Driving speeds morning and evening

ChrisLS

...has anyone else noticed that drivers are slower in the mornings, than when they are let out for the homeward drive...me I'm faster in the morning and knackered in the evening...

Gambatte

don't want to go to work, cant wait to get home

Adamskii

Not only faster but more selfish. I've noticed that Friday evening seems to be the most dangerous time for riding.

misterben

Ever noticed how there's always more cars on the road when it's wet and/or cold? Are there lots of fair weather public transport commuters?

cntl

>>Ever noticed how there's always more cars on the road when it's wet and/or cold? >>Are there lots of fair weather public transport commuters?

Interesting you mention that. Over here, there's definitely more cars on the road when the weather is bad. Another explanation is that maybe in bad weather the folk drive more slowly and thus heavier traffic builds up or something :?:

Shadowduck

Haven't noticed much difference in speed (I commute mostly outside normal rush hours) but I've certainly wondered about the "bad weather = more cars" relationship. I don't know anyone who commutes by car only in bad weather so I suspect cntl may be closer to the truth of it.

dirk_van_gently

I have noticed a difference, so much so I was beaten to the thread topic by Chrisls.

There may be lots of reasons, but drivers are definitley more cautious in the morning than later in the day. Could be "don't want to go to work, can't wait to get home".

You can just imagine the conversation:

Boss: Your late
Employee: Got stuck behind some cyclists.

Or perhaps it's more "White van" drivers about later in the day, they are usually selfish arrogant twats (no offence)

redddraggon

I don't know hoe people can be late for work.

I'm supposed to be in work for 9, but I get in before 8 normally, I'm lucky in that I work flexitime and I can start work early or late as needs.

I had some guy cut me up at a pinch point, had nowhere to go so went into the back of him. No damage to me or my bike luckily, but a bloody great big dent in his boot.

He got out of the car and said "I can't be doing with this on a Monday morning, I'm in a rush to work".

To which I promptly replied "You should have left earlier", this got him all wound up - but it's my philosophy. There are few reasons why you should ever be in rush (emergency services vehicles on call), if you leave home late well take it on the chin and accept that it's your fault for poor time management.

(My Philosophy of leaving early often annoys my friends as we end getting somewhere ridiculously early with nothing to do. I hate being late for things, I plan everything to the minute detail, and with plenty of breathing room )

doyler78

I've definitely noticed it. I put it down to the school run. Lots more traffic in the morning at the same than in the evening when you don't have the school run going on at the same time as people going home.

You only have to look at the queues at traffic lights to see that in the morning they are far longer and this is worse in wet weather.

As someone who uses public transport or the bike it certainly isn't that public transport users aren't using the bus (in my case) when its wet, if anything the buses are fuller, so I suspect it is that everyone is moving that bit slower.

Shadowduck

redddraggon wrote:

My Philosophy of leaving early often annoys my friends as we end getting somewhere ridiculously early with nothing to do.

I have a similar, but less extreme approach. "On time means fifteen minutes early" - if you aim to be a quarter hour early for everything, the time's easy to kill and you can deal with pretty much anything that comes up.

redddraggon

Shadowduck wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

My Philosophy of leaving early often annoys my friends as we end getting somewhere ridiculously early with nothing to do.

I have a similar, but less extreme approach. "On time means fifteen minutes early" - if you aim to be a quarter hour early for everything, the time's easy to kill and you can deal with pretty much anything that comes up.

I aim to be a good 3 hours early.

My record is getting the 5.30am or so train from Manchester, to arrive in Cardiff at about 9.30 for the 3PM kick off of Wales V Australia.

There wasn't many pubs open at that time, so there wasn't much to do for the 5 or so hours. I think I was vindicated a few months later when all the Chelsea and Arsenal fans got stuck on trains to Cardiff and missed some/all of the Carling Cup Final.

misterben

redddraggon wrote:

(My Philosophy of leaving early often annoys my friends as we end getting somewhere ridiculously early with nothing to do. I hate being late for things, I plan everything to the minute detail, and with plenty of breathing room )

Do you have kids?