How Things Work
'How Things Work' is our creative, catch-all title for our collection of articles which don't form part of the main database. They attempt to provide some background information about different aspects of motorway services, and a little bit about how they work.
Visitors to this section should also look at History, which pays particular attention to closed, unbuilt and the oldest services.
The Basics
Our first section examines the topics which we get asked about a lot. It's by far the best place to start!
- Biggest and Busiest
- Smallest and Quietest
- Opening Hours
- How Many Services Are There?
- How Services Are Located
- How Services Are Named
- Timeline: Oldest and Newest
- Facilities:
Information and Guidance
- Parking
A general guide to how parking works at services, answering some of the most common questions. - Why are services so expensive?
A look at the other side of the coin as to why services are so expensive, and a few tips to get the better of them. - Professional Drivers
Information written specifically for coaches and HGV drivers, listing some of the offers available to them. - MSA Policy (Regulations)
An explanation of how services are regulated and how the policy on them has changed over the years. - Road Signs
A non-technical guide to the different road signs used and who is responsible for them. - Terminology
A collection of pages which explain the meaning of various technical and unofficial terms relating to motorway services.
Lists and Analysis
- Best and Worst
Across the site we ask you to rate different service stations, and here you can see how they all stack up alongside each other. - How To Design A Service Station
A look at how service station design has evolved, and what the key factors in new service station design are. - MOT Numbers
A list of the working titles given to the original service stations. Spot the gaps in the pattern! - Mobile Apps
A look at the different discount and information apps offered to help and persuade motorway users. - Category:Old Pubs
Many modern A-road services have adopted a building which pre-dates the road network as we would recognise it. This page lists them. - Postcards
Motorway services originally sold promotional postcards - find the best of them here. - Services on TV
A list of services which have played a significant role in a TV show (previously this information was spread out over all the trivia sections). - Services which have burnt down
A list of services which have been reported to have caught fire. - Services which have changed names
An automatically-generated list of services which have changed names. - Rear Access
A list of all the services with a 'secret exit', as well as information on what these things are and who can use them.