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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

That everywhere has got busier?!

126 replies

JudesBiggestFan · 29/12/2019 13:50

I can't decide if it's because I'm older and less patient or whether everywhere is just busier? I find myself frustrated so often...sitting in traffic on the way to work, on the way back, on the school run. Queuing for hours in the barbers to have my sons' haircuts no matter when I go, never being able to find a parking space when I go to to the supermarket/cinema, shops just mad all the time! I live in a decent sized town near Birmingham but then I've always lived here...it just seems so busy! Is there anywhere in the Uk that feels more peaceful that's still hear a big town for work etc?! I feel I would be so much calmer if I was t always in a bloody queue!

OP posts:
7Worfs · 29/12/2019 13:56

YANBU, there are more people than infrastructure and town planning allows for, and it’s getting worse every year.

Unfortunately you can’t retroactively fix it - it would be ridiculously expensive and will create so much inconvenience, people and businesses would find it wholly unacceptable.

AnUnhealthyMind · 29/12/2019 13:57

North west Scotland any good for you? Apparently the UK is the 49th most densely populated country in the world but if England was a country on its own, it would be in 28th.

That everywhere has got busier?!
reefedsail · 29/12/2019 13:57

The West County is not busy, but there’s not much worth either.

Primrosepenny · 29/12/2019 13:57

YANBU

damnthatanxiety · 29/12/2019 13:58

When I was young in NZ, the population was 3.25million. It's now approaching 5 million. That is a massive % increase. Most in Auckland. It's happening in all developed countries.

2020cominatcha · 29/12/2019 13:59

YANBU. If you’re in a big city it’s also due to airbnb. We have seen an enormous rise in tourist numbers for just that reason. It used to be that when the hotels were all full, that was it.

reefedsail · 29/12/2019 13:59

That’s blackbirds AnUnhealthyMind Confused.

victorioussponges · 29/12/2019 14:00

YANBU. I'm also finding this with foreign holidays in other cities. We went to Prague a few months ago and even though it was beautiful all I can picture now is the overwhelming crowds. It's crazy how much it's changed in just the last 10 years...worries me that it will just keep going and going 😳

fedup21 · 29/12/2019 14:00

That’s blackbirds AnUnhealthyMind confused.

Grin
2020cominatcha · 29/12/2019 14:01

Sniggering at the blackbirds!!! GrinGrin

ForalltheSaints · 29/12/2019 14:02

Some places are. If there was decent public transport (only London in the UK really has it) then there might be a chance of less traffic congestion, also if it was made more difficult to have a Chelsea tractor that would help too (car parks especially are not designed for them).

OP there are probably some facilities you use where you could walk to them perhaps? If you are using a car where you could walk in under 30 minutes you are part of the problem.

AnUnhealthyMind · 29/12/2019 14:04

Lol wrong image Grin bloody blackbirds, clogging up the roads, taking up all the housing Grin the point remains valid!

7Worfs · 29/12/2019 14:05

Look at all those blackbirds working in London!

Boris needs to do more to ensure worms and berries are more equally spread around the UK.

Original poster
JudesBiggestFan · 29/12/2019 14:06

There have been so many housing developments built round this town in recent years and yet no new roads, no new doctors , no new schools. I admit I am part of the problem as I have three children and both my husband and I commute to work...me by car, he by rail. I sit in traffic for hours, he waits for delayed trains or stands up all the way cos not enough carriages. It's just all so stressful...but then no decent jobs in our town do what other option is there? It just seems all of public policy and our own lifestyle choices are making life much more busy and difficult for everyone!

OP posts:
MsTSwift · 29/12/2019 14:09

Yet on a larger families thread someone chirps up that more children are needed to care for the elderly Hmm. 45 minute drive yesterday to visit family took twice that both ways due to sheer volume of traffic on motorway (West Country). We are seriously over crowded.

2020cominatcha · 29/12/2019 14:09

@Mustfly yes you make a good point about “lifestyle choices” but I would argue that with employment so transient these days, you would be mad to move house to be closer to a job. I’m self-employed so can have an office that’s very close to home, but I don’t think that’s feasible for most people.

scottgirl · 29/12/2019 14:12

YANBU

Original poster
JudesBiggestFan · 29/12/2019 14:14

2020cominatcha I do work from home one day a week and sometimes think the answer long term will be people doing that more and more. But then I worry that people will become more socially isolated as a result and is that a good thing really? It's very difficult!

OP posts:
NoBlueXmasLightsAllowed · 29/12/2019 14:16

Probably because they're squeezing thousands of new houses on every single piece of unoccupied land.

HohohoHahaha · 29/12/2019 14:19

We are going to all have to help climate change refugees in future, planning for infrastructure projects should start.

2020newme · 29/12/2019 14:22

It's because we are all living so long - ageing demographic and all that.

Only way around it is to cut health care to us oldies or euthanasia. Xmas Grin

Original poster
JudesBiggestFan · 29/12/2019 14:28

@2020newme that's a good point. Certainly where I live...it's a real old people's town. Very low immigration but lots of old people, hence a lot of strain on local doctors. The street where I live is full of family homes occupied by just one or two people in their 70s. I suppose an unintended consequence of high levels of home ownership is that people are completely emotionally invested in their properties, even when something smaller would be much more suitable and free up housing stock for those more in need of it. I think there are going to have to be real changes in public policy to deal with all this very soon.

OP posts:
mencken · 29/12/2019 14:54

well, of course. 55 million in the UK in the 70s. Nearly 70 million now. very little extra useful infrastructure - hospitals, railways, buses, doctors, schools, crematoria.

more roads (so more traffic and more pollution), more shops for the buying of pointless crap.

the immigrants aren't leaving, the babies aren't disappearing. We won't vote for higher taxes needed to add the useful infrastructure so guess what has happened.

Bloke23 · 29/12/2019 15:03

I feel you OP i live in north essex, we have just had around 3000 homes built near us, and god knows how many built in the last few years, we have 3 aldi, 2 lidl's(3rd being built soon) 2 big tesco stores, waitrose, co-op a few other food shops! We also have the biggest sainsburys in europe(might of changed now) and they are gonna be opening a 2nd one on a b&q site!

They are all busy all of the time, i get fed up with going out on weekends to do food shops!

I have to travel London bound down the a12 everyday, always busy in the morning even at 6am! Then its even worse on the way home

GlowWine · 29/12/2019 15:17

Are you living round my way? We've experienced a 20% population growth in the last ~15 years and it shows, as everything else can't keep up! Not just traffic etc, but also events and facilities. No events or performances that you can decide to attend at short notice if you've not pre-booked months ago...