AIBU to think that driving around Reading town centre is shit scary?

[lolaflores]

It is the most monstrous place to navigate. I am sure there are loads of Readingondions on here ready to kick my arse into space. But, I am not familiar with the place and it was a nightmare. I

The other annoying thing about driving in Reading is that some arse will honk their horn at you for not remembering EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of their ludicrous traffic management "system".

I too found it quite scary and go there all the time to visit Costco. And then every time i think, I will just pop into the town, I so wish I hadn't. And this is from someone who has driven in Cairo and Moscow. Which are both F88k frightening (but for different reasons).

Reading is a shit hole.

Nice

YANBU - I am a confident driver on the whole but I hate Reading town centre and always regret going there. I also hate the M4/A33 roundabout. (I think it's been reconfigured recently? Haven't been for a while). Hemel Hempstead is comparatively easy. I think the Oracle centre is not all that great anyway, Basingstoke is better.

Lovely as always Fabby. Are you as tactful in real life??

We always get the train to Reading. Cost us £9 for parking a few weeks ago and only £10 for the whole day on the train.

Anywhere is scary/stressful if it is very busy and you dont know the road layout very well.

I was panicking when we went to America because I was going to be doing all the driving, but I found it a doddle because the roads are so neatly laid out. Wasnt too keen on the LA rush hour, but it was no worse than being in London I suppose.

The one place I would not drive unless I was in a tank is Rome. That really does scare me. There are no signs, no road markings, and it is a complete free for all!

FabbyChick You are right I grew up in Reading and it is a dump. [hgrin]

YANBU
but I have limited experience having only driven there for the festival
I once missed the turnoff for the white car park ( near Mapledurham ) and ended up driving through the town centre, in the dark

The centre of Edinburgh has to be amongst the worst place to drive
was bad before but now we have tramworks, oh joy!, dont get me started on THAT...

Oblomov is Moscow scary cos the cars are falling apart and driven by vodka fueled mafia types? Is that a simple stereotype there?
Driving in rural Ireland can take some nerves of steel. you never know what is coming round the bend.

Greetings from Reading

[hgrin]

I was in Reading this morning. Horrific.

Lived in London for 20 years, drove everywhere. Mind you, ALWAYS got myself lost in Clapham. Without fail!

Reading is CHAOS, parking ridiculously expensive and frankly, now that Reading has gone the way of every other town and has all the same chains as everywhere else, there is practically no reason to go there at all!

Basingstoke has the same stores, has one of the largest car parks in Europe IIRC, and is easy to get in and out of. Camberley has new shopping centre, tons of parking, easy to negotiate...

Why would anyone make a Reading a destination rather than an evil necessity? LONDON is easier to navigate.

Reading is wonderful. The largest town in the country, the river Thames, a canal, a reasonable football team, shopping centres, lovely old brick buildings, an abbey, Oscar Wilde's old residence. Birthplace of Kate Winslet, Chris Tarrant and Ricky Gervaise. 15 miles of sandy beach, all year round skiing, trained yetis for waiters, free drugs,

I might have made up a few things at the end...

Loraflores, thtas pretty mush the jist of it !! [hgrin] Moscow, there is no manners. no one gives way. no one lets you in. You have to just GO !!
Cairo is even worse. There seems to be no rules. people dart from lane to lane on the 'highways'. And at traffic lights, people just go, willy nilly, wehn lights are red. And at roundaboits its even more frightening. Its like taking your life in your own hands. Its bizare.
"Obs, do you think there's any chance that you might actually get us to the airport ALIVE" ? Asks friend, ont he way to Cairo Airport.
Obs replies, jokingly :" Bookra,en-shal-la" = Tomorrow, god willing.

I once rescued an old man at cemetery junction. He had stopped his car in the middle of the road and was completely unable to speak or move. I called an ambulance as thought he'd had a stroke. It turned out he had just got so confused on the one way systems that he had been driving around all day and was beyond exhausted.

Seriously, he had to go to hospital because the roads were so confusing. Official.

I live near Reading, I know my way round though! Used to drive into the centre every day in rush hour! I think op is BU but only because I can do it

I remember Reading - I had my eyes lasered there. Thankfully I didn't drive home but was driven or I would probably still BE there.

Have gone the wrong way round the magic roundabout in Swindon three times though without hitting anyone.

We seem unable to design city centre roads well in this country - although I have to say, Birmingham is quite easy to navigate.

Aw, I feel sentimental about Reading and the IDR. I cycled a lot in Reading, it was fine. Now Leicester. That's not good (driving wise).

I never thought I would say thi. I agree with Fabby :)
There seems to be a planning challenge cup for the daftest change to the IDR that has been running since the early 80s.
I learnt to drive in Caversham. I can drive ANYWHERE.

yanbu - reading is hellacious to drive around.

poor bloke tortu!!!!!!

Only one reason to go to Reading and that is Decathalon!

Oh yes, the IDR! I remember they ran out of money when building it (60s or early 70s?) and it ended, abruptly with a barriered end jutting over the London Street roundabout. How it didn't cause more accidents, I don't know!It was years before they finally got around to finishing it off.

TiggyD, you forgot Mike Oldfield, who was also born in Reading. And, of course, Led Zeppelin - how could you forget them?! - Deep Purple, Ian Gillam, Reading Rock Festival...

I grew up in Reading then left when I went to Uni. As my family still live there, we go often and dh always gets annoyed at me if we re going somewhere and I can't navigate him. It's so confusing and I keep trying to explain to him that it wasn't like this when I was young but he just thinks I'm a dimwit who just doesn't know my way around my home town

It's worth going to Reading just for Sweeney's Pies!