They were maintaining the Central Line between Stratford and Leytonstone again today, so the Tube wasn't running.
The last time I took the Rail Replacement bus, it took about three quarters of an hour to travel about the one mile between Stratford and Leytonstone. At least ten minutes were wasted at the traffic lights at the junction of Catt Hall Road and Leytonstone High Road*.
Same scenario again today, but the traffic was flowing smoothly down Catt Hall Road, there were no more than two or three vehicles waiting to filter on to the High Road etc.
Wow! But why?
Because the lights had been turned off at that junction.
All the other lights were on of course, as a result of which it took over twenty minutes to travel a quarter of a mile or so. They even have traffic lights at the Green Man Roundabout at the top, FFS.
* Which begs the question, why don't the buses take the direct route up Grove Green Road, which would halve the distance and save about twenty minutes - not even the London Underground staff could answer that one.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Traffic lights (9)
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6 comments:
"three quarters of an hour to travel about the one mile": wouldn't it be quicker to walk?
D, not when you're with two small kids.
PB, that's one of my favourite stories.
Traffic lights are bureaucratic road rationing by robot. Turn them off for 99% of the time and the trraffic would sort itself out. They are a paradigm for socialist interference in free exchange. Pedestrians? Quick or dead!
Good Heavens Mark - that takes me back! Used to drive up from Billericay, through the Green Man, to London when I was an overseas telegraphist on nights- 40 years ago!
Doubt I would recognise it now - would I need a passport to get into L'stone?
Postscript -When they do ban the ciggy in my own car I will no doubt get x points on my license and another x for suggesting to the 'pc correc't pc an alternative course of action for him to follow!
It's solid traffic lights from the Green Man all the way to Stratford. Unfortunately you don't need a British passport to get into Leytonsone, rather the opposite.
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