 Poster: A snowHead
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+++++ silent scream ++++++
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| Origen wrote: |
| Back to random personal insults, @Jonny996? Can you do no better? @blahblahblah, put your arguments on the relevant thread - the more arguments the better, and if you think civil servants are lying, it's an important issue to pursue. |
What on earth are you talking about, it was a joke. You know the old saying of never believe a politician.
I will accept your apology when ever you like. |
I read it as a joke.
As to my point, they cannot all be telling the truth, so someone is being less than honest.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
I read it as a joke
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FWIW (I appreciate that's not a lot) so did I.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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OK, sorry - not that I think it's a remotely good joke. which civil servants have contradicted each other, @blahblahblah? But please answer on the relevant thread and bear in mind that civil servants are absolutely not there to give their own opinion on things. They are there under ministerial direction. Many - probably a huge majority - of senior civil servants thought that Brexit was a terrible idea and they might think their Ministers are complete dolts. But they're not there to say what they think! It's particularly difficult when they know that their own Ministers are NOT in sympathy with the Prime Minister. Departments are routinely in conflict with each other, because they have different policy objectives. That's a difficult area, too, because of the doctrine of cabinet responsibility. There was obviously a fair bit of inter-departmental conflict at different stages of the Mandelson business - a tricky area for civil servants though not so tricky for sacked ones.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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And if you do drive overnight, should you wear a helmet
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Boris wrote: |
| @Layne, has the new rule made much difference? |
Obviously it's more nuanced from what I've read over time it's been minimal.
I think it was/is a blunt instrument.
But I think the problem it was designed to solve is a real one.
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| Boris wrote: |
| And if you do drive overnight, should you wear a helmet |
A roll cage and bull bars too perhaps. Seriously though, I wouldn't do it without a spare again. Had a blow out near bourg en bresse at 4am once, £600 on towing and a pair of tyres and worst of all a 5 hour wait.
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A fair point earlier about actually answering the OP's original question around advice if they decide to drive overnight. So here is mine.
Take a couple of mini-Thermos and even if you don't feel like a coffee when you stop for the 2-hour changeover, you probably will feel like it later on. So fill up the Thermos with a hot drink so you can have it either on the move, or at a convenient aire. I find it makes a big difference deep into the journey if there's a hot drink to hand, without having to wait 'till the next service station.
Plenty of top-up energy snacks. We do a load of pre-made rolls of various types, so if someone starts to flag, there's a cheese roll or similar to boost them. Obviously, these need to be accessible, not buried in the boot somewhere.
Cold drinks. This may seem counterintuitive in the winter, but we have a small refrigerator bag with some cool drinks in it. Warm Coke isn't very refreshing.
Change drivers regularly - roughly every 2 hours, whether or not the driver thinks they're OK to press on. People can be very bad judges of how fatigued they are.
If you have a longish or early start drive to get to Eurotunnel or the ferry, consider having one driver for that segment and then swap drivers during the crossing. I find this part of the journey disproportionately tiring, along with the process of arriving, immigration and security, and boarding. The tendency is for the same driver to 'press on' after a rest on the crossing. On the way back, the same applies, get your most refreshed driver to do the segment following arrival back in the UK.
Get an autoroute toll tag, so you don't have to wake up the passenger. There are loads of threads about the choices available.
Make sure you have ancillary equipment to hand: head torch; top-up for the screen washer; chains; outdoor shoes (to keep your driving shoes dry); mat to kneel on and thin gloves (for changing chains); snow brush. Or if not to hand immediately, in a bag/box you can just yank out from on top of all the luggage.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Change drivers regularly - roughly every 2 hours, whether or not the driver thinks they're OK to press on. People can be very bad judges of how fatigued they are.
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I'm sure that's right. There's masses of research showing that after two hours concentration lapses (and not only at night). I've done a lot of solo long-distance driving and stop religiously every 2 hours. Even getting out of the car into a cold wind and walking the ten yards or so to wave a credit card at a péage machine has something to commend it.
As I get older I find that if I drive more than 2 hours my hips really don't want to function when I get out!
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I used to drive through the night when i was younger and time constrained. Two drivers certainly helps and as said above, have snacks, drinks etc available. Podcasts or a playlist is vital for us as on large parts of the drive its 107.7fm or nothing at all.
Micro napping is proven to work, between 20 and 40 min. Have the coffee before you nap was the advice i was given by someone who trains drivers doing long distances on an irregular basis. The cafine kicks in as you wake getting a dual boost was the thinking.
I was a night shift worker for a few years so perhaps that helped. As i've got in to my 50s, i found it harder so we have reverted to driving through the day. We still dont stop overnight yet, but can see thats the next step.
Like most things in life, its doable and less daunting after thi first trip, just takes a bit of planning. It may sound simple, but learning to recognise your own fatigue signs, (and doing something about them) is crucial. Accept when your co driver has also noticed.
@Origen, advice of timed stops is good too, we never go more than three hours or so as a stage.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In addition to the above, check the weather forecast before hand and have a plan B. It's cold, it's dark and fog or freezing fog is a possibility and a knackering driving experience.
Secondly make sure the windscreen washer fluid is the stuff that freezes at a very low temperature.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Good advice from @LaForet, @Origen, and @Skoal,
We always swap drivers at the tunnel, ideally before getting on the train so the fresh driver deals with immigration and setting the car up for the next section while on the train (lights, clock, units etc.) .
We tend to do 3 hour stints during the day but 2 hour ones at night, but always either swap or stop if the driver reports being tired. The car also reports if it thinks the driver needs to take a rest. This feature is amazingly accurate in that I’m starting to feel I need a break before it triggers but that warning is the taken as the final warning. Stop.
For the first time I acquired a telepeage transceiver for a solo drive this Easter. It was very convenient but didn’t save any time. The bill, however, was about £40 more than normal. (This included the deposit).
As clear from this thread some people are happy with an overnight drive some not. We can only offer advice from our own experience. TBH now I’ve retired and can drive midweek I don’t think I’ll do an overnighter again. But I still cannot see the point of stopping on route in hotel for a night just going as far as the tarrentaise.
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@BergenBergen, ..actually I fill mine with fluid which doesn't freeze at very low temperature...
(minus 20 points to me for typical SnowHead pedantry....apologies)
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You know it makes sense.
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@johnE, ...yep when solo driving to CH I quite like getting out of the car, rushing round the back of the car whilst mouthing 'desole, desole...' in order to inject the ticket and pay the charge.... good exercise and a nice break from driving...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| valais2 wrote: |
| ... (minus 20 points to me for typical SnowHead pedantry....apologies) |
And minus another 20 for getting it wrong. You do need the stuff with the low freezing point. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@phil_w, ...drat minus 40 in 20 mins....yep that's the correct expression....actually subtract another 20 points since I have been editing national curriculum statements in science and should know better
geesh
minus 60 and the weekend hasn't finished yet....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| johnE wrote: |
| For the first time I acquired a telepeage transceiver for a solo drive this Easter. It was very convenient but didn’t save any time. The bill, however, was about £40 more than normal. (This included the deposit). |
That sounds odd.
Have you checked the itemised bill. Are you being charged more for every leg.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@johnE, check what class you have been charged - sometimes if you have a roofbox it charges Class 2
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As it was the emosis transceiver the bill included : setup charge, deposit, annual charge, monthly charge plus the actual toll charges. Class 1
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@johnE, I presume you mean emovis?
That's pricey. Any reason you didn't use an alternative - Fulli for example? No annual fee, 1.90 per month.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I tried fulli but couldn’t get it to connect to my bank account. it was my first choice but couldn’t get it to work
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@Hells Bells, the admin costs may be higher, however I do find them very easy to deal with when needed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Seconded, just got my bill, its £200 including a new tag holder, which is fine.
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Shame the OP has already booked the accommodation. I would have suggested going Sunday to Sunday. Start the journey in the UK on the Saturday, drive into France and stop around Troyes/Dijon and then finish the journey when the roads are quieter on the Sunday.
We've driven through the night. Never again. You just end up exhausted in the resort on the day you arrive and your accommodation isn't usually ready until later in the day. We've also tried to do the last part of the journey on the saturday and it took 8 hours to drive what normally takes 4 hours.
An Emovis tag makes the tolls much easier and quicker, day or night. It doesn't add up to much time saving, but its worth it for the convenience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@lower, I find Sunday-Sunday accommodation difficult to source? I've had an Emovis for years love it for the convenience.
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FAQ
