MERRY CHRISTMAS! If you can.

Christmas Day, 2011






Here in Spain we have awakened to a simply lovely Christmas day. We are having our traditional Christmas Day high where the sun is out in all its glory, the wind is nil, there are no clouds in the sky, and all is right with the world.


If you have to go anywhere today, please drive carefully. On this day we are celebrating a birthday and most people are having a wonderful and very fragile experience.


So this is just to wish each and everyone, together with your families a truly glorious day. Let nothing spoil the mood, and the world over should be free from tragedies of any kind.


Merry Christmas to All!



Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Christmas is a Terrible Time to Die!

Do you believe in Santa Claus?




If you, as a rational and wise person had complete control of your life, would you choose to die in the midst of Christmas, or Hanakah, or Kwanza celebrations?


I think the answer would be, "Certainly not!" These holiday times are for spreading peace, love, happiness and goodwill throughout the world. The same is the case for other religious celebrations and for things such as the American Thanksgiving Day, National holidays, family birthdays, family vacations, and all other times during the year that are intended for relaxing and having a good time. I don't think you would deliberatly make your family miserable during those times.


Consider the merits of the time to pay your taxes. Would that work for you?


There will be people who will get in or on their means of transportation this end of year celebrations, and they will leave their intelligence and responsibility behind and go and kill themselves and other people as well. I have never understood such insanity. The best I can do is attribute such actions to a very high level of stupidity. If a person is that stupid he should be consigned to walking as he will be manifestly too irresponsible to be in charge of something like a car.


For these coming celebrations when we are going to and fro to visit friends and family, and to dine in restaurants, one person must assume the role of designated driver, and he, or she must assume the responsibility of ensuring that the family will survive the holidays safely. That is a very serious task. The police cannot do this for us, we are in charge of this part of our destiny.


So, from me to you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakuh, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays!


May the New Year give you and your family the golden gift of Good Health and Good Cheer!



Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Car for Car the Most expensive crash in History

A Tsunami of Ferraris

I look at these pictures and I make a face like sucking lemons

I'm sure everyone reacted as I did when I heard of the crash in Japan of all those top flight cars. Involuntarily I went "WoW!" Followed by, "Oh my God!" The pictures were even more heartbreaking. To see eight Ferraris, three Mercedes a Lambourgini, a Nissan Skyline Gt-R, and a Toyoto Prius in such a state almost made my knees buckle. From my point of view I was seeing the incident as the worst nightmare of any and all aficianados from any club.

Imagine this: every person who has a top flight car or motorcycle will treasure it and treat it like nothing else. In my current case I have a black shiny Jaguar Sovereign that is sitting in my garage, under a cover. There was a time when I had a GoldWing motorcycle. I know of people who only bring their Goldwings, or Harleys outside if the sun is shining. Otherwise, they are parked in the house, under cover.

Once in a while we get together and go for a run. The mood is happy. We get all dressed up in our special gear, we spend even more time in polishing our motor, and we go off in strictly disciplined regimen. We observe all traffic laws; sometimes we even have police escorts. It's a day out, a time to be seen and for good camarderie. The absolutely worst thing that could happen is to have a crash that destroyed fourteen vehicles.

There was one time when I was on a run with the Essex GoldWing Club. We were over 250 bikes and riding under police supervision. As my section was passing one of the exits a car came out fulling expecting to merge. At the last moment, before he would have ploughed into us he came to a screeching halt. He missed me by inches.

In the crash in Japan ten of the drivers were taken to hospital, not, I suspect because they were hurt, but when the gravity of what had happened finally sunk in, it was better that they were in the hospital to have their heart attacks.

I know ladies, you are all shaking your heads and wondering out loud about Men! It's a guy thing and I know, we're so silly at times, but then, we're just guys.

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

A Rock in the Road

I was driving along a two lane road, heading uphill just after the sun had set. Up ahead I could see that a car had pulled off to the side at an angle with part of the vehicle still in our lane. Cars ahead of me were pulling around him, but they seemed to be going well out of their way. I found out to my surprise why that was. There was a huge boulder sitting in the middle of the lane, and I was headed straight for it. I swerved violently to the left, striking the tapered end of it, and my car flew up in the air, causing a little damage to my undercarriage.

The car behind me saw what had happened and stopped in front of the stone and presumably secured the situation until the police arrived. That is what I would have done had I seen the rock in time. All this because some idiot trucker was proceeding along with an unsafe load. A motorcyclist would have been killed had he run into that rock.

That got me to thinking about being surprised by things in the road that we are not expecting. I wondered how often this sort of thing might happen, and perhaps there might be a website dedicated to these events. I found http://www.truckspills.com/. I also got far more than I expected.

There were sixty-three entries, and basically, anything that you can imagine that is carried by road, has ended up in the road. In my mind the most horryfying was a load of alligators that were thrown into the road because the truck crashed. As you can see from the above picture, how would you like to have been confronted by the image of several alligators facing you. On the light side, they were already dead and frozen.

A happy and exciting situation to suddenly drive into was the siht of bags of money lying all over the place, and people engaged in a free for all trying to scoop it all up. Or, there were all those scratch and claim lottery tickets flying about in the wind after the truck carrying them caught fire.

We know that something strange is happening in the Bee world that is causing a shortage of bees. That is making it necessary to transport bees from one location to another, and in two accidents twelve, and fourteen million bees were released onto the highway. That's a lot of very pissed off bees.

In Colombia, South America a truck rolled over on its side, spilling cocaine that had been nicely wrapped and stored in its side and roof. The report said that the driver was not injured, but we can bet he was still killed.

Beer, fruit, animals, both live and dead, molasses, vodka, a Tomahawk Missile, a massive ship engine that fell off the truck onto cars, and sunk into the road; and perhaps most peculiar of all, a modular house that was being carried on a flatbed, tipped over backwards on an uphill area that had the driver staring straight up into the sky.

What a fascinating visit that was to http://www.truckspills.com/ that was for me, and a wake up call to never let my guard down. Next time when something up ahead is happening that I am unable to be absolutely certain about, I will slow down.

You never know what it might be. It could turn out to be something that just sucks the breath out of you.

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Driving Blind

Traffic! Who needs it?



Having driven for close to 55 years I finally had my worst nightmare behind the wheel. I was caught in a torrential rainstorm in the city, in a traffic jam, at night, in conditions in which I just could not see where I was in the street. My car windows continually fogged up, and I could not pull over to the side, where ever that was, to stop.


My airconditioning system would only work on hot, so I made steam in the car, and I had an idea that there was traffic behind me only because their lights blinded me. At one point, we were on a roundabout with apparently a bus, or something to my right, signified only by a tiny yellow light, and to my left some clown in a car was pushing me towards the bus/something. Choose: would I rather hit the bus/something or the car? I chose the car. In the event I struck neither, but that was a bit of luck.


The rain was driving down relentlessly, I was wipìng the front windscreen constantly, and that gave me a little bit of vision out the front, and I continued forward on instinct. Finally I got a brilliant idea. Open the bloody windows! Sure the rain came in, but the cloud in the windows lifted and I could actually see to the side and forward, and even behind. Wonderful!


I eventually got to my destination safely, but exhausted and a bit wet. I had to contemplate the return journey which was more than a terrible thought, but when the time came it had stopped raining. That I survived that experience without a scratch means that there is someone watching over me who has my very best interests at heart. Thank you Guardian Angel!


It has stopped raining for about five days and the car seats are still a little squishy, but the car will survive, and I might add it will be a little cleaner because after all, it was only water. Its a Volvo and that's one tough car. It's the nightmares that are slow to go away. I cannot understand why the situation in my dreams has to be so much worse than in reality.


On the bright side, I must be one hell of a driver to drive on instincts without even touching anything. I consider that a very good testament. I wonder if I can put that on my driving CV?


Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Caramichael

Multiple Vehicle Pile-ups!

A Tsunami of Ignorance


Every now and then we read about road crashes involving some insane number of vehicles, some involving less than a hundred, but sometimes more than a hundred are involved. I think China holds the record for some shocking number that came to a sticky end.


I was trying to imagine what it must be like to be in the midst of all of that sort of thing. I have no doubt that there are some of you who have been a victim, so you will be the experts. I have been very lucky so far, plus I think my style of driving might have saved me from the experience.


These events seem to grow out of very dangerous driving weather situations. I have found myself in such situations, particularly in Canada. The one thing that seems to be at work that contributes to massive wrecks is sheer stupidity. If we are driving in exceptionally heavy rain or fog, or blizzard conditions, common sense demands that we slow down, and stop along the side of the road if we have to.


Well no! These conditions tends to bring out every imbecile on the planet. None of us can see the road ahead, so what the hell are the drivers doing who pass you by going at top speed as though it's a sunny day. Of course they are kamikazes looking for a place to crash. The first time I found myself in a snow blizzard I was in Canada on my way to the airport to catch a plane.Other drivers scared me so much that the first motel I could see I pulled into their parking lot and went to bed. I lived to catch the plane another day.


To run into vehicles ahead that have crashed into one another, then to have other vehicles crash into my car, and to hear the bedlam go on and on, locking me into a big scrap heap of metal and injured bodies for hours and hours is my idea of a living hell. There will be as many stories as there are people who survive to tell them, but the fact is that these events are traceable to sheer human stupidity. If I had the power, when I see people being so irresponsible I would incapacitate them so they could no longer pose a threat to other humans.


Sometimes, my fellow human beings tax my patience to the limit!


Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Careful on the Roundabout

IT'S A DANGEROUS WORLD OUT THERE!



The Roundabout would be one of the truly great inventions if only us people who use them had the slightest idea of what we were doing. It has always been my practise to use my indicators to signal my intention. Lately I have become lazy and over confident, and sure enough a person on my left decided he wanted to go right, and tried to do so. That brought him and I within a very close distance apart, as I was going left.


The problem with Spanish roads is that lane discipline is lacking. Drivers here have never heard of the term in any language, so it is not uncommon for some airhead in the extreme left lane to decide that he wants to go right, and he actually thinks there will be nothing wrong with cutting across several lanes to do so.


When we, as drivers decide to do something stupid we pull out all the stops. Our actions will turn out to be jaw droppingly stupid, in the same manner as standing in front of a raging bull.


Welcome to Spain!


When next using a Roundabout, remember lane discipline, and indicate where you intend to go; and keep a keen eye for all those idiots who are out to get you.


Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Moto GP Madness

Bikers on the Move

If its the first weekend in November it must be Moto GP time in Valencia. People converge from, quite literally, all over the world for this event. Naturally the racing track of Ricardo Torno de Cheste features front and centre, and what takes place there is religious worship. The very small town of Cheste goes from being a little village to more than 200,000 people.


I live next door in the pueblo of Pedralba. I have owned motorcycles all of my life, so naturally people think I'm a petrolhead. The gathering of so many bikes and people is electric, but the fact is that I do not attend the races. Any activity where people are almost certain to become seriously injured because the danger level is ultra-high, I do not consider entertainment.


I have watched the bikes going round the track at speeds that are breathtaking, and the riders have to lay the bike down so low I can't understand why the bike just doesn't simply fall to the ground. From time to time riders and bikes do part company, and in most cases the guys get up and walk away. However, we know that the sport is incredibly dangerous because a few unlucky guys make the point through very serious injury, and even death.


The weather is beastly for this year's event, which in a way demonstrates the mood. At the forefront of everyone's thinking will be No. 58, Marco Simoncelli, who as we all know lost his life in a recent race. The Cheste event will be a homage to him, but life, and the races will go on, as it does. We can only hope that there will be fewer casualities in the future.


For me. the loss of this young man's life is my worst expectation and the reason I stay away from such races. But, that's just me. I don't expect to change anything.


Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Raising the Speed Limit.

The Demon of Speed

Britain's Transport Secretary is proposing raising the speed limit of the motorways of England and Wales. His argument is that to do so will speed up productivity and bring the U.K. into line with other countries in Europe. The motorway limit is currently 70 mph. He wants to take it up to 80. He admits that he is aware that most people ignore the 70 limit to drive faster, so if that's the case leave things as they are, because you can be certain that if the limit is moved higher drivers will ignore that and drive even faster.

He cites the fact that car manufacturers are making ever more safer cars that can better handle the higher speeds, but what about the drivers. The U.K. death rate has steadily fallen by 75% as things currently are. These are not just statistics, these are more people surviving the driving experience. That translates into more families intact and fewer cases of human misery. That is a very good thing. Why then would anyone propose measures that might interfere with such good news?

An excess of speed is almost always present in tragedies. Consider the fact that a child, when struck by a car travelling at 40mph almost always dies. A child struck by a car at 20 mph almost always lives.

There is also the psycological aspect against raising the limit. At present when entering the motorway you don't have the sense that I have to get way up to speed really fast because the traffic is coming at blinding speed. But, here in Spain, where the limit is 75 mph (120 kph) you know that everybody is bearing down on you at incredibly fast speeds of 90 to 100 mph, and you have to put the foot down. Even drivers here are realising that is much too fast and the trend is for drivers to slow down to less than the limit.

Limits in the U.K. are presently 30 mph in built-up areas; 60 on single lane roads; 70 on dual carriage and motorways.

Mr. Transport Secretary, for God's sake, leave well enough alone!

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

W-T-F!!!

The white van approaches and can clearly see the child in the middle of the street


On Monday, October 17th, 2011, CNN introduced a video that was shot in China. The station were appalled by what had happened. Maybe you will be too:


A two-year old girl, a child, was walking in an alleyway on her own when a white van came along and knocked her down. She had wandered away from her parents who were both working. The driver was aware what had happened and stopped immediately. He apparently looked and saw that the girl was laying between his right front wheel and the back wheel on the ground. She was bleeding and in a lot of pain. He realised that he had run over her with the front wheel. Without doing anything else he promptly drove over her with the rear wheel and drove off.


What kind of callous bastard was this despicable person?


The story does not end there.


The child lay on the ground for ten minutes while EIGHTEEN people walked over her, around her, cycled past and not a soul did anything to help her. Another larger truck came along and drove over her leg, as though she was an animal that was road kill. Finally a middle aged person came along and organised help. (I saw the entire tape on Spanish TV.)


CNN could not understand the thinking of any of the people who passed this child by, so they interviewed a psycologist to try and understand what we had seen. He was worse than no help to us at all because, although he agreed that people did not respond as we would have expected them, he was quick to urge us not to be judgemental because "we could not know what was going through their minds at the time."


I don't have to know, although we can be certain it was not one humanity-like thought of kindness or responsibility toward their fellow humans. World-wide, throughout human society there is what is right, and what is wrong. In this case there were no gray areas. This was a child who was gravely hurt and for far too long, not one person stopped to assist.


Now, before we rush to a conclusion that indictes Chinese culture, and before we go on about how low in esteem little girls are there, let's take a moment to note that in London and in New York people have been robbed, knifed, shot, and they have lay on the sidewalk with people also stepping over them. In fact, so many people live on the sidewalk that it is such a common sight that they are seen and not seen.


Would I have responded as a proper human being had I been there, either as the driver or as a person on the street? I can't see any other answer than that of course I would have acted to get the child to hospital as quickly as possible, together with her parents.


To do nothing, especially as we are talking about a child in distress, is so out of the question for me that I can't even begin to understand how another person could be so stone cold.



Later in the week the child succumbed to her overwhelming injuries and died.


I have a wish for each and every one of the eighteen persons who passed her by without helping: May your turn come soon to feel what the little girl felt. And may you die a thousand deaths before the world is finally rid of you!


Bastards!

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Some thoughts on Travelling

Laughter. Better than medicine

I was reading some Quotes by people on travelling that you may find amusing:

Phyllis Diller, Comedian, said that she can't imagine why anyone would give her a driving licence. She got two tickets for offences on her written test.

A man walks into a bar in Ireland and asks the barman what's the quickest way to get to Dublin.

The barman says, "Are you walking or driving?" I´m driving, says the man. Well, replied the barman, that's the quickest way.

Bumper sticker seen on a car: "Mother-in-Law in boot."

Rodney Dangerfield said that his wife had her driving test recently. She got 8 out of ten. The other two guys jumped clear.

Henny Youngman said that his wife called to say the car wouldn't start because it had water in the carburettor. How do you know that?

She said, "The car's in the lake."

Denis Norden was given a parking ticket. He asked the policeman what do I do with this? The policeman said, "Keep it. If you manage to collect three of them you get a bicycle."

Mark Twain said that you should get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you survive.

I was asked if I wanted to be upgraded to Business Class on the airplane. I asked, "Will I have to play golf?"

Talk about bad luck. Roger Miller had an uncle who was afraid to fly, so he took the train. A plane fell on it.

Life's funny. Don't forget to notice and laugh.

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Drunk, or on Drugs, or Stupid

Drunk, or on Drugs, or Plain stupid, but probably all of the above.

While driving along a two-lane country road, a grey Opal, number 4585 plus three letters came up behind me as we were travelling through a slow zone. but the minute the driver could do so he overtook me, tooting his horn in a manner that seemed to me that he was berating me.

I then noticed that he was driving in an erratic manner while doing about 80 kph. Next he caught up with a cyclist in a no-overtaking zone. He slowed right down behind the cyclist and engaged his hazard lights, and generally acted like a responsible driver. By this time I had caught up with him, and as soon as it was safe to overtake he did so, and I followed suit.

We were again doing 80 kph when I noticed he started to do very strange things behind the wheel. He was flailing his arms about, causing the car to swerve back and forwards across the road because he was not controlling the steering wheel. He was alone in the car, but I don't know if he was talking on a hands-free telephone. I decided to drop well back as not to be too close in the event he was about to crash.

He then seemed to notice that I had dropped back, at which time he applied his hazard lights again and slowed down to walking speed. As I came closer he sped up then dropped his speed, and I took those actions to be a provocation to me. I'm sure had I tried to overtake him he would have made that impossible.

I therefore pulled off the road and watched him go ahead at a snail's pace. I waited until other traffic came along. Fortunately it was a long line of cars and they started honking their horns which resulted in him speeding up and then he was gone.

This was at noonday, so what could have been his excuse for being on the road at that time in a condition that was inappropriate, other than he was drunk, on drugs or stupid? In my opinion he most likely was all three of those things combined.

One of the reasons for such an unacceptable high death rate on Spanish roads are drivers just like the one highlighted here.

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Summer's Over 2011

Summer Driving

We have had a lovely Summer this year, here in Spain, in so far as the weather is concerned, but as we come to the end of the period we are left asking how did we do on the road?

The short answer is that we did better than last year. Road traffic deaths in Spain have declined from a high of about 7,500 many years ago, to the present annual level that we can only hope will be well under 2000 by the end of this year.

A person could be excused for thinking that we are talking about a war report. we are only talking about what happened when people went to the supermarket or on holiday. Spain is a far cry from Afganistan or Iraq. When we apply for our driving licenses we are not entering into a contract to commit suicide, but that is what happens so often. Granted that the mix of testosterone and gasoline is volatile, but add a pinch of common sense and it can be controlled.

It has been reported that 321 fewer people lost their lives overall on the roads during Summer driving, and that is very welcome news. Why people choose to kill themselves and others during holiday times is quite beyond me. It doesn't have to be that way. However, as a group drivers on Spanish roads are becoming more responsible because as the death toll shrinks the number of drivers has massively increased from about 1.5 million to the present 30 million.

We have become a lot more responsible, particularly in the area of not driving when intoxicated and this is being reflected in decreases year after year. Simple things like an agreement between my wife and myself before attending a party as to who will drive home make all the difference. That person is the designated driver, and the other is the designated drinker.

We will live to enjoy another day, so that seems very fair to me.

Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael,

The Tragedy of Tragedies

The Tragedy of Tragedies-Too sad for words.

Recently a car left the road at very high speed and rolled several times and plunged down an embankment, killing two occupants, and injuring for life the third. Those people were on their way home having spent the night at a bar. It is probably fair to assume that alcohol played a major role in the loss of control, added to perhaps sleepiness as well.

I want to be sensitive in what I am going to say about this crash, because the driver of the car and one of the female passengers were brother and sister. They were killed.

The only good thing that can be said is that no other member of the public was injured or killed outside of those in the car.

Not one parent needs prompting to think about what it must be like to be the parents of those two lost souls. Your children go out for the evening together for a night of entertainment, and later the police, come knocking at your door to tell you that both of them are dead awakens you. That they died under circumstances that were entirely avoidable only makes it worse.

I am angry as hell that the driver of that car caused such a result, and I am angry that he placed other members of the public in danger owing to his irresponsibility. They have personally paid the ultimate price, and I know that they are not the only people to have behaved in such a manner, but that is precisely the point of this essay. I appeal to other drivers to take note.

If you drink alcohol or take drugs and drive, especially while you are sleepy you cannot later claim that the results of your actions are unintended consequences. It will not be enough to stand with a long face and say that you are sorry, because it is a fact that you are both a very sorry and pathetic cretin. I was young once, and with the Grace of God I never harmed anyone through acting so foolishly, but I have to take a strong stand to point out that each of us are responsible for our own actions. No-one else can take the blame.

So, once again, when you go out for the evening and there is a car involved, someone has to be the designated driver. That person abstains absolutely from drinking or taking anything that will impair his judgement.

Period !!!!!!!!


Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Dumb and his Sister Dumber

Dumb and his Sister Dumber -Too much of the Wacky Weed!

You just can’t make up a story like this. It has to be true.

The local Spanish newspaper, Levante, reported the following:

A local policeman on patrol on his motorcycle, noticed a fairly large van parked in a place in the city centre that was clearly marked “No Parking.” Because the vehicle was so large it was causing difficulties for passing traffic. The patrolman stopped to see whose van it was, and he took a look in the back window panel, and practically had a heart attack. The van was completely full of marijuana plants. He called for backup!

While several policemen milled around the van, a man and a woman came walking out of a bar where they had stopped to have a coffee. “Hey, fellas, what’s all the fuss?”

“You have parked your van in a no-parking zone and it is causing great difficulties.”

“Oh! Sorry about that!” said Dumb.

“But your van is completely full of marijuana plants, from what we can see,” said the officer.

Dumber piped up: “Oh, those are for our own use.”

“A whole freaking van full!!!!!! Madre Mia!

The police have confiscated the van and the Mary Jane, and they are thinking about it. Dumb and Dumber may actually get their drugs and van back. They will have to pay a fine for illegal parking.

Only in España!

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Tomatina 2011

Tomatina Ketchup 2011

The Spanish town of Buñol has successfully held another of its crazy events that fascinates people from around the world. The most amazing thing about this is that to the best of my knowledge there has never been a death arising from the madness.

I am writing this as a motoring topic because it takes place in one street that is only about four short blocks long, and it is a single one way lane that is barely wide enough for a large truck to pass through.

Add to that, about forty thousand people crowd into the street and get totally out of their minds, but not necessarily on alcohol. The reason we say that there are about forty thousand people is because this is the maximum number of people that can squeeze into the area.

As a lead-in to the arrival of the tomatoes the crowd gets hosed down with water to avoid heat stroke. Then the most dangerous thing takes place as the most massive trucks arrive filled to the top with tomatoes. This year has been a very good year for the tomato crops, being very large and sweet and juicy, that you might mistake them for fruit.

The truck enters the street at the far end, led by guides on foot, and it has to make its way down the entire length of the road that is so full of people that for individuals to move out of the way is very difficult as there is no place to go. The lower sides of the trucks are boarded up so as to make it difficult for people to fall under the wheels. However, when the tomatoes start flying the street becomes a slush of ketchup that make it almost impossible to stand up.

To make matters worse the truck will tip out the last half of its contents, people and all, and while this is all done in slow motion the danger level in the minds of health and safety people is off the scale. This routine is repeated five times.

It is a modern miracle that no one has been hurt or killed in the Tomatina, but when it comes to Spanish festivals, it they aren’t late at night, or incredibly loud, or totally good naturedly violent or deadly dangerous, what would be the point?

Who paid for the 120,000 kilograms of tomatoes?

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Running out of Petrol

Running out of Petrol

Over 15,000 people in the U.K. ran out of fuel on the motorway during a one year period. It turns out that as part of these hard economic times people find themselves strapped for cash and consequently instead of asking to be filled up they ask for five or ten pounds.

Running out of fuel is not considered a legitimate breakdown reason. If you call one of the services to bring you fuel they will apply a premium charge, and should the police stop to determine what the problem is they will charge you with having committed an offence. The simple fact is that breaking down on the highway is a dangerous matter , and as drivers we have no excuse should we allow that to happen to us because of a lack of fuel.

So, what is it with women drivers who are most likely to run out of petrol? Lately I have seen two women filling their stationary cars with fuel from Jerry cans. My wife has encouraged me to drive our car with a fuel level that was very close to empty. To her credit one of those times was when we were taking back our hire car. They say we should bring the car back empty because any fuel that is left is our gift to them.

The culprit here is the car hire company and the governing authority for allowing them to press customers into driving on as little fuel as possible. There was a time when they required that you bring the car back with a full tank. That made much more sense. That way, they gave it to you in a full condition and you brought it back the same way.

The second time my wife had let her fuel run right down and we were driving late at night when most, if not all filling stations were closed. We were going from one station to the next and finding that none were open, and all the while using precious fuel. Finally we came to a self-serve station that is open 24 hours a day. As we were driving along a flat surface the car starting making noises as though it was starved for fuel. Fortunately, I was able to glide up to the pump. More fortunate still, it was in working order.

Women seem to have “a thing” about the gas gauge and the weight machine. They have a difficult time believing either of them. Men, under normal circumstances start to panic when the gauge gets to the half way mark. I only feel comfortable when my gauge is showing full. That seems to be a man thing.

So, apart from men and women things, remember that allowing your vehicle to simply run out of petrol is not only the cause for great inconvenience, it is also a dangerous thing to have happen because while you are unable to drive your car you may be involved in an accident, or someone may stop and take advantage of you. The best case scenario might be that you get a ticket from the police.


Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

August in the City

August in the City - Space and tranquility

I have come to the conclusion that August in Valencia City is wonderful. So many residents leave town to spend the month in their “country” homes, that are in reality located just fifteen minutes from the city centre, but at one time these were in the country, and they have swimming pools and bbq’s, that the change must be fabulous for them.

Meanwhile, the city is left near empty with room to move around and do things without the need to compete with so many thousands of people that is the norm. For ten months of the year I leave my car on the outskirts and take the metro into downtown, but in July and August I can actually drive into the city and find a place to park on the street.

The custom of shutting up business during August is still carried out by some people but more and more business owners are realising that this is a thing of the past. They must maintain open doors, so some staff take their holidays in July and the rest in August. What a great breakthrough in understanding.

Driving downtown with the sensation of country driving is wonderful. Once in a while I have found myself to be the only person on an avenue. It only lasts for a second, but outside holiday times it never happens.

The sounds are different as well. In normal times there is the constant wail of ambulances. Interestingly, that sound is almost absent in July and August. The attitude of everyone is also different in that we have the time to be human.

So, Long live August in the City. For a brief moment in the great passing parade there is time to smell the roses and to be civil.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Keep your distance

Maintain a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you.

Praise be to Trafico for doing something that is really useful. They have embarked on putting down road markings that should be very helpful in keeping vehicles from running into one another, simply by keeping our distance.

The way I do this is by choosing a point at which the car in front of me is passing, and then I count off “one, one thousand, two, one thousand.” I should have finished by the time I pass that same point. That will tell me that I have sufficient distance for the speed that I am travelling to be able to stop in time if the driver in front suddenly applies brakes. Of course, I have to be paying attention.

What trafico is now doing is reminding me to do that check as sometimes I forget to do it, and I find I am travelling a little too close. Of course, there are the usual group of people who have shit for brains who deliberately sit right on my rear bumper. I think the idea is to push me along at ever increasing speeds, but I get rid of these pests by slowing down. For my trouble I get flashing lights, beeping of the horn and the single finger salute, all of which I blunt by taking no notice or offence. I simply consider the source.

Trafico’s efforts to keep us safe in this regard is a very good idea and is to be applauded. They could also borrow an idea that I came across in Scotland and that is to use a system of gradual deceleration, using the three-step approach that is now used to denote that an exit is ahead. The required lower speed would apply at the final sign, not at the first sign.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

The Annual Madness

The Annual Madness

July and August are the two big months for motoring madness in Spain. Families pile into the car and off they go, some straight to their deaths. It does not have to be that way! Alcohol, speed, carelessness, these are the three factors, either only one, or all three.

The question that burns in my mind is why do people drive like this? However, it is a futile question as there is no logic. People get in their cars and put their feet way down on the accelerator for no reason. They drink alcohol without giving it a thought, and they are careless because they must think they are in their living rooms.

For those people who kill themselves by doing stupid things, good riddance. I can’t be bothered to feel sorry or dredge up sympathy for them. Their going is not a total loss. Others will move into their jobs and apartments and take over their savings. However, the bastards always have to take the innocent with them. A head-on crash with other vehicles travelling at the speed limit in their own lanes is the most common cause of that.

I hope that on the other side there is some opportunity to redress such wrongs. It would be good to know that the aggrieved can kick the shit out of the other guy for all eternity. Now that is to die for!

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Super, Civil Scotland!

Super, Civil Scotland!

The World's best kept Secret

My wife and I have just done something that on the face of things was not very rational: we left the warmth of Spain to travel to the very last point of the Scottish mainland, John O’Groats, which was very chilly, wet and miserable. There was a method to our madness, and the plane going over was carrying Scots returning from Benidorm, and the
plane that brought us back to Spain was filled with more Scots going to Benidorm.

We travelled to the town of Helmsdale on the East coast of Scotland to visit our son who works there at a hotel. Without that motivation we would not have ever found ourselves at the end of the mainland and we might never have had such a wonderful adventure. Scotland is a very special treat on the eyes, and as proof of that is the sheer number of native Scots people who tour around the Highlands in their motor homes.

Our journey took us from Edinburgh to Tomintoul, that is in the heart of the Cairngorms in the vicinity of Inverness; then on to that town itself. A trip to Loch Ness was in order, although I’m not sure why. There is no Loch Ness monster, and there never has been, although by now they could have built one to make scheduled appearances. Then on to spend the night in a town called Beauly that reminds me of certain Southern towns in America that are home to citizens of a Red Neck persuasion. The landlord of the Bed and Breakfast could not have been more pleasant and hospitable.

The next day we arrived at our destination, The Bridge Hotel in Helmsdale. Our son had only commenced his employment there the week before we arrived. The town is a very small fishing village, and the pace of life is slow. Our son will have to be creative in filling his spare time, but the people with whom he is working are a good group, and the hotel is wonderful.

Although it was getting towards the end of the day we all drove up to John O’ Groats, called the most Northerly point of the mainland. As mentioned it presented unpleasant weather conditions, and I could only wonder at what life must be like for the residents of the Shetland and Orkney islands in the cold North Sea.

Our trip back down to Edinburgh was via the West Coast. In my opinion this is the best face of Scotland, presenting scenes of such incredible beauty that the mind needs time to fully take it all in. We needed to have stopped and had a picnic while saturating our senses. Even seen from a picture would not be sufficient to adequately tell the tale. There are unlimited lakes and rivers and mountains and valleys and forests and picture-postcard harbours and castles that you might get the impression that this is a grand park created for the tourists by the Scottish tourist Board.

The principal reason why the beauty of it all is so significant is that it is just how Mother Nature made it. If you turn your head away from the road that you are on you will see a kaleidoscope of terrain never ever touched by man. That is pretty special!

Driving in the Highlands of Scotland (the North) presents a challenge in staying absolutely focused on what you are doing. For the driver, this is very difficult to do because the scenery is so compelling. In the Lowlands (the South) some roads are major highway standards, such as the M9, however, as we progress farther North we get to drive on Class A roads, which are one lane in either direction. However, for those roads that course through the really scenic parts we are presented with Class B, or even Class C roads. These are one lane with passing places. They are very dangerous and allow no opportunity to glance around and take in the sights. To do that you will have to stop at designated parking places that are usually situated in recommended photo-op places.

Two points worth making are there are many blind hilltops when you drive up a steep slope, and you cannot see if anything is coming up the other side. Usually there is a little space for one of the vehicles to pull off to the side at the top, but these situations must be approached with great caution.

Secondly, the remote villages have snow gates at both ends of the road. There will be times during the Winter when the gates are closed, thereby sealing the residents in the village as the snow will be impassable. Pity the poor bugger who is caught out in the lonely outback when the blizzard starts. There is no shelter except possibly the odd Bed and breakfast inn, if you are very lucky.

As unsatisfactory as the “B” and “C” roads are, it would still be a grave mistake for the Scottish government to push through highways in these places as the main attraction is how little mankind has encroached on the natural beauty.

This was one of the things on my “Bucket” list that I am now able to cross off, and I am very glad that we had such a sensational experience. I would definitely pay a return visit to Bonny, Warm Scotland.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Go Full, Return Empty

Go Full, Return Empty-This is not actually possible unless you push it.

This isn’t even possible, but in the world of hire cars this is one of the very common terms that you are expected to adhere to. Basically, if you don’t have to hire a car then you would be well advised not to do so. One thing is clear, whatever you think you will pay you will eventually end up paying more….much more.

We have just completed an around another driving tour, and the truth is that we thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but the hire companies do get you. We responded to a come on from one company that promised a car for six days at a cost of 60 euros. The actual cost to us before we even turned the key was 127 euros. The terrible thing was that the company that we chose was one of the better ones.

The basic rental was as advertised, however, added to that was the cost of the full tank of petrol at 48 euros. This was a Kia Picanto, bright yellow, that reminded me of driving around in a canary, with a very small tank that holds 35 litres. The cost to fill up is about 30 euros.

Then, they charge 2 euros a day for the second driver. What’s this for? Probably nothing, but they can charge it, so they do

You are advised to take out comprehensive insurance cover that pays from the first euro. No excess charge fee for the insured driver is a very good thing, because if there is an excess charge you’ll probably get stuck with it, even for minor scratches that were already there but not noticed by you when you picked up the car. (At least that has been my experience.)

Then there is the little matter of the cost of the insurance. Comprehensive cover for my car in my name would cost about 750 euros annually. That’s about 2 euros a day. However, some hire companies charge a per day fee of a specific amount for this cover that is over and above the basic rental. I have paid around 10.00 euros a day. We can quickly see the profit involved there.

Car hire is like travelling by plane. You know it’s going to be painful, but it’s just one of those irritants that we learn to live with. To bring the car back practically empty of fuel is an exercise in nerves. As you draw near to the depot the needle goes into the red and a message keeps flashing that tells you how many more kilometres you can go before you have to add a top up to the tank. My last car hire I pulled into the depot with a mere five miles to go before the car would have simply stopped,

Talk about stress!

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Feria del Automóvil de Valencia

What Beauties!

This is an annual event that takes place at the enormous Feria Valencia complex in Paterna. It is simply a stupefying display of every type of car, and motorbike that one could hope to see. Car dealers offer event discounts on new cars and a large selection of secondhand cars as well.

If you have never visited this show centre you cannot appreciate how large it is from my description. I simply am unable to imagine what kind of show it would have to be to use all the space. I was not in the market to purchase a car, owning to the fact that I already own two. I went to see the custom cars and the classic vehicles. I was not disappointed!

The presentation began with the vehicles parked out in front. A powder blue Cadillac people carrier, that was an early model that I had never seen before. It had lots of glass as if it was used to carry celebrities. Parked next to that was a classic old-style Jeep that was in showroom condition. It was mounted by several extra lights that makes it standout as being extra masculine. A Ford Capri from many years ago in bright red stood regal and in perfect condition. That owner was obviously very proud of his treasure. I owned a Capri at one time and was in love with that car.

There were many other fabulous cars on show in the sunshine, but I needed to get inside. The entrance fee was only 3 euros so upon payment of that I was in. Immediately, we were met with a display of motorcycles, including a BMW motorcycle with sidecar, and a mount for a machine gun that would have served during the war, on the nazi side. I would like it in its complete form so that I could move the traffic.

The Seat 600 club had their fleet on display. It’s amazing to remember that this car served as the family car and it moved Big Mama and grandparents as well. So many eclectic cars brought back to their finest condition that my memory was overwhelmed.

My second favourite display was the Jaguars section displaying models down through the ages. Many of the big cats were there. There was one of the XK120 models, but not the exact model that I owned when I was in London. The model I owned is shown at the top of this column and was British Racing Green. When I was seen in it I was assumed to be a show biz celebrity. The new Jaguars are, I’m sure, really grand cars, but I don’t like them. I am a classic model fan, specifically in that I love my Jag Sovereign.

There were some Rolls Royce cars on display that were interesting, but the RR has never intrigued me. It has always been a car that needs to be driven by a chauffer, and is more like an elegant bus. It has never even drawn my attention, until I came across a dark blue Silver Spirit, 1986. That’s a 25 year-old car that appeared in better condition than many of the second hand semi-new cars on sale. The owner was asking 11,950 euros, but the car was on British plates so has to be imported. It has passed Spanish ITV but at that price it would likely cost another 10,000 euros by the time it has been imported.

The Rolls Royce is one of those vehicles that will run forever, and I yearned so much for this car that I could have driven home in it. This model has the aura of a Rolls that can and should be driven by the owner. I can just see myself driving along in this car. When I drive my Jag people fall over in surprise. Just for the hell of it I would like to get the reaction of people on the street of me in a Rolls. However, I would not like to get the reaction of the tax man.

All things considered I really enjoyed the Feria. There were a lot of stalls selling parts and clothing, and it seemed that some dealers must have brought their entire inventory. The only thing that was missing was the thousands and thousands of people who were expected. There were very few people, and you could see the disappointed looks on the face of the stallholders. I felt so bad for those people. I don’t know what went wrong because this is an annual event at the feria, so the organisers have a wealth of experience to call on to promote the event.

Maybe this is further evidence of the economic crisis at work.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

The Ultimate Road Test

The Ultimate Road Test

Smoky is behind You!

Has this ever happened to you? You leave home in the car and no sooner have you got on to the main road a police car comes up behind you, and he stays there, never passing you, and seemingly going wherever it is you are going.

That’s when everything you ever learned in driving school comes back into your mind in sharp fashion. You observe every rule to the letter, and you feel hypocritical doing so, but you know you are being graded, especially during these days when the police get a bonus for bringing in traffic fines.

So, the first thing you remember to do is place both hands on the wheel. When passing through towns you are super alert to pedestrians who might cross on the crosswalks. You see every speed indication sign, and you make certain that you are moving at the correct minimum speed before you reach the sign.

The worst thing is when you come up behind a tractor travelling at 40 kph. You have to wait until the road indicates that you may overtake, and for that to happen you may have to move at 40 for quite some time. Without the police on your tail you would have swung out and around the tractor a long time ago, even if it was a little risky. Where are you finding such patience?

When you come to a stop sign you actually stop. Some people think that if you are moving at about 20 kph you are virtually stopped. No! Stop means no wheels moving for at least a count of three. Jesus! Being a law-abiding citizen is a real pain in the ass.

One of the most difficult parts of the test comes when you enter a slower speed zone. Most slow-down zones are due to the presence of danger, and ideally there should be signs to allow resumption to the normal speed. However, very often such signs are missing leaving the driver to assume when he can return to the higher speed level. That may be fine when you do not have the police behind you..

The number of times you think of stopping at a place that is not your destination just to shake those bastards off your tail is becoming boring, but you keep going until you really reach your destination. The police continue on their way, having noted how careful you are as a driver. Perhaps they will send you some kind of commendation so that you will feel a little better about having been put through such hell.


Curiously, when the same police car comes up behind you at night you carry on driving as usual, paying no attention whatsoever as to who is driving. You may even get into a race with him if he teases you just right.

As much as such an experience is to be avoided at all costs, there is an experience that is even more objectionable: that is being followed by a funeral hearse. They seem to be saying: “ready when you are.”

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

120 kph Again!

WHATEVER!

As from July 1, 2011, the maximum speed limit throughout Spain will once again become 120 kph. This seems to me to be a case of all things changing to remain the same.

One newspaper headlined about the lower limit: “More people die on the roads, and no saving in fuel.” Another newspaper agreed that deaths on the road were up over the same period last year, but that drivers had saved 28 million euros in fuel expense.

When the government announced that they were lowering the limit to save fuel, suspicion centred around their true objective. Approximately half the cost of a litre of fuel is government tax, so the question was: are they serious? Clearly if I am buying less fuel they are earning less revenue at a time when they are desperate for funds.

Our thinking was that they wanted to be seen as being politically correct, while at the same time they expected to make up the difference in lost revenue through increased traffic fines, but drivers refused to cooperate. We drove slower and paid less in fines, and contrary to what one newspaper says, we must surely have used less fuel.

This situation could not be allowed to stand. It would be only a matter of time before the government gave in and changed their mind because they were losing much needed revenue in taxes and fines, which is, after all, another form of tax. At the time the limit was lowered in Spain it was increased in certain other countries, thus proving that nobody quite knows what the hell is going on.

On Thursday, June 30th, the process began to switch the signs to 120 kph. First the direction leaving the city was done, so that made driving out of town 120 kph, and driving into the city 110 kph. Admittedly, they did place paper to cover the 120 sign, but drivers knew what it said and acted accordingly.

Considering that it cost somewhere between 250,000 to 600,000 euros to make the first change, and now, after such a short time we are going back to the way we were, it just proves that no-one makes mistakes quite the way that government does.

I decided that I would simply ignore all of such nonsense and simply stick to my custom by driving at a maximum of 100 kph. I know I’m saving on fuel costs.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Formula One in Valencia

Formula One in Valencia

Once more into the Breech

As I begin writing this it is June 23rd, 2011. Certain streets in Valencia City are cordoned off, all the seats are in place, all the equipment has been set up, and most important of all, the cars are here and can be heard roaring like lions in a cage.

Excitement is rising, and from tomorrow there is not one single hotel room anywhere in the immediate area of Valencia City that has not been sold. At one city hotel tonight’s rate for the room is 125 euros. For Friday and Saturday nights that rises to 750 euros. Valencia loves Formula One.

The amusing thing is that when Formula One was first mooted as using Valencia as a circuit there was much resistance from people who live in the city. Then, reportedly City Hall suggested that it could take place in August. Oh well, August, no problem, the city becomes like a ghost town. Everybody leaves town so you can make as much noise as you like, we residents won’t be here. In fact, some of us can rent out our apartments, especially those that overlook the circuit for exorbitant sums of money, and everybody is a winner.

This year, the race takes place in June. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Anyway, Lewis Hamilton is determined to be the winner of this race, but those of us who love Spain would just be delighted if Fernando Alonso could win on home territory. We need something to celebrate to raise our spirits. and to take our minds off the awful financial consequences of so many people who are out of work. It is simply amazing that so many people are still in a position to be able to afford the outlay for tickets. I’m very happy for those people, but it does seem like something of an anomaly.

Some group had been spreading a rumour that all three days had been sold out and that there were absolutely no tickets available, so there was no point in trying to obtain entrance. The truth is that there were plenty of last-minute tickets available, so this could only have been a sabotage attempt.

It is amazing to what extents people will go to attend Formula One in person. They fly in by the planeload, and they drive in from extraordinarily long distances. I met a couple that drove up from Marbella that took them ten non-stop hours. They were late for the qualifying round. However, people came from Madrid by the AVE bullet train at 300 kph to see cars being driven at 300 kph. Interesting!

At this stage it is possible to make predictions on how the race will turn out. My expectation is that Alonso will break down or otherwise drop out of the running; Hamilton will come in second, and the race will probably be won by Vettel whose year this seems to be.

Well the race is over and here is how things turned out: the day could not have been better from the weather standpoint. There was not a cloud in the sky. All the big yachts were in their place and all tickets were sold out.

As I predicted, Vettel was first across the line. This is definitely shaping up to be his year. Alonso, far from suffering from bad luck, very nearly won this one, by coming in a respectable second. The home crowd were delighted, almost to the point of a first prize result. Lewis, who was feeling so confident before the race tried valiantly to make his expectation a reality, but the best he could produce on the day was a fourth behind Mark Webber.

This year, Vettel is the Speed Demon, and once he is placed on Pole position he doesn’t easily give that up. Formula One Racing is a whole lot more interesting when the outcome is unpredictable; unlike those years that Michael Schumacher won every race and every season.

This time around, Michael came in seventeenth. I know he is driving for Mercedes, but what is under the hood?

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Learning Lessons ........Again!

Learning Lessons ........Again!

Without Pain

It happened to me again this past week. The police were conducting a blitz on foreigner’s documentation through stopping foreigner’s vehicles. As I drove along there was a car ahead of me that was driven by a mature Spaniard. He passed three policemen who got him to slow down, then waved him on without stopping. Then I came into the zone and immediately the policemen became animated.

They indicated that I was to pull over. Here I was, a black man actually driving a car. By the way they came alive they were not expecting this development at all. Now, I have to tell you that on every occasion I have had to deal with the police they have been models of professionalism. I have nothing but praise for what I describe as a good bunch of professionals.

These guys evidently expected they had netted the jackpot. They seemed uncertain what question to ask me first because in their minds, the last time they thought they saw me was coming ashore as an illegal alien. Call the tow truck, call the paddy wagon, this one’s going straight to jail.

Did I have a passport? Yes. O.K. Let’s check that. Checked and found to be in order.

Do you actually have a driver’s license? Yes. A Spanish permiso! Must be a forgery. Oh Damn! That checks out as being legitimate. Damn! Damn! Damn!

Patience Miguel! Patience my ass! I want to arrest this fella for something.

Are you registered on the Central registry of Foreigners in Spain? Yes. Here is the Certificate.

Is this your car? Yes. These are the documents that show that it has had its latest ITV; these are the insurance certificates and the Permission to Circulate.

What is your job? I don’t work. I’m retired.

Me carga en la leche! This cannot be! There are Spaniards driving around lacking in this or that piece of document, and here’s this fella who is completely covered and legitimate.

Throughout all of this I was calm and conversational, and from my standpoint I was not bothered in the least. The facts are that there are a great number of people here in Spain who aren’t properly documented. They drive cars without insurance, and without having been properly imported into the country. They don’t even have Spanish plates. These are the people whom the police were actually looking for, and such people are a menace to other road users. So, good luck to them to pull such people off the road.

I was driving my old beat up work-horse of a Volvo, that I love. Can you imagine had I pulled up in my Jaguar Sovereign. They would likely have had a heart attack.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Stupid is as Stupid does

Stupid is as Stupid does -Burning Rubber

This is a quote from a film, but I’m really not all that certain what it means. It’s just one of those sayings that kind of stick. However, it could be made to fit with the actions of so many drivers. I witnessed yet another really stupid, and dangerous action on the part of somebody who evidently has shit for brains, and that got me thinking whether we actually know that we are being stupid at the time we commit stupid acts?

The driver, and I must say that these are all men, who drives very fast, pulling in and out of traffic, only to turn off the road in just a few metres is being very stupid indeed, but is he so stupid that he really does not realize it?

I look back on my life and there was a period when I rode like a demon. The only time when I realized that I was being very stupid was when I found myself under a car that had fortunately stopped. Had it not the back wheels would have run over me. That was my wake up call and after that experience I wised-up and became responsible in my travels.

The boy rider with a girl on the back who rides along the motorway as fast as he can go is being both stupid and very reckless with someone else’s life. Presumably he is trying to impress her, but he only has to get her home safely to do that.

I think that it is a fact that everyone who causes a vehicle crash thinks, “if only I didn’t do this or that, the accident need not have happened.” Obviously too late, the time for such thoughts is before you go. It’s bad enough if you only get a speeding ticket. If only you were not in such a hurry; if only I had left home earlier, and a thousand such if only scenarios.

The other option is to arrive at your destination without incident of any kind. The Department of Traffic like to say that they cannot drive for you, so it is up to each and every one of us to get it right. No one else can make that happen for us.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

Driving and Weather

Driving and Weather

When popping out to the supermarket could be the last thing you ever do.

Recently, I was driving under threatening clouds when suddenly the rain started. If you asked me how many times has that happened throughout my 55 year driving record I just couldn’t even imagine. However, on this particular occasion the rain increased in its intensity, so I increased the speed of my wipers and slowed my driving speed. The rain increased even further to the extent of affecting visibility, so I turned on my hazard lights and the rear red light, but the rain became even harder, and heavy.

Traffic became difficult to see and the road markings could hardly be seen. By this time I had slowed to a crawl but I thought I was in danger because of the idiots who would have pushed hard regardless, so I was thinking that perhaps I should pull off the road.

I passed one car that had stopped, and then another, and then I started seeing cars on the other side of the road that had stopped. There was even one motorcyclist, poor fellow, who was huddled over the gas tank. Finally, it was raining so hard that I was unable to see beyond my windscreen wipers, so on instinct, and at a mere crawl I pulled over to my right until I brushed the leaves of a tree and decided that was probably far enough.

Not a soul moved, not even trucks, and there we sat for about fifteen minutes. I have often seen pictures of cars that are under water. I always thought that they were cars that had been parked and left by their drivers, but maybe they got that way because of the circumstances I have described. We were fortunate in that we were at the top of a hill with good run-off for the water, but you can safely bet that there were people who weren’t so lucky.

Driving and sudden intense weather patterns, such as overwhelming rain, hail, wind, snow, ice and tornadoes presents a constant danger to motorists. After those graphic pictures we saw from Japan we have to also add earthquake and tsunami. There is no advice that can be offered, such as know the weather forecast before you go. We simply don’t function like that. I can only hope that you are as lucky as I have been to have had only two encounters of such intensity in my entire experience.

They are not fun! They might also be the end of the line if you are really so unfortunate.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael

An Annual Event

It Happens every Year

There are some things you can set your watch by, and the annual exodus and returns from the city are one of those things. People just can’t wait to get out of their offices and to hit the road on their way to vacation-land. Personally, I cannot fault them for feeling like this. The first day of June, and July, and possibly the day or two before are the days for the mass exodus, and by mass I do mean just that. Millions of people stack themselves into little tin cans with wheels and head on out.

For the Traffic Department this must be their time of year for the greatest headaches. It is when over-crowding becomes very real. There are whole families all in one moving place thereby making the possibility of total disaster so much closer to happening. I have sworn that during these times I will not join in the madness. If I have to drive at all it will only be very short distances, or I will leave after everybody else has gone, and come back when they are all at home.

Coastal towns become besieged by people from the interior of the country, as well, people who live along one part of the coast decide they want to go to another, or that they want to go to their holiday homes with swimming pools inland.

These are supposed to be happy times. However, all to often families suffer disasters while in motion. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are some things that drivers can do to ensure that they will not be part of the unhappy statistics:

- Never drive when you are tired. Be sure that the night before you get a decent rest that will prepare you for the day ahead. Stop every two hours for a rest.
- Never, never, never drink alcohol and then take control of a vehicle. Forget custom, start a new trend and leave alcohol or drugs out of your consideration.
- Everybody has to wear a seatbelt. Remember, a toddler roaming around loose in the car will kill everybody through causing a distraction.
- Be super alert and attentive. Anticipate what might happen and prepare for it.
- Eat light meals along the way so that you are not made drowsy by heavy foods.
- As the driver, your judgement will make or break the holiday. Be a hero to your family and get them there and back safely.

My wish is that during this Summer there will be no fatal crashes. However, if I can’t have that wish, then at least there should be as few as possible.

Good Luck Everybody, and Happy Motoring!

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael