Motoring Discussion > Emergency Vehicles and traffic Miscellaneous
Thread Author: PeterS Replies: 53

 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS
For reasons that were entirely logical at the time, our recent trip to Ibiza involved flying from London City. It takes twice as long to drive there as it does Gatwick, but the flights were at very civilised times, and BA Club Europe ex LCY was pretty much the same prices as economy from LGW. So why not...?

Anyway, it turned out to be BA cityflyer, presumably a franchise operation, and it was delayed on the return... so a flight that should have landed at 3 and got us safely away from the airport before the traffic was too bad actually landed at 5, with predictably effects. Well, predictable except that the MINI nav didn’t know that route it had chosen was blocked at a critical point near the A13 for emergency gas works... interminable queuing as a result. I was however gobsmacked when an ambulance on blue lights made its way between the two lanes of traffic and was joined by not one, or two but three cars that had been queuing with me! To absolutely no effect mind you, as I passed them all later.

And we made it back in reasonable time; only just over two hours from LCY to coastal West Sussex from a flight that touched down at a little after 5. Blackwell tunnel A2/M25/M23/A23/A272/A24/A283/B2149/A29/A27 was the route I went with. The car figured it out by the time I’d got to the tunnel! Even then it wanted me to pick up the A20 by turning off at Kidbrooke somewhere, but that’s never quicker in my experience!
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Runfer D'Hills
I had to go to a meeting near Old St in London today and made the mistake of deciding to use the train to Euston, the Northern line to Old St and then walk the rest instead of driving.

I had managed to forget that there would be "people" on public transport...some of them were acceptable, but most of them, indeed there were far too many of them in any event, were unnecessary and unwelcome.

I'm home again now and feeling really very interfered with.

;-)
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Mapmaker
MINI Nav?

I have google on my iPhone.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - rtj70
I turn on the Internet hotspot on my phone and then the sat nav in the car has access to TomTom traffic data. Also can switch to Android Auto for Google maps too.

Without the online TomTom traffic data, the car's sat nav knows very few traffic problems via the DAB radio.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS
>> I turn on the Internet hotspot on my phone and then the sat nav in
>> the car has access to TomTom traffic data. Also can switch to Android Auto for
>> Google maps too.
>>
>> Without the online TomTom traffic data, the car's sat nav knows very few traffic problems
>> via the DAB radio.
>>

AFAIK the MINI and BMW use th built in sim for data to get its traffic info, not (or maybe as well as?) the DAB signal. But I could be wrong. It’s usually reliable in busy areas, and one of its sources of data is other BMWs with the same set-up. At least, that’s my understanding of it!
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - R.P.
Mine takes live data and makes route changes accordingly.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Bill Payer
The system in my old Merc does that - using data from ITIS transmitted over the radio.

It works pretty well - until I get towards London and then it goes bonkers constantly re-routing. In the end I have no idea what it's tryng to do.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
Waze.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - No FM2R
>> Waze.


I like Waze, but it's brutal on the phone battery.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - smokie
Waze does have a setting to dim the screen between commands but it's not (and can't be, as far as I see) the default setting. That does save some battery though.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Manatee
I'd more or less assumed that Waze must have been 'fixed' by now - I last tried it a couple of years ago and it was horrendous. The charger didn't keep up with the draw, and the phone was very hot - can't be good for the battery.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS
>> MINI Nav?
>>
>> I have google on my iPhone.
>>

It does have Apple CarPlay, and therfore google maps is available; the BMW, sorry, MINI one usually does the job and is easier to use and nicer to look at though :) In fact, I’ve never used CarPlay in it - only ever in hire cars, where it’s better than nothing!
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - John Boy
>> I'm home again now and feeling really very interfered with.
>>
You Too ?
;-)
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Runfer D'Hills
Some of us have our crosses to bear I'm afraid...I can't help it if I look like George Clooney can I?

;-)
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Bromptonaut
>> I had managed to forget that there would be "people" on public transport...some of them
>> were acceptable, but most of them, indeed there were far too many of them in
>> any event, were unnecessary and unwelcome.

Mrs B had that experience on Tuesday. As we had been in caravan in Buckinghamshire on Monday night she was arriving at Marylebone instead of Euston and decided not to use the Brompton due navigational issues.

The presence of "people" on tube persuaded her that actually the towpath of the Regent's canal wasn't too bad after all.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Runfer D'Hills
It was just painful from beginning to end. Nearly six quid for a very average and very dry pasty at Euston, the heavens opened and soaked me to the skin on my half mile walk from Old St, ( ever tried finding a London taxi in the rain? ) the luggage rack was full on the way back and I had sit with a massive hold-all on my knees with my face pressed into the back of it, and my phone ran out of battery by lunchtime. The only saving grace was that the bogs that normally cost 30p ( thirty blinking pence ! ) at Euston had some problem with their turnstiles so they were free today. Not a huge compensation for all the rest of it, but I counted it as a minor victory I suppose.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - R.P.
That's taking the pee Humph....30 pee in fact
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
>> the heavens opened and soaked me to the skin
>> on my half mile walk from Old St, ( ever tried finding a London taxi
>> in the rain? )
>>

Ever tried using Uber?
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Runfer D'Hills
Bit too new fangled for the likes of me I'm afraid. Especially when my phone had died.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - legacylad
Sounds horrendous. For future reference might I suggest a back up phone battery pack? On my backpacking trips I use my phone for video, and use an Anker battery pack. Sufficient juice to fully charge my 5S four times.
£1.20 pork pie from my local butcher in Settle early today then a cracking walk around the Dales with chums. Eastern LD fells tomorrow, Borrowdale & Bretherdale off the A6 a few miles N of Kendal. I expect to see less than a dozen walkers on my 16 mile route.
That Tube thing makes me shudder
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - rtj70
>> That Tube thing makes me shudder

I don't like the tube thing either. At the weekend it's tolerable. In the week with work laptop and possible some overnight luggage... not nice.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Pat
Well done Peter for telling the mini nav to get lost and get with the drivers route!

That certainly would have been my chosen route too at that time of day!

Pat
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Pat
Well well well, a scowly face for that, should I wear it like a badge of pride?:)

Pat
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS
A bit odd, for sure. But I’m happy to accept your compliment Pat :)

Should have also added, Merc, BMW, Audi, MINI and Seat Sat Navs, along with Google, all want you to come off the A23 at Pease Pottage. Don’t. Far too many roundabouts that way. Stay on it until the A272!! It’s the same amount of time, slightly longer and a far more enjoyable drive.
Last edited by: PeterS on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 19:24
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - sooty123
Blackwell tunnel A2/M25/M23/A23/A272/A24/A283/B2149/A29/A27 was the route I went with. The car figured it out by
>> the time I’d got to the tunnel! Even then it wanted me to pick up
>> the A20 by turning off at Kidbrooke somewhere, but that’s never quicker in my experience!
>>

Blimey, did you remember all those road names/your route off the top of your head?
Last edited by: sooty123 on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 20:47
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS

>>
>> Blimey, did you remember all those road names/your route off the top of your head?
>>

Of course :)
Though, to be fair, I’ve driven it enough times to know, especially the bit from the M23. What I am hopeless at remembering is motorway junction numbers, so those signs telling me how long it’ll take to junction whatever are not very helpful...
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - sooty123
I'm impressed, I don't even know the road number of the main road to my house!

Although I'm pretty much rubbish with directions, so no surprise.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - helicopter
When I head up to town to visit my son in SE17 I usually head A264 /M23/M25/ A2 and it usually takes around an hour at weekends in daytime. The last bit of the A2 is the Old Kent Road and can be a bit of a drag

Returning late night I go to the Elephant and straight down the A23 to Purley and on to M23/ A264 to Horsham and ....it still takes about an hour...
Last edited by: helicopter on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 22:04
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Shiny
I used to have the problem with Waze making the phone into a hand warmer with a flat battery, but not anymore with the last few versions of Waze and iOS, in fact it will last about 5 hours in Waze with full screen brightness and power save mode coming on at 20%. I dont care for the interface or map presentation, but the routing and traffic is excellent.
Last edited by: Shiny on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 22:20
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
If you are using Waze (other GPS systems are available) on a long journey, buy a lead tinyurl.com/y7f2pssz
from Amazon, (other on-line retailers are available) plug one end into the phone, the other end into a UPS port in your car, that will/should keep your phone charged up.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - R.P.
None of the works vans have sat-nav, we use the issued Galaxy phones as and when required - Google maps work well enough even on te dark side (i.e. all of it) of Wrexham.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - smokie
"If you are using Waze (other GPS systems are available) on a long journey, buy a lead ..."

Not necessarily true. If you have a more modern smartphone they will require a fairly sizable amount of power to keep an HD screen on, and many USB (not UPS!) ports don't deliver that much in a car, or don't deliver it consistently.

I tested this quite thoroughly over three cars, admittedly the latest car was 2016.

I found the cigar lighter socket usually gave more reliable oomph, but many cigar lighter accessories (to plug your USB port into) only ran at 1A, again insufficient for the more power-hungry phones.

Also with such phones, of course, your lead has to be up to the mark too.

So it's not always quite so simple as Duncan suggests...
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
>> "If you are using Waze (other GPS systems are available) on a long journey, buy
>> a lead ..."
>>
>> Not necessarily true. If you have a more modern smartphone they will require a fairly
>> sizable amount of power to keep an HD screen on, and many USB (not UPS!)
>> ports don't deliver that much in a car, or don't deliver it consistently.


I did type will/should.


>> So it's not always quite so simple as Duncan suggests...

Well, true, but then life can be like that, don't you find?
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - smokie
Of course, and no problem, but seeing as it's something I've made a bit of effort on, I thought it appropriate to put up a factual follow-up to your post, which sounded to me like you were being a bit sarky!!

However no offence was intended... :-)
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
>> Of course, and no problem, but seeing as it's something I've made a bit of
>> effort on, I thought it appropriate to put up a factual follow-up to your post,
>> which sounded to me like you were being a bit sarky!!
>>
>> However no offence was intended... :-)
>>

No sarcasm intended and no offence taken.

As Derek Trotter might have said "it's bonnet de douche, innit?"
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Manatee
Last time I used Waze the charger couldn't keep up.

Many USB data sockets are weedy. The standard USB 1/2 power output is only 0.5A anyway. The MX-5's two sockets can't charge a phone running navigation, even Google. There's even a gadget available to amalgamate the output, probably no use for any other car unless the socket spacing happens to be the same.

www.mx5parts.co.uk/faster-charge-adaptor-mk4-p-4344.html

I have one of these for each car - 2 x 2.4A max

amzn.eu/d/boPSTin



Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 2 Nov 18 at 09:07
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
Here you go chaps.

tinyurl.com/yc3pgze3

I think I may have posted the same thing as Manatee?
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Manatee
Similar. The Anker ones have been reliable, but I also have some Ravpower powerbanks and they are good so I expect the chargers are OK.

I have a very useful little device for checking what is actually going on. Easy to see if a source will charge up your iPad for example.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223165493484

"UK USB Charger Tester Doctor Voltage Current Meter Mobile Battery Power Detector"
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - smokie
I used the Android apps Accubattery and Ampere (- maybe similar for IoS) when testing sockets and leads. More info than you can shake a stick at!!

Some cheap cigar lighter plug-ins claimed to be 2.4A but weren't.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Manatee
>> I used the Android apps Accubattery and Ampere (- maybe similar for IoS) when testing
>> sockets and leads. More info than you can shake a stick at!!

Useful, thanks, although the widget works with any gadget.

>> Some cheap cigar lighter plug-ins claimed to be 2.4A but weren't.

I'm sure you are right although most, possibly all, now have charge controllers so the receiving gadget determines the charge rate within the limit of the charger as you will know. I haven't actually checked the Anker car chargers, but they have never been a problem.

I have a belief that low power chargers might be better for the battery over time. I have a Kindle charger that can't manage more than about 0.4A charging my phone, which I use overnight usually. After nearly 2 years there's no sign of any deterioration of the battery on my Huawei.

I'm pretty sure heat's bad too. The Huawei runs fairly cool even when charging in the car using navigation, unlike its Sony predecessor, which could have done duty as a handwarmer, whose battery was losing its virtue after less than a year.

21st century problems eh. The only battery life I used to worry about was my cycle lamps'.
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 2 Nov 18 at 12:07
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Zero

>> I'm pretty sure heat's bad too.

Battery heat is a killer. Shortens battery life like no other cause. A hot phone is a hot battery
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - CGNorwich
One of the reasons I still prefer a dedicated SatNav.. Generally clearer and better mapping too They are cheap enough these sdays
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Zero
>> and better mapping

Alas not


>> too They are cheap enough these sdays

But an extra expense, none the less, when you have the best most accurate mapping and traffic information on your phone already,

I have racked up 16k miles on the Beemer this year, most of it on google maps, despite the very very good standard sat nav in the car.

Google traffic and its rerouting can currently not be bettered.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - PeterS

>>
>> Google traffic and its rerouting can currently not be bettered.
>>

But how do you know what the traffic would have been like if you hadn’t been re-routed ;)

While that is tonge in cheek, I find that when I do use google maps in Europe (hire cars) it’ll turn the route yellow and even amber, and occasionally red when there’s no discernible congestion at all. Usually not on autoroutes, but always on more minor roads. It’s almost always at roundabouts. I guess it’s because the traffic is heavier than usual. In semi rural Spain that can mean 10 cars an hour instead of 2 though ;)

 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Zero
>>
>> >>
>> >> Google traffic and its rerouting can currently not be bettered.
>> >>
>>
>> But how do you know what the traffic would have been like if you hadn’t
>> been re-routed ;)

AH! Because the rather good inbuilt starts nav has traffic information overlay on the map, so I drive and gloat at the same time. A rather pleasurable experience


Anyway, a few times (some in the recent past) Goolge maps has told me to reroute, and my response has been WTF do they know about a route I know well, and I have been well and truly stuffed.

There are exceptions of course. M25 A/C J13>J12. Google maps will have it jammed, almost 24x7, and indeed it will be right, but only for the outer 3 lanes, whereby the evil upstart BMW driving pig will drive down the two M3 bound lanes, ignoring the jam to his right, and leap in at the last moment to much annoyance of those in the queue, saving on average about 7 minutes.

Not that I would of course.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Duncan
>> AH! Because the rather good inbuilt starts nav has traffic information overlay on the map,
>> so I drive and gloat at the same time. A rather pleasurable experience

The built in sat nav in my Mercedes-Benz will redirect if the alternative route is quicker. Trouble is, it may only be one minute quicker.

Or so my people tell me.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - henry k
>>Anyway, a few times (some in the recent past) Goolge maps has told me to reroute, and my response has been WTF do they know about a route I know well, and I have been well and truly stuffed.
>>
I was treated to the recent England match at Twickenham.
Son organised Uber to take the three of us. Driver used Waze and when we eventually inevitably hit traffic in the middle of Twickenham town we did a double back and via back streets ( excellent) that I know well and very quickly got us close to the railway station ( the nearest drop off point I had specified).
The road ahead was closed and a day glow jacket was in charge.
To the surprise of the good driver my local knowledge overrode his Waze and the road closed thus enabled us to carry on. He was well impressed.
A rare 1-0 to the old fella.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Dutchie
You can't beat local knowledge it also helps when you grow up in an area you have lived most of your life.

When I had my first little speedy moped Puch.I just finished a long shift on Tugs in the morning.Always eager to get home which took about 40 minutes and breaking the 50 km speed limit which wasn't hard.I was seventeen and the local cops were chasing me to have a quiet word.

I knew my way around Rotterdam South and I managed to arrive home without a hefty fine.In those days, the police if they felt like it your moped was confiscated and destroyed.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Old Navy
Last Monday I discovered how to bypass the A&E runny noses and sore throats. I was blue lighted the 15 miles to our local A&E direct into a resuscitaciton bay (fortunately not required). Driven by a young lady paramedic while her partner sorted me out in the back. A very rapid and smooth ride apart from one occaision when a loud "You expletive idiot from the front, accompanied by a blast of super loud air horn was used. I now know why anyone who blocks an ambulance is absolute low life scum.

I escaped the hospital this afternoon. Superb treatment, no doubt costing thousands.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - bathtub tom
Hope everything resolves itself ON.
I was 'blued & 2'd' for twenty-odd miles once. Unfortunately I was horizontal in the back and couldn't see the action.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - VxFan
>> I was 'blued & 2'd' for twenty-odd miles once.

Same here about 9 or 10 years ago. The journey made me feel worse than I already was as I don't travel very well head first.

By that I mean lead down with my head pointing in the direction of travel.

When I was eventually moved from A&E onto a ward, I asked if they could spin the bed round so my feet were going in the direction of travel. They'd never heard anything like it before.

I'm just the same on those coaches and trains with rear facing seats. I cannot sit in those without being travel sick. I like to see where I'm going.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 9 Dec 18 at 19:55
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - zippy
Glad to hear that you are still with us ON!

Was in an old ambulance once as a kid and knocked off my pushbike by a car coming out of a T-junction.

Had the air-ambulance team visit me when I keeled over at a client in pain from a bad back.

They were based in the building next door so no need for the helicopter, but the two doctors arrived in a rather smart Land Rover Defender.

Same feelings re getting out of the way of emergency vehicles and huge respect to the crews.

I once worked with Jane (Janie) Omorogbe (Gladiators) and she became an ambulance driver for a while before she became famous. Absolutely lovely girl.

I also had an ambulance take off my offside mirror in Surrey Quays when I first got a company car. I was right up on the pavement but it was a tight squeeze and thought, se la vie. He needed to get past more than I needed the mirror :-)

Weirdest one was being stopped by the police on a single carriageway A road in the south east and watched the air ambulance land in the field adjacent my car.

A car had hit the back of a bin lorry and pinned the dustbin lady to the back. All turned out ok in the end as the bins and metal work of the lorry had cushioned the impact.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - R.P.
Hope you're Ok ON !

Touch wood, I manage to have kept clear of the NHS for the last 59 and a bit years (other than in work of course).


I give a silent prayer every time I see an ambulance out on the bike.
 Emergency Vehicles and traffic - Lygonos
I think Autocar put it quite well with their Xmas special a couple of years ago

"In many ways, an air ambulance is one of those vehicles you’d rather not see, because if the emergency services decide it’s needed, you’re probably having the worst day of your life. However, if you are in need of it, we strongly suspect there is no better sight in the world."

www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/east-anglian-air-ambulance-christmas-road-test
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