Things change over long distance.

[reddragdiva]

As of tomorrow I am no longer working in Knightsbridge, but at the main office. Which is in Little Whinging Gatwick. Upside: my job will be considerably more interesting — I was busy going stir-crazy having done the exact same thing for two years. Downside: one and a half hours' expensive commute. A car is seriously on the agenda. What's the relevant section of the M23 and M25 like?

Edit: Okay, okay. Car bad.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

I expect "terrible".
I also expect 'worse than taking the tube to Kings Cross and Thameslink to Gatwick".
I know from experience that you shouldn't even think of driving through south London to Gatwick. The roads are barely cart-tracks and it takes several times longer than the train.

[simonb.livejournal.com]

At rush hour ? Forget it. The M25 is fairly busy even during non-peak hours (when they designed it, they did the usual traffic flow calculations, worked out traffic growth rates, etc and then designed it so that it wouldn't have to have lanes added for at least ten years; unfortunately they didn't take into account journeys which people would now make as the M25 made them possible, or that people in London often go onto the M25, go along to the next junction and come back into London as its faster than fighting through the streets. The end result was that when it opened the M25 was already running above the peak traffic rates projected for 10 years after it was opened).

Depending on where the office is, it maybe easier to jump onto the train down to gatwick airport and go from there.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

WHS.

It's only half an hour to Gatwick from London Bridge, don't even *think* about driving it, especially during rush hour. Ian tried it once when I was visiting him and I missed my plane.

Could you get some sort of season ticket on the LGW express from Victoria? That would be easiest for you, coming in on the Victoria line.

[reddragdiva]

That's what I was afraid of. At least I'll have considerable time for reading and for waking up. It may be time to finally get those Economist and Private Eye subscriptions. I should also do my best to talk a laptop out of them.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

It's a pretty easy journey, Victoria to Victoria and then billions of trains, but it does take a while. Think of it as extra reading time...

[lproven.livejournal.com]

If you want to do it by road, then Sir needs a motorcycle.

[reddragdiva]

I expect I shall become fantastically well read. And will be angling for a company lapdog.

[the_axel]

A motorbike would prob'ly do you pretty well.

When I was living up in Leytonstone, a buddy gave me ride down to Gatwick Airport when I had a plane to catch and it took not-very-long.

'Course he was a courier by day and used to riding at high speeds through town so YMMV.

[the_axel]

This is why building more roads rarely alleviates congestion.

[blaadyblah.livejournal.com]

Don't even think about driving it.
Get the train.

And where precisely in Gatwick is this office of yours? Mail me if neccesary but if you're that nearby the possibility of after work drinks, lunches and so on rears its head. I can see the runway from my office. ;o)

[reddragdiva]

I have emailed the location to blaadyblah at livejournal dot com :-)

*That* near? *blink*

[blaadyblah.livejournal.com]

Laser pointers from the windows and Poi communication from the roof, then!

*bounce*

[ewx.livejournal.com]

The Economist is an excellent time-sink, supposing you have time to be sunk, which I patently don't; it's months since I finished an issue before the next arrived.

[angharad.livejournal.com]

This is why the original SimCity pissed me off. I'd build miles and miles of train tracks, and my ungrateful citizens would do nothing but complain.

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

What He Said.

You can buzz around the M25 and M23 fairly quickly on a bike.. traffic jams don't slow me down too much, so long as one doesn't mind ducking wing mirrors at 70mph as you follow the dotted line between stationary trucks..