Oh dear Oh dear ! ..why oh why do I do it ...why oh why ...

[Evans Electric]

Here he goes again I hear ....  .well  I do a job today as a favour  to a builder ,  he's not well  and I wanted to help him out  if I could  ...thats not the issue .......   it was one of those ...everything went wrong  etc  ,  loads of kneeling  which kills me ,  working on three levels  between the loft ,the upstairs and the ground .   He would have helped  me in normal circumstances  but that wasn't possible  other a bit of sweeping up and a trip to the wholesalers . 

But the thing was ... in my semi retired state I normally work two days a week but stick to the North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield areas  ..this job is 10 miles  across in  South B,ham and the traffic just seems to get worse and  worse  .....just under 2 hours  to cross the city , averages out at  5  MPH  , leaving the job at 4.00 pm .   

I know I'm an old phart but I remember  we would wait until just after 9.00 am for the rush hour to disappear  before leaving to office  , get around the city all day  easily until 5.00 when it built up again .    These days  it seems to be a constant crush  then everyone seems to leave work at 3.30 pm  .   

Whinge over .     

 

[ProDave]

Average 5mph eh?

Get yourself a pushbike, it would be quicker.

Seriously I remember as a lad tradesmen cycling to work, even riding a bike and carrying a ladder over one shoulder. Plumbers on a bike with lengths of copper pipe strapped to the crossbar.  Tool box on a carrier above the back wheel. Window cleaners with their ladder bucket and sponge on a bike.

My job today was 20 miles away. Took me 25 minutes to get home.

 

[Sharpend]

Thanks Deke, I left work at 6.00 and still not close to home even though it's only 3 mile from me, London should ban cars and leave us real workers to get around!! 

 

[Evans Electric]

Ah well  yer actual  Landon   thats another story altogether 'Aint it Guv'ner  , cor blimey  you're a toff  and no mistake .

Working there must be a nightmare  Sharpie ??   

 

[Sharpend]

It's not so bad if you're on the same side of the water as where you're staying! 

Whoever decided to build the capital city on two sides of the river and limits the number of crossings is pure evil, 1.5hrs waiting for a ferry! 

 

[ProDave]

In 2 hours I can be 100 miles away on the West coast, or right up on the North coast.

Just saying.

 

[Sharpend]

In 2 hours I can be 100 miles away on the West coast, or right up on the North coast.

Just saying.

Ok Dave that's enough, come brexit you may find your roads become rather much busier as the EE's emigrate back to the EU cos we all know Scotland will remain  

 

[binky]

on  a very bad day 2 hours gets me the other side of Exeter - 50 miles, but normally 2 hours should get me to Bristol, about 120miles. Stuff living in London!

 

[Blue Duck]

It's not so bad if you're on the same side of the water as where you're staying! 

Whoever decided to build the capital city on two sides of the river and limits the number of crossings is pure evil, 1.5hrs waiting for a ferry! 

There's supposed to be two, isn't there? 

:innocent

Doesn't matter which direction your going you're screwed.

East to West is also a killer!

 

[Sharpend]

I'm contemplating the 'crossing' tomorrow but don't know if that will be a mistake? 

The blackwall has always been ok for me normally but the A13 was backed up so thought I'd dive off. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Here he goes again I hear ....  .well  I do a job today as a favour  to a builder ,  he's not well  and I wanted to help him out  if I could  ...thats not the issue .......   it was one of those ...everything went wrong  etc  ,  loads of kneeling  which kills me ,  working on three levels  between the loft ,the upstairs and the ground .   He would have helped  me in normal circumstances  but that wasn't possible  other a bit of sweeping up and a trip to the wholesalers . 

But the thing was ... in my semi retired state I normally work two days a week but stick to the North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield areas  ..this job is 10 miles  across in  South B,ham and the traffic just seems to get worse and  worse  .....just under 2 hours  to cross the city , averages out at  5  MPH  , leaving the job at 4.00 pm .   

I know I'm an old phart but I remember  we would wait until just after 9.00 am for the rush hour to disappear  before leaving to office  , get around the city all day  easily until 5.00 when it built up again .    These days  it seems to be a constant crush  then everyone seems to leave work at 3.30 pm  .   

Whinge over .     

Rush-hour grid lock continues though into the weekend as well!!!!   Was trying to drop our youngest lad back at B/Ham new street for a 7:30 train on Sunday.....

(he'd popped back home for the weekend to see his sister as its her birthday this coming week)...

Anyway...  

Part of Hagley road was down to 1 lane... Filtering & delays #1

Then attempting to go down Bath row and Holloway head....

pretty much grid-locked at 7:15pm on a Sunday due to some temp lights at horsefair Island!!!

Told him to get out and walk as there was no way I was going to get down less than a mile away to the station in 10 minutes...

He walked got his train... I did a 3-point turn and went back home!!

You weren't trying to get over by "Satan's M5 roadworks" by Oldbury were  you Deke?

Its 30MPH limit I think ?  all along the West Brom - Oldlbury viaduct section!

90%+ of my work is within a 5mile radius....

Worked late today till just turned 6:00...  Back home just before 6:15! Guinness  

So normal rush-hour grid-lock is not too much of an issue over my neck of the woods.

Sutton Coldfield eh??....  That's nearly as posh as Solihull!!!!

:innocent

 

[Evans Electric]

You weren't trying to get over by "Satan's M5 roadworks" by Oldbury were  you Deke?

Its 30MPH limit I think ?  all along the West Brom - Oldlbury viaduct section!

I avoid those areas like the plague  Specs .     West Brom is possibly the most depressing place on Earth  after Lower Gornal  .    Edit :   Oh and Burnt Tree Island 

Sutton Coldfield eh??....  That's nearly as posh as Solihull!!!!

Much better Specs,  Sutton Coldfield  is North B,ham  ,   Solihull  is sarf   where sex is what  3 X 3  equals.  

 

[Evans Electric]

I'm contemplating the 'crossing' tomorrow but don't know if that will be a mistake? 

The blackwall has always been ok for me normally but the A13 was backed up so thought I'd dive off. 

I did some work at Dartford  Power Station  and we were always getting stuck in the tunnel   ,  claustrophobia  was begining  to develop.      I always remember asking a local on the station if there was a better way to across the river   ...he said  " Wha'  river,s tha' then ?" .

They were the most unfriendly knobheads we came across I think ,  we'd been up in Newcastle prior to going there ,  hell of a difference the two .    

 

[Sharpend]

Bet they both sounded the same even if one was drunk!

 

[Rob_the_rich]

One Woolwich ferry!

There's only one Woolwich ferry!

One Woolwich ferrrry!

There's only one Woolwich ferrrrry!

 

[Sharpend]

So took the DC and only hour today and £3 each way for the pleasure. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Whats the DC  Sharpie  ?  

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Dartford Crossing, only done it once, gave me the collywobbles

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

Dartford Crossing, only done it once, gave me the collywobbles

Why did you go over on the bridge? (I dont like that either)

 

[Sharpend]

Come on men, it's a bridge, it's only put into perspective when the ships roll underneath!