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England
Just came back from a week vacation in England. I had to use a
airline voucher which was soon expiring plus a hundred some dollars. It was given to me by CO a year ago on the day we invaded Iraq. Pentagon drafted so many jets from the carriers it threw their schedules out of whack CO over booked and I volunteered to give up my seat for the next flight for the $500 voucher. The rest of the family actually paid close to $200 cheaper ($474 RT) for tickets just a week prior to departure. It was our first time to the UK. Didn't think much of England before we went. It is an island. I thought we must go sometimes. Why not now? So we did. But it was an eye opener. We actually enjoyed the trip very much. It would have been much nicer weren't the depressed greenbacks made everything so expensive. On top of the fact London is one of the most expensive cities in the world we later learned and the British economy is doing extremely well we also learned after the trip. Some random thoughts... Is there speed limit on the motorways? I didn't see one. Although it was not my first time driving on the wrong side of the road, I kept my lead foot light on the pedal. The 1.4L little Vauxhall I rented didn't help either. But it has more prep than I anticipated with 5 speed. The Brits whizzed by me one after another. The English motorways are very well kept. Drivers are typically more sensible. You rarely see anyone on crawl speed but hogs the passing lane like so many of us do in the US. Another thing I thought would never work in the US is the roundabout. Almost all intersections in the countryside are roundabouts. In the US it almost certainly means disaster. I think less traffic is the reason. With gasoline prices 3 to 4 times that in the States, there are less cars and people drive less. Drivers know to either slow down or stop when approaching a roundabout depending on on-coming traffic in the roundabout so no traffic signalling is required. While in the States the last remaining few roundabouts are traffic nightmares and soon be dismantled. The cars on the road are on average in better shape than those on this side of the pond. They may have a more strigent vehicle inspection program is my guess. In the course of one week, we saw a Ferrari in Widsor and a Lamborghini in London. Notably absent are the behemoth SUV's so popular in the US. There is so much history and they kept it up extrodinarily well. Stonehenge alone is worth the trip. Here a house over 40 year old is old. Over there many buildings go back centuries. I wonder which is better. Here we have a consumer housing industry which makes everything replaceable between 5 to 25 years. So a home owner has to maintain his house year around. And it help drives the economy. Take roofing for example, almost every roof in England is built of terra cotta or slate tiles. I have not seen an asphalt shingle tiled roof in England. The Brits naturally don't go over the roof after 20 years like we do ours. The use of close circuit TV on the streets of London surprises me. The car rental company told me when I picked up my car if I ventured into a congestion zone within the city proper of London, I have to pay 5 pounds of congestion charge and it is monitored by CCTV. I don't think it will work here. There is tax for almost everything and parking fee almost everywhere. VAT is 17.5%. On highway rest stops, you pay parking after two hours. Went to a family resturant in our town a week after coming home. When our order came, we all smiled at one another. The portions are big, the way we are used to in America, land of the plentiful. But is it good for our health? Who cares. After diggin in, we all bagged the leftovers for our two dogs. And when the bill came, we paid less in dollars than a comparable resturant in England with sterlings. It is a bad time to go to England and good to be home. |
#2
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England
Yaofeng wrote:
Is there speed limit on the motorways? 70 mph! lg Gernot |
#3
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England
"Yaofeng" wrote in message om... .... Some random thoughts... Is there speed limit on the motorways? Yes - 70 mph for a car without a trailer. I didn't see one. The white circle with a black diagonal line through it means 'National speed limit applies'. http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs04.shtml The national speed limit varies according to the type of vehicle and class of road. http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 On part of the M25, signs over the motorway can show lower limits, which vary according to the traffic density. In practice, a lot of cars will be exceeding the speed limit. The Association of Chief Police Officers have issued guidelines that, if speeding is the only offence, drivers should not normally be prosecuted unless they are driving at the speed limit + 10% + 2mph or more. The speed cameras are usually set in accordance with these guidelines. ..... Drivers are typically more sensible. You rarely see anyone on crawl speed but hogs the passing lane like so many of us do in the US. You were lucky. Outside lane dawdlers do exist. Another thing I thought would never work in the US is the roundabout. Almost all intersections in the countryside are roundabouts. In the US it almost certainly means disaster. I think less traffic is the reason. Britain is one of the most densly populated countries in the world and has a correspondingly high traffic density, particularly in the rural areas. The French use roundabouts quite a lot and, a few years ago, adopted the British system of giving priority to traffic in the roundabout, rather than the previous priority from the right. They particularly like to put roundabouts at the entry into towns, as they can be sure that traffic will then slow down. With gasoline prices 3 to 4 times that in the States, there are less cars and people drive less. Drivers know to either slow down or stop when approaching a roundabout depending on on-coming traffic in the roundabout so no traffic signalling is required. You will find exceptions to that, especially on roundabouts that give access to motorways. Often the signals are part-time, working only during peak times. Roundabouts only work within a certain range of traffic densities. The cars on the road are on average in better shape than those on this side of the pond. They may have a more strigent vehicle inspection program is my guess. We call it the MoT (Ministry of Transport) test. http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/carlgvow...mottesting.htm In the course of one week, we saw a Ferrari in Widsor and a Lamborghini in London. Notably absent are the behemoth SUV's so popular in the US. Our roads aren't big enough for a Hummer to fit on comfortably, but the number of 4x4 vehicles has grown enormously over the past decade or so. I like the view you get from them. There is so much history and they kept it up extrodinarily well. We have a system of listing old buildings and regulations covering their maintenance. We also have conservation areas, where all the buildings inside the area have some control exercised over them. Stonehenge alone is worth the trip. Here a house over 40 year old is old. Over there many buildings go back centuries. I wonder which is better. Here we have a consumer housing industry which makes everything replaceable between 5 to 25 years. So a home owner has to maintain his house year around. And it help drives the economy. Take roofing for example, almost every roof in England is built of terra cotta or slate tiles. In London, that is due to the regulations brought in after the Great Fire. I have not seen an asphalt shingle tiled roof in England. The Brits naturally don't go over the roof after 20 years like we do ours. Mine is coming up for renewal, as the tiles are becoming porous. The house was built in 1931 and, having mostly lived in 19th century houses before, I consider that fairly modern. The use of close circuit TV on the streets of London surprises me. The figures show that CCTV cuts crime where it is installed. It is less clear whether it simply moves the crime elsewhere. There are strict guidelines on its use in public places. http://www.informationcommissioner.g...l.aspx?id=5739 Glad you enjoyed the trip. Colin Bignell |
#4
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England
Is there speed limit on the motorways?
70 mph! Yeah but everyone ignores it.. |
#5
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England
Gernot Egger wrote in message ... Yaofeng wrote: Is there speed limit on the motorways? 70 mph! Oh, is it? :-)) Surreyman |
#6
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England
"Yaofeng" wrote in message om... It was our first time to the UK. Didn't think much of England before we went. It is an island. pedant mode England isn't an Island. It's just one country in Great Britain, which is the name of the island. I thought we must go sometimes. Why not now? So we did. But it was an eye opener. We actually enjoyed the trip very much. It would have been much nicer weren't the depressed greenbacks made everything so expensive. On top of the fact London is one of the most expensive cities in the world we later learned and the British economy is doing extremely well we also learned after the trip. Wouldn't know about the economy! But your right, London is very expensive compared with elsewhere in the UK. However for foreign tourists that is all they are likely to see. Some random thoughts... Is there speed limit on the motorways? I didn't see one. Yes. It's not explicity written on the roads, but the speed limit is 70mph on dual carridgeways (divided highways) and 60mph on single carridgeways, unless indicated otherwise. If there are street lights on a single carridgeway road the limit is 30mph unless stated. For the most part on motorways traffic ignores the 70mph limit and travels around 80-85mph. Common belief is that police won't stop you and speed cameras won't get you unless you are travelling 85 or more. Although it was not my first time driving on the wrong side of the road, I kept my lead foot light on the pedal. The 1.4L little Vauxhall I rented didn't help either. Was it an Astra? The 1.4 model of that is rather sluggish, so I can see your problem. But it has more prep than I anticipated with 5 speed. People are always saying that Vauxhalls are terrible cars but I think they are quite decent cars. The Brits whizzed by me one after another. The English motorways are very well kept. Drivers are typically more sensible. You rarely see anyone on crawl speed but hogs the passing lane like so many of us do in the US. Lane discipline is well kept to here which was I suprise when I went the other way and drove in the United States. The biggest problem here is drivers sitting in the middle lane no matter what speed are they are doing. If you are dawdling in the outside lane you are more likely to get someone flashing their lights at you than undertaking you (which is dangerous as drivers do not expect it to happen) Another thing I thought would never work in the US is the roundabout. Almost all intersections in the countryside are roundabouts. In the US it almost certainly means disaster. I think less traffic is the reason. With gasoline prices 3 to 4 times that in the States, there are less cars and people drive less. I haven't got exact figures to hand, but you'll find the capacity of a roundabout intersection is greater than the same one controlled by lights and it allows quicker passage of traffic. Don't know about less cars, I would guess that is the case. Drivers know to either slow down or stop when approaching a roundabout depending on on-coming traffic in the roundabout so no traffic signalling is required. While in the States the last remaining few roundabouts are traffic nightmares and soon be dismantled. Why do drivers not stick to the rules of roundabouts in the USA? They are used all over Europe without problems. The cars on the road are on average in better shape than those on this side of the pond. They may have a more strigent vehicle inspection program is my guess. In the course of one week, we saw a Ferrari in Widsor and a Lamborghini in London. Notably absent are the behemoth SUV's so popular in the US. In general cars are much smaller in the UK. We don't tend to get the big SUV's. Road space and fuel prices are the factors. We do have a very strict vehicle inspection regime, called the MOT, all cars over 3 years old must undergo a full check every year. Does the USA not have a similar scheme? There is so much history and they kept it up extrodinarily well. Stonehenge alone is worth the trip. Here a house over 40 year old is old. Over there many buildings go back centuries. I wonder which is better. Here we have a consumer housing industry which makes everything replaceable between 5 to 25 years. So a home owner has to maintain his house year around. And it help drives the economy. Take roofing for example, almost every roof in England is built of terra cotta or slate tiles. I have not seen an asphalt shingle tiled roof in England. The Brits naturally don't go over the roof after 20 years like we do ours. I guess not. I live on an estate where the houses were built in 1936. They are regared as relatively new is this area. The use of close circuit TV on the streets of London surprises me. The car rental company told me when I picked up my car if I ventured into a congestion zone within the city proper of London, I have to pay 5 pounds of congestion charge and it is monitored by CCTV. I don't think it will work here. There is tax for almost everything and parking fee almost everywhere. VAT is 17.5%. On highway rest stops, you pay parking after two hours. London is the only city which has widespread congestion charging. You have the same things in the USA, toll roads. Why would you want to stay in a motorway service area for more than 2 hours?! Went to a family resturant in our town a week after coming home. When our order came, we all smiled at one another. The portions are big, the way we are used to in America, land of the plentiful. But is it good for our health? Who cares. After diggin in, we all bagged the leftovers for our two dogs. And when the bill came, we paid less in dollars than a comparable resturant in England with sterlings. It is a bad time to go to England and good to be home. I always found portions of everything in America to be too big. Much of the time I just wanted a snack, but all I could get was a huge load of food and drink I didn't want, oh well. |
#7
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England
"Yaofeng" wrote in message om... It is a bad time to go to England and good to be home. Most of us Scots would agree ;-) |
#8
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England
Following up to Yaofeng
Is there speed limit on the motorways? I didn't see one. Although it was not my first time driving on the wrong side of the road, I kept my lead foot light on the pedal. The 1.4L little Vauxhall I rented didn't help either. But it has more prep than I anticipated with 5 speed. The Brits whizzed by me one after another. The English motorways are very well kept. Drivers are typically more sensible. You rarely see anyone on crawl speed but hogs the passing lane like so many of us do in the US. Its 70mph but not observed unless police about. There are generally no radar traps on motorways except in road works with lower limits and where a variable speed limit is in force (M25). Most people drive at 80, you would be unlikely to be stopped for that, some drive up to 100. Very few faster. Another thing I thought would never work in the US is the roundabout. Almost all intersections in the countryside are roundabouts. In the US it almost certainly means disaster. I think less traffic is the reason. With gasoline prices 3 to 4 times that in the States, there are less cars and people drive less. Drivers know to either slow down or stop when approaching a roundabout depending on on-coming traffic in the roundabout so no traffic signalling is required. While in the States the last remaining few roundabouts are traffic nightmares and soon be dismantled. Yes, but if US drivers were trained in the rules they would work (give way to the right) The cars on the road are on average in better shape than those on this side of the pond. They may have a more strigent vehicle inspection program is my guess. In the course of one week, we saw a Ferrari in Widsor and a Lamborghini in London. Notably absent are the behemoth SUV's so popular in the US. thats because of high fuel duty to discourage waste. There is so much history and they kept it up extrodinarily well. Stonehenge alone is worth the trip. Here a house over 40 year old is old. Over there many buildings go back centuries. I wonder which is better. Here we have a consumer housing industry which makes everything replaceable between 5 to 25 years. So a home owner has to maintain his house year around. And it help drives the economy. Take roofing for example, almost every roof in England is built of terra cotta or slate tiles. I have not seen an asphalt shingle tiled roof in England. The Brits naturally don't go over the roof after 20 years like we do ours. The use of close circuit TV on the streets of London surprises me. The car rental company told me when I picked up my car if I ventured into a congestion zone within the city proper of London, I have to pay 5 pounds of congestion charge and it is monitored by CCTV. I don't think it will work here. thats a small area of Central London, it could be done anywhere where there is good public transport. There is tax for almost everything and parking fee almost everywhere. VAT is 17.5%. On highway rest stops, you pay parking after two hours. that 2 hour thing is just to deter people setting up camp Went to a family resturant in our town a week after coming home. When our order came, we all smiled at one another. The portions are big, the way we are used to in America, land of the plentiful. But is it good for our health? Whats your impression of the ratio overwight people in the two countries? Who cares. After diggin in, we all bagged the leftovers for our two dogs. And when the bill came, we paid less in dollars than a comparable resturant in England with sterlings. London aint cheap! Glad you enjoyed the trip. -- Mike Reid Virtual Thames walk "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/thamesphoto.htm" |
#9
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England
"Yaofeng" wrote in message om... Some random thoughts... Is there speed limit on the motorways? I didn't see one. In theory its 70mph in practice the police allow 10% leeway so the defacto limit is closer to 80 snip The cars on the road are on average in better shape than those on this side of the pond. They may have a more strigent vehicle inspection program is my guess. Thats correct, all cars over 3 years old have a stringent annual inspection that requires them to meet minimal standards of stering, brakes, bodywork, emmissions, tyres etc In the course of one week, we saw a Ferrari in Widsor and a Lamborghini in London. Notably absent are the behemoth SUV's so popular in the US. There is so much history and they kept it up extrodinarily well. Stonehenge alone is worth the trip. Here a house over 40 year old is old. Over there many buildings go back centuries. I wonder which is better. Here we have a consumer housing industry which makes everything replaceable between 5 to 25 years. So a home owner has to maintain his house year around. And it help drives the economy. Take roofing for example, almost every roof in England is built of terra cotta or slate tiles. I have not seen an asphalt shingle tiled roof in England. The Brits naturally don't go over the roof after 20 years like we do ours. Some older houses have thatched roofs (woven straw) that need rplacing every 25-40 years, asphalt shingles are definitely not allowed but some flat roofs have felt coated with asphalt and stone chippings The use of close circuit TV on the streets of London surprises me. It has been extremely effective in cutting crime. The car rental company told me when I picked up my car if I ventured into a congestion zone within the city proper of London, I have to pay 5 pounds of congestion charge and it is monitored by CCTV. I don't think it will work here. There is tax for almost everything and parking fee almost everywhere. VAT is 17.5%. On highway rest stops, you pay parking after two hours. Rarely enforced and intended to stop travellers setting up camp there. Keith |
#10
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England
"Gernot Egger" wrote in message ... Yaofeng wrote: Is there speed limit on the motorways? 70 mph! lg Gernot I always thought it was 90 mph :-) |
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