Roads

[bellinghman]

I am amused by this BBC article on Britain's most intimidating road junctions.. Particularly this comment: Between them, Birmingham, London and Glasgow took eight of the top 10 spots.

Strangely enough, I had no difficulty in guessing what the other two junctions in the list were. Yes, the Swindon and Hemel magic roundabouts, at #4 and #9.

(As someone who negotiated the Hanger Lane gyratory (#5) twice a day for several years, I think I can cope with just about anything, though I'll concede that the Glasgow ones are a real pain.)

Comments

[feorag.livejournal.com]

The Glasgow ones are helped a lot by local knowledge, as it's mostly the signs that are useless. Junction 18 is particularly tricky as it is not only not signposted until you get to it, but splits off from the right-hand lane, leaving the unwary to get across three lanes of traffic in about 10 metres. It then takes you back over the motorway and along it for a bit till it meets Sauchiehall Street.

This is unfortunately the junction most convenient for the car park which is handiest for two of the better gig venues in Glasgow.

[irishkate.livejournal.com]

my first time in Swindon I ended up driving through the magic roundabout in the dark while there was a rain storm. I could barely see and it took quite a while after I arrived at my destination before I felt calm and stress free again!

[maureenkspeller.livejournal.com]

I think the only ones I've not tackled are Piccadilly and Kingston Bridge, Glasgow. I've survived the rest, though I vividly remember my one and only encounter with Hemel Hempstead.

'Oh, look', said my mother, whom I was chauffeuring on my first, very nerve-wracking drive into Greater London, 'someone's been playing around with the road signs'.

'That's not a joke, mum ...' says dutiful daughter, concentrating very hard on trying to fight her way through the road junction. 'Please be quiet, I need to get through this in one piece'.

[artela.livejournal.com]

I thought that list was going to have things like "Snake Pass in the Snow", or "The Black Mountain Road in fog and ice", but no, it seemed to be a list of junctions half of which I regard as easy-peasy (what's wrong with the M5/M6 junction for instance? It's perfectly straightforward!)

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

How weird! Yeh I don't like the Kingston Bridge much but really it'snothing compared to half the Southamptn one ay system! or the roundabout I have to go through every day in Sheffield nr the uni!