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Driving back from Aberdeen to Birmingham.. shatting it..

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  • HAMISH_MCTAVISH
    HAMISH_MCTAVISH Posts: 28,592 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    OK so interesting thread, but there's a fair bit of inaccurate info so far.

    The trip into and through town from Aberdeen airport at 10am will be no problem..... A bit of light traffic on Anderson drive and the Haudagain roundabout, but nothing much.

    The road from Aberdeen to Dundee is the A90 dual carriageway, yes it's full of speed cameras, but they're not the problem. They're painted bright yellow.... If you can't see that you deserve to get a ticket.

    The Police mobile patrols are a bigger threat by far, sneaky, devious, and very fond of sitting hidden on entry ramps and catching you from behind.

    And the Scamera vans are out in force on that road most days as well, so set the cruise control and just watch out for the 50mph zone near Laurencekirk.

    Trip through Dundee on the dual carriageway is easy at that time of day, no need to divert around, and it's either 40mph or 50mph all the way through, and then it's a clear shot turning off for Perth and then towards Stirling/Glasgow on the M80 where you'll turn off on the M74 before Glasgow and head for Carlisle. Then merge with the M6 and go south to Birmingham.

    If you leave Aberdeen before 12 noon you'll miss the worst of the traffic in Glasgow as you'll be on the M74 by 3pm-ish.

    At that time of day on a Wed it's probably a 7.5 hour drive, allowing for a couple of quick stops... I've done it in just under 6 hours at the right time of day and with good weather but that's pushing it, and I know the roads.

    There's a lot of good garages in Aberdeen that might be able to do a quick pre-purchase inspection for you.... You might still have time to arrange a booking for Wed.

    These guys are German specialists..... I've never used them but hear they are good.

    http://www.bavariaautowerke.co.uk/contacts/index.php

    And these guys are about 2 mins off Anderson Drive, the route you'll take through town, and seem to be honest and reliable. I've used them before for my German cars.

    http://www.murisoncarsrosehill.co.uk/mot-service

    Have fun with the new purchase.... :)
    “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.

    Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
    -- President John F. Kennedy”
  • Altarf
    Altarf Posts: 2,916 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    mattyprice4004 wrote: »
    Keep left unless overtaking, or expect lots of angry people like me flashing you over. :)

    If someone flashes their headlights at me, I assume it is to warn me of something urgent. So I stamp on the brakes. :-) for me and :-0 for you.

    If you want to enforce the law, pop down the police and fill in an application form.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Altarf wrote: »
    If someone flashes their headlights at me, I assume it is to warn me of something urgent. So I stamp on the brakes. :-) for me
    Dangerous Driving conviction if Mr Plod happens to see it...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5dL4DPm-DE
  • ACG
    ACG Posts: 24,608 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper I've helped Parliament
    Your post made me smile.

    3 years ago I passed my test, a week after passing I had to drive from Manchester to Swindon (a good 4 hour drive if not 5). I had NEVER driven on a motorway before and only done about 30-40 miles since passing my test. I tried to drive there using the A34 before losing it in stoke to had to just get on the motorway.

    Once I was on it though I was fine. I bit tense but that was always going to happen even if it was a motorway I knew. I wish I would have just got on it sooner rather than later

    My advice would be the just get on the motorway, once your on it your on it. You will find a lot of it will be a fairly ok drive and you are worrying more about it.

    Just remember every now and again to just relax as you will probably start gripping the steering wheel harder and harder and tensing up so its important you consciously think about it now and again so you know to relax.
    I am a Mortgage Adviser
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a mortgage adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • Altarf
    Altarf Posts: 2,916 Forumite
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    AdrianC wrote: »
    Dangerous Driving conviction if Mr Plod happens to see it...

    Really glad to hear that the police take flashing your headlights in a bullying manner so seriously.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
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    Altarf wrote: »
    Really glad to hear that the police take flashing your headlights in a bullying manner so seriously.
    You didn't actually watch that video, did you?
  • Altarf
    Altarf Posts: 2,916 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    AdrianC wrote: »
    You didn't actually watch that video, did you?

    I did. But as it didn't have an idiot flashing their lights to bully a lesser road user out of the way, I couldn't see the the relevance.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Altarf wrote: »
    I did. But as it didn't have an idiot flashing their lights to bully a lesser road user out of the way, I couldn't see the the relevance.
    Why not just admit you didn't watch the video?

    Because to the "lesser road user", all they would've seen is a "bully" flashing them out the way. Right up until the braketest you advocate was rewarded with blues & twos.
  • torbrex
    torbrex Posts: 71,340 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Rampant Recycler Hung up my suit!
    I wonder if he has got the car yet.
  • notanewuser
    notanewuser Posts: 8,499 Forumite
    torbrex wrote: »
    I wonder if he has got the car yet.

    Did you see his insurance thread? :eek:
    Trying to be a man is a waste of a woman
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