Interesting. My view is that it'll only take a handful of people to tell
a
few of their friends (and for the word to be passed around) that it
really
wasn't that bad at all, and before you know it, loads of people will be
jamming the area.

And before you knew it, they already were.

It was hell getting back today, he says, with solid queues all the way
from Chiswick roundabout through Hammersmith.

Was that along the A315 or the A4?

I was delivering in London late in the afternoon - got to Chiswick (just off
Sutton Court Road north of the A4) at 5:25pm, and had no problems whatsoever
coming in from the M4. The A4 looked clear as far as I could see Eastbound.
I then had deliveries at Vauxhall Cross and Southwark Bridge Road, and went
via Grove Park/Chiswick Bridge/Mortlake/Barnes/Putney Bridge/New Kings
Road/Embankment, instead of risking the A4. Sounds like I made the right
choice. Also quite chuffed in that I got from Southwark Bridge Road to
Edgware in 45 minutes.

Peter