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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect to drive 27 miles across london in less than 3 hours

24 replies

stainesmassif · 22/05/2009 21:55

Hackney to staines today - 3 hours with a 10 minute stop off to top up ds......I understand that there are humans that can run this distance in much less time.....

OP posts:
BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 21:58

it is a long time....

But you are probably BU to expect anything different.

Is staines in london?

Original poster
stainesmassif · 22/05/2009 22:00

it's just outside zone 6. faarrrrrrrrrr western suburbs and 27 miles to hackney. i probably am bu, bank holiday w/e and all.

OP posts:
BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 22:01

Takes me an hour to get to work and that's only about 7 miles. And that's if the traffic is OK and knowing all the rat-runs

Original poster
stainesmassif · 22/05/2009 22:04

hmmm, maybe there's just no point having a car. that was how i felt by 5.45 this afternoon on the m25. yukky traffic.

OP posts:
BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 22:17

Must admit i'm only driving as i went a bit mad recently and got all funny about going out by myself.

personally i feel in london it is pretty crazy to try and drive anywhere! Although we do have 2 cars

Original poster
stainesmassif · 22/05/2009 22:21

haha, you sound like an average family! i wouldn't normally bother, but it seems just as bad trying to get there on public transport. went to meet an old school friend and her 4 week old dd, so definitely worth the journey.

i then drove to the chinese take away the end of the road to recover - so lazy.

OP posts:
BigBellasBeerBelly · 23/05/2009 10:33

We've got to drive across london n herts later....

Wish me luck!!

Original poster
stainesmassif · 23/05/2009 10:36

bleurgh. lots of luck.

OP posts:
Kiwinyc · 23/05/2009 10:41

YANBU. But my commute is 22 miles from Central London to Hertfordshire and it normally only take 35mins. So it very much depends on time of day and your route.

Twims · 23/05/2009 10:47

I have just put the info into google maps and it reckons it will take you between 1 hour and 1 hour 4 minutes

BigBellasBeerBelly · 23/05/2009 10:48

kiwinyc you have the same situation i used to have (although my commute was shorter). It's so much easier if you're going in the opposite direction to everyone else!!!

Twims are you psychic? Assume you're talking about stainesmassif's journey!!!

Twims · 23/05/2009 10:51

Yes went to google maps after reading this and it says just over an hour

sarah293 · 23/05/2009 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Twims · 23/05/2009 11:09

StainesMassif how did you come up with 3 hours?

Original poster
stainesmassif · 23/05/2009 11:13

That's how long it took yesterday afternoon, travelling through stupid picadilly on friday bh afternoon.

my mum always says that we believe our cars make us safe and give us freedom, whereas they actually do the exact opposite - very dangerous and we are trapped by them. sometimes my mum is so wise!

OP posts:
TigersChick · 23/05/2009 11:17

We used to drive from south Birmingham to visit my Grandparents in south London.
My parents would allow the same amount of time to get from Birmingham to London as to get across it - and this was in the 70s so it's nothing new, sadly.

Lazycow · 23/05/2009 11:41

I used to live in Surbiton and my parents live in Islington. The distance from one to the other is approx 15-18 miles. I regularly visited my parents and the journey (by car) would take never less than 1hr and 10 mins (usually in Aug or half terms) and often well over 2 hours. If we went by public transport it would take about 2 hours.

I would usually do the trip by car a few times and then get so hacked off that I would swear I'd never do it by car again. Then I'd do the journey by public transport a few times. Then the cancellations, and inconvenience of getting overnight bags etc across London as well as pushchair and small child generally would annoy me enough that I swear I'd never do it by public transport again. Neext time I'd go by car and the whole scenario would repeat itself. !!

There is something uniquely horrible about travelling slowly in back to back traffic in London. For much of the journey it was very difficult to stop as there was generally nowhere to be able to park and leave the car for 20 mins if you you had a crying baby/toddler who needed a break.

I now live 60 miles from my parents but the journey by car is mostly along a motorway and when there are no problems on the motorway (most of the time) can get to my parent's house in 1.5 hrs. The driving is more pleasant too.

thumbwitch · 23/05/2009 11:44

totally unreasonable

magicOC · 23/05/2009 13:40

How about "normally" 3hr 30min drive from London to Lincoln which took me 2hr 30mins just to get to Brent Cross area from Kew

M25 is quicker

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/05/2009 14:16

traffic is a bugger, i went from kent to clapham sw11 yesterday and satnav said it was 40mins from my house

it took 30mins to get nearly where i am proxy parenting and then another 40mins to travel last 3miles as roadworks

cheekysealion · 23/05/2009 14:19

that is crazy

i have to take dd to the o2 tomorrow to see girls aloud- not looking foward to it now

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/05/2009 14:23

i did see the signpost for o2 on my travels

have a fun time and leave PLENTY of time to get there and park

cheekysealion · 23/05/2009 14:25

good plan.... think we may leave early dump the car at the o2 and head into central london on the tube to do a spot of shopping and eating

blithedance · 23/05/2009 22:59

We missed an entire wedding once having allowed 1.5hrs from SE london to Reading. Took 2.5 hrs, we arrived for the last hymn!

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