Venting!

[IronMaiden]

Well...you said this is the place to vent my spleen .....so here goes....

WHY in the name of all that is HOLY, do people in London park their cars in EVERY WHICH way they please on both sides of the roads?!! They park back to back, nose to nose etc. It is impossible to see which way the traffic is flowing.

If everyone parked in the same direction of the road it would make riding in London so much easier and safer!

Is it actually legal here in the UK to park back to front?

Just about every day I get some MORON (usually a white van for some reason) pulling out in front of me from the left side of the road where they have parked facing oncoming traffic. This is illegal where I come from, because it is incredibly dangerous! They shoot out of their parking spot and head straight for you, wait for a gap and then at the last minute (when you are just slamming on breaks to avoid riding straight into them) they cross over to the right side of the road to join the traffic flow.

I just can't believe that this is allowed!! The least they can do is wait for a proper gap before they shoot across the road heading straight for you!! No wonder so many bikers are killed or maimed each year!

And if you hoot or flash lights at them to get their attention, all you get is abuse! Well, SO VERY SORRY for trying to save your a$$ and mine!!

I am convinced that half of the drivers here don't have a proper licence.

Okay....calming down now...must... have.... MORE.... coffee!!

Chilling now

[map]

Only thing I can find is from the Higway Code for night time parking.

[Bendy]

Ever tried parking a car in London?

If you see a space and spend the time going round the block to face in the right direction, the space'll be gone.

[IronMaiden]

Hmmmm...

A: Miss a parking and live to bitch about it.
B: Get the parking and kill myself and an innocent biker when leaving the parking spot.

Think I'll take option A thanks!!

Still would like to know if it is legal during the day time or not. Any traffic cops on here? Ta

[tribal_tiger]

Welcome to England!

Trust me this far worse than a car facing the wrong direction! Like foreigners coming over here and complaining!
____________________
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could Chuck Norris?

All of it.

[IronMaiden]

Tell me about it, surprised I haven't been killed yet. The roads are dead slippery as they don't seem to get time to dry out at all before the next rains come. It gets a layer of slime on it and there are lots of man hole covers to shake your teeth out when you hit them! Man, it's fun riding a Blade in London. Barely get it out of 2nd gear, would have been better off buying a KTM! Much better for London's busy roads!!

Still enjoying being here though, the bikers are really friendly and are very nice people in the Greenwich area where I live. They always give me the nod. The scooter riders are a laugh here. They go flat out and pop wheelies. They are really naughty on their bikes and make me giggle!! They have lots of fun!!

PS It's us foreigners that put some life into this dull place..heehee.

[ken]

The adage, when in rome

[ken]

The old adage, when in rome

[byke95]

I think it just takes a bit of acceptance/getting used to. As Bendy said, parking is a nightmare over here (you're from SA right? Now there's some crazy driving!) so if you see a space, you've got to go for it.

Personally I 'prefer' cars pulling out of their space when facing the opposite direction as I know what they want to do; I slow down and let them go accordingly. Alternatively, I find that when cars are parked with the flow of traffic they'll pull out on you anyway.

In reality it's probably no safer, but as youve been taught/learned that it is, you believe it to be so.

A bit ambiguous but, from map's quote, it looks fairly legitimate (as good old blighty always make sure that they can make any town/city space a 'recognised parking space' as they can then charge for using said space.