Journey to work this morning..

Its half term and the scrotes are off.

My journey from Crosspool to Shalesmoor took 8 minutes as opposed to the usual 20 mins this morning. I reckon the traffic was at least 50% lighter than during term time.

Originally posted by firsteuro
Its half term and the scrotes are off.

Hmm, is this how you usually refer to school kids?! :wink: . My journey seemed to be about the same... But then I got stuck behind one car after another chugging along at 25mph...

mine took about the same time, but only because i was SO late leaving the house - thinking i'd make it for 10. then was 10 mins late.
Black mark against my name i think!!
:(

M1 was still a killer for me :(

Very smooth journey to work this morning from Hillsborough to Walkley.

Traffic was obviously much lighter around the two schools that I pass and no 500 year old school buses, double deckers I might add crawling up Walkley lane.

My "scrote" is in skeggy with his "scrotey" mate for the week.

My journey was non-existent as i am off with all the scrotes. Yippee:D

Yay I'm off too!! :thumbsup:

Same sort of time to drive from Ecclesall Rd into the city at about 8.45. Nowt special to report.

Originally posted by firsteuro
Journey to work this morning..

Its half term and the scrotes are off.

My journey from Crosspool to Shalesmoor took 8 minutes as opposed to the usual 20 mins this morning. I reckon the traffic was at least 50% lighter than during term time.

The scrotes as you call them have just as much right to be on the road as you, you ignoramus.

psalter lane >cowlishaw road >huntersbar >westbourne road>broomhill > moscar >a 57 unusually clear, out of town in 10 mins as opposed to usual 25.

yes my bus to town arrived about 10 mins ahead of the usual time, making me only 20 mins late for work instead of 30.

i laughed at the 'scrote' terminology! now don't start me on about students - in the sandwich shop at lunchtime one ignoramous held the que up for 10 mins while he asked for a fuller description of sandwich fillings! some of us that work only get a measly 30 mins for lunch, not 4 hours 'free time'.

i was gonna tell him about my dwindling lunch hour but i noticed the corner of a BURBERRY scarf hanging out of his bag so i didn't! ;)

I live three minutes drive from work. It's a talking point of the day if I actually see another car!

Getting back from uni was notably easier this afternoon. Virtually no congestion at all. My journey time was almost halved from around 25-30 mins to about 15 mins or less. Its clear to see who causes the congestion problem. If we could find a solution to the school run, congestion would be so much lighter, and as a result there would be less pollution, less stress, more leisure time, and less need to tax the motorist up to the eyeball. What about compulsory school buses?

yep - took 35 mins instead of an hour from rotherham to sheffield. No hold ups whatsoever although i dont how cos i cant think of any parts on my route that were school routes but they must have been. Either that or a lot of people were off sick.

Originally posted by t020
Getting back from uni was notably easier this afternoon. Virtually no congestion at all. My journey time was almost halved from around 25-30 mins to about 15 mins or less. Its clear to see who causes the congestion problem. If we could find a solution to the school run, congestion would be so much lighter, and as a result there would be less pollution, less stress, more leisure time, and less need to tax the motorist up to the eyeball. What about compulsory school buses?

Would you use one t020 on YOUR 'school run' to and from Uni? Lets face it - the school run would not be an issue to you if you weren't trying to travel at the same time.

Nomme

Originally posted by firsteuro
Journey to work this morning..

Its half term and the scrotes are off.

My journey from Crosspool to Shalesmoor took 8 minutes as opposed to the usual 20 mins this morning. I reckon the traffic was at least 50% lighter than during term time.
"They" reckon that scummies (school rum mums) add about 20% to the rush hour traffic. It only feels like 50% extra traffic because they are slow off at lights, can't go through gaps where there is less than 3 feet each side, can only park if there's enough room to drive in front ways and can never work out who has right of way at roundabouts preferring to wait for a written invitation.;)

The main reason there are fewer cars on the road this week is not the school run mums but rather the half term holiday taking parents. We have about 25% of our staff off as it's half term. Add that to the estimated 20% of early morning traffic due to school runners and you have a 50% reduction in traffic.

We still have the uni runners though, but as most of them don't get out of bed before midday they're unlikely to have much influence on 'rush' hour traffic.

I walk to work, but I've noticed remarkably fewer cars on the roads during the morning this week.

About time that free school buses were introduced, like in the US. I think it'd get rid of 50% of morning traffic congestion at a stroke.

Originally posted by alchresearch
I live three minutes drive from work. It's a talking point of the day if I actually see another car!

Surely if it's only a 3 minute drive, your work is within walking distance.....

A journey that I regularly make took me 20 minutes today and it normally takes 45 mins.

My bus (inner circular) arrived on time, it is usually between 10-30 minutes late.
Journey from Hunter's Bar to Meersbrook took about 5 minutes.
Noticed along the way that Abbeydale Road and Chesterfield Road were all very quiet.

Proof of the number of teachers, parents of school kids and students that have cars!

Originally posted by jackieb
Surely if it's only a 3 minute drive, your work is within walking distance.....

It certainly is most days. I use my bike during the school holidays as I don't like cycling wearing a suit!

Pupils should be catching buses. Its logical to have a queue of pupils accumulate at a bus stop who all come from the same street who are all going to the same school at the same time to get picked up in one stop and get conveyed in a single navigation of roundabouts, traffic lights etc.

It would help discipline too for later in life.

Then at home time parents could pick them up if they really wanted to as its 3.30pm and we dont leave work till > 5. the morning bus is key.

I used to walk 3 miles to school as we only had one car and my dad had to go out of bus range to work in it.

Originally posted by Zamo
"They" reckon that scummies (school rum mums) add about 20% to the rush hour traffic. It only feels like 50% extra traffic because they are slow off at lights, can't go through gaps where there is less than 3 feet each side, can only park if there's enough room to drive in front ways and can never work out who has right of way at roundabouts preferring to wait for a written invitation.;)

:D hahahahaahhahahahahha! :D

Must admit my journey all this week that normally takes 40 mins has been about 20.

Originally posted by nommedenet
Would you use one t020 on YOUR 'school run' to and from Uni? Lets face it - the school run would not be an issue to you if you weren't trying to travel at the same time.

Nomme

My 'school run' as you say, is a 3 mile drive into town. I can't really walk it. Most school kids however live within a mile of school, which is walkable. The school run is an issue because its usually not necessary.

8) Nah Den Ace.........

Originally posted by t020
My 'school run' as you say, is a 3 mile drive into town. I can't really walk it. Most school kids however live within a mile of school, which is walkable. The school run is an issue because its usually not necessary.

Why are you unable to walk 3 miles? It would probably only take you about 40 mins.........better than being stuck in traffic and adding to the congestion and pollution problems.

Walking..........it's free, good for you and kinder to the environment!

Regards,

Spacehopper.

Wassup with the bus if youre spending all day in town at Uni?

Originally posted by Tony
Wassup with the bus if youre spending all day in town at Uni?

LOL! Whats right with it more like! Cancellations, delays, waiting in the rain and cold, having to stand up in rush hours due to single deckers being unable to seat enough, being packed like a sardine, etc etc. I'd much rather take my car thank you.

As for walking 3 miles in the rain and cold etc, hardly the same as walking under a mile to school as a kid now is it? I used to walk to school. Its the school run that causes unnecessary congestion, not the 'uni' run. Half term holidays show that fact clearly. So stop using this discussion to have a pathetic little dig at me.

My 'school run' as you say, is a 3 mile drive into town. I can't really walk it.

A 3 mile walk each way to lectures IS walkable. That makes your car trip as necessary as those people making the 'school run' you were complaining about.

You're totally right, it is indeed your choice, but it's a little hypocritical to then complain about others who make the same choice.

Originally posted by Siân
A 3 mile walk each way to lectures IS walkable. That makes your car trip as necessary as those people making the 'school run' you were complaining about.

You're totally right, it is indeed your choice, but it's a little hypocritical to then complain about others who make the same choice.

As I said, most kids live within 1 mile of their local school. This is 3 times less than the walk I would have to make, which would also be uphill a lot of the way home. Also, kids can't drive, so why do their parents need to get involved? They should walk them there when they are younger and as they get older the kids can walk themselves. Kids living further than a mile should get on buses. I think there should be a school bus system in place to ensure safety for the children and not affecting bus services to the general public. One of the most effective ways to cut congestion is to target the school run, its THAT simple.

3 miles isnt far you lazy git. I wish i lived that close to uni id either be cycling or walking every day if not for the exercise but to avoid the severe lack of parking places at my campus.

One of the most effective ways to cut congestion is to target the school run, its THAT simple

One of the most effective ways to cut congestion is to target all unnecessary car trips. You're part of the problem ;)

Originally posted by Siân
One of the most effective ways to cut congestion is to target all unnecessary car trips. You're part of the problem ;)

You can't possibly target ALL unnecessary car trips though. The easiest mass target is the school run, ITS THAT SIMPLE. Anything else, e.g. trips to a nearby shop, trips to uni, trips to the cinema, etc etc, can't possibly be controlled. School journeys however can be, by providing an effective school bus system and by promoting more 'walking bus' schemes. ITS THAT SIMPLE.

PS. Quick utilisation of RAC's route planner service actually shows that its 3.9 miles to uni from my house:

Total distance: 3.9 miles (6.3 km)
Total estimated time: 7 min

7 min estimated time is some what on the optimistic side though! (They must've estimated this during half term holidays). :D

Ah right so YOUR unnecessary car trips don't count toward the problem <nods sagely> so glad I understand now :)

Originally posted by Siân
Ah right so YOUR unnecessary car trips don't count toward the problem <nods sagely> so glad I understand now :)

All traffic counts towards the problem of traffic. (No sh*t). The difference is, school traffic can be pinpointed and targetted more effectively than other forms of unnecessary traffic. It also does the kids good as we are becoming a nation of fatties.


PS. My journey is an 8 mile round trip - slightly different to a less than 2 mile round trip to the local school.

I'm all for kids walking to school. I used to myself.

I also used to walk the 3 miles into university and back again.

Originally posted by Siân
I'm all for kids walking to school. I used to myself.

I also used to walk the 3 miles into university and back again.

Thats not 3.9 though is it? Also, why should I walk? I'm old enough to own and drive a car. Kids however can't drive, but should be independent enough to make a 1 mile or less journey to the local school every day, without their mothers bringing out the 4x4s and MPVs.

I didn't read the whole thread, but has anybody mentioned the fact that when we used to walk to school it was safe to do so, and now it isn't? Big difference. Don't get me wrong, I hate having to queue behind some mutha with a Toyota Landcruiser who has no idea how to park the thing, but other than introduce local yellow school buses (a la USA) what are the options?

Out of interest T020, where do you park your car for the day when you are at Uni?

When I went (it was the Poly then) I had to park on the other side of the Midland Station and walk the mile to Poly on the odd days that I didnt use the bus. I lived 8 miles away BTW, so I dont feel at all guilty.

Originally posted by Tony
Out of interest T020, where do you park your car for the day when you are at Uni?

When I went (it was the Poly then) I had to park on the other side of the Midland Station and walk the mile to Poly on the odd days that I didnt use the bus. I lived 8 miles away BTW, so I dont feel at all guilty.

I don't feel guilty at all either. I park as near as I can get. This is usually in one of the pay and display car parks. I won't try to recall the name of the roads that these are on. If I can't manage there I sometimes park on Leadmill Rd, or if I am just popping in I risk Office World.

Originally posted by t020
This is usually in one of the pay and display car parks.

Doesn't that work out rather expensive?

Originally posted by Andy
Doesn't that work out rather expensive?


I'm not usually in more than a few hours a day so not really no!

From my house to my 6th form its 8.2 miles... Should I be walking? ;)

The funny thing is, the route planner says it'll take 21 minutes... Hmm, my bus journey happens to take 1hr-1hr10mins!

GROAN. Back to normal this morning - 25 minute to get from Abbeydale Road to Moscar

As I was off with my 'scrotes' last week, I can only just add to this.

I drive my two youngest to school - I have to.

If I walked them to school, then walked home and got the bus, I would be about 1 hour late for work. I would have to leave 1 hour early to get back to pick them up from after school club.

If I walked to school, then walked home and drove in, I would be about half an hour late for work. I couldn't work late by half an hour or I couldn't get back in time to do the pick up.

I have no choice - I have to drive to school. As it stands now, I'm usually about 15 minutes late for work, and I can work late by that amount and still get back in time to pick them up

I get very ****** off by those sactimonious gits who tell me I'm the reason there is so much traffic on the roads and then drive themselves to work on their own.

rant over :mad:

Originally posted by rinty
I get very p***ed off by those sactimonious gits who tell me I'm the reason there is so much traffic on the roads and then drive themselves to work on their own.

rant over :mad:

Less of the gits, please. There's only one and we all know who he is. The issue of the school run is blown out of all proportion. People know when it occurs so, imo, should avoid those times.

The plural wasn't just aimed at folk here :)

I've had people at work (with no kids mind) telling me there is no need to drive to school, etc etc.

Originally posted by max
People know when it occurs so, imo, should avoid those times.

You forgot to mention the words 'If Possible'. ;)

Originally posted by Lickszz
You forgot to mention the words 'If Possible'. ;)

People, if possible, know when it occurs so, imo, should avoid those times.

That doesn't look right, somehow, but you insisted.:loopy:

Originally posted by max
Less of the gits, please. There's only one and we all know who he is. The issue of the school run is blown out of all proportion. People know when it occurs so, imo, should avoid those times.

Hmm. Blown out of all proportion? My journey time doubled today. This is no coincidence that the schools went back today. Also, its not always possible to pick and choose when one makes ones journey.

Rinty - you forgot the option of letting your kids walk to school by themselves, getting a bus, or car sharing with other parents.

On a related topic, I heard today that the majority of speeders caught by the police aren't boy racers as many would think, but infact they are middle-aged men with coupés. How is the new Merc, by the way, Max?

Originally posted by max
People, if possible, know when it occurs so, imo, should avoid those times.

That doesn't look right, somehow, but you insisted.:loopy:

I accept your remark in the spirit I think it was made. :P ;)

Some people may be required to be at certain places at certain times. It may require them to take a journey at the time it occurs which makes it impossible to avoid.

Originally posted by Lickszz
I accept your remark in the spirit I think it was made. :P ;)

Some people may be required to be at certain places at certain times. It may require them to take a journey at the time it occurs which makes it impossible to avoid.
I apologise for my flippancy, if it offends.:)

I don't think that we'll ever see a reduction in the use of the car until, perhaps, fossil fuels run out. However, we can address the way in which we work. Perhaps it's time that businesses made a concerted effort towards staggering working time. This could include schools, shops and office work. We already have 24*7 working in certain industries, why can this not be extended to others?

Does anybody else think it odd that for 95% of the time on some days the car is just a lump of metal? It takes me 25 - 30 minutes to drive to work and back and some days I don't go out for lunch and have an evening at home. That's 23 out of 24 hours where the car just sits there doing nothing.:loopy:

Well I took the Park and Ride from Middlewood to the City centre today for the first time.

Surprisingly hassle free and £3 for all day parking and a return tram ticket, which I can use all day if I like. So if I wanted I could go to Crystal Peaks at lunch time, or pop to Meadowhell, go and come back, over and over again.

And it would still only cost £3 all day - bargain? I think so

I will probably make that my default mode from now on

Originally posted by t020
Rinty - you forgot the option of letting your kids walk to school by themselves, getting a bus, or car sharing with other parents.

Here we go :mad:

If you think it's okay to send a 5 year old to walk to school on his own then you better get down to the docs to be castrated before you have kids.

This is exactly the kind of purile BS that winds me up. How the hell you can comment on a subject you have no idea about? I suggest you go ask your Mommy about parental resonsibility and then get on the bus down Ecclesall Road. The bus lane is faster I hear.

I was certainly walking to school with my friends and without parents at 6. About a mile, and with a nice lollypop lady at the busy main road. I do feel rather smug about my self sufficiency these days - maybe it's related eh?

Originally posted by rinty
Here we go :mad:

If you think it's okay to send a 5 year old to walk to school on his own then you better get down to the docs to be castrated before you have kids.



Sorry - I walked to school when I was at primary school, as did all of my mates.

What winds the rest of us up about the school run brigade is not just that you clog the roads up (which you do) but when you get to school you seem to park as inconsiderately as possible; I know of a small cul-de-sac unfortunate enough to be near a school and at 8.30 and 3.30 its bumper-to-bumper with 4WD/ people carriers . Those people are the very same who object if anyone parks within one mile of their house.

What's the betting that the people who recently moaned about the temporary mosque for Ramadan taking up all the parking spaces are the same people who use any available road or car park (private or not) when dropping their kids off at school and then picking them up again?

That's when they're not double parked along the zig-zag lines directly outside the school of course.

Like it or not, the school run winds the rest of us up, and one day something is going to be done about it.

Originally posted by Matt Lock

What's the betting that the people who recently moaned about the temporary mosque for Ramadan taking up all the parking spaces are the same people who use any available road or car park (private or not) when dropping their kids off at school and then picking them up again?



They're probably the same drunken louts who take all the available parking spaces on my road while swilling ale at the pub all weekend :mad:

Originally posted by rinty
Here we go :mad:

If you think it's okay to send a 5 year old to walk to school on his own then you better get down to the docs to be castrated before you have kids.

This is exactly the kind of purile BS that winds me up. How the hell you can comment on a subject you have no idea about? I suggest you go ask your Mommy about parental resonsibility and then get on the bus down Ecclesall Road. The bus lane is faster I hear.

You heard wrong. Bus to/from uni takes approximately 50% longer. By car, in evening rush hour, the journey can take about 30mins. By car when the schools are off, this becomes about 15 - 20 mins. On bus however, this same journey takes about 45 mins (on a good day). This is usually due to buses not bothering to turn up and having to get on the next one. Not for me thanks, car anytime. Its the school run that clogs the roads up, not people commuting from the suburbs into town (be it for work or uni).

The parents of kids who use Woodhouse West primary school completely block Coisley Hill and all surrounding cul-de-sacs at the end of the school day, making it extremely dangerous.

About five months ago I was in a stream of traffic going past a primary school which had cars of waiting parents parked on both sides. The traffic was flowing at about 20 mph when a little girl ran straight out into a moving car.

It was a good job it happened at this exact moment because she hit the wing and bounced off it, rather than going under the wheels of the car.

Yes, the child was at fault for not looking, but if the cars weren't parked in such a way outside the school, she might have had the sense to look.

Originally posted by t020
By car when the schools are off, this becomes about 15 - 20 mins. On bus however, this same journey takes about 45 mins (on a good day). This is usually due to buses not bothering to turn up and having to get on the next one. Not for me thanks, car anytime. Its the school run that clogs the roads up, not people commuting from the suburbs into town (be it for work or uni).

So everyone takes their kids down Ecclesall Road to school then?

It's not the school run that clogs up the roads. The roads around the school will get busy twice a day, but the city gets busy twice a day because of the rush hour - which is people going to work. The reason it's not as busy in the school holidays is because lots of us working parents take time off work - ergo less traffic on the roads.

If we all didn't have kids, the roads round the schools would be lovelt and quiet, but rush hour whould still happen, and wouldn't stop in the holidays (except the summer maybe).

kids get bikes for christmas yeah ?

So why not ride them to school using those cycling lanes drawn on the pavements. beats walking.

Cycling would be just as quick & safe as going by car. Plus the kids wouldn't have to wait for mum to tart herself up.

My journey passes the Owler Brook Primary at about 8.45 in the morning and the road is shock a block with cars parked either side of the road which just leaves room for the bus to get through and its the same in the afternoon. Traffic usually gets stuck facing each other. They even drive on the pavement, I know because I have seen it.

Originally posted by TeeVee
kids get bikes for christmas yeah ?

So why not ride them to school using those cycling lanes drawn on the pavements. beats walking.

Cycling would be just as quick & safe as going by car. Plus the kids wouldn't have to wait for mum to tart herself up.

Would also help to counter the increasing child obesity problem.

2 birds, 1 stone: cut out school run traffic and you drastically reduce congestion AND the walking/cycling kids get to exercise away and reduce their fat!

Kids and staff don't ride bikes to school because they get damaged or stolen.
At the new school they put in a nice new bike shed and placed it so that noone could see into it. the kids only used it to hide in and tamper with stuff. So other normal kids didn't bring there bikes and put them in it. So because it wasn't being used they took it away.
Now you have to make special arrangement to leave them in a place in school which causes loads of problems.
If they had put in a bike rack that was a locking cage and visible to the security cameras then it may have worked.
That is why kids don't ride bikes to school.

Hehehe can you just imagine me peddling along Ecclesall road in my pink heels with my handbag swinging around?! Me thinks not!!!

"We still have the uni runners though, but as most of them don't get out of bed before midday they're unlikely to have much influence on 'rush' hour traffic."

haha, well i was in my car at 8am this morning, took me 40 mins sat in v.slow moving traffic to get to sheffield uni on glossop road. left uni today at 5.30 and got home at 6.15.
sounds like a normal 9-5 day to me.. no lazing in bed.
i drive to uni once a week when i have early lectures because i dont fancy a walk up the hill at 8am. every time i do i feel guilty (being a planning student) and always think it'd be quicker to walk, maybe i'll remember next week!