Cars at Durham?

I will hopefully be getting a car soon but which one I get depends on what I want to do with it, either take it to uni or leave it at home.

I was going to leave it at home because Surrey to Durham is a very long drive and Durham it a small city so you can walk everywhere can't you?
But then a friend said I'll be taking so much with me I'll need to drive to get my stuff there at the start of term, I wouldn't get it all in one suitcase for a plane or train journey. So,

Is it worth having a car in Durham?

Is it a nightmare trying to carry all your stuff on the train (I have to change at King's Cross which involves a short walk across a few roads) and would it fit the luggage allowance on a plane?

Reply 1

Samuel Duncan

dont bother,
a) you need a permit to have one (yes i know thats really weird, but the uni doesnt allow every student to have one).
b) durham is small
c) parking is a nightmare
d) err...
e) thats it.

Reply 2

silver~planet

1

My friend's brother took his car to Durham to begin with and ended up thinking it was far much more hassle than it was worth, and left it at home after the first term I think.
If you can leave stuff in your room over holidays you could just make a car trip up the first time you go and be done with it.

Reply 3

dobbs

17

Surely if you're a resident within the congestion area they can't charge you?! That's a bit annoying lol!

But yeah...don't even bother with a car, there's simply no point, and they don't actually LET you bring one unless you have a good reason (i.e. disabled or it directly relates to your course)

Bring a bike - they're a great way of getting around :biggrin:

Reply 4

dobbs

17

Seriously, I don't want to know what you were up to last night.

I was in bed by 7.30pm :smile:

Reply 5

katini

I have a car in Durham. There are several reasons for this but all I ever use it for is social committee stuff and trips to Tescos. And of course coming home. There's no need to have one unless you do sports, have an injury/disability or require one for committee use.

You need to apply for a permit to have one and the likelihood of you getting a permit as a first year liver in is very very small. There's no point having a car at all if you live in a bailey college either.

Reply 6

morals_officer

9

I live next door to tescos, which kind of invalidates any need of "car-age". I honestly don't think one's necesarry up here anyhow. It's a tiny city and such. Also, I glide everywhere on a cushion of air. It's grand.

Also, you don't need a car for committee use, you nonce. That's just making up unnecesarry justification for fuining our lovely city with your dratted smog.

Reply 7

katini

morals_officer

Also, you don't need a car for committee use, you nonce. That's just making up unnecesarry justification for fuining our lovely city with your dratted smog.

That's a bit harsh. How else would we get stuff like 250 bottles of wine back from the wholesalers? Or large quantities of soft drinks and spirits for cocktails? How would people get to random places to pick up stuff for decs etc?

Reply 8

dobbs

17

I've never used (or seen) the nightbus lol....probably will do next year when I'm living in Gilesgate though. And what do you mean about the ace bus service in Durham? We get like 1 bus an hour coming down South Road past Trevs going to town!

Then again...coming from where you come from, a bus a month would seem like an "ace bus service" lol :p:

Reply 9

SammyD

OP

7

Thanks, I'm definately not going to take a car. One of the things I really liked about Durham was that you don't need a car, everything is in walking distance, it wasn't until my friends said I'd need one to get my stuff there that I even considered it. And I'm sure my parents will drive me up there at the start of term.

Reply 10

dobbs

17

I wouldn't be friends with my parents if they didn't drive me down to Durham! I seriously wouldn't fit everything I had into stuff to take on a train - and I don't know anyone else who would!

You can leave stuff here during the Christmas and Easter vacations too so don't worry about hauling everything back and forwards then....just at start of October and then end of June :smile:

Reply 11

dobbs

17

Yay, I can't wait for next year - no more walking back up the hill to Trevs after a night out....just get a bus! Lazyness here i come :biggrin:

Reply 12

raceybo

doesn't the number 5 and 6 run every fifteen minutes past the hill colleges into town?

bloody hope so - relying on them next year when i'm a pgce living at aidans - the prospect of walking to hildbede daily is NOT appealling! :redface:

Reply 13

dobbs

17

Every 15minutes??? I'm sure it's not that often lol!

Maybe it's *meant* to be, but I don't think I see them that often. Though saying that, I don't watch the road every 15mins. Hmmm....oh well :rolleyes:

Becca...you seriously couldn't think about getting a bus back from town to Viaduct! Or even a taxi! Viaduct practically IS town lol! Getting back from the DSU on the other hand....that's gonna be fun :p:

Reply 14

AdamC

Collingwood won't let me bring my car this term, despite perfectly good reasons for JCR Committee, which actually make a lot of sense. So if you just want a car, you have no chance, unelss other colleges are more relaxed over the whole thing.

Reply 15

dobbs

17

What kind of reasons do you need a car for being on the JCR Committee? Seriously? Do you mean on the Exec? Even if you do...I don't see why you need a car - you can walk everywhere around Durham and if you want to be nominated to get onto a JCR/Exec position then you should expect to be giving time up for walking places or getting public transport - a JCR position should not (and therefore does not) require a car!

:rolleyes:

Reply 16

katini

dobbs

What kind of reasons do you need a car for being on the JCR Committee? Seriously? Do you mean on the Exec? Even if you do...I don't see why you need a car - you can walk everywhere around Durham and if you want to be nominated to get onto a JCR/Exec position then you should expect to be giving time up for walking places or getting public transport - a JCR position should not (and therefore does not) require a car!

:rolleyes:

Did you read my post? Some committees need the use of a car for specific activities- such as buying stuff in bulk etc.

Reply 17

AdamC

dobbs

What kind of reasons do you need a car for being on the JCR Committee? Seriously? Do you mean on the Exec? Even if you do...I don't see why you need a car - you can walk everywhere around Durham and if you want to be nominated to get onto a JCR/Exec position then you should expect to be giving time up for walking places or getting public transport - a JCR position should not (and therefore does not) require a car!

:rolleyes:

I'm Shop Treasurer. There's lots of things, like buying stock, transporting stock, safely taking money to the bank without getting mugged on the way.

Heres another example; Tech and Lighting Crews have huge amps, gear and stuff to transport all over the place. Again, a car is extremely useful.

Reply 18

dobbs

17

I'm on the Trevs shop committee....and none of us (there are 5) need a car. I think thats a poor excuse for needing a car - buy stock through suppliers, get it delivered, and I doubt that you'd get mugged on the way down to the bank unless you went via Prebends Bridge at 2am :rolleyes:

Also - although cars can be "extremely useful" - they are not a necessity, maybe in a large city they'd be OK, but it's Durham, and I think that we as students should be aware of the problems of traffic in Durham and figure out other ways around it rather than complaining that we need cars.

Cars at Durham?

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