Anyone in the Reading/London area?

Jase · 13 Jan 2017 at 10:39

I'm thinking of travelling from South Wales to London today and just wondering what the road conditions are like ?

Thanks!

Jonny69 · 13 Jan 2017 at 10:41

It was fine first thing this morning on the M25 over that side.

Jase · 13 Jan 2017 at 11:17

Jonny69 said:
It was fine first thing this morning on the M25 over that side.

OK thanks

hood1971 · 13 Jan 2017 at 11:32

Not issues in coming to work at Reading along M4 today. It was unusually quiet if anything.

ttaskmaster · 13 Jan 2017 at 12:09

Once you get toward Slough, you'll find the usual collection of salesman/middle-management BMW drivers.
After 1pm, it'll be the white vans.
After 3pm, it'll be the soccer moms in SUVs.
After 4pm, it'll be everyone, because POETS.
After 7pm, the roads will be clear again.

But you're driving into London, so you might as well drive into Reading and burn your car while sat in it - Exact same experience, but you'll actually save a few quid on fuel!

Spuj · 13 Jan 2017 at 12:29

ttaskmaster said:
Once you get toward Slough, you'll find the usual collection of salesman/middle-management BMW drivers.
After 1pm, it'll be the white vans.
After 3pm, it'll be the soccer moms in SUVs.
After 4pm, it'll be everyone, because POETS.
After 7pm, the roads will be clear again.

Sorry but if you call 4pm POETS then you are doing it wrong

SMN · 13 Jan 2017 at 12:35

M4 at Reading is fine tbh, i wouldnt worry.

ttaskmaster · 13 Jan 2017 at 12:57

Spuj said:
Sorry but if you call 4pm POETS then you are doing it wrong

Thanks to the aforementioned school run, 3.30pm is no longer viable for Reading POETS... You have a 10-minute window from 4pm in which to escape the A4, A33, IDR and M4 routes, else you're pretty much up the same creek as Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.

sigma · 13 Jan 2017 at 13:17

ttaskmaster said:
Once you get toward Slough, you'll find the usual collection of salesman/middle-management BMW drivers.
After 1pm, it'll be the white vans.
After 3pm, it'll be the soccer moms in SUVs.
After 4pm, it'll be everyone, because POETS.
After 7pm, the roads will be clear again.

But you're driving into London, so you might as well drive into Reading and burn your car while sat in it - Exact same experience, but you'll actually save a few quid on fuel!

Soccer???

Diddums · 13 Jan 2017 at 13:19

Yes. Soccer. The correct term for football.

Rilot · 13 Jan 2017 at 13:21

ttaskmaster said:
Once you get toward Slough, you'll find the usual collection of salesman/middle-management BMW drivers.
After 1pm, it'll be the white vans.
After 3pm, it'll be the soccer moms in SUVs.
After 4pm, it'll be everyone, because POETS.
After 7pm, the roads will be clear again.

But you're driving into London, so you might as well drive into Reading and burn your car while sat in it - Exact same experience, but you'll actually save a few quid on fuel!

sigma said:
Soccer???

Moms???

ttaskmaster · 13 Jan 2017 at 13:28

sigma said:
Soccer???

Or whatever they're called in the UK.
I dunno - We didn't actually have either 'Soccer Moms' or even SUVs when I was growing up...

Diddums said:
Yes. Soccer. The correct term for football.

Is that not just a derivation of Asocciation Football?

ttaskmaster · 13 Jan 2017 at 13:33

Rilot said:
Moms???

'Football Mums' doesn't seem to carry enough contempt... it sounds more like an article of jolly mothers in Christmas sweaters, pictured at home with their sons like Lineker and Rooney.

Spuj · 13 Jan 2017 at 16:47

ttaskmaster said:
Thanks to the aforementioned school run, 3.30pm is no longer viable for Reading POETS... You have a 10-minute window from 4pm in which to escape the A4, A33, IDR and M4 routes, else you're pretty much up the same creek as Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.

ah right ok, sounds like a bit of a ball ache trying to escape Reading by all accounts. Living in the countryside does have its advantages I guess. Also leaving at 1pm also helps

kiteloopy · 13 Jan 2017 at 16:50

SMN said:
M4 at Reading is fine tbh, i wouldnt worry.

For only 5ms per day. a lot of accidents recently.

kiteloopy · 13 Jan 2017 at 17:00

ttaskmaster said:
But you're driving into London, so you might as well drive into Reading and burn your car while sat in it - Exact same experience, but you'll actually save a few quid on fuel!

This made me lol. Im so glad I commute out (via bath road) of the centre of town and avoid the north part of the A33/IDR. My life could be so much worse if it was the other way around.

redrabbit29 · 13 Jan 2017 at 17:14

Thankfully I don't often have to drive into Reading during peak hours. The times I need to go into the centre at that time I get a train. Better than crawling traffic for hours!

ttaskmaster · 13 Jan 2017 at 23:31

Spuj said:
Living in the countryside does have its advantages I guess.

I do live in the countryside... The downside there is that any destination is only accessible via the main roads and/or the string of country rat runs that people use trying to avoid the main roads!!

PapaLazaru · 14 Jan 2017 at 08:02

I used to have to drive from Tilehurst down Oxford Road, round the IDR and up Kings Road to work at Thames Valley Park every morning.

Now that is a journey from hell. All the chumps that drive in the right lane to avoid the queues and then try and get back in the left lane by Cemetery Junction.

Malt_Vinegar · 14 Jan 2017 at 08:46

PapaLazaru said:
Now that is a journey from hell. All the chumps that drive in the right lane to avoid the queues and then try and get back in the left lane by Cemetery Junction.

Haha, I know your pain. Used to navigate Cemetery Junction a lot

Working in Theale now and living out in the sticks near Amazingstoke. My 9 mile commute is all country lanes and never any real traffic although I do find the odd rogue sheep or old dear in the hedge after sliding on the untreated roads.

Anyone in the Reading/London area?

Man of Honour