M25 is a joke

siztenboots · 29 Sep 2006 at 16:19

NickXX said:
Agreed. Friday afternoon past Heathrow is the worst..

Problem is that the M25 is one of the few Thames crossings, so the whole area gridlocks very quickly. I live very close to J12 / M3 interchange, so J11 or J13 are my only options, both are hopeless 95% of the day.

You can try sneaking through Wraysbury, either at J14, or via M4 at Langley. But these rat runs soon get full as well.

Just glad to head in the opposite direction from the M25 to try and find some nice roads.

Matt82 · 29 Sep 2006 at 18:24

i used to do southend to bham a lot. m1-m6 or m40 are peachy, until you get to the M25. i think the enfield junction is permanently jammed.

you can tell when youre nearly home too. every motorway outside the M25 seems to have lane discipline which is more advanced by leaps and bounds than that found on the M25. the driving in general is dismal on the m25

Minxy · 29 Sep 2006 at 18:39

I'm forced to use it see my other half, I'm just off Junction 4 of the M40 and he's down at Burgess Hill near Brighton so I'm forced to use it from J16 through until J7.

It really is the worlds biggest carpark and it cheeses me off something rotten.

Morba · 29 Sep 2006 at 19:52

i agree on it being a joke, the whole journey from either the m3 or m4 junctions to leatherhead or to the m23 junction is just a joke. absolute joke.

i feel sorry for people who arent so confident at driving. it takes a different breed of driver to do the m25 often

Charlie Bravo · 30 Sep 2006 at 18:31

When I'm on a late shift at work, I avoid the M1 and M25 as they're a joke.

To go from Luton to London City Airport, I go from Luton -> Hitchin -> Stevenage -> Harlow -> M11 -> A406.

Much easier and quicker all be it 6 miles further.

Cyanide · 30 Sep 2006 at 19:27

I've used the M25 twice a week for the last 4 months. Usually friday afternoon and late sunday night. I've never known it to be clear. Usually takes me around 90 mins to get there from Nottingham then another 2-3 hours to get to the M3

Nozzer · 30 Sep 2006 at 19:34

The M1 is equally crap at the moment. I find myself using the M40 more, it's a great motorway. Much better lane discipline, a good average speed and lots of supercars

Sirrel Squirrel · 30 Sep 2006 at 23:43

Nozzer said:
The M1 is equally crap at the moment. I find myself using the M40 more, it's a great motorway. Much better lane discipline, a good average speed and lots of supercars

I used the M1 coming back from Newcastle and found it to be fine, I was going to use the A1 as that's what I used going and it was a very good drive but coming back it was full of lorries overtaking each other on the dual carriageway bits so I decided against using it and went for the M1

Mackass · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:22

I hate the variable speed limit sections on the M25.

Today, I got onto the M25 from the A30 heading towards Heathrow, and one of the gantry displays instantly became active from NSL to 50MPH, and the gantry had a speed camera badge on it. I hit the brakes instantly and I think I went past it doing 60, just hope I don't get done for that.

OllyM · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:23

There's a time delay of I think 15 minutes before the cameras start enforcing the new speed limit displayed on the boards.

Mackass · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:35

Really?

Well thats fine then.

BenST · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:42

Yep, 15 minutes. It would be silly not to have some sort of delay

Fr0dders · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:44

M25

even me as a yorkshire lad knows its the world's biggest car park.

unless your catching a 6am ferry at dover in which case its one of the biggest play grounds

Hilly · 1 Oct 2006 at 00:45

join the club, very similar situation I had. Variable speed cameras suck !

Not had a NIP or any thing through the post, and it's been a 5 working days, 9 in all.

We'll see, not holding my breathe as I really do think I was caught at least once

Mackass · 1 Oct 2006 at 01:24

hilly said:
join the club, very similar situation I had. Variable speed cameras suck !

Not had a NIP or any thing through the post, and it's been a 5 working days, 9 in all.

We'll see, not holding my breathe as I really do think I was caught at least once

Rofl.

What did you do? Speed past an active variable speed limit gantry?

BenST · 1 Oct 2006 at 02:06

I don't understand how anyone can get caught by an M25 gantry, it's not as if the LED-lit speed limit signs are hard to see...

Cyanide · 1 Oct 2006 at 02:08

splitz said:
I don't understand how anyone can get caught by an M25 gantry, it's not as if the LED-lit speed limit signs are hard to see...

They are if you're doing a hundred billion miles an hour like most of the people I see driving through them

Morba · 1 Oct 2006 at 02:09

splitz said:
I don't understand how anyone can get caught by an M25 gantry, it's not as if the LED-lit speed limit signs are hard to see...

i see many people speed through them, even the ones with cameras, yet never see anything flash :/

BenST · 1 Oct 2006 at 02:15

I've seen a fair few people get flashed by them. I reckon they either think a.) There's no roadside gatso so I'm safe , b.) I've been through loads before and never got flashed , c.) Everyone else is speeding through so I'm safe ...

TomTom lists the active gantries however I do the limit through all of them as you never know if the cameras have been swapped between gantries.

Cyanide · 1 Oct 2006 at 02:17

splitz said:
I've seen a fair few people get flashed by them. I reckon they either think a.) There's no roadside gatso so I'm safe , b.) I've been through loads before and never got flashed , c.) Everyone else is speeding through so I'm safe ...

TomTom lists the active gantries however I do the limit through all of them as you never know if the cameras have been swapped between gantries.

I even stick to the limit driving through the ones that aren't active... I just don't trust them!