Posted July 17, 2013 All this public transportation talk reminded me of something... Why are public transports so insanely expensive in London comparing to the rest of the world? Why would driving on the other side of the road hamper my ability to tour the country with a Caravan? Not the country, silly... The rest of the world. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 Why is EVERYTHING so insanely expensive in London compared to the rest of the world? Just fixed that for you. I love London but...fuck London. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 In fairness, its cheaper for me to get a bus in London than it is back home and at least here they run past 6pm! I read a while ago about some proposal to move some of the roads underground and blah blah blah. It won't happen, or if it does it will take years, but imagine if they dug out roads underneath the current ones in London and all that was allowed above surface was buses, cycles and pedestrians. It would be so much cleaner, quieter and quicker. So I propose we do that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 Just fixed that for you. I love London but...fuck London. True. But still, £130 for a monthly pass seems incredibly steep compared to the ~£45 average I've experienced everywhere else. It's... Just way too much for such a basic necessity as transportation (which should be free, tbh). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) I propose cars shouldn't be allowed in the congestion zone. Only public transport, bicycles, delivery trucks (between midnight and 6 am) and taxis. True. But still, £130 for a monthly pass seems incredibly steep compared to the ~£45 average I've experienced everywhere else. It's... Just way too much for such a basic necessity as transportation (which should be free, tbh). I'm not using 'London is an expensive city' as an excuse, I'm saying it is atrocious just like the property prices. London is economically not part of the UK, Vince Cable said as much himself. It's a bloated city where the rich feed off the poor while the poor are made to feel bad about themselves because they can't afford to live there because they aren't rich, and they can't be rich because they can't afford to live there...even though that is where all the money is. Living in London is like being invited to the COOLEST house party, and you're a kinda shy, kinda geeky, but actually smoking hot under-age virginal girl - and you drink a little to try and fit in and also because you're kind of nervous and before you know it you've woken up after passing out having been gang raped all night long by all the popular people who find the whole situation fucking hysterical and they've posted the pics on the web for everyone to laugh at it, too. /Majorly off topic Edited July 17, 2013 by Daft Automerged Doublepost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 But imagine if we had taken all the money we poured into infrastructure for cars and used it to improve public transport. Just think about it, most modern cities are designed around cars - LA being a prime example, and it's a pretty terrible city because of it. Not to mention how much more democratic public transport is. Most aspects of 'the car' are vile, from it acting as a status symbol to dictating how our cities are made to effecting public health (and like I said, driving us to war - like you said we can change how cars are fuelled so this will hopefully become a historical issue...but realistically I think we all know it won't for a very long time). I honestly believe the car is at the heart of modernity's evils (The five day working week is even down to Henry Ford - not that this aspect is a good or bad thing, I'm just giving an idea of how ingrained the car is to the creation of modern history...and how it ruined it). AMEN BRUDDA : peace: I'd love to have seen all the money poured into trams over the years. Inter-continental high speed trams connecting everyone, it would be the best thing ever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 Public transport in London is dead cheap for how excellent it is. The tube is pricey at peak times, but buses and off peak tubes are well worth the money. £1.40 for any distance bus journey - amazing. There's no need to drive. Outside of London, everything is expensive and irregular. That's privatisation for you. Where I live, which isn't rural by any sense of the word, I'm in the suburbs basically, a car is a necessity to get anywhere outside of 9-5. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 I find it irritating how expensive public transport can be round where I live. It cost £4.40 return to get the metro from where I live up a few miles to the centre of Newcastle. It cost me nearly £2 to travel maybe 2 miles on a bus journey back from a job interview Considering what an economic backwater the North East of England generally is, this seems expensive. On the plus side our Taxis are fairly cheap Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) I propose cars shouldn't be allowed in the congestion zone. Only public transport, bicycles, delivery trucks (between midnight and 6 am) and taxis. I'm not using 'London is an expensive city' as an excuse, I'm saying it is atrocious just like the property prices. London is economically not part of the UK, Vince Cable said as much himself. It's a bloated city where the rich feed off the poor while the poor are made to feel bad about themselves because they can't afford to live there because they aren't rich, and they can't be rich because they can't afford to live there...even though that is where all the money is. Living in London is like being invited to the COOLEST house party, and you're a kinda shy, kinda geeky, but actually smoking hot under-age virginal girl - and you drink a little to try and fit in and also because you're kind of nervous and before you know it you've woken up after passing out having been gang raped all night long by all the popular people who find the whole situation fucking hysterical and they've posted the pics on the web for everyone to laugh at it, too. /Majorly off topic I'll most likely be moving there permanently (at least for a couple of years) next April, so I guess I'll get to find that out by myself. Which reminds me, we need a 2014 meet. :P Public transport in London is dead cheap for how excellent it is. The tube is pricey at peak times, but buses and off peak tubes are well worth the money. £1.40 for any distance bus journey - amazing. There's no need to drive. Outside of London, everything is expensive and irregular. That's privatisation for you. Where I live, which isn't rural by any sense of the word, I'm in the suburbs basically, a car is a necessity to get anywhere outside of 9-5. Well, I have no comparison point in the UK other than London (I've been to Cambridge as well but we drove there ourselves... and Dublin, but that's a different thing entirely), so from my foreign perspective it's expensive. That same service of "any distance bus journey" was usually around £1 or slightly below in most other major cities I've been to. Edited July 17, 2013 by Oxigen_Waste Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 Public transport in London is dead cheap for how excellent it is. The tube is pricey at peak times, but buses and off peak tubes are well worth the money. £1.40 for any distance bus journey - amazing. There's no need to drive. It costs £2 to go down the road in Manchester. The prices really aren't geared for using it for single or return tickets - it focuses on day passes (£4) and weekly passes (£12.50), with no peak/off-peak nonsense. The weekly pass isn't all that bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 17, 2013 We already have restricted licences, speed limit of 45 and only 6 points before retaking the test (in the first year of passing). So it doesn't really bother me... (and I've passed my test already ha ha) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Not the country, silly... The rest of the world. That still doesn't really make any difference. It's not particularly difficult to switch to the other side of the road when you travel to the continent regardless of whether you're hiring a taking your own car or renting one. Edited July 18, 2013 by Charlie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Ah, that difficult choice of whether to hire a car, or rent one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 I'll most likely be moving there permanently (at least for a couple of years) next April, so I guess I'll get to find that out by myself. Which reminds me, we need a 2014 meet. :P Nope. This year's is the last ever I'm afraid. That still doesn't really make any difference. It's not particularly difficult to switch to the other side of the road when you travel to the continent regardless of whether you're hiring a taking your own car or renting one. Though I didn't really get the original point, I have to say where I've been somewhere and they drive on the other side(namely the US) I have been slightly terrified of contemplating driving over there. Strikes me as strange, dunno why. Never tried it as a result. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Ah, that difficult choice of whether to hire a car, or rent one. @Charlie, I don't know about you dawg, but even seeing cars driving on the other side of the road is a mindfuck. Been to Belgium a lot of times, but the idea of driving over there would confuse me, at least for a while. Roundabouts...not even once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Last Christmas I was driving a left hand drive car in Oman and got on absolutely fine. I just made the switch instantly and didn't even think about having to do things the other way around. Shortly after Christmas I drove from Scotland to the south of France to go skiing in a right-hand drive car. Again, it was very easy to make the switch. The only difficulty came was making lane switches in motorways when you couldn't see properly because of your position, but that was minor. It's the type of thing you think could be a problem but once you get used to it, which is very very quickly, you don't even think about. It all happens subconsciously. You just instinctively know which way to go round the roundabout and which lane you should be. Using the gearstick on the 'other' side was so natural too, didn't even think about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Last Christmas I was driving a left hand drive car in Oman and got on absolutely fine. I just made the switch instantly and didn't even think about having to do things the other way around. Shortly after Christmas I drove from Scotland to the south of France to go skiing in a right-hand drive car. Again, it was very easy to make the switch. The only difficulty came was making lane switches in motorways when you couldn't see properly because of your position, but that was minor. It's the type of thing you think could be a problem but once you get used to it, which is very very quickly, you don't even think about. It all happens subconsciously. You just instinctively know which way to go round the roundabout and which lane you should be. Using the gearstick on the 'other' side was so natural too, didn't even think about it. See, for me it doesn't seem to come instinctively. I have been living here for about a year and a half now and I still get confused about being on the other side of the road. I always have to think which side of the car I have to get in, I always look the wrong way when crossing the road etc. And I haven't even properly driven yet here because it just scares me too much and I do try to grab for the gear stick on the other side, even though it is not there. =P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 That still doesn't really make any difference. It's not particularly difficult to switch to the other side of the road when you travel to the continent regardless of whether you're hiring a taking your own car or renting one. Having driven an english car on European soil several times (my uncle has an old Austin Morris from his days in Liverpool which I love) and a European car on British soil once, I'll have to disagree. Driving a car which doesn't match the type of traffic being used is a fucking nuisance and a constant distraction. :P Last Christmas I was driving a left hand drive car in Oman and got on absolutely fine. I just made the switch instantly and didn't even think about having to do things the other way around. Shortly after Christmas I drove from Scotland to the south of France to go skiing in a right-hand drive car. Again, it was very easy to make the switch. The only difficulty came was making lane switches in motorways when you couldn't see properly because of your position, but that was minor. It's the type of thing you think could be a problem but once you get used to it, which is very very quickly, you don't even think about. It all happens subconsciously. You just instinctively know which way to go round the roundabout and which lane you should be. Using the gearstick on the 'other' side was so natural too, didn't even think about it. The real problem is driving a right hand drive car in a left hand drive country. Or vice versa. You say it's minor because you probably never got into problematic traffic situations while doing it. Way too many blindspots. Which was what I meant when I said it's hard for you guys to relate. Roundabouts...not even once. You guys don't have roundabouts? Oo I could've sworn I saw some... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 The real problem is driving a right hand drive car in a left hand drive country. Or vice versa. You say it's minor because you probably never got into problematic traffic situations while doing it. Way too many blindspots. Which was what I meant when I said it's hard for you guys to relate. You guys don't have roundabouts? Oo I could've sworn I saw some... Actually at one point I was stuck behind a lorry doing 45ish and traffic in the only other lane was at 70. With such a large car we had next to no acceleration. Team effort to overtake the lorry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Just fixed that for you. I love London but...fuck London. London is at the top, with Aberdeen not too far behind. Fuck the oil and fuck the ridiculous prices they charge around here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 Last Christmas I was driving a left hand drive car in Oman and got on absolutely fine. I just made the switch instantly and didn't even think about having to do things the other way around. Shortly after Christmas I drove from Scotland to the south of France to go skiing in a right-hand drive car. Again, it was very easy to make the switch. The only difficulty came was making lane switches in motorways when you couldn't see properly because of your position, but that was minor. It's the type of thing you think could be a problem but once you get used to it, which is very very quickly, you don't even think about. It all happens subconsciously. You just instinctively know which way to go round the roundabout and which lane you should be. Using the gearstick on the 'other' side was so natural too, didn't even think about it. Some people can get used to it quickly. Many can't. It's a mindfuck and it can actually be quite dangerous if you forget for just one second where you are. @Oxigen_Waste's post encompasses some of my feelings. Having driven an english car on European soil several times (my uncle has an old Austin Morris from his days in Liverpool which I love) and a European car on British soil once, I'll have to disagree. Driving a car which doesn't match the type of traffic being used is a fucking nuisance and a constant distraction. :P The real problem is driving a right hand drive car in a left hand drive country. Or vice versa. You say it's minor because you probably never got into problematic traffic situations while doing it. Way too many blindspots. Which was what I meant when I said it's hard for you guys to relate. You guys don't have roundabouts? Oo I could've sworn I saw some... Nooo, you misunderstood. :p We have millions of the buggers. What I meant was that I wasn't looking forward to using roundabouts in a different country, since you have to go the other way. That would confuse the fuck out of me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 18, 2013 I drove abroad for the first time a couple of weeks ago, in France and Belgium. The motorways were absolutely fine, you just overtake the other way and take a bit more care in checking your mirrors. Roundabouts were the worst part though. Feels so wrong going anti-clockwise, but I guess after a while you'd get used to it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 19, 2013 I drove abroad for the first time a couple of weeks ago, in France and Belgium. The motorways were absolutely fine, you just overtake the other way and take a bit more care in checking your mirrors. Roundabouts were the worst part though. Feels so wrong going anti-clockwise, but I guess after a while you'd get used to it. That's what I mean, the roundabouts. You're going the wrong way! It just confuses me. Also, remembering that you'll be using km/h instead of miles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted July 21, 2013 This is what motorbikes are for, no getting confused on what side the gearstick is on, or having blindspots due to being on the wrong side of the road. Also, lane splitting in London. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
