am I right in thinking that msa,s used to have transport only eating areas with lower prices , or am I imagining it ■■
syramax:
am I right in thinking that msa,s used to have transport only eating areas with lower prices , or am I imagining it ■■[/quoteNo your right clacket lane had one
bjd:
syramax:
am I right in thinking that msa,s used to have transport only eating areas with lower prices , or am I imagining it ■■
[/quoteNo your right clacket lane had one
Leicester Forest southbound had one, the building is still there next to the lorry park.
Dunno if it was any cheaper though…
Ched:
You get 3 lane dual carriage ways and two lane motorways with a hard shoulder. Seems a waste of a lane which is why I guess managed motorways are popping up everywhere. Mini parking areas would be great as long as there is a proper slip road to rejoin the motorway … otherwise you will get people pulling straight on to the motorway from the picnic area/layby from a standing start wondering why the lorry was flashing it’s lights then jackknifing.Although the speed limit for cars is the same on both dual carriage ways and motorways, car drivers seem to think they can go faster on motorways cos of the blue signs and the hard shoulder to protect them from the nasty scary verge.
I hate these managed motorways with their “part time hard shoulders” which are an accident waiting to happen… You pull up broken down, and someone runs into you, and totals you.
Why? - Because there is some room for confusion over when the hard shoulder is a “live lane” and when it’s not. The gantry signs are only in English after all “Hard Shoulder for Emergency Use Only”… Useless! 
Winseer:
I hate these managed motorways with their “part time hard shoulders” which are an accident waiting to happen… You pull up broken down, and someone runs into you, and totals you.
Why? - Because there is some room for confusion over when the hard shoulder is a “live lane” and when it’s not. The gantry signs are only in English after all “Hard Shoulder for Emergency Use Only”… Useless!
That’s how I see it, too. What’s happened - inevitably, given that some drivers would require watering daily if their IQs were two points lower - is that a fair proportion of drivers seem to think the hard shoulder is a live lane at all times.
If anyone likes Chinese food and noodles,at Cobham,there is a food stand there that caters for that.Big portions and not a rip off.Lots of choice.
I think the Chinese stand is at Clacket Lane, it was.?
At Cobham,you have the roast meat and saute pototoes vending.
Chicken,pork or pulled pork.
Very good value.Big portion.Fills you up all day.
Mexican restaurant there.
At Baldock ,Mexican restaurant.Tacos and burritos.Good prices.And a pizza stand.
Papa Johns at Fleet s/b but walk over the bridge if heading n/b.
If it hasn’t been said, they were planned recently but were canceled as we is skint. Cheers.
Winseer:
Ched:
You get 3 lane dual carriage ways and two lane motorways with a hard shoulder. Seems a waste of a lane which is why I guess managed motorways are popping up everywhere. Mini parking areas would be great as long as there is a proper slip road to rejoin the motorway … otherwise you will get people pulling straight on to the motorway from the picnic area/layby from a standing start wondering why the lorry was flashing it’s lights then jackknifing.Although the speed limit for cars is the same on both dual carriage ways and motorways, car drivers seem to think they can go faster on motorways cos of the blue signs and the hard shoulder to protect them from the nasty scary verge.
I hate these managed motorways with their “part time hard shoulders” which are an accident waiting to happen… You pull up broken down, and someone runs into you, and totals you.
Why? - Because there is some room for confusion over when the hard shoulder is a “live lane” and when it’s not. The gantry signs are only in English after all “Hard Shoulder for Emergency Use Only”… Useless!
Exactly. Lots of criticism all the time about foreign drivers, but Translate please into what would be on the sign in:
France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia etc.
And what about: Pedestrians in road, Stranded Vehicle, Loose animals and all the other messages.
cav551:
Winseer:
Ched:
You get 3 lane dual carriage ways and two lane motorways with a hard shoulder. Seems a waste of a lane which is why I guess managed motorways are popping up everywhere. Mini parking areas would be great as long as there is a proper slip road to rejoin the motorway … otherwise you will get people pulling straight on to the motorway from the picnic area/layby from a standing start wondering why the lorry was flashing it’s lights then jackknifing.Although the speed limit for cars is the same on both dual carriage ways and motorways, car drivers seem to think they can go faster on motorways cos of the blue signs and the hard shoulder to protect them from the nasty scary verge.
I hate these managed motorways with their “part time hard shoulders” which are an accident waiting to happen… You pull up broken down, and someone runs into you, and totals you.
Why? - Because there is some room for confusion over when the hard shoulder is a “live lane” and when it’s not. The gantry signs are only in English after all “Hard Shoulder for Emergency Use Only”… Useless!Exactly. Lots of criticism all the time about foreign drivers, but Translate please into what would be on the sign in:
France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia etc.And what about: Pedestrians in road, Stranded Vehicle, Loose animals and all the other messages.
Add another to your list Mate, Czech and Slovak, are to 2 languages 
bjd:
so i mm driving along the m11 and a thought springs to mind , duel carragways have laybys so why not motorways ? if not laybys theres plenty of space at the side of motorways why not have have mini parking areas ? whats your thoughts chaps ?
I apologise if anyone has replied with the same answer as mine but dear oh dear what a crazy idea.Definitely one way to cause far more serious accidents.
Motorways are built to keep traffic flowing which is part of the reason there are not juntions roundabouts or traffic lights.
Can you imagine the chaos if drivers were to try to pull into parking areas or laybys!
Motorway services already provide parking etc.
The gantries need to have a flashing red x over the hard shoulder when it’s not live. Like they do when a regular lane is closed. No excuse then even if you’re foreign.
I followed 2 cars today from J7-6 on the M6 and they were in the hard shoulder the whole way. I guess a solid white line means nothing any more.
Followed 3 lorries doing exactly the same from 9-8 last week. They should really know better. Another thing I noticed last week is the dead inside lane southbound over spaghetti. Saw a truck and a van enter it last week and promptly swerve back out once it abruptly disappears the other side of the junction. I noticed it was coned off today. Hopefully they’ll paint over it.
Problem with managed motorways is no one was trained on how to use them. Anyone with common sense can figure it out but common sense is in short supply it would seem.
They only open the hard shoulder up to ease traffic anyway so when it’s closed its unnecessary to use it in the first place. Why risk running in the most dangerous lane for no benefit. I guess we’re back to the lack of common sense again.