Car share lanes - What the ?*??***!!!!

[jberks]

So, Darling has decided to build a car share lane on the M62. Just on my route to work. He has realised that whilst all my neighbours work for the same company in the same office building as me doing exactly the same hours (even when it hits the fan and I have to stay late at a moment's notice, they remarkably also have to stay late), I prefer to pay £70 per week in fuel all by myself, cover all my own maintenance costs, clock up mad mileage each year and drive my own car.
When my contract ends and I move to a new client, they will be moving with me so there really isn't a reason for me to use my car all alone every day.

I can almost see a justification on a road that enters a city centre. Where most people are all going to the same square mile or so and commonly live en-route, if not the same exact location. But on a Motorway?? Even if I could find someone else who travels to Manchester at roughly the same time, what's the chances of them going to the same part of Manchester?
Even then, what about all the mucking about picking people up? So we reduce the school run congestion and replace it with people darting around the side streets, often going in the completely wrong direction to their overall journey picking others up.

Its ok though. Darling advises that by stopping everyone using 1/3 of the road space, it will knock 8 mins off the journey time. On the same logic, I am intending to drive to work backwards. I can then sell the diesel I generate back to BP!

 

[Blobcat]

What you need is a chauffeur as per government ministers, and then you can use the high occupancy lanes.

 

[dagd]

Seen car share lanes in the USA, one of the 'get arounds' was to have a dummy in the passenger seat, a friend of mine who works there told me that there had been a run on the blow up variety Think they are wise to that now.

I agree with what your saying though, even if I were to share, how many people actually work their contractual hours? would be nice to leave the office at 5:30 each day!

 

[television]

Back in the 60's I had this shop model (nude female) on my back seat of my Humber Super Snipe, the police asked me to remove it, as other drivers could not believe what they were seeing.

Now if you were to dress one up, and sit her on the front seat, Who would know, there you are Mr Berks, problem solved, next!!!!

Malcolm

 

[SLinKyjoe]

errrr...... a company called Realdollds does some real dolls it seems, well a bloke i work with said so! ahem!!!

not sure what the website would be!!!! couldnt even guess like!!!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

and......when 2 of us are in the armoured wagon, we are not allowed in the sharing lane, even tho we are obviously sharing. HGV's are banned, but an empty bus isnt

its all rubbish. just like the empty bus lanes 2..and they fact that when you see a bus, the bus is empty too.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[johnmc]

They tried car sharing schemes in Edinburgh a while back, total utter failure. hardly anyone registered for it. There was a website where you could add roughly where you lived, and others could contact you via the council to arrange a shared ride. Now no-one will sign up for the M62 lane, and it will sit empty, except for the odd blow up doll and it's owner.

Car share lanes are a total waste of road space. Could they not think a little broader? What if Lorries and Caravans were all forced to use only the inside lane of the motorway and get the hell out of the way for the rest of us. These rolling bottlenecks just slow the whole thing down crawling past each other at 56.2mph.

cheers!
John

 

[Blobcat]

jberks will have to find some 'friends' to fill his car or change his signature location
If it's anything like the other end of the M4 then apart from the odd taxi / ministers car / motorbike it will be empty.

 

[psmart]

Could they not think a little broader? What if Lorries and Caravans were all forced to use only the inside lane of the motorway and get the hell out of the way for the rest of us. These rolling bottlenecks just slow the whole thing down crawling past each other at 56.2mph.

Erhem! I own a 6tonne 3/4 HGV Motorhome, which is quite capable (and legally upto 70mph) of reaching 100mph! If you ever drove a HGV, your opinion of car drivers would change dramatically! I have total respect for lorry drivers, even though they are annoying when they bring the speed down to that restricted by Tacho's.
Germany has a good solution, high usage autobahns, lorries are not allowed to overtake during peak times. It works.
How about building a middle lane driver database, and heavily (i mean phenominally heavily) fining all middle laners, as they really take up large chunks of road space.

 

[Jay Kilby]

there doing this on the M1 widening project J11 - J8 stupid thing is most of the users are business user (Including HGV). however take bedford for example my journey from northampton takes 1 hour in term time, in fact it takes the same amount of time to get from n'hampton to within 3 miles of my office which is 17 miles as it does to do the last 3!!!! however no school at the moment the whole journey takes 30 mins!!
Mr darling does not see the people who drive there childeren to school as a problem. the whole thing is a farse when will our leaders wake up to the fact the road network is just not big enough!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Mr darling does not see the problem.

he is reacting to opinion. this a fatal aproach for a politician.

the road they are talking about doing will have problems as the M606 that feeds onto it is choked most mornings. it would be easier if that was widended.

but again, another idea to show they are taking it seriously.

bit like bus lanes.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

? What if Lorries and Caravans were all forced to use only the inside lane of the motorway and get the hell out of the way for the rest of us. These rolling bottlenecks just slow the whole thing down crawling past each other at 56.2mph.

cheers!
John

they are already. they are not allowed in the oustide lane as it is. and the motorway network is there for everyone not the privildge few with fast cars.

car sharing as an attempt to reduce the amount or cars per mile, it wont help any other issues. but it will certainly create problems.

 

[johnmc]

Hi PSmart,
I've got plenty of respect for HGV drivers, and in seems that on the continent there's less of a problem because they do seem to keep up a good speed.
In the UK, probably driven by fuel prices, they crawl along at 56mph, and when one decides he needs to go at 57mph he crawls past the others over a mile or two in the middle lane. We get a rolling bottleneck. So, my view is fine, do 56mph in the UK, but you should get the use of one lane.

Motorhomes are great, I hope you enjoy yours. We have one in the extended family that gets shared around, and I certainly don't see these as being in the same bracket as caravans. My truck complaint is definitely a UK thing!

Have a good weekend!
John

 

[psmart]

I've got plenty of respect for HGV drivers, and in seems that on the continent there's less of a problem because they do seem to keep up a good speed.

At last, a fellow HGV sympathiser Technically, they are limited to 80kmh (50mph), 90kmh (56mph) and 100kmh (~60mph), depending upon their load and license. They do keep up a good speed though, albeit my Motorhome is limited to 50mph in Germany due to its size and weight , so technically, unless I break the law (I wouldnt do that, would I ), Im holding them up!

Motorhomes are great, I hope you enjoy yours. We have one in the extended family that gets shared around, and I certainly don't see these as being in the same bracket as caravans.

I bought my ML to tow caravans (a Swift twin axle Spectrum 1800Kg) on a bean-counter exercise (I had to laugh at jberks comments that most of us bought our Merc for the star :roll: !), something which could cope with mud, snow, ice and a heavy weight caravan on its tail and yet give a good turn of speed, low depreciation and good economy! The whole rig was rated to 80mph using twin stabilisers etc, not legal at 80mph, but technically sound all the same!

Motorhomes are way better though, unfortunately mine is commandeered in the winter by the old folk (see it as a winter retirement cottage in the alps .... it was my ski den!) and by the other family members in the summer

Words of advise.....keep you Motorhome locked up.... apparently, all Rental Motorhomes are rented out for the World Cup, so over eager footie supporters might fancie yours

 

[flying haggis]

Hi PSmart,
I've got plenty of respect for HGV drivers, and in seems that on the continent there's less of a problem because they do seem to keep up a good speed.
In the UK, probably driven by fuel prices, they crawl along at 56mph, and when one decides he needs to go at 57mph he crawls past the others over a mile or two in the middle lane. We get a rolling bottleneck. So, my view is fine, do 56mph in the UK, but you should get the use of one lane.

Motorhomes are great, I hope you enjoy yours. We have one in the extended family that gets shared around, and I certainly don't see these as being in the same bracket as caravans. My truck complaint is definitely a UK thing!

Have a good weekend!
John

Just to set the record straight , as an HGV driver myself we dont crawl along at 56 to save fuel(we aren't paying for it anyway!) we travel at 56 because that is what our limiters are set at despite the legal motorway limit for a 7.5ton + truck being 60. Also strictly speaking we are limited to 50 on a dual carriageway and 40, yes a mind numbingly boring 40, on a single carriageway
road. You try doing a decent length journey at 40!! with the added bonus of 0-60 times you can measure with an egg timer if you are fully loaded. Dont get me wrong I love my job but just remember if you are able to buy it in a shop a truck delivered it to that shop!!

 

[johnmc]

Hi Flying Haggis,
Sounds more like crawling haggis bud! No idea you were limited to 40 on single roads, that's hopeless! Is that why you all so graciously pull over to allow queues to pass at lay-bys....NOT? Maybe you could push the boat out to 45mph?

Doesn't make me feel any better though, and looks like millions of others agree. The Sunday Times had a vote for what were the three laws drivers wanted changed the most:

1. Allow left turns at red traffic lights if clear (similar to USA).
2. Confine HGVs to the inside lane of motorways.
3. Display an insurance disc next to the road tax to catch the bandits without cover.

Full details in this week's Sunday Times. Deliver my stuff, fine, just keep out the way while you're doing it!

John

 

[jberks]

I bought my ML to tow caravans (a Swift twin axle Spectrum 1800Kg) on a bean-counter exercise (I had to laugh at jberks comments that most of us bought our Merc for the star :roll: !)

Now come on. Nobody buys an ML as an economy drive - unless perhaps you're scaling down from a V8 Range Rover. A friend was raving about the Kia offerings, very cheap apparently and some even have MB mechanicals! Certainly makes your ML look pricey!

If I listened to the bean counter part of me, I'd be posting on the ford or vauxhall sites. A 1.9cdti Vectra is a perfectly good motor, comfortable, well equipped and given the discounts you get on those things, I could buy a nice shiny new one, run it for 3 years, give it away and it would still cost me less than the Merc. So why have I got a 211?

 

[television]

Now come on. Nobody buys an ML as an economy drive - unless perhaps you're scaling down from a V8 Range Rover. A friend was raving about the Kia offerings, very cheap apparently and some even have MB mechanicals! Certainly makes your ML look pricey!

If I listened to the bean counter part of me, I'd be posting on the ford or vauxhall sites. A 1.9cdti Vectra is a perfectly good motor, comfortable, well equipped and given the discounts you get on those things, I could buy a nice shiny new one, run it for 3 years, give it away and it would still cost me less than the Merc. So why have I got a 211?

In many countries the MB cost exactly double the price of the Vectra, no road test justifies this,and the Vectra will come out as a better buy. the V70 sits in between the two, so the Vectra beats that too, You spoil yourself in the MB, and you are not spoilt quite as much in the V70.

Malcolm

 

[flying haggis]

Hi Flying Haggis,
Sounds more like crawling haggis bud! No idea you were limited to 40 on single roads, that's hopeless! Is that why you all so graciously pull over to allow queues to pass at lay-bys....NOT? Maybe you could push the boat out to 45mph?

Doesn't make me feel any better though, and looks like millions of others agree. The Sunday Times had a vote for what were the three laws drivers wanted changed the most:

1. Allow left turns at red traffic lights if clear (similar to USA).
2. Confine HGVs to the inside lane of motorways.
3. Display an insurance disc next to the road tax to catch the bandits without cover.

Full details in this week's Sunday Times. Deliver my stuff, fine, just keep out the way while you're doing it!

John

Hi John
re item 2
if you confine HGVs to the inside lane of a motorway it will mean that every truck will have to go at the speed of the slowest so there will be an enormously long tailback and nobody in the other lanes will be able to get off the motorway and ref deliver my stuff but keep out of my way that is just a typical car drivers attitude to HGVs what if it was the other way round, in that you keep out of our way and let us do our job

 

[television]

Hi John
re item 2
if you confine HGVs to the inside lane of a motorway it will mean that every truck will have to go at the speed of the slowest so there will be an enormously long tailback and nobody in the other lanes will be able to get off the motorway and ref deliver my stuff but keep out of my way that is just a typical car drivers attitude to HGVs what if it was the other way round, in that you keep out of our way and let us do our job

But is it not the case that often, there will be an old couple, or someone completely oblivious to the fact that there is a lorry or other trafic behind them,while they crawl along at 35MPH.
We had one lady here in the West Country who did not like changing lanes,so she sat in the middle lane from Bristol to Exeter doing 30MPH.

Malcolm