Tempest 0 Posted December 21, 2006 What a day yesterday. Set off on one of my many, in the meantime getting rather boring and tedious, trips to good ol' Kent, usually 3.5 hour jobbie one way (thanks to all the roadworks, of course, taking place all at the same time rather than one being phased in after the other therefore maximising the nuisance factor for me the driver), best time was 2.5 hours when the roadworks and speed limits weren't there yet, and chose the M11 to avoid the dreade M1 (from Luton onwards a nightmare), and M25 Enfield tunnel roadworks. No prize to be won yesterday, as I got stuck from 11 am till 4 pm lock solid due to some moronic accident, during which they just simply kept us waiting. I mean FFS, does it really take 5 hours to clear a 2-way motorway? Is there anyone I can make responsible for this? All in all, carried on to the customer, only to then get stuck in the what were now already rushhour traffic jams for the afternoon on the M25 at the QE bridge :mad: Got to the client at 18:00 instead of 13:00, and back home again at 23:15, as I still needed to train the client :mad: What has been your best time stuck on one of Britain's finest motorways? Tempest Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A20 LEE 0 Posted December 21, 2006 5hrs on the M6 leaving the motorshow on a friday evening. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Storm Monkey 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Sounds about right.......Once had a nasty trip from home in Leicester to visit the girlfriend in Cumbria. Usual time for a Friday was 4 hours......This time took me 9. 5 hours of this were sat in traffic, on a very hot day, in my smart work kit, with no AC and a very pissed off and hot dog panting on the passengers seat, and all again due to somone trying to dig up the entire M6 at once. Phil Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swfblade 0 Posted December 21, 2006 think ive posted this on here before, but was stuck on the M6 overnight once when snow blocked it. Mway was shut off, and the other way was clear, so they got the snowploughs out and cleared that side completely! Cant remember exactly how long we were there, but it was well over 14 hours....and even then we only got moving because some guys with 4x4's came along and ripped out the central reservations and towed people onto the other side so we could all get going again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted December 21, 2006 My girlfriend got stuck in the same M6 nightmare - it was a few years ago I think. She's so paranoid about getting the same thing now that she always has a sleeping bag in the car, and various other supplies just in case! So far i've been fairly lucky. The stupidest thing was me and a mate of mine deciding to drive down to the coast on the bank holiday weekend to pick up some car stereos (weird, I know) - set off at lunch time and got back at midnight. Still, it was worth it! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted December 21, 2006 In about 1979, the gritters went on strike in Edinburgh, there was a snowfall which then compacted to sheet ice and it took over 2 hours for the 14 mile trip to work. On arrival there, we were told to go home, because of the chaos! Small problem in comparison to yours, Tempest and co. down south - sounds appalling. :salute: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
veedub 0 Posted December 21, 2006 About 20 mins, you dont get may jams down 'ere!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted December 21, 2006 veedub, that leaves you guys down there a lot more time to go a-wreckin' and a-smugglin' :mrgreen: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
veedub 0 Posted December 21, 2006 veedub, that leaves you guys down there a lot more time to go a-wreckin' and a-smugglin' :mrgreen: Has been known...... :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ilovemycar 0 Posted December 21, 2006 What veedub said about jams down here, not a great deal. Once decided to drive from Basingstoke to Eastbourne, drop youngest kid off at parents and then turn around and drive back to Reading to meet friends and go out. Normally about 4-5 hours, give or take a few cups of tea. Took about 10, since I brilliantly decided to go on a bank holiday Friday. Everyone said "Oooh, you'll get stuck in traffic" but I was pretty smug. No more. Child ad to be carried from side of the mororway to some trees several times, and I couldn't even have a traumatic cigarette because of child. Never again. I don't mind being stuck by myself, as long as I have a stereo. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Yeah - children and dogs with you crank up the anxiety. You can cope and even chill out a bit on your own unless you are under pressure because of your job commitments. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mave 0 Posted December 21, 2006 When I got lost around hertfordshire over a year ago, off to a forum go-karting day. There were 2, stuck for about an hour and a half each on dual carriage way. But I was fully tanked up with Optimax so when each of them got going again, my god did I let rip :lol: (Thank god I didn't get caught either) I seem to be very impatient with traffic jams though, :? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.A.N.T. 0 Posted December 21, 2006 About 20 mins, you dont get may jams down 'ere!! Got stuck coming out of Cornwall after the eclipse a few years back. Took 5 hours just to get from Perranporth over the border into Devon... Then another 4 or so hours to get home to Surrey... Missed the eclipse too. Went to see my girlfriends Gran to watch it from there and it was cloudy, but apparently back in Perranporth it was clear and everyone for a really good view... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
saysomestuff 0 Posted December 21, 2006 Took me 8 hours from North London to Cardiff once, Was on the M25 for about 4 hours, and managed 18miles in 6 hours. There were people just sitting on their bonnets in the sun lol I ended up taking the M40 to Oxford onto clear road and then onto the M4 at swindon (that bit didn't take long :twisted:) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CoxyLaad 0 Posted December 21, 2006 I crawled through a five hour traffic jam on the way home from the motorshow afew year back, thoroughly pissed off, even more so when I realised I was on the wrong fecking road in the first place and was heading for Wales! I was contemplating suicide. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
saysomestuff 0 Posted December 21, 2006 I crawled through a five hour traffic jam on the way home from the motorshow afew year back, thoroughly pissed off, even more so when I realised I was on the wrong fecking road in the first place and was heading for Wales! I was contemplating suicide. Oooh, that's harsh funny though :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted December 21, 2006 I managed to travel 200 yards over 5 hours in a jam a few years ago, due to a bit of snow on the road. Stupid feckin country. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigowl 0 Posted December 21, 2006 I calculate you would have been quicker if the gritters had stayed off the roads 'cos they were on strike, kev! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 21, 2006 Got stuck coming out of Cornwall after the eclipse a few years back. Took 5 hours just to get from Perranporth over the border into Devon... Then another 4 or so hours to get home to Surrey... Me too.. I get caught in several jams on my way to and from work from time to time, but nothing can beat driving home from seeing the eclipse in Devon.. The drive down wasn't too bad, left at 5am, and arrived at a village in Devon around 7.30am. Can't remember the name of the village, but managed to find a parking space no problem... Saw the eclipse, which was something else, then left around 1pm. We were stuck in a jam all the way to the A38, then all the way up to the A30, and didn't break free until we left the A30 at Honiton to get on the A35. By then it was about 8pm!! I didn't get home until 9.30!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve_16v 0 Posted December 21, 2006 I had the morning off the day of the eclipse so stayed at home to watch it, didn't see feck all because of the clouds! Later on found out that it wasn't cloudy at work and everyone had had a good view of it ... feckers! Longest spent in a traffic jam though was on my way up north for the august bank holiday, it was stop start (mostly stop) all the way from just south of bristol to manchester on the m5 and m6, took about 9 hours instead of the usual 3.5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites