Red Lights, Stop Signs, and You & Me

Well, you and I have both seen them as they drive right through red lights, or just cruise past stop signs as though they weren’t there. What are they thinking? Have you made the same mistakes? I have. I’m embarrassed to say that on more than one occasion I have gone through a red light quite inadvertently. On one of those times a collision was narrowly averted, but only due to the other driver’s vigilance.

I can honestly say that I have never run a stop sign, even those where there is a flashing orange light with stop sign. For those it is intended that you stop then proceed with extreme caution. But those lights that never go to green, but only switch from red to flashing orange can trip a person up. You glance at it and it is flashing orange. Then you focus your attention back to the car in front and you don’t notice that the light has stopped flashing but has gone to non-flashing orange, and then suddenly its on red.

I have run those a couple of times. However, just recently, having learned to keep a close eye on the light I very nearly committed the ultimate faux-pas as I had a Guardia Civil vehicle right behind me when the light suddenly did its trick. I stopped, but more abruptly than I would have preferred. However, I did save myself from a ticket.

With regard to stop signs, I will confess to not always coming to a complete stop with all wheels at standstill, and for a count of three. That’s what Stop! means, but there will be very few of us who do that especially when we can see that we have the all-clear. But, the cameras are watching, and if we don’t come to a complete halt we run the risk of receiving in the mail a demand to pay a fine for our folly.

One final thought: If you are ever tempted to roll off early, before the light actually changes to green, remember that on the cross street there is likely someone who is determined to squeeze the last little bit from the green light that has now changed to red. If the two of you must meet, try not to do so by accident.

Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Gas Pains

On a slow day many petrol stations process on average three vehicles a minute with the normal top-up taking 90- seconds. That is, if the method of payment the customer intends is acceptable to the service station.

It has been discovered that in spite of the wide usage/acceptance of credit/debit cards, not all service station operators accept them. Individual operators are not obliged to accept cards, and that can be a problem in those stations where the customer is not informed before filling up. Consequently, the problem arises at the point of payment. If the customer does not have sufficient cash backup, and there is no cash point machine on premises that will accept his or her card, they will have to leave the car while going off on foot in search of cash.

To confuse matters more, even those stations that do accept cards do not necessarily indicate this anywhere on the premises. Thus, motorists need ask before filling up, or be certain that they have enough cash to cover the purchase. Otherwise a 90-second top-up could very easily become a 90-minute headache.

A great many service stations are now demanding that the customer pay first. That eliminates the above problem but raises another. How many of us can accurately estimate how much petrol we need. My problem tends to be an overestimation, so at the end I have money coming back to me. That means at least two trips to the cashier. The other day I paid and went to the pump, and it failed to start, so on that occasion I made three trips. One thing’s for certain, the companies don’t care about the inconvenience to me.

Having said all that, the thing that ticks me off the most is if there’s a really good price per litre and I underestimate how much I need, I end up driving away not completely filled to the brim. Does that bother you too?


Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael

How Not to do Road Repairs

I do not get pleasure from complaining or criticizing, but sometimes the frustration level rises so high as to just make you blow your top.

My pet peeve concerns Roads Work and Management. There is so much that one can point a finger at as to be overwhelming, but this week I saw something that was so bad that I was driven to my keyboard to let off steam.

In the Community of Valencia there is a region called the Camp de Turia, and three small towns sit next to one another as neighbours. There is the town of Pedralba, which serves as my town; and next to us further up river is the town of Bugarra, and farther on, Gestalger. These towns are connected by a very narrow ribbon of road that has become increasingly overcrowded in both volume of traffic, as well as size of vehicles.

Just prior to the March, 2008 elections the Valencian government promised that a long awaited by-pass road around Pedralba would get underway. In fact, there will be two by-passes to convey traffic around the town as it approaches from either of two directions. Certain sections of the road between Pedralba and Bugarra will be widened and hairpin bends eliminated.

So far, all of this is very welcome news as at present all of this very heavy traffic travels directly through the town of Pedralba, shaking the plaster from walls, and in some cases very high trucks have collided with balconies. The situation has become intolerable.

The thing that has got me upset is that for a lot of people what has been a ten minute drive will be turned into a 45 minute nightmare as the plan is to cut access between Pedralba and Bugarra along the existing road. The entire project may take as long as nine months, or more, but one would hope that the road will not be closed for that entire length of time. There are many houses in between, and a business or two and several farmer’s fields.

What annoyed me so much was to see the signs go up notifying of the closure of the road and advising the detour route. These signs were up and in plain sight of motorist who would have gone the long way round, while the shorter road continued to be open. After a couple of days the signs were covered up with black plastic, and will only be uncovered during those periods when it is necessary to actually close the road for temporary periods.

By displaying the signs falsely and causing the motoring public to take long and unnecessary detours did not seem to be of any concern to the road bosses. How do these people think, or more to the point, are they capable of rational thought?

I shudder to realize that these are the same people responsible for the design and construction of the very roads that we commit ourselves to get about safely. Somehow, anyone who can be capable of such cavalier attitudes and disregard of the motoring public can hardly be trusted for our safety.


Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael

We call this An Accident?

An English language newspaper reported that an English couple seemed to have been involved in “ A Macabre Accident.”

It seems that they become entangled with a young motorcyclist who was first struck by another car coming in the opposite direction, and he was then struck by the English couple’s car travelling in the counter direction, and his clothing was caught on their car. So far it appears that they were not at fault in this very sad tale, but then, inexplicably they carried on for two kilometres dragging the unfortunate child. Finally, they were seen by CCTV camera taking a manoeuvre to shake the child from their car, before carrying on.

All the while the young man was still alive, dying later from his injuries. I have a 17 year-old son who rides a motorcycle, and this is really too difficult to think about. I am trying to have empathy with his parents and family.

Investigating officers later determined that the couple were trying to change the license plates to their car.

Firstly, I maintain that there can be but one true accident, that being when a wild animal enters the roadway unexpectedly. Otherwise, the accident can normally be avoided or blame laid at the door of someone, including bad road design, faulty maintenance or design, or just plain other human error.

Of course, this case has not yet been prosecuted and we have not heard all the facts, but if the truth is broadly that as reported we are being faced with one of the most inhuman acts that could be perpetrated by one “human” to another.

I am outraged that someone who is English could take such an action. Hundreds of people have responded by attending this young 17 year old’s funeral, thereby demonstrating their concern for a young life lost in such a tragic manner. It would be fitting, I think for a major response from the English community in Spain to hold some form of demonstration to reassure our Spanish hosts that such action on the part of English nationals, if proved to be true, is certainly not supported, and in fact is roundly condemned.

We, the general public are somewhat complicit however, for as long as we continue to call cases such as this one “an accident” we excuse all those acts that occur on the road that are in reality manslaughter, or suicides/murder.

Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael