I've Seen the Future in London and it looks Grim.
Having just returned from a trip to London I've seen things that portend a nasty future on the roads for motorists everywhere else. All over the city the speed limit is now 20 miles per hour. On the few freeways that exist within the city the speed limit is 30 miles per hour. Have you driven at these speeds for prolonged periods of time? It's awful. And if you drive too fast, a litany of speed cameras will quickly send you a ticket. Cab drivers are frustrated and angry. What if there's heavy traffic and you decide to take a shortcut? Ticket. Many roads have essentially been privatized and equipped with cameras to punish those who stray into them. My friend in London has lost his shortcut route to work as a result.
Cabbies can also be ticketed for picking up passengers in an inappropriate location. One complained that it's difficult to find a place to park to go to the washroom. Add to that more bus lanes, cyclists, and scooters and you have a cocktail of frustration. I was also shocked to see that motorists have to pay five pounds to drop someone off at the airport. I tremble to think that our (Canadian) road engineers are getting ideas if they visit London.
As I was leaving London, Keir Starmer had turned his focus to going after customers drinking and smoking outside pubs. It's extremely common after quitting time to see customers standing outside drinking and smoking. This upsets Starmer and he's planning on snuffing it out. Nigel Farage, a drinker and smoker, has promised to oppose the government, although he lacks the number of MP's to do it. London is losing its lustre for me. It's a city full of cameras, full of the state smacking motorists on the wrist, and full of big brother starting to make his presence felt.