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Car Forum / UK Car Forums / Driving (UK group) / May 2008Driving in central London for the first time
I'll confess. I have a phobia about driving in busy towns and city centres with which I'm not familiar. I always find there's too much 'street furniture' to deal with and I honestly struggle to take it all in and process it in real time. I also sometimes try and think too much about what something means. For example around here there's a junction which is ahead for buses and taxis only, all other traffic turns left. In front of those signs is another one stating that there are restrctions ahead, relating to loading and parking between certain times. So the first time I saw all that I was thinking like this: "Restrictions ahead, and only buses and taxis ahead, so it's making a point of the restrictions ahead". "Hang on though, does it mean restrictions ahead on my allowed route, which is in fact left here?" "What where the times again, on that sign which is now behind me?" You get the idea. I just feel uneasy with the rate at which information is coming in, and I can literally feel my stress going up as I get into busy, unfamiliar territory. Tomorrow I have the pleasure of travelling right into the heart of London for around 11pm. The train is no good as it doesn't get me there early enough and has no return journey later in the evening. My choices here then are a) travel to the edge of London and get a Tube in, or b) drive right into London and use a large multi-storey car park nearby. I would prefer a), so if anyone has any suggestions on a convenient park and ride location which is open from around 10am until around 10.30pm that would be good. Apparently there's somewhere in Watford but I can't find anything. It looks like it will have to be option b) then. In a way I'm looking forward to it as I would like to try and get over this phobia and I don't see any other way than to just get in and drive a lot in busy city centers. But the thought of it still makes me feel cold. I can see myself holding up a load of traffic because I didn't take in the information quickly enough from some of the numerous signs and markings around and ended up badly positioned, or something. Am I getting worked up over nothing? Or am I going to die? Anyone have any tips for driving in London and somehow taking in everything that's going on? My only experience of London traffic has been in taxis, and some of the stunts they pull require perfect timing and positioning or else entire lanes of traffic are blocked. And they have the luxury of using bus lanes. Off now to make a note of the TFL number so I can give Boris some money tomorrow.  SignatureChris Chris Lawrence <news03@holosys.co.uk.invalid> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: > I would prefer a), so if anyone has any suggestions on a convenient park > and ride location which is open from around 10am until around 10.30pm > that would be good. Apparently there's somewhere in Watford but I can't > find anything. Where are you coming from? There's car parks at Rickmansworth or Chorleywood tube stations, on the Amersham branch of the Met line, and both within a couple of minutes of Jn 18. Watford Met line station's a pain in the arse to find. Dunno about Ricky, but C'wood car park can get busy in the week. Ricky's car park is shared with a supermarket, so likely to be chaotic on a Sat AM. > Am I getting worked up over nothing? Probably. > Or am I going to die? Unlikely... > Off now to make a note of the TFL number so I can give Boris some money > tomorrow. I'm sure he won't say no, but tomorrow's Saturday - and the Kengestion Charge (Borisgestion?) doesn't operate at weekends or BHols... > Chris Lawrence <news03@holosys.co.uk.invalid> gurgled happily, sounding > much like they were saying: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Where are you coming from? The Norf, probably M1. > There's car parks at Rickmansworth or Chorleywood tube stations, on the > Amersham branch of the Met line, and both within a couple of minutes of > Jn 18. Watford Met line station's a pain in the arse to find. Dunno about > Ricky, but C'wood car park can get busy in the week. Ricky's car park is > shared with a supermarket, so likely to be chaotic on a Sat AM. I think I'm going to drive right into London and savour the experience, got to do it some time, but my mate has a cunning park and ride place, he reckons, so we'll see. > > Am I getting worked up over nothing? > > Probably. Aye, but I hate being in lots of traffic and realising I've just f.cked up where I'm going (wrong lane, wrong turning, whatever). At that point I'd like to just park up and work it out, but of course that's not an option in busy A-road traffic and junctions. So the result is I end up going with the flow and trying to work out how to correct at the same time. But this just means I'm getting more lost as I go, and so it gets worse and worse until I'm totally f.cking lost and stressed and still stuck with whatever lane and positioning committments I'm making. In a city or town centre I find it difficult to find somewhere out of the flow where I can work out a new route. > > Off now to make a note of the TFL number so I can give Boris some money > > tomorrow. > > I'm sure he won't say no, but tomorrow's Saturday - and the Kengestion > Charge (Borisgestion?) doesn't operate at weekends or BHols... Ah! That's good. SignatureChris > I would prefer a), so if anyone has any suggestions on a convenient park > and ride location which is open from around 10am until around 10.30pm > that would be good. Apparently there's somewhere in Watford but I can't > find anything. Where are you coming from? I've parked near Arnos Grove tube station to the north of London and North Ealing (specifically boileau road) in the west. Both have free parking at weekends and a handy tube. Much easier than stressing over driving in the city if you don't like it , and just as cheap as driving in and paying to park SignatureAlex "I laugh in the face of danger , then I hide until it goes away" >> I would prefer a), so if anyone has any suggestions on a convenient park >> and ride location which is open from around 10am until around 10.30pm [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Much easier than stressing over driving in the city if you don't like it , > and just as cheap as driving in and paying to park I'll second Arnos Grove - there's even Cockfosters if you want to stop right on the edge of the urban area, most of the roads first right as you pass the parade of shops next to the station don't have any parking restrictions.... > I'll second Arnos Grove - there's even Cockfosters if you want to stop right > on the edge of the urban area, most of the roads first right as you pass the > parade of shops next to the station don't have any parking restrictions.... I used to work with one of the blokes coming with me before I started driving myself, and for customer visits in the city he used to stop at Cockfosters and then we'd tube it in. Last time I was there it was a gravel and dirt carpark which is fine, as long as it stays open late enough (or maybe they don't close this type). Cheers for the info. SignatureChris > Where are you coming from? > I've parked near Arnos Grove tube station to the north of London and North > Ealing (specifically boileau road) in the west. > Both have free parking at weekends and a handy tube. Many thanks, I've located both these now, I'm off to Brixton so the Boileau Road one looks good and makes the M40 a better choice which I'd prefer to the M1. As long as it's open until late (~10.30pm) it will be perfect. SignatureChris >> Where are you coming from? >> I've parked near Arnos Grove tube station to the north of London and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > prefer to the M1. As long as it's open until late (~10.30pm) it will be > perfect. If you're coming down the M40, there is a car park at West Ruislip tube, the last station on the central line. Might be easier than Ealing if the traffic looks heavy. Mike P > If you're coming down the M40, there is a car park at West Ruislip tube, the > last station on the central line. Might be easier than Ealing if the traffic > looks heavy. Excellent, thanks for that, I've found it (Google maps is perfect for confirming car parks with the satellite images). Looks even easier than Ealing, it's good to have some options! SignatureChris >> If you're coming down the M40, there is a car park at West Ruislip tube, >> the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > confirming car parks with the satellite images). Looks even easier than > Ealing, it's good to have some options! It's a bit late now , but I've always found that the traffic heading into london on a weekend only starts to get heavy just after the point at which you'd be turning off onto Hangar lane to head for Ealing SignatureAlex "I laugh in the face of danger , then I hide until it goes away" > Am I getting worked up over nothing? Yes. Just take it steady and don't let the thought of holding up others etc rush you. > Or am I going to die? Anyone have any tips for driving in London and > somehow taking in everything that's going on? If you can, keep an eye on the signs at the start of a bus lane which give the times of operation. Many are only active for some of the day and not at weekends. Some are 24 hours. But 99% of cars never use them ever. So they can be a great way of bypassing traffic jams. > My only experience of London traffic has been in taxis, and > some of the stunts they pull require perfect timing and positioning or > else entire lanes of traffic are blocked. And they have the luxury of > using bus lanes. > Off now to make a note of the TFL number so I can give Boris some money > tomorrow. No CC on a Saturday. Signature*Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy * Dave Plowman dave@davesound.co.uk London SW 12 > > Am I getting worked up over nothing? > > Yes. Just take it steady and don't let the thought of holding up others > etc rush you. This is what gets to me to be honest. In busy city centre or town centre traffic I always feel rushed and frequently end up in the wrong place, which adds to the pressure as now I have to fix that, and so it builds up. In London the traffic feels different even as a taxi passenger. I also hear lots of beeping horns, even people several cars back beeping at traffic in the junction ahead of them. Last time there was a taxi a few cars back beeping at a long bus which had entered the yellow box at the head of the traffic, which in any case was waiting for the lights to change (the bus left the box in time for the taxis to move). If I was the car in front of that one, I'd be thinking "what's he beeping me for" and almost start getting paranoid. I think it's a frame of mind thing - if I feel comfortable on roads I know and know what's coming up, such antics wouldn't bother me at all. I think it's because I would have 'spare capacity' to process it, whereas on strange roads with loads going on, someone else's actions can add even more info onto the stack. I've got a mate who flys jets in the RAF. He's described the same mental situation, and talked about training in a simulator while distracting tasks are increasingly piled on until it all goes pear-shaped. Over time, with training and familiarity, the capacity to deal with it increases. And Derren Brown had a taxi driver going on circles looking for the London Eye, which was next to him, by hitting him with a stream of verbal crap, forcing his thinking away from where it needed to be. I wonder if any studies have been done showing how information overload affects driving ability, and ways to improve things? It seems that adding more and more signs and markings could be having a detrimental affect, perhaps exactly the opposite of the reasons for the signs going up in the first place. > > Or am I going to die? Anyone have any tips for driving in London and > > somehow taking in everything that's going on? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > at weekends. Some are 24 hours. But 99% of cars never use them ever. So > they can be a great way of bypassing traffic jams. Noted, although I have to concentrate to take all the info in once it hits a certain level, I find. And town centres certainly hit that level, and then I start to miss simple things. > No CC on a Saturday. Cheers, should be busier than normal then *gulp!* SignatureChris > > No CC on a Saturday. > Cheers, should be busier than normal then *gulp!* No - and there will be plenty of numpties around who don't really know where they're doing as they only drive at the weekend. So not the same as the 'I do this journey every day so get out of my way' types. Signature*Dance like nobody's watching. Dave Plowman dave@davesound.co.uk London SW 12 |
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