How does this country survive?
Nov 28th 2006, 6:46 pm
#76
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,128
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by kt0157
ITraffic. Ah yes. Traffic in the UK is just awful. Way too many cars for the roads, with no significant road investment since the early 1990s. Some of the cross-country journeys I used to do in the early 1990s are now signficantly slower 10-15 years later.
K.
K.
Nov 28th 2006, 6:47 pm
#77
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by kt0157
Traffic. Ah yes. Traffic in the UK is just awful. Way too many cars for the roads, with no significant road investment since the early 1990s. Some of the cross-country journeys I used to do in the early 1990s are now signficantly slower 10-15 years later.
Nov 28th 2006, 6:54 pm
#78
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,128
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by dbd33
You say that and yet last week I was able to drive to across the country averaging 40 mph (and nearly 40 mpg) whereas here I average 11 mph and less than 20 mpg. When the traffic does clear in the UK one can whiz along interesting roads with bends, hills and quality surfaces relatively unimpeded by traffic lights. For anything automotive I think the UK is much nicer though, of course, one can afford a bigger vehicle here with more knobs and much much more suspension travel and quite possibly a vinyl faux convertible top and imitation wire wheels or even spinners.
Arguably used cars are also cheaper in UK too.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:07 pm
#79
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,999
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by dbd33
You say that and yet last week I was able to drive to across the country averaging 40 mph (and nearly 40 mpg) whereas here I average 11 mph and less than 20 mpg. When the traffic does clear in the UK one can whiz along interesting roads with bends, hills and quality surfaces relatively unimpeded by traffic lights. For anything automotive I think the UK is much nicer though, of course, one can afford a bigger vehicle here with more knobs and much much more suspension travel and quite possibly a vinyl faux convertible top and imitation wire wheels or even spinners.
Ah well, ya can't have it all, I suppose.
PS Faux vinyl? Holy Moly Never.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:08 pm
#80
Lone Brit
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Hamilton, Ont
Posts: 29
Re: How does this country survive?
Yeah, good point on the golf club thing. But I was just making a general point that if you don't like third world countries masquerading as first world ones, England is definitely not the place to be. $20 for an undersized plate of overcooked pasta in a poncy gastro-pub? $10 for a tube ticket because there's absolutely no parking anywhere in London unless you want to feed the meter with pound coins every 20 minutes? Shop assistants who treat you like they're doing you a favour just by serving you? 2000 pounds in annual service charges for our Ladbroke Grove flat where people crapped in the stairwell? I could go on.
My culture shock kicks in when I think of how much I want to be with my family, but how little I want to go back to the country they live in.
Hooray for Canada!!!! There endeth my two cents.
My culture shock kicks in when I think of how much I want to be with my family, but how little I want to go back to the country they live in.
Hooray for Canada!!!! There endeth my two cents.
Originally Posted by kt0157
I have to say, I've never experienced an old boys' network in the UK. Perhaps if I'd tried to join a golf club that might have been an issue.
Customer service? Well, we can all find terrible examples in both countries. I've not been impressed by Canada's overall consumer protection laws. But the flouting of the laws by the likes of British Gas isn't much help either.
Traffic. Ah yes. Traffic in the UK is just awful. Way too many cars for the roads, with no significant road investment since the early 1990s. Some of the cross-country journeys I used to do in the early 1990s are now signficantly slower 10-15 years later.
K.
Customer service? Well, we can all find terrible examples in both countries. I've not been impressed by Canada's overall consumer protection laws. But the flouting of the laws by the likes of British Gas isn't much help either.
Traffic. Ah yes. Traffic in the UK is just awful. Way too many cars for the roads, with no significant road investment since the early 1990s. Some of the cross-country journeys I used to do in the early 1990s are now signficantly slower 10-15 years later.
K.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:10 pm
#81
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,999
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by Suzie
2000 pounds in annual service charges for our Ladbroke Grove flat where people crapped in the stairwell? .
Nov 28th 2006, 7:10 pm
#82
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
Arguably used cars are also cheaper in UK too.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:12 pm
#83
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by tableland
These days I spend hours every day cursing these same bendy country roads and sodding manuals!
Nov 28th 2006, 7:12 pm
#84
Lone Brit
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Hamilton, Ont
Posts: 29
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by tableland
Crapping in stairwells is not covered by my council tax, here we have to pay extra for that.
LOL!
Nov 28th 2006, 7:13 pm
#85
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 2,514
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
Last Monday I had cause to drive from Reading to Portsmouth during rush hour in the rain. It reminded me of how lucky I am with my current 15 minute commute to work. Mind you I suspect that if I lived in the GTA I would have felt right at home.
Reading is an awful place to get in and out of during rush hour or any Saturday near Christmas.
Having said that most of the routes around the surrounding towns are gridlocked on a daily basis. Yet they keep squeezing in more houses to keep up with the governments figures and Thames Water like to keep us all on our toes by randomly digging up sections of road.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:13 pm
#86
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,999
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by dbd33
Are you very old?
Nov 28th 2006, 7:14 pm
#87
Lone Brit
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Hamilton, Ont
Posts: 29
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by dbd33
Oh certainly. I was severely tempted but it was suggested to me that since we already have two not-really-legal-here vehicles a third might not be a prudent investment. In any case, it was the roads I really wanted to bring. You must be better served down there, Ontario doesn't really have geography but Newfoundland does, there must be a bend on the rock somewhere.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:14 pm
#88
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Guelph, Canada
Posts: 170
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by Atlantic Xpat
Oh definately. In UK one can buy vehicles with things that are generally an anathema to North Americans. You know, stuff like handling and styling!
Arguably used cars are also cheaper in UK too.
Arguably used cars are also cheaper in UK too.
I pondered the options…………… start kicking the living daylights out of the van (after all it won't change its appearance it will still look like a big lump) ……………. Collapse in a heap and cry my eyes out (very girlie but sometimes needs must) or …… well I hadn’t thought of a third option…… a very nice lady stopped and helped me. She phoned a tow truck guy who came out within 20 minutes and he got into the car in 2 seconds! (Faster than back home….. they would have taken at least 5!) They only charged me $37.10…… which I thought was great considering the alternatives!
Springy suspension, a lovely plastic looking interior and the ability to lock itself - what more could a gal ask for!
Note to self - always, always take keys with you - the cars here are not like the cars at home and they do play tricks on you and laugh!!! Or is that the voices in my head?
Nov 28th 2006, 7:15 pm
#89
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by tableland
Crapping in stairwells is not covered by my council tax, here we have to pay extra for that.
Nov 28th 2006, 7:17 pm
#90
Lone Brit
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Hamilton, Ont
Posts: 29
Re: How does this country survive?
Originally Posted by Souvenir
That is one hell of a job-creation scheme. I wonder what the job title would be?
