Where's everyone going?

[DanZac]

A great piece on Radio 4 this morning. About fast food and how it grew in the States after the war, from the cliche diner to the standardised chain / franchise model on the back of road building and social mobility, the baby boomers etc.

Ergo the facilities where people stop "to charge" have a ready made market to target with other (energy hungry) services.

It's just another full circle. When I was a kid any log trip involved a stop at a Happy Eater or Little Chef, any of which would have left plenty of time to charge the car.

We've just gone away from the more relaxed form of travel towards rush, rush, rush, coffee from the drive through, push on with your journey whilst distracted drinking your coffee and spilling it your lap, tired, stiff and irritable because you haven't had a break for 6 hours.

 

[Onoff]

It's just another full circle. When I was a kid any log trip involved a stop at a Happy Eater or Little Chef, any of which would have left plenty of time to charge the car.

We've just gone away from the more relaxed form of travel towards rush, rush, rush, coffee from the drive through, push on with your journey whilst distracted drinking your coffee and spilling it your lap, tired, stiff and irritable because you haven't had a break for 6 hours.

The concept of a Costa drive through on a motorway amazed me I must say when I first saw one. Don't think it even had a car park, straight in, straight out.

Little Chef Olympic breakfast, now you're talking!

 

[GRW]

It's funny but I still love driving. My best holidays are big road trips. Spain is probably the best country for that. Deserted roads. Hardly any speed cameras away from cities. Huge mountains and petrol stations everywhere that actually allow you to use the toilet.
I enjoy driving down to my dad's old house in the Algarve. Best part of the journey is the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander. 36 hour crossing. Love it.

Riding m/cycles on continental trips always made me revel in how good it was, and wonder why I bothered in the UK (& now I don't).
The sense of freedom you used to have of travel in the UK has been (deliberately, and worse to come) killed off.

 

[Onoff]

The sense of freedom you used to have of travel in the UK has been (deliberately, and worse to come) killed off.

Been watching Guy Martin on his travel show "Our Guy In....." He quoted an Indian leader as saying "Some of our pot holes have roads!"

 

[redlig]

Been watching Guy Martin on his travel show "Our Guy In....." He quoted an Indian leader as saying "Some of our pot holes have roads!"

NOW all is clear , We are importing the potholes from India . All part of a Gov. inspired plan perhaps. Lets see what transpires with this new lot.

 

[GRW]

NOW all is clear , We are importing the potholes from India . All part of a Gov. inspired plan perhaps. Lets see what transpires with this new lot.

Potholes are perhaps the only thing left that the UK is self-sufficient in! We have our own British potholes here! Something to take pride in!

 

[redlig]

Potholes are perhaps the only thing left that the UK is self-sufficient in! We have our own British potholes here! Something to take pride in!

Pride comes before a fall. Lets just hope we don't all fall in.

 

[MattF]

I've got no idea what that tells us, or shows.

That some of us are misanthropic recluses?

 

[Rannsachair]

I choose to live on the West Coast of Scotland, so longer trips are inevitable.

I used to do lots of miles at work travelling around Europe and the US, then across Argyll and its islands (Argyll has a coastline of over 3000 miles), now almost all video calls.

For hospital visits and big shops it is mainly Oban, about 80 mile round trip or Glasgow, 170 miles.

Visiting my son and family in Dunfermline, 240 miles or go to Classic car/bike shows across Scotland.

I try to go by bike as much as I can, so I can enjoy the trips, so less in the winter as I do not like snow when on the bike or when its baltic, -4.1 this morning.

 

[DanZac]

That some of us are misanthropic recluses?

I had to look "Misanthropic" up, but that certainly sums me up pretty well.

 

[bricol]

Never eat at services . Far too much of a rip off.

I used to work at one . . . I never eat at one . . .

 

[DanZac]

The sense of freedom you used to have of travel in the UK has been (deliberately, and worse to come) killed off.

Not picking on you @GRW more of a general, has it question.

Has the freedom and enjoyment to travel in the UK been killed off, or is it more of a case that the grass is always greener, and you take the time to enjoy the journey when your away?

Similar to people bringing back their holiday snaps and raving about the views and sunsets. Views and sunsets that are available on their doorstep at home, but get ignored due to busy lifestyles and it being local.

When we're "away" we probably travel slower and the trip is as much about the journey as the destination. I've already said that I hate driving, but enjoy the journey and adventure if I go by bike or walk.

Maybe slowing down, taking the scenic route, stopping for a meal en route etc, would make travel in the UK a lot more pleasant. Rather than the racing to the destination, with a coffee balanced in your lap and the sat nav nagging you the whole time, that we are all guilty of?

 

[cheb]

One of the things I'm aware of when traveling is being very destination focused. I've tried dawdling along but inevitably I end in the outside lane battering on for all I'm worth. Enforced stops for charging wouldn't sit well with me, nor I them. Usually my first stop when heading south is Dumfries if I'm stopping there or Carlisle if I traveling onwards.

Driving through the highlands is usually very pleasant and one of the better jobs I had was driving a mobile bank van from various depots in Scotland. Furthest south was Lanark, furthest north was Thurso, I've done some of the islands too.

Fascinating stuff. Re-read at 2300 if you're finding it hard to fall asleep.

 

[GRW]

Not picking on you @GRW more of a general, has it question.

Has the freedom and enjoyment to travel in the UK been killed off, or is it more of a case that the grass is always greener, and you take the time to enjoy the journey when your away?

Similar to people bringing back their holiday snaps and raving about the views and sunsets. Views and sunsets that are available on their doorstep at home, but get ignored due to busy lifestyles and it being local.

When we're "away" we probably travel slower and the trip is as much about the journey as the destination. I've already said that I hate driving, but enjoy the journey and adventure if I go by bike or walk.

Maybe slowing down, taking the scenic route, stopping for a meal en route etc, would make travel in the UK a lot more pleasant. Rather than the racing to the destination, with a coffee balanced in your lap and the sat nav nagging you the whole time, that we are all guilty of?

I take the point, but yes it has gone.
I used to do Los of road mileage and its more stressful ad takes longer, you're on high alert for Highway Banditry even when driving sensibly and considerately etc

 

[minimutly]

What's the first question when telling someone you've made a trip somewhere?
You guessed it "how long did that take you?"
It's ingrained in us...

 

[MattF]

you're on high alert for Highway Banditry even when driving sensibly and considerately etc

More so when you don't drive like a tw*t, because you realise how many, (I'll resist using any of the multitude of words which spring to mind), own & drive a vehicle.

 

[fizzy]

I take the point, but yes it has gone.
I used to do Los of road mileage and its more stressful ad takes longer, you're on high alert for Highway Banditry even when driving sensibly and considerately etc

Yes they have destroyed driving enjoyment in the UK. Especially Wales. Black Mountain road near Brynamman is a case in point. Not a single house in sight. No street lighting. National speed limit 60mph. Now reduced to 40 with speed humps and average cameras. Of course Wales also has the infamous 20mph limit. 50mph limit on many sections of the M4. Apparently for air quality reasons. Can electric car drivers speed then? I doubt it very much
M4 tunnels/funnels desperate for a relief road - Welsh government says no due to environmental damage to the Gwent levels. Now they are planning a giant solar farm and 700 houses for the same area!
Remember the goal of certain people in government is to force everyone to use Public Transport. They HATE people being independent. They want the state to control every aspect of our lives

 

[DanZac]

No street lighting. National speed limit 60mph. Now reduced to 40 with speed humps and average cameras. Of course Wales also has the infamous 20mph limit. 50mph limit on many sections of the M4. Apparently for air quality reasons. Can electric car drivers speed then? I doubt it very much

My big take away from that is that your enjoyment has been lost due to decreased speed limits?

The UK speed limits are broadly in line with the rest of the world, so your unlikely to be able to go much faster in other places? (Max speed in Bhutan is a blanket 50KPH including motorways)

Speed - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

limits_by_country

Likewise you are far more likely to be killed in an accident as speed increases. As a pedestrian its 90% you'll die if your hit by a car at 40mph, but only 2.5% if the cars only doing 20mph.

Whilst I'll agree the reduced motorway limits are frustrating and often without reason, as are many things on our roads, an overall reduction in speed can only be a positive.

 

[DanZac]

What's the first question when telling someone you've made a trip somewhere?
You guessed it "how long did that take you?"
It's ingrained in us...

One of the guys I work with is like that.

"How was your holiday Bob"

"Well the traffic on the way to the airport was rubbish, the flight was delayed, we got stuck in traffic on the way back, then they lost my case, and it took 4 hours to cover the 50 miles back home on the Friday when we got back"

"So did you enjoy your holiday or not"?

 

[ukracer]

It's just another full circle. When I was a kid any log trip involved a stop at a Happy Eater or Little Chef, any of which would have left plenty of time to charge the car.

We've just gone away from the more relaxed form of travel towards rush, rush, rush, coffee from the drive through, push on with your journey whilst distracted drinking your coffee and spilling it your lap, tired, stiff and irritable because you haven't had a break for 6 hours.

BUT if everyone has an EV just imagine the fights to actually find a charging point. Let alone enough power to service them all.