give it some welly
how frustrating is it when you are on the M4 and as you crawl along you see the speed signs and then the cameras and you think
"yeah mate, I would love to be able to get up to the dizzy heights of 50 !!! "

outskirts, it is more of a case of just being alert. I know most of the camera locations now around london, so unless they paint them stealth black, i should be ok.

*touches very large piece of wood *

astraboy

It is possible to drive fast in london, you just got to pick your route.
The main arteries are far too clogged these days, so experiment with back roads and side streets.
I once got from the Tower of London to Slough Bus station in an hour. good at the best of times, but when that hour was between 4 & 5 in the afternoon, doubly good.
good progress is possible in london, you just have to find the right route.
astraboy.

SiPie

Oooohh look, that experiment didn't work. I just lost control over a 3' speed bump and killed a young child. Never mind, still making good progress though








Just pointing out how some may view your post

scoobynutta555

We spent more time looking for cameras and signs for the mass variation in speed limits than anything else, surely this is dangerous!

Feel sorry for you Rob and Tony that you have to go through that ****e on a regular basis.

PPPRob

My exact route is A12 to Blackwall tunnel then across to rotherhithe, through and into surrey quays. Or sometimes I go through blackwall and crawl across the south side.

I do shift work and going in on days I set off at 5ish in the morning. I can do the whole thing door-door in 15-20 minutes usually.

Coming out at 6pm

I'm lucky if I'm home by 7

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

cheers scoobynutta555 (would prefer it if you offered to drive me into london instead )

london traffic eh...dont get me started
ok well now I have started may as well finish.

I will try to avoid the C word as much as possible, but if you see me losing the plot then you only have to blame ken and his fecking c charge

I used to live south london so my journey was up through clapham common, across chelsea bridge, hyde park corner, west end. on average 1 hour, total miles =9
now live out west and take m40/a40 all the way into central london west end.
total miles 39, average time = 1 hour

so it is the bridges that do it, crossing any bridges in london buggers you basically and that is even before you enter the zone. (not doing well am i )
I have 7 gatsos on the way in, dozens of charge cameras and the odd sscamera van parked near the polish war memorial (sneaky barstard dosent look like a camera van as well). best time ever done it was 25 mins (early hours and please dont work out my average speed )

normal journey time = 1 hour
worst and becoming more common= 2 hours.
very worst (snow and ice) = 5 hours

so spare a thought for all those of you who have to commute 2-10 miles and take around 10-20 mins, just think of us poor sods having to tackle this on a daily basis

I wont even upset you lot with the parking charges....

and breathe

astraboy

good point, although I think its only fair to point out that I usually stick to the roads when i get behind the wheel, leaving the pavement free for the kiddywinkies
astraboy.

2000TLondon

I used to drive from Marylebone to Canary Wharf every day, and there are plenty of GATSO's that way, plus the SPECS on Upper Thames St by the tower of London that was bringing in forty grand a week, or something daft! Plus the cameras in the Limehouse, they caught me a couple of times when they first went up as they are almost on the roof, but never got a ticket. In fact, I've not had an endorsement in ten years of driving almost daily through and around London....

Bus lane cameras were my biggest hate, and don't even get me started on the Congestion Charge (despite having a residents 90% discount!)

olliecampbell

iTrader: (3)

Im loving driving at the moment! i have to do 3 miles, and its taking me 1hr at the moment (theyve shut North End Road and its a nightmare).

Big problems:
Road surface quality,
speed bumps,
traffic lights,
impolite/pushy drivers.

Im starting to have driving the scoob on the routes that i do at the moment. Too many speed bumps, awful roads! That combined with too many traffic lights, stop start every five minutes and i havent even started work yet and im stressed!

Guys if you want a really bad road to try, have a look at this one...Fernhead Road:
Fernhead Road, London, W_9

Awful quality! Go on try it, youll see what i mean!

You let people into queues of traffic, no thank you, no quick flash of hazards nothing!

I cant get out of 2nd gear, until the round about at the A40 (i love that bit )

Ok im done! And breathe!

catalunya199again

i find this nie on impossible being a lorry driver i spend alot of time in london covering all 4 corners of london, as you said the main roads are generally busy all day ie north,south circular's, providing you got out of london in a respectable time as the tower of london is right on the thames and i assume you used the m4 to get to slough which means you would of have to hit that road with some speed as slough isnt exactly a open road town with no traffic