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Yesterday we went to visit a traffic jam in Southend.
We set out with the intention of visiting the Seaworld in Southend, because we all like wandering around gawping at pretty fishies. The first part of the journey went fine, 'cos we went just after lunch when the A12 was nice and calm 'cos most ppl were where they wanted to be already. Coming into Southend we hit a bit of a traffic jam, but it kept clearing every now and then and we weren't too bothered.
In the middle of one traffic jam we suddenly heard a siren, and this unmarked police car (it just had a blue light at the front, if that was off it'd just look like a normal car and when it passed us for a moment we thought it was a normal car - opinion was divided on whether it was some poor unfortunate who hadn't got over in time or an annoying person using the fact everyone had pulled over to rush through the middle of the traffic) came rushing through. We counted no fewer than four accidents on our way that appeared to be caused by it after the traffic started moving again.
The traffic just got steadily worse, and eventually we came to the seafront - which was just a solid mass of cars, parked all over the verges and anywhere there was even the suspicion of a space. We suddenly realised that getting parked was going to be... fun... and getting out afterwards when most of them would be trying to leave was going to be impossible, or at least very improbable. So after a quick debate we turned around and headed back for home.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, we were discussing the best way to go to Hanningfield Reservoir, and I'm sure I didn't hear the discussion about what we should do... sometimes I think my parents must be telepathic. Anyway, we drove up to the visitor center and after an interesting drive over the grassy carpark full of ruts went for a fairly brief walk (it would have been longer, but half the paths were closed and the ones we could take just led up to a bird hide and ended). So we went back to the visitor centre and ate cake :)
I really did fall asleep for a bit on the way back... I've been really sleepy lately, although I seem to be okay today.
So, that was our visit to the traffic jam in Southend. I wonder what unplanned things I'll be doing instead of what I plan to do today (given that the planned thing will almost certainly either be not-happening or otherwise messed up)...
We set out with the intention of visiting the Seaworld in Southend, because we all like wandering around gawping at pretty fishies. The first part of the journey went fine, 'cos we went just after lunch when the A12 was nice and calm 'cos most ppl were where they wanted to be already. Coming into Southend we hit a bit of a traffic jam, but it kept clearing every now and then and we weren't too bothered.
In the middle of one traffic jam we suddenly heard a siren, and this unmarked police car (it just had a blue light at the front, if that was off it'd just look like a normal car and when it passed us for a moment we thought it was a normal car - opinion was divided on whether it was some poor unfortunate who hadn't got over in time or an annoying person using the fact everyone had pulled over to rush through the middle of the traffic) came rushing through. We counted no fewer than four accidents on our way that appeared to be caused by it after the traffic started moving again.
The traffic just got steadily worse, and eventually we came to the seafront - which was just a solid mass of cars, parked all over the verges and anywhere there was even the suspicion of a space. We suddenly realised that getting parked was going to be... fun... and getting out afterwards when most of them would be trying to leave was going to be impossible, or at least very improbable. So after a quick debate we turned around and headed back for home.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, we were discussing the best way to go to Hanningfield Reservoir, and I'm sure I didn't hear the discussion about what we should do... sometimes I think my parents must be telepathic. Anyway, we drove up to the visitor center and after an interesting drive over the grassy carpark full of ruts went for a fairly brief walk (it would have been longer, but half the paths were closed and the ones we could take just led up to a bird hide and ended). So we went back to the visitor centre and ate cake :)
I really did fall asleep for a bit on the way back... I've been really sleepy lately, although I seem to be okay today.
So, that was our visit to the traffic jam in Southend. I wonder what unplanned things I'll be doing instead of what I plan to do today (given that the planned thing will almost certainly either be not-happening or otherwise messed up)...
