LHR, The Brits and why I love HK

[Boris]

http://www.thebusiness.co.uk/news-an...-service.thtml Thanks to PDLM for making me search it out on another thread.

All I see it doing though is make Ferrovial ( the Spanish owners of BAA ) building in fees to cover the fines that the government want to levy. The article is well written, explaining the problems the Ferrovial have with leverage costs and the UK government trying to limit their returns. I doubt that whatever happens as long as LHR remains as it is, a concrete puzzle based on the design of a gypsy encampment, it can ever improve. Even with the reported rebuild of Terminal 2 - originally designed for midgets. This will result in more barriers and transfer of that load to other areas thus making things worse not better.

Oh - Terminal 5 will take the load ? Only if your BA, as its designed for their exclusive use and when Terminal 4 went up under the same auspices things really improved – NOT. For those of us arriving or departing Terminal 3 its a dank, bland, damp inefficient structure. Very British in fact so maybe not so bad in explaining subliminally what visitors should expect in their stay.

Then there is the myopia about LHR that afflicts all those with supposed interest in it, remaining in the same place OR either being put in another place OR the load being transfered to the other London area sites.

The myopia extends to all things London. The Olympics MUST be in London, The Commonwealth games where considered second rate by being in Manchester and its financial problems blamed on the area rather than the fact the UKG kept it at arms length. etc etc. British establishment seem to think that only what we have now and also London based is suitable to satisfy international judgment. A Historical Myopia? I refer to this now as BHM – British Historical Myopia. This is the fatal flaw in any argument for taking the airports back into government control.

Its easy to counter the argument the airport site argument with New Yorks Newark and JFK airports being basically equal and of DFW being built intentionally as a national hub in the modern jet age ( no problem of space there ! ) . Amsterdam is a shoppers dream and very easy to move around as a specifically designed hub on open land. For the Olympics the US with Australia have NEVER hosted their Olympics in the capital with both being unqualified success in the modern age but BHM gives projects like the new Wembley the same problem of the old. The important thing for them was to retain WEMBLEY as if it was some mystical Druid like structure. Its a nightmare to get to the site and the NEW Olympic stadium in East London, so expensive but beautiful, is deemed after use only to be suitable as a home for a premiership football club and not as a National stadium facility. This because it has no rating under the BHM ranking system and Wembley " uber alles "

The pro argument to LHR and its expansion is largely based on its central location, ease of access and the employment opportunities it affords. Not forgetting the suits in the smoke filled exclusive club rooms of the square mile saying its important to to the financial health of the city and the old lady in particular. HA HA HA HA !!!! Central to what - West London and the Sikh community that de faco rule the employment ops on site? Ease of access - all motorways enter to the M25 which as we all know is the largest car park in Europe and needs to have 8 lanes each side for its entire circumference to work at anything like efficient.. Employment - the locals, a lot of whom are also employees at LHR don't want the third runway or the increased loading of the already overloaded roads in the area. As for the suits - they want a swanky facility near to them with quick limo access into the corporate tower of power. London City Airport can't handle large jets and unlike NY, helicopters have huge traffic problems transiting in / out of the main airport ATC into Central London.

It needs a brave person to clear out this incredible mess that is LHR.

British establishment seems fixated with name identification.
London, God ( no misprint ), Heathrow, Good. Wembley, Good. Birmingham, Oh dear no. They make things made of metal and talk strange. Manchester - good grief its in the ( whisper ) North.

Hands up all those who think that the NEC complex in the center of the UK is the prime point for anything that could be a shop window for the country --- I see a sea of hands. It has an international airport and train station ON SITE at the NEC. It has undoubtedly the best national road links. The NEC is the jewel of the European exhibitions crown but had huge problems initially in overcoming the BHM of Olympia ( 1948 ) and Earls Court ( 1937 ) exhibition sites. The areas around the place are available for expansion. ATC doesn't need to filter over central city locations like it does at LHR. There you can look into the Queens bathroom on approach ! East or West.

Hands up who thinks Manchester is the most vibrant city of modern culture in ( maybe Europe ). I see a sea of hands from those who have actually been there. It has a great airport and great road links. Its a Fab and Groovy place.

Fact - its quicker to get across London on a horse.
Fact - Top Gear the other week, Its quicker to get to London City airport from West London by bike. Even if you use a boat on the river. Even The Stig came in third. Mind you he was relegated to tube and bus routes.
Fact – LHR is a mismatch of buildings, rat runs, chaotic parking structures, One motorway and A road access, minimal rail connection etc and ad infinitum.
Fact - No true cohesive national transport plan exists and the evil BAA only wants money for shareholders or "added value " building projects for its construction company owner Ferrovial. With no national cohesive policy they want 3 steps forward but are made to take 2 steps back by HMG and planning.
Fact – LGW ( the logical choice ) can't be expanded because the top 3% of earners and senior politicians have country homes in Sussex. So NIMBY applies.
Fact – Stanstead, IMO a great airport, is in the greenbelt and the green welly brigade are mobilised. However , together with Luton, it has a low BHM rating because its not classified as " London ". This should apply to Gatwick, but some bright spark years ago made its tag LGW so its BHM is high.
Fact – Getting things done in the UK takes not years, but 10s' of years. The M25 was designed on traffic data based on the 60's and government ( by default the Civil Service) mandate data based on historical proven trend not futuristic analysis. Any such future based reports are always sidelined on cost, impracticality or NIMBY. We always seem to build for the past.

So personally I believe we as Brits in the homeland and our international guests are doomed to eternal transport suffrage without a Messiah appearing and changing the national culture from the ground up. BHM is a relic of colonial superiority and we only need to look out of the window here in HK to see that without it, life can carry on, with benefits.

Yes – there are complaints about things happening here, but it pails into insignificance to what we as Brits experienced everyday in the years of planning inquiries and local action groups. Thank god IMHO for the forthright planning and the vision in HK to make a community of the 21st century.

I love the airport. I love the staff. I absolutely adore my Biometric HKID getting me through in minutes not hours. I love my Octopus card. I love they built Tai Wai KCR station for future traffic flow. We ALL love that its so easy to get ANYWHERE here without using a car. I love that if I hanker after anything here I can get it, which is a major plus for husbands with pregnant wives.

Thats why I am happy to live here and not return to the motherland of high taxation for zero benefit to lifestyle.

[jonnye]

Feeling better for that now, Boris?

That was quite a rant about all that is wrong with the UK - and London in particular. I also believe that it wasn't 'the UK' that deemed anywhere but London incapable of hosting the Olympics, but rather the IOC. However, the bid committee for Manchester were widely consulted by the London bid team for their successful bid. It also helped that they had Prime Ministerial support. I don't believe that this was because it was London, but rather that Tony Blair, for all his faults, knows a popular cause to be part of. I do believe the Olympics will be great in London and hope to be able to attend.

[KnowItAll]

Boris - After all of that .. you need a drink. Not too well the last few days, should have recovered in the next day or two.

[Boris]

Jonnye
The items not about the Olympics as I really have no interest in that. The short ref to it was to highlight BHM, which is the crux of the problem in the area I was commenting on. That is the continuing problems at LHR and how we have to suffer a mentality of " its good for the soul to suffer " and " where here because we are here ".
If it where the Olympics I would say its wasted on London. Nothing could possibly compare with Sydney. Beijing we all fear will be polluted out and London I would expect to be good but not spectacular. We should all expect each incarnation to raise the bar . LHR has to be a central picture in the plan and unless T1,2 and 3 are raised to the ground and rebuilt as a unit, with a second runway at LGW or the expansion of Stanstead, then whats the point of fighting your way in and out of LHR just to see some guys and girls in tight shirts and shorts in real time.

As an older Brit I have had to suffer an increasing spiral of spineless planning and the idea that a) build it expensive, sell it cheap to a company where only profit comes first and not customer satisfaction b) we build something for the money given and not the best it should be and c) moving into the 21st century is only relevant in the year 2200. To understand that read up on Oster Card and compare it to our beloved Octopus.

For KIA
Sorry your not feeling good. Too much Diwali is obviously not good for you at your age !!

[ukgweilo]

so what is your point?

[Boris]

so what is your point?

Having a discussion? Getting views?

Maybe I am wrong. So tell me why I think we as Brits should have such a mess and try and show the motherland as something akin to a modern forward thinking country when others look upon HK as a third world backwater to be suffered and not enjoyed / celebrated. As is often the case with comments in the threads.

LHR is a disgrace. The whole gateway infrastructure is a disjointed disgrace

Want to join in with just than one sentence?

[Pekkerhead]

Boris: Maybe you will appreciate this (or not)...

http://www.metafilter.com/66883/The-...nd-is-silenced

[ukgweilo]

sorry mate.i'm baffled. a long walk should do it

[shilo507]

As a Londoner the wrong side of 40 I agree with the sentiment of your post although I have no desire to return to the UK for different reasons.

Yes - LHR is a hell-hole compared to Chek Lap Kok and HK's MTR outshines the London Underground in every way but for me there are more valid reasons for preferring to live in HK.

I don't notice the infamous 'rudeness' of the HK people half as much as I notice the general air of misery and grayness that pervades the UK - especially London. The sheer cost of living and working in London - house prices, council tax/business rates (what do you actually get for your money?), stealth taxes, transport costs and of course the weather and appalling food are reasons enough to make me want to get back to HK within hours of arriving in the UK. However, my disatisfaction is not limited to the UK - I feel it wherever I go in the EU now - although I feel it most acutely in the UK. It is a part of my life that is over and I have put down new roots in Asia.

I have no desire to return to the UK - even in a wooden box. Bring on the noise, long-working hours and pollution in HK. For me HK is home and I will aways be grateful for the new life HK gave me. I intend to keep my head down and get my PR.

[Boris]

Boris: Maybe you will appreciate this (or not)...
http://www.metafilter.com/66883/The-...nd-is-silenced

Thanks for that.
I had seen that she had been fired but there was no real detail and this closes the loop. Really good sense of humour.

So I will comment this for you and also Shilo who mentioned the UnderGRIND.

Our KCR/MTR is a jewel and in London's defense is an example of what you can do in the modern age. The UnderGRIND is a relic of the late 1800 - early 1900's so its restriction is the size of the tunnels and most of the lines have Coke can size trains. Its not their fault for that but it suffered a majority of its time underfunded because - and here I go again - through the lack of a national co-oridated travel policy.

Look at Westminster station, its outstanding. Why, because the " you know who's " want a feel good feeling and can take people on tours to say how the rest will look. Well thats true up to a point when, now, some money is being spent.

Lets look at why my eyes role back in disbelief when looking at what we have here ( an example of modern thinking ) to what the owners of the great great grand mother of our MTR have thought up. Platform Train Entry Doors.

Ours go up the the roof and effectively seal the tunnel space from the track. The benefit being that apart from curing the suicide problem, now keeps all the nasty dust out of the station and maximises the efficiency of aircon. A sensible solution.

UnderGRIND Platform Train Entry Doors only go up to 8ft, leaving a humungus space above, if even fitted at all. The nasty stuff from the tunnels just pops over the top and all the station cleaners are left with a job akin to painting the Forth Road Bridge.

Its that sort of short sightedness that makes me scream. As well as all the crap being touted about the Oster card and personal freedoms.

Finally, when your bored on the MTR just look for the making / refirb labels in the carriages.
Originally made by UK firms, because we where then a colony, the refirb and upgrading, after the hand over, was, in the main, done by Australian companies.

Just shows I believe, the thinking here. When you want the best, its a world market. Homeland Brits I am afraid believe that we can do it all and the best way and I think a show of hands might put that thought in the minority.

I appreciate the comments and hopefully it might make a useful thread. Why? Because we should all see what planning and design should be when someone has the guts to actually " do a Mussolini " . If some are mystified by that analogy - he is always lorded for making the trains run on time.