Volkswagen! The big story of 2015

As the year closes, and as we look back over 2015, the biggest automotive story without a doubt is Volkswagen because such a shining brand name showed us that even they are not beyond doing something deliberate and deceptive. I once owned a Scirroco, which was my pride and joy. You might have thought that I built it myself, so proud was I. The company built the Beetle in what was Nazi Germany at the time, and the whole world were crazy for this simple and reliable car.

Germany has worked hard to earn its reputation for fine engineering. Germany is the country that gave the world, among other brands, Mercedes Benz and Audi, and of course Volkswagen.

The good thing about the VW scandal is that the company has admitted that it "screwed up." It is now working to correct the wrong in a very public manner. Many people have chosen to sue the company, probably on the grounds that what they were sold and bought was superior performance and gas-per-kilometre which will be taken away when the fix goes in, which it must otherwise the vehicle will not pass the true emmissions test.

Volkswagen should have declared bankruptcy to simply protect itself, especially from the outcome of so many lawsuits. However, having a scandal is bad enough, the only thing that is worse is the stain of bankruptcy. I think that the company is making a huge bet, based on the fact that they do make such excellent vehicles, that the public will continue to buy their gasoline engines to such an extent that they will be able to survive in the end. It's not that Volkswagen are too big to fail, they are simply too good, so the public will continue to support them. In reality what VW did was not designed to directly harm the client. They provided a vehicle that gave wonderful performance for excellent gas mileage which made the owners happy. The harm they allegedly caused is through the environment, and from that standpoint so many of our products that we love cause harm to the

world around us, either is the production or the use.

Volkswagen is a wonderful company with products that are in demand. The shame and embarrassment that people suffered when the bad news broke by driving around showing the VW badge seems to have abated. VW will fix the problems and it will survive.

Good luck to them!

Copyright (c) 2015

Eugene Carmichael 

Driving over Christmas and the New Year

From the position of travel along the motorways, driving over the coming holidays is about as dangerous a proposition as there is, because it mixes family with alcohol in a moving platform towards almost certain extinction. I wish it were not so, especially as to lose a family member at this time of the year is a pain that can never lessen with time. Every Christmas or New Year's celebrations, while everybody else is having a good time, the subject family has to relive the tragedy all over again.

For all drivers an  especially heavy burden is placed upon our shoulders when driving the family, at a time when everyone else are allowed to drink and eat to excess, we have to remain sober, and to eat lightly so as to stay alert when behind the wheel.

If we can look back at the conclusion of the season and our family remain safe, that is more than enough reward and satisfaction that we did our part in keeping them safe and sound. Irresponsability on our part can lead to harming our own family, and also to bringing harm to others.

As we set out with our families to visit other family members and friends, let us keep uppermost in our minds that we are the driver designate and it is our responsability to get us there and back safely.

I wish readers a Happy and Safe holiday period, and Safe Driving throughout 2016, combined with the very best of good Health!

Eugene Carmichael

Copyright (c) 2015

Moral choices for the Driverless car

Someone brought up certain problems that they thought would come along with the driverless car. Most had to do with matters concering the routing of getting from one place to another. The question that caught my attention has to do with moral, ethical or value driven decisions we make as drivers all the time.

With real quality engineering I accept that the car could be capable of making better choices than a human. That, of course is the very basis of the concept of taking the control from humans.

One of the hard choices that humans make is to avoid swerving around an animal that might lead to a head-on crash with an oncoming car occupied with a family. Would the driverless car (the d.r) simply recognize the animal as a living creature but the other car as something inanimate, thereby ignoring its cargo?

Could the d.r. recognize the lesser of two evils if it was presented with such a choice. It might indeed be better to run over one person than a group. How would it know the difference? Could it decide to run into the old man, who is at the end of his life,  rather than to run into the child whose life is in its ascendency.

I have never had to make any of the decisions outlined above, but I have had many decisions to make that have avoided accidents. These are decisions that come from anticipation. One of the most outstanding that I have never forgotten was the time when I drove up from behind a mother and her daughter. We were in a one way street. The mother was peddling her bike on ahead of her very young daughter. She had crossed the road from left side to right side and was completely ignoring her daughter. My decision was to hang back until the daughter followed suit. Sure enough, the daughter made her move without looking to see if it were safe, at about the time I would have been overtaking her. A calamity was avoided because of my decision to be cautious.

With so many cyclists using our roads we humans need a lot of help in making better decisions for overtaking whole groups of bikers.

The d.r. will automatically eliminate a lot of stupid, but deadly human errors, but others may be created. Only time, and a lot of thought will tell.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

A One in a Trillion Chance

I am always aware of the law of physics that holds that when entering an unpaved parking area that is laden with chunky stones, there is always the possibilty that a stone will be pinched by the wheel of a car and launched in my direction. Such a missive becomes  similar to a speeding bullet that is capable of causing severe damage to property, and debilitating damage to tissue, and even death to persons and animals.

I had never actually seen a stone moved by a car, but, on Saturday it did happen to me under circumstances so perfect that I estimate the incident to be One Trillion to One.

I had left my car parked in such a car park as described above and drove off with my wife in her car. When we came back my car was the only one left. My wife drove alongside it, and as she backed away her tyre touched a sizeable stone precisely correctly. Too close to the centre of the stone and nothing happens. Not enough grip and the stone simply slides away. Just enough grip, and provided the stone in firmly set on the ground and the rock is launched with the force and speed of a large size bullet.

This stone was launched toward my car at an upward angle. It struck the wrap around rubber bumper of my Volvo. Had it struck the steel body it would have caved it in, as though it had been struck by another vehicle.  Had the hit been flat on, the bounce back would have hit her car, caving in part of the bodywork. As it happened, the rock struck at an angle that caused the bounce back to deposit the rock in the sand next to my foot. Had I been standing in the way of the original trajectory my leg would have been broken.

I equate that with the possibility of a piece of space rock falling to earth and landing next to me.

I saved the rock because I think it a sign that this year I will finally win the Lottery.

Stay tuned!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

You, Me. and the Helicopter Police

The helicopter police patrol is simply amazing. I say that begrudginly because these guys can do a lot of harm to drivers because of what they see, and because of how efficient they are at catching us when we least expect it.

They are overhead, and because we are driving with the windows up and the aircon on, and the music system pumping, we don't hear them. It never occurs to us to look up, until it's too late. By then, using very powerful cameras they can come right into our cars and see who is wearing our seatbelts; how much faster than the speed limit we are breezing along; they can see that we are texting while at the wheel; they can see if we are eating; and were we having a little oral sex while cruising along?

Once in a while they run some examples from their overhead surveillance on the evening news. They do blur the person's image, but the guilty person knows that was him. Busted!

If you are speeding they come up from behind you, so if you ever get to see them at all it's too late. I honestly do try to be legal most times when I'm behind the wheel but there are times when I step out of line. So often there's a policemen right there. I have been very lucky as my infractions have not been anything serious.  

The thing to bear in mind is that their ability to see who is driving and what you are doing in detail is highly effective. They are more efficient than any of the other traffic patrols so we would do well to remember that those guys always get their man, or woman.

Look up!

Copyright (c9 2015  Eugene Carmichael

Technology finally caught up with the Times

It had to happen, sooner or later. Technology has caught up with the all important testing of vehicles to determine that they are roadworthy. I think we probably all know somebody who has pushed the limit by continuing to drive after the due date for testing of their vehicle. A shortage of money is usually the reason, but that could also mean that the vehicle has also missed its needed maintenance appointment at the garage. Such a vehicle could be an advancing menance to other road users.

I have to admit that I need to keep my car in practical condition otherwise, when spotted by an officer it will be his duty to remove the car immediately from the road. That may mean a long walk home for me.

In my own country there are electronic readers that read a decal on the windscreen to determine whether yours is a vehicle that is still running past its renewal date. If so, it issues an automatic fine, everytime you pass it! Obviously it makes sense not to let that happen as it will be a whole lot cheaper to get the car passed, or leave it home.

The new method of recording if you are legal will only apply to new cars from the middle of November, 2015. In the fullness of time all vehicles will be controlled in this manner, but in the meantime the old system will operate with the new. Already I don't need to carry my insurance certificate with me, as that information is on-line afftecting everybody. The only thing remaining are the road tax certificates, and it is just a very small step to bring this online.

Welcome to the 21st century, everybody!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

What's wrong with us Drivers?

Here in Spain the Departamento General de Trafico sent out an advisory to the public warning that a sustained campaign against driving offences would be conducted along secondary roads over a set period from the 19th October to the 25th October.

It was well publicised, so no-one has any excuse if they were trapped in one of the checks. Half a million checks were made, and 27,370 drivers were reported for a variety of offences. We knew the police would be there, so why on earth did 16,564 drivers still insist on speeding, some by as much as 20 kilometres over the limit?

By now, clicking the seatbelt in place before even starting the car could be expected to be the norm, but no, there are those people who don't think it necessary, even many while transporting children. In fact, 1,349 people were reported for this offence, and another 57 people insisted on riding without wearing a crash helmet. Both of these "offences" will likely result in the death of the offender in the case of a crash. To die because we deliberately ignored these simple safety steps is to die from stupidity. There is no other way I can think of to put it.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a subject on its own. It appalls me that people who belong to  special car clubs or motorcycle clubs will meet up for rides or club tours, and when they get to the restaurant or bar of their destination, the wine or beer flows like water. When damages occur to their vehicles because of drunkeness, everybody stands around with mouths wide open, appearing to be in shock. I did belong to one such club but after seeing what was expected of me, I took my polite leave.

Finally, a category of offence that is on the rise is driving without due care and attention. If you said that is because of using smart phones to text while driving, you would be right. I know that the people who do these things surely are aware of the danger of taking one's eyes off the road to text. I refuse to accept that anyone could claim ignorance, but they still do it. These are people who are otherwise intelligent, but they are so addicted to their phones that to seperate them for as long as it takes to complete a journey is just too much.

In spite of flaws that may be possibly inherent in cars that drive themselves using Artifical Intelligence, stupidity or addicition are not likely to be a part of the programme.

Can't wait!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael 

Help from the Spanish Departmento General de Trafico in English

Spain is a magnet that attracts people of all nationalities, especially those from the northern climes who suffer from a lack of sun and warmth. Consequently there are people living here who speak all sorts of languages, far too many for the government to be expected to translate it laws and rules into.

Previously if you needed to obtain a driving license you had to study for it in Spanish. Then came a major step forward that translated the tests into English, and Arabic and one or two others.

This still left a number of drivers cruising around without really knowing what they were doing. We get traffic tickets and we have to go and find someone who can tell us what we did wrong. The fact is that Spain's economy has been greatly helped by its expatriate population, so to take steps to assist us foreigners in integrating is greatly apprecieted, but also very smart.

The latest move is by visiting the website, www.dgt.es/es/ we can find information in English regarding what to do if you receive a traffic ticket; how to appeal a ticket, and (presumably after you lose your appeal) how to pay the ticket, and when.

You are also told how to identify an offending driver, if that driver is not the owner.

This is an important point. A driver caused me to break my leg, then drove off. I did get the number, but on the day we ended up in court the owner, a short man, came to court and said he had never seen me before, but the driver of the car was a tall man. The owner had to confess that he did allow this man to drive the car, so on the basis of that and my identification I won my case.

Driving in Spain gets to be more complex every day, so especially if you are a foreigner you need all the help you can get.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael 

Self-Drive cars in today's World

There are several companies that are working on self-drive cars, but Volvo expects to offer the first version to the market in 2016. In road tests it seems to work well, but the adverts suggest that you can get work done while the car takes care of everything else. It is elective. You can choose to let the car drive itself, or you can take it off autopilot and drive as normal.

I think I would have to be very sure of the technology, and I don't think I can get to that place without feeling highly stressed. I have enough problems now when I am firmly in control. I am trying to imagine myself simply sitting behind the wheel intently watching the road ahead and hoping the car will act promptly when the car ahead applies its brakes. Every passenger thinks the driver is crazy. We sit in our little passenger seat pressing down on the floor to apply the virtual brakes, everytime we think the driver should be doing the same, so this will be an increase in the stress.

There is another thing that causes me concern. I think this technology has out-paced the law that demands that drivers conduct themselves with due care and attention. Simply driving with only one hand on the wheel is cause for a fine. Volvo is suggesting you need have no hands on the wheel, and neither is it necessary to pay attention to what the car is doing. Sorry guys, this just does not compute.

There appears also to be at least one flaw: apparently the car does not recognize red lights, and presumably green lights as well. If that is the case we can't do away with the driver just yet. The best that can be said is that this would be a wonderful element to the Volvo driving experience, but we might have to save it for demonstration purposes only, to be shown off-road.

Still, it is a giant step in the right direction because I will welcome the day when we get rid of the drunk driver; the stupid driver; the boy-racer; the overly tired driver; and the simply incompetant driver, among others. People who fall under these headings are responsible for more deaths on the road than anything else combined.

In other words, cars, bikes, trucks, buses are wonderful ways to get around. It's a shame about the people who control them.

Copyright (c) 2015 Eugene Carmichael

When are we responsible at the driving wheel?

A young man had not had slept for almost 24 hours. He got into his car to drive home and along the way he was passing an area where many people were camping. He fell asleep and drove over a tent, killing a sleeping man and sending his wife to hospital for many months.

His lawyer argued in front of a jury that this was not manslaughter but rather, it was a simple and genuine accident, for which the young man should not be held accountable.

Generally, the law holds that when a collision occurs someone is invariably responsible, and this is based upon sound concepts.

If a person is driving when suddenly he is struck by a heart attack, can he be held acountable for any injury or damage caused? Heart attacks usually are indicated by a deterioration in health. We should get the opinion of our doctor when we are not feeling at our best, so that treatment can be prescribed. However, men are terrible at taking ourselves to the doctor on a timely basis. If we have any condition that comes with the warning not to operate machinery, that includes driving.

It might take forensic investigation to be certain, but it is likely such a person could be held responsible for driving in the probable likelihood that he might have a heart attack or stroke due to the state of his health.

If you are driving and you are in perfect health with no warning signs that anything is a problem, but because you inhale some dust you suddenly violently sneeze. As a result you have to close your eyes and you lose control of the vehicle Can you be held responsible for any injury or damage caused?

I think there would be a very good case to make that this situation is the classic description of a true accident. You had no existing condition that suggests a sneeze, like a cold, so there was nothing to indicate that you were in a position of peril. The same could be said of an animal that was not the responsibility of anyone, that suddenly darts into your path. (The collision would not be your fault or that of anyone else.) Even if you are warned that you have entered an area that is active with wild animals, you should slow down and remain alert, but you cannot absolutely avoid the collision if the animal is determined to run into you.

However, in the case of the young man who stayed awake much longer than he should have, as a driver, the jury found him Not Guilty! In doing so I think the jury has said that if you fall asleep while driving, because your body is starved of sleep, it is not your fault if other people are injured or killed. So, no problem. Stay out as long as you want and party to the max, (without alcohol or drugs.)  We understand!

We got your back !

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

 

The Bankruptcy of Volkswagen

It must have been fifty years ago when I watched a black and white television advert that started with the camera focused on a one storey, snow covered building. The announcer asked, "Ever wonder how the man who plows the snow gets to work?" The sound of a Volkswagen Beetle starting its engine was followed by the doors of the garage opening and a VW Beetle drove on out, taking our hero to work to clear the paths for the world to get to our own work.

Simple! Direct! Effective! This is the type of image building that brought us to revere VW.

There are many experts weighing in with their opinions on the effects of excess emissions, and corporate fraud. I am not one of those, I am simply Joe Public, but I too have my opinions and my questions.

Volkswagen has been an iconic brand that earned the world's respect by producing one of the simplest of cars, The Beetle, dubbed The People's Car. It was one of the most reliable cars known to man, and so we bought it. I owned a VW Scirrocco, one of the sweetest cars I have had the pleasure to own in my lifetime. VW cars were always known for German engineering, and that occupied an exalted position in world opinion.

It seems that the VW Board required a diesel engine that would perform well and give extraordinary mileage and meet strict emission standards, but VW engineers apparently were not able to achieve that, so they developed a Defeat Device to make monitoring authorities think their cars were on target.

What worries me is that if VW engineers were not able to develop such capabilities, why would we think that any other engineers suceeded where they failed? Are there also other brands out there that have nothing to do with VW that are cheating?

VW has a choice: fix the problem in full at its own cost, or close up shop permanently. VW is a company that is "too big, and too beloved to simply go out of business permanently." However, it is facing overwhelming costs in terms of worldwide fines and fixes. Added to that are the lawyers who are busy with their class law suits and we can see that VW are facing unknown liabilities in connection with this problem.

As was the case with GM in the U.S., VW will have to bite the bullet to protect itself and declare Chapter 11, (Bankruptcy) to limit the exposure, and it must do so soon.

The effect of VW's actions on owners is that when the recall begins you will have to take your car to authorised dealers and repair shops, get the fix and then drive away in a car that will not perform as well and will drink more fuel. That was not what you bought but that is what you will be left with.

In the fullness of time this scandal will be forgotten, just as the GM affair has settled down. Other than the damage done to the environment owing to your car emitting 40 times more CO2 than was allowed, this was not a safety on the road issue. If it were not for the fact that all affected cars will have to be certified that they have been rectified, a lot of people would not bother with the recall.

We need not panic when it is announced that VW has filed for bankrupty. The old VW will be dead, but Long live VW.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael  

Two Idiots, One day!

Sunday, October 4th, 2015. It was just my luck to be there to spot the idiocy of two drivers.

I had parked my car overnight on a main street that crossed over an avenue, only to awake to find my car sandwiched between streets that had been closed off on account of a cycle race the length of the avenue, which had been made into a loop for the cyclists. No problem for me. All I had to do was make a U turn and drive away from the avenue. Just as I was making my U turn I spotted in my mirror a car carefully threading its way through the barriers and coming my way.

"Where the hell does he think he's going?" The marshall at that end came running after him but her colleague on my end picked up on what was happening. There was no way he was getting through that end. I stopped to watch. Evidently he was telling her that he had to get across the avenue, and she was actually having an argument with this genius to tell him that was not going to happening while the race was taking place. He was evidently insisting, so she called a policeman to convince the moron that he was making a total nuisance of himself.

I left. Such stupidity was making me very uncomfortable thinking that I might one day meet the man coming toward me.

Within forrty-five minutes, perhaps I met his brother. I was moving along a two-lane autovia at 120 kph. I was in the process of overtaking a slower moving car when my brain struggled to process what my eyes were seeing. Coming towards me in my lane, headed for a head-on crash was a car heased the wong way. But, there was not supposed to be a car coming towards me. This put me in a very difficult position. I was alongside the car I was overtaking, there was another car behind him, and now, what to do? Fortunately, the car alongside me had the presence of mind to speed up which allowed me to duck into his place, which must have shocked the hell out of the driver behind me, but the crash had been averted. It was a close thing!

He would have had to repeat that same good luck many times over if he was to make it safely off the wrong-way lane. We call this type of driver a kamikazi with a very serious death wish.

I have tried to see in my mind's eye how on earth he got on the wrong-way lane in the first place. I suppose if there was a place where there were two back-to-back C loops, one for OFF, and one for ON the main road, it is possible that a confused driver might cross over the ON ramp to the OFF if there was absolutely no other traffic around to give a clue. You would have to be very determined to make this kind of mistake.

From my viewpoint, the first thought I had was it must have been my fault. I must have missed the fact that the one-way road I was on had become two-way.  Of particular danger was that the man had put himself in the left lane, or overtaking "fast lane" so the chance that a head-on collision will take place is that much greater, and someone will die.

The implications of this type of error are far reaching. I can only hope that the police take this seriously. If ever I should make such an error I think it would be in my interests to be tested and thoroughly examined to determine whether I should continue to have the privilege of driving. It is simply not enough to apologize and to be able to carry on as though nothing happened.

When the day comes that the steering wheel is taken out of the hands of humans this type of thing is just one of the human errors that will be eliminated, provided that the technology is sound.

copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

Oh Dear! Volkswagen, Oh Dear!

In the words of Volkswagen, "We screwed up!" Yes you did, Volkswagen, yes you did.

The thing about this scandal is that it was deliberate deceit upon not only the owners, but upon the whole world because of what it involves, Emission standards are set very low to protect the environment, but manufacturers presumably were not able to build into their cars the capacity to meet those standards, at least economically, so they came up with a bit of software that allowed the car to narmally flout the standard until it realised it was being tested. Then it performed according to the standard expected of it.

Question: why not simply program the software to reduce emissions all the time?

There have been many problems with cars over the years, some resulting in massive recalls, but generally, or so we thought, these were due to good faith mistakes. We have always believed that manufacturers provided the market with the best product for the times. As time has moved on cars have become more sophisticated and ever safer. Owners have likewise become more confident in their model car. Volvo is bought by people who absolutely believe in the safety aspect and quality components of the vehicle. We believe that Volvo has our best interests uppermost in mind.

Volkswagen, "The People's Car" also enjoyed similar belief and confidence, so the scandal is more than driving a car that deliberately damages the environment, it's about driving a disgrace. It is said that the car you choose to drive mirrors your own personality. If I drove a Volkswagen I think I would feel as though I was driving a car that was heaped with shit upon it. Why would I do that?

I will need to buy a car to replace my aged Volvo. Top of the list is another Volvo, the XC60, but I was torn also between a Volkswagen Toureg, the new SUV Jaguar F Pace, and other top of the line models, for which I do not have the money.

Well, strike off Volkswagen. That's not going to happen.

The unspoken question arising from this is: what other deceits are out there, and what other car manufacturers might be involved?

Oh Dear! Volkswagen. Oh Dear indeed!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael 

Trying to Exhale!

I opened a news article this week, sucked in my breath, and now I'm trying to exhale. I am so excited!

The news was Jaguar is releasing it's first ever SUV. Jaguar and SUV don't even belong in the same sentence, but they have gone and done it. I must tell you that I am a Jaguar purist. I have been slowly warming to the Jag F-type. I own a Jag V6 3.2 Sovereign. That, for me is the Jaguar benchmark design, and although over 20 years old, it still is as fresh a design as the day it came on line.

We have come from that to the Jaguar F-Pace, and I must say I am so struck by such a radical move by Jaguar that on the one hand I am lost for words, but on the other, the cars speak for themselves. I wanted to make my next car something like a Porsche Cayenne, or a Ferrari SUV, or the Volvo XC60. All those dreams have gone out the window. With Jaguar, there will be several models of the SUV, but they are all tricked out with superb technology, and there is even one model that will give up to 57 miles per gallon. That's the one for me.

I'm not going to try and describe the technology in detail as there are simply too many variants, but the car is due on the roads in April of 2016. Between now and then I will have to save up my pennies to be ready to get in line for the most extraordinary event in motoring history, as seen through my eyes. The bad news is that this car may become really hard to get as I think it will be seen as a Must Have.

Welcome, Jaguar SUV!

Copyright  (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

Another Cautionary Tale!

This is not a rant about something that went wrong, because while it did go wrong I have only myself to blame.

A few blogs ago I spoke about having taken a delightful train journey from London to Valencia, but I was shocked to find that I could not claim the tickets I had paid for, so had to re-purchase. This is an update to that story.

It was way back on April 1, (April Fool's Day) that I originally bought my tickets from London to Barcelona for travel on August 9th. In buying so far ahead I got very nice discounts that the company really intended that I made good use of. The lady at the agency impressed upon me that I had to get my tickets from the rail company before the start of my journey. The start of my rail journey was in London. I got to London by plane. I thought, what a strange thing to say. If I didn't pick up my tickets how else was I to start my rail journey.

What she meant was that I was to collect my tickets before leaving Spain, and that was underscored by the written notice on the voucher that was headed: IMPORTANT! A lot of time had passed between buying the tickets and travelling, but if only I had read the voucher to refresh myself as to what was required of me. Well, I didn't and off I went expecting to key in my code at the machines at EuroStar, London, and out would come my tickets. They didn't, so I had to scramble and buy same day travel tickets without any discounts at all.

Fortunately, there was space and I got to Barcelona as scheduled. That was just as well as I had not realised that I had paid for a night's stay in a very nice hotel in Barcelona, which was in danger of having been lost as well.

The next day I caught my train from Barcelona, which was also pre-paid and arrived back home as scheduled. That was important as I had my pets to collect.

So, I have said all that to say this: We enter into a number of contracts when we make a journey like this, and each one has its own terms and conditions. We really do need to observe our roles to the letter. If we don't not even insurance will bail us out.

By failing to have acted exactly as I should have, my original journey costs of 464 euros, including all rail, hotel, and transfer costs, ultimately cost me 923 euros, including new tickets and lost purchase that was not refunded. It could have been worse had I needed to stay in Paris, thereby losing my night's stay in Barcelona and having to re-purchase a seat from Barcelona to Valencia. That could have come to 1,056 euros, plus an additional night's boarding for my pets.

There's nothing else to do but suck it up and learn from my mistakes.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael   

Thrilled to Death

While stalled in slow moving traffic a motorcycle drew alongside me with the engine revving, and came to a stop in front of me. It was being ridden by a young man, and sitting up high on the pillion seat was a young woman. He continously revved the engine so the bike sounded like a snorting bull ready to break out of the pen.

There came over me an awful feeling that he was giving the girl a thrill, and as we were about to enter a long one-way, dual lane road, I sensed he would ride very fast, which, in my mind was likely to end very badly. The entrance to this strip of road is on the downhill, and as soon as he could he was off, as fast as he could go, with the engine screaming like a banshee. In mere seconds he was out of my sight, and I could see well into the distance.

I think the bike was a Kawasaki, so I Googled Kawasaki and I think it would have been a Ninja, which is a 998cc model. That being the case, the estimated top speed could be 150 mph, or 240 kph. The rider sits in a snug well between the tank and the pillon seat. However, the passenger simply gets a small pillon seat with no backing, so she has to hold on to the rider as tightly as she can. Perhaps it's just me, but I think that is dangerous enough at 120 kph. At twice that speed, I hate to imagine.

Along the motorway there were two places where I could have turned off, but I chose not to do so because I could not see where traffic had come to a halt n the distance. Did the couple make it safely home? I saw nothing in the media to suggest that they had come to grief.

In 1963 I took someone's daughter on a long ride around Europe lasting over three months. There were times I was very tempted to ride fast, but always in my mind I was aware that I was responsible for her well-being. There were a couple of times that we would have met with serious injury, or even death had I not been careful, so my caution paid off.

I think I really impressed her by simply getting her home safe and sound. My reward was in her saying to me: Thank You! You don't get to hear that if you injure or kill someone.

Think about it, Guys!

Copyright (c9 2015 Eugene Carmichael

A Rolls Royce Life

This is straight from my imagination. This is what I think that being the owner of a Rolls would be like. I am writing this because a friend of mine once owned a Rolls, and I came upon a Rolls that was for sale at an amazingly low price. The reason was because it is a U.K. registered vehicle and has to be taken out of Spain back to the U.K. It got me to thinking what if!

What was on offer was a two-door, Phantom drop head coupe convertible in striking blue.

This was a lot of car for one man. Just standing close to it and running my hand along its fabulous lines was almost sexual. My emotions were telling me that I wanted this machine perhaps even more than I had ever wanted a woman.

I walked away from it with frequent looks from over my shoulder. For a long time after that encounter I thought about it, with the question of what kind of life is a Rolls life?

I think that this car is only for people who don't have to ask what things costs. If you live on a budget, move on. This is not for you or I. Also, if you are thinking of driving it yourself, perhaps you should not do that. When the Rolls is parked the driver should stay with it. That way, if we mere mortals should need to park our cars anywhere near it we can be supervised.

The image of a captain of industry sitting in the back doing work while sipping a glass of champagne is probably about right. In that regard he could be sitting in a train, or plane, or yacht. However, if you are a young owner, perhaps a successful entertainer, it still seems inappropriate to drive it yourself, but I suppose you could, but that would be unconventional.

It's also a convertible. A big convertible, but some time ago I came to the conclusion that convertibles are a bad idea. They look nice, but driving them means that you are behind the windscreen so you really don't get the full feel of wind in your hair, (if you have hair) but you do get the full feel of the hot sun on your head.

Finally, it's no good having a Rolls without a home to park the Rolls out front. You can't live in a simple flat, no matter how comfortable because a Rolls is not an apartment car. It needs a country estate to enter and to leave from to complete the image.

Even if I could afford a Rolls I don't think this would be the car for me. A Maserati however, is a different kettle of fish. Can we talk?

Copyright (c) 2015 Eugene Carmichael  

Security on the train

In my last blog I spoke about travelling by train from London to Valencia. While I had some problems with ticketing, the journey itself was very pleasent. When I boarded in St. Pancras, London I went through tight security as though I was flying, but when I boarded at Gare du Lyon, Paris there was absolutely no security at all. I could have dragged anything at all on board. Later in the trip we started making stops in the country, where, again people coming on board could have brought God-knows-what with them.

You have a lot of time to think as the train speeds along and you look out at the changing scenery. I did reflect on the difference in security, and I marvelled that given the odd things that people are doing these days, I thought it amazing nothing of a serious nature had happened on a train that I was aware of. I didn't mention this in my blog because I did not want to possibly bring the lack of security to the attention of the wrong person.

What a difference a week can make. This week a very serious attempt was made to kill a train full of people by a man loaded down with weapons. Thankfully, he was brought down by people near to him who were prepared to act quickly and decisively. Without their actions we would be dealing with a very grave tragedy.

Now it is clear for all to see that probably most trains of Europe lack security. We take our lives in our own hands, in most cases when boarding a train. However, having said that perhaps we should pause and count the ways that our lives can end in violence, and ask the question: Why is this so?

In the Western Hemisphere, for which I include Europe, people have been killed at work. A number have been killed in restaurants while simply having a meal. People have been killed on buses and the metro. While sunning themselves on the beach half naked, 38 people were attacked for doing nothing at all. Others were attacked just because they were curious about culture in a musuem. Still others were killed while attending church or bible study.  Others have been killed by simply going about their business, including in the cinema, and sometimes by the police who are supposed to serve and to protect.

I have probably not included every type of incidence that may end your life, but of course we have to add the old standby of travelling by plane, and now train to get from one place to another.

What is really happening?

The only thng I can think of, especially when we factor in all the regional conflicts that end so many lives, is that we may be seeing Mother Nature at work in culling of the human species. Seven billion people on the planet is too many to be sustained. By 2050 it has been said that earth's population will reach ten billion. That cannot happen. Such numbers cannot sustain themselves and earth's resources will be well over stretched. So, we are seeing strange happenings that fall short of the nuclear option, but it is not too strange to believe that that solution will not be used.

No-one is happy about this, but reality can be harsh.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael 

Long Distance Train Journeys

Every once in a while I get the feeling I would like to take a long, uninterrupted train ride. I flew to England to attend a wedding, which is worthy of a blog on its own, but I chose to return by train, leaving St. Pancras, London, for a run down to Paris through the Euro Tunnel. From there the journey would take me to Barcelona, and from Barcelona to Valencia. I reasoned that much time on trains should get the obsession out of my system for a while.

"The best laid plans of men and mice often go astray." A very wise man said that, and all too often it turns out to be true. On April 1st I bought my train tickets for travel on August 9th. That gave me very useful discounts. (Or, so I thought!) On August 8th I presented myself at the EuroStar machine and punched in my six digit code and out should have come my ticket. Machine had no information about me, so I spoke to a person who looked and said she could see where a reservation had been made for me, but as no money had been received they had no ticket for me.

This is absolutely the worst thing that can happen to a traveller at the end of his holiday when, supposedly you have spent all your budget. I originally paid 161 euros for this leg of the journey, now it cost 222 euros.  I set off the next day, very early after having spent a totally restless night in the world's worst hotel. Leaving St. Pancras is boring. There is nothing worth looking at, so I decided to close my eyes at that point so as to be awake for the run through the countryside. I awoke and I was in the country, but the countryside of France. Ah well!

My arrival in Paris was at La Gare du Nord. I needed to get to La Gare du Lyon fast, as for all I knew I had no ticket for the onward journey. I approached a taxi and the driver said he would be pleased to drive me, but the fare would be 75 euros. Sweet Jesus! O.K. I didn't have time to argue the point, or so I thought.

Gare du Lyon was the most confusing station I have ever encountered. There was no ticket waiting for me there, and it was thought that I might not get space on any of the trains to Barcelona that day. Even I was amazed how calm I was, but when I finally got to the ticket seller there was space, but not until the 4 pm train. I could have walked over from Gare du Nord, I had so much time to wait. For this leg of the journey I had previously paid 100 euros, which was heavily discounted, but now it cost 232 euros.  At least I would arrive in Barcelona that night where my pre-paid hotel room was waiting for me.

This was a fast train, travelling at up to 300 kmph, but nevertheless it took six hours. It was comfortable and the scenery quite interesting. I didn't acquire a seat companion for a long time, so I was alone with my thoughts and a constantly changing picture from my window. When I finally did get a companion, he turned out to be Benjamin, a Frenchman who spoke fluent English. His second love is sailing, (he will marry his first love next month) which is something I know a little about. We got to talking about the evolution of sailing and much of our conversation centered around the world of the America's Cup class of futuristic competition.

There is one part of that journey in Perpignan where the train crosses the marsh flats. As you look out the windows on both sides the train appears to be a boat because there is water all around. I have to assume there is a bridge network, but if so it is very low to the water.

To make a long story shorter, the rest of my trip went well. A good night's rest was had in Barcelona at a hotel that more than made up for the night before, and the next morning I caught my train for the run down to Valencia, and home at last.

I told people in England that they were having much more comfortable weather than was Spain. England had 27 degrees, dry, and sunny weather. Amazing! Spain had been having high 30's, and mid 40's, together with thunderstorms. England was pretty pleased to realise that for once they were the winners.

If I had it to do again I would not rely solely on a six digit code to produce my tickets. At least I would insist on confirmation through the agency that my payment had been received and properly credited.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

CAR HACKED !!!!!

If this doesn't give you a very bad case of the Heebie Jeebies, then nothing will!

Readers may recall that I wrote of a couple experiences I have had with my cars where the engine simply stopped running while on the highway, without any apparent cause. It happened in a Chrysler, and again in my Volvo. In both cars the engine would simply quit, but after waiting about a minute or two, the engine would again fire up and off I would go.

Mechanics were totally flabbergasted. They had no idea what the problem was. I suggested what turned out to be the cure for the Chrysler, a change of the motherboard in the car's computer system. In the case of the Volvo, the factory suggested a change of the main fuses.

Neither of these problems were due to a third person, sitting in the comfort of their home, hacking into my car's running system and taking control, but alarmingly, it has been demonstrated that in the case of new high tech vehicles, which are in effect computers-on-wheels, hackers can do some real damage. When someone with mal intent takes over this computer it will crash. When they take over a car and it does a crash the implications are shocking to even think about.

This places into question so many new developments. It appears that hackers can find their way into the operating system through the entertainment option. When that happens they have demonstrated the ability to take away all control from the driver, including control of the wheel, brakes, accelerator, clutch, musical sound and volume, to mention a few.

If your car is an automatic and you experience a problem where  the accelerator gets stuck and you can't slow down, you should move the gear selector into neutral. The engine will rev and scream, but you will maintain control with your steering and brakes. Once you have stopped you can then turn the engine off. Do not turn the engine off before as you will lose all control!

It is unnerving to think that a person, perhaps sitting at his computer in another country, has the potential power to take over your car while you are underway and to tamper with it in any way his perverted mind may choose. It seems to me that manufacturers have an obligation to design  out the possibility of security hacks even before they build the car. It is a shame that the human mind can be so sick that progress can be halted because of the deadly potential, but that is the reality.

Consider what that can mean for the new generation of cars that drive themselves, and for travel by air!

Brave New World Indeed!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

The Capital of the Road Rage World

This past week, starting July 12th, in the U.K. a West Sussex man became so enraged by the driving of a 79 year old man who ran up his backside, that he laid into him stabbing him multiple times to death.

What causes us to undergo such a drastic change when we get behind the steering wheel of our vehicle? In our other activities we can be perfectly normal individuals, but we turn into potential killers once we get into our cars, either through irresponsible driving habits, or when someone does something to irritate us.

Firstly, I think it is a natural reaction to be annoyed and impatient by the actions of others on the road. What makes us think we are the perfect ones?  Personally, I have my good days and my bad days on the road. Sometimes things happen that make me feel like smashing the other driver's brains to a pulp, but the feeling passes quickly. More to the point, I think I would never actually act on such an impulse.

Probably the worst countries for road rage are the United States, Russia, and the U.K. In certain States of America, a country where everybody and his brother insists on the right to own a gun, shootings take place between drivers leading to bystanders becoming collateral damage. What makes so many drivers on British roads actually get out of their cars and act up?

In my opinion it's all a part of the British DNA. The English make things their business. If they see that their neighbour is doing something on their own property they will inquire whether the neighbour has the relevant permission. Long ago, while driving in the U.K. I was hugging the middle lane along a stretch of quiet road when another motorist came up behind me, and he stayed there flashing his lights, insisting that I move over.

Should you take any action that does not conform, someone will inevitably have a word with you. I suppose it's no surprise that this will include driving, and statistics as reported by The Dail Mail are not out of the ordinary. Apparently nine out of ten say they have been victims at least once. Presumably this encourages the practise, leading to the U.K. earning the title of Road Rage Capital of the World.

Twenty percent of those interviewed said they had experienced road rage more than ten times; and 70% of those said they were the instigators. Most of those said they felt just fine about unloading on their victims who they felt deserved it.

I tried to find out what country was least affected by road rage. I'm still not sure, but when I first came to Spain the thing I noticed was that drivers on Spain's roads are generally passive about some very shitty things that people do here. In the U.K. there is general respect for road courtesy, which seems incredible, but here in Spain we have never heard of the concept. I found myself wondering what would it take to cause an act of road rage. In all my years of driving here I can only think of one time when one driver went after another.

Drivers in this country are perfectly capable of doing horricly stupid things. Many have killed themselves through being so stupid, but the public remain amazingly calm in the face of bizarre behavior. Frankly, I have no idea what would drive a Spanaird to react badly, and I never want to know.

I can only tell you how I remain cool behind the wheel. First I use a silent mantra everytime I get in the car. "I will not let anyone spoil my day!" Secondly, I drive with constant anticipation as to what the other driver will do. It is amazing how well I read others actions and take defensive steps to avoid the crash.

My approach works very well for me, and driving is a reasonably pleasent experience, although I no longer actually like it. I am waiting for the day when I win the lottery. Then I will hire four female drivers and I will just sit back and enjoy life.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

TAKE CARE TO REST ADEQUATELY ON LONG JOURNEYS. ONCE YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES BEHIND THE WHEEL DON'T EXPECT TO EVER OPEN THEM AGAIN.   

The greatest concentration of motoring offenses are committed.......

It came to me quite by accident, because I was not doing some kind of research. I was simply sitting and having a coffee while waiting for my friend who had business at the offices of Trafico. This is a place where all drivers must visit at least once. Consequently it is a place where there is always a concentration of vehicles and riders/drivers.

You might think that in such an environment people might be on their best behaviour. You would be wrong.

At Trafico in Valencia there are a number of surrounding oficinas de medicos where you take your physical exam and renew your driving license without actually going into Trafico. That simply adds to the choas. If you have business that takes you into Trafico, the feeling is that of going into a building with no idea of when, or even if you will ever come back out.

In front of the building there is a Taxi rank for six taxis. Why? Trafico is where you come because you have your own vehicle. The reserved taxi parking is therefore usually full of driving school cars. When I got there two policemen had parked their scooters in the taxi rank which gave car drivers a real problem. When the policemen left they rode the wrong way before riding up on the sidewalk so as to take a shortcut across to the street they wanted. But they were the police, so who was going to complain.

People double park while staying close to their cars, but that adds to the confusion. There was one disabled person reserved car bay. A woman drove into the bay and immediately put her disabled decal on her dashboard. That joined a parking ticket that you would get from the machine. Hers appeared to be about ten years old, judging by its crumpled state. It certainly was not freshly printed.

Motorcycles are parked along the sidewalk. This is apparently because there is no actual parking bays for motos. However, you have to park them along the side next to the road, rather than along the side of the buildings. This is because of the need to avoid them becoming hazards to the blind.

There is a constant fight to get a parking space anywhere within reasonable walking distance of trafico. People put themselves through such a hassle when there is also a Metro stop directly in front of the building. You have to wonder why people don't simply leave their cars at home and take the Metro. (I was wondering why my friend and I didn't do so.) Well, perhaps it might be because that particular stop is the one at which there was a horrific metro crash in which 43 people died, and another 44 were injured.

In the midst of such continuing behaviour there is usually only one traffic warden who is only concerned that you should correctly pay and display. 

So it goes. Who am I to complain, and to whom would I complain?

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael  

They are waiting for us!

Motoring holidays are now in full swing. The phenomenon happens every year all across the world. We pack the family in the car and we get away from the familar sights. In doing so we raise the risk level that we will survive our fun. It takes a highly motivated driver to keep his or her eyes on the road, not allowing ourselves to be distracted by anything. The discipline required is so high as to be beyond the capability of most ordinary humans. Therefore, it is really no surprise that so many highway deaths occur in this manner.

For those who do survive the ultimate sanction of driving on holiday, there are other penalties especially when driving throughout Europe. Because the police have to make a living too, a foreign-plated car is fair game. If we confront them with this fact of life they will, no doubt be prepared to swear on a stack on bibles that it is not correct to say that they pounce on every error of the foreign driver, but the truth is that drivers, as a class, are soft targets.

Hire cars and foreign-plated ones are a magnet. Thieves are waiting for you, as are the police. One illegally takes your possessions and the other has the cover of the law. One way or the other you will give up your valuables. In this, not much has changed over the years. The highwayman still awaits.

Now, to ensure that drivers pay the fines against them, Europe has made it possible that whereever you live, when you pick up a fine in one country and return home, the fine follows you and is enforced by the police in your own country. No longer can you simply ignore that parking fine, or the fine for speeding.

It seems that there is only one sensible thing to do. When planning your trip, perhaps you should add another line to your budget called: "Fines."  A generous figure should go here, but then try your very best to avoid spending any part of it.

Happy and safe motoring!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael  

REMEMBER TO REST FREQUENTLY. SHOULD YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE YOU ARE TIRED YOU WILL LIKELY NEVER OPEN THEM AGAIN!!!!!!

Because it feels Right!

I have been a critic of the people who are in charge of placing speed limit signs throughout the country because they often do silly things.  Keep in mind that we must be travelling at no more than the posted limit when we pass the sign, all too often no real thought has been put into whether the driver can actually comply without standing on the brake.

We are constantly confronted by speed reduction signs that take us down from 120 to 90 to 70 to 40 over a breathtakingly short strip. Then there are those strips of road that allow us to go from 50 upon exiting the town to 70, and then, just when you don't expect, back to 50 again. We should have simply held it at 50 in the first place.

There are some very long strips of road where no one can be sure of what the limit is because there are no postings. I have seen the police take full advantage of the confusion by regularly conducting radar checks in that area. Needless to say many poor sods are pulled over and relieved of money that was intended for the mortgage.

There is one area in which the authorities do get it right, and so I must be a supporter. It occcurred to me that for some considerable time I have driven at what feels like a comfortable and safe speed, in ideal conditions. Then I see the posted speed limit and a glance at my speedometer reveals I am cruising at exactly that speed. This has happened so many times that I have come to feel that in this instance they have got it right. Naturally, when conditions change so should we adjust our speed.

The condition of our tyres are crucial, and the state of the road surface does matter. In a recent television documentary that looked at stopping distances, it is amazing how we can go from stopping efficiently within a short predictable distance, to sliding right out of the frame and presumably into the vehicle ahead of us. The fault for that will absolutely be the driver coming from behind.

The point of this is to highlight the fact that too much speed is normally present in every crash.. Even speed that is not outrageously fast can still be too fast for the siuation. For instance, when driving among a lot of people who are walking 20kph would be way too fast. I suggest  we take our lead from the speed limit signs under ideal conditions. In this they seem to have got it right.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

REST FREQUENTLY WHEN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES. TIREDNESS IS A KILLER.

S-T-O-P

Four little letters that, when put together are the cause of so much confusion and trouble. Here in Spain many of the elderly drivers were granted their permits before it became necessary to sit the complicated present day exams, and before the introduction of the international road signage.

The Spanish word commanding a driver to stop is Alto! Suddenly in place of Alto signs, Stop signs appeared. You wouldn't have to be a rocket scientist to work out what it meant, but if they ignored an Alto sign they certainly would ignore a Stop  sign.

The maximum speed limit in my country (Bermuda) is 35 kph. People slide past Stop signs here cruising at 35 k and consider that they have effectively stopped. It's as though when they see a stop sign they respond by saying, "Who? Me?"

Often, while driving along secondary roads, an estate road will connect, but at an angle, so that the driver on the main road can actually see the stop sign. Fortunately I was driving in the opposite direction, but I saw a person who was on that side of the road actually stop for the sign, with a bewildered look on their face. That look would have been worse had there been traffic behind him.

I was at a red light when traffic coming from the opposite direction started to move. There was the light signals, and also a stop sign. The first car started to move, then it stopped at the junction where the stop sign was, and once feeling secure that no other traffic was crossing with him,  he moved off. The following three cars all did the same thing, not realising that the stop sign is only there in case the lights are not working. The hierachy of authority in road signs are; policeman, traffic lights, standing road sign, painted sign on asphalt.

The most contentious issue with stop signs here is, how much stop is necessary? I know that sounds peculiar, but I will give an example. I was waiting for someone just off a junction that had six entrances, and consequently six stop signs. As I had nothing else to do I idly noticed that during the twenty minutes I was there not one vehicle came to a dead stop. It was constantly busy but not once did a vehicle stand absolutely still for even a fraction of a minute, unless I missed it. I think even Hollywood might have trouble choreographing that. Each of those drivers evidently felt that no actual standstill was necessary. 

i don't know why we have such trouble in obeying such a simple directive, but we do. The other side of that is if a policeman is standing and watching he will likely not be satisfied with the length of time a driver considers that he has stopped moving. I heard about an argument between an Indian national and a policeman, whereby the Indian gentleman was heard to say: " The sign says Stop, it doesn't say Stay!"

Enough said!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

Spoilt for Choice

There was a time when a car was a relatively simple mechanism that gave basic information, and got it's driver and passengers from A to Z. Now, they are over-engineered computers, some of which drive themselves more efficiently than we humans. If you think like me and are impressed by gadgets and gizmos, your work is cut out for you when trying to choose the next car to buy.

There is a lot of one's personality present in the model and make of car that we spend our time in getting around in with pride. It's a shame that budget has to come into it. Otherwise, it would be a case of show me the car you drive and I will tell you who you are.

I have a wish list that will come into play the day I win the Euro Millions jackpot. At the very top of my list is the Maserati. I will order two, one in black and the other in British Racing Green. If I am asked for an explanation as to why, I shall reply, it's a Maserati, no explanation neccessary.

Second on my list is my beloved Jaguar. When I lived in England, many moons ago, I owned an XK 120, British Racing Green and convertible. It was while driving that car to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, dressed in my tux to attend a concert conducted by Colin Davis, under the patronage of the Queen Mother, that I stopped at a red light and was immediately mistaken for Lenny Henry by three young girls. (I signed your autographs for you, and I gracefully accepted their kisses for you as well. Hope that's O.K. with you, Len.) 

That was the beginning of a very long love affair between me and Jaguar. I now drive an XJ6 Sovereign, which for me is the classic design for Jaguars. The newest XF model is taking some time to grow on me. I know that the engineering is there, but I'm still only lukewarm to the design.

I know that the Mercedes S-type model has always led the way in new innovations, and it truly is a wonder in new everything. The S-type gets all the new advances first, so really, if I do win some big money I should really get myself around to Mercedes right away, but I am not really the Mercedes type. That can also be said about me and various other quality cars, such as a Rolls, and the Land Rover. I always think of the people who own them as tweedy types with patches on the elbows of their jackets. I must admit I do stop and look as a Range Rover goes by. There is sex appeal in that car.

Everybody's friend, Jay Leno, who must be a Libra, gave up trying to make a choice of which car to have and simply has one of everything. What a lucky man.

The buying public is faced with a bewildering range of  brands and makes and models. Perhaps it is price that needs to narrow the range, but one thing we notice is that the same chassis can be found across a number of brands. My present everyday car is a Volvo 850, a very old car, admittedly, but a fine piece of machinery that is so reliable it is hard to find a reason to part company with it. You know what it is like to have an old pair of very comfortable slippers. That's the feeling I have for my Volvo. However, the day is coming when I will move on, and for all my talk about Maserati and Mercedes I will most probably choose a Volvo XC60. For my 30,000 euros I will get safety, comfort, styling, and gizmos as usual, and life will continue to be good.

Volvo, brought to us by the Swedish folks who will host the next EuroVision song contest.  We can be sure it will be a stylish and safe show.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael  

A Most Curious Trend

In my day, I would often be seen to just sit in my car at the end of my journey without moving. It may have seemed strage to observers,  but what I was doing was simply listening to something on my eight track, or cassetteplayer, or later my CD player, finish the track that was giving me such pleasure.

Now, people sit there in their cars and respond to their wassup messages for ages although they are home.

Wives have complained of husbands who never listen to what they say. The frustration that that causes have led many couples to the divorce court. Now, neither husband or wife pays the slightest attention to one another. You see it when a party of people enter a restaurant and sit down. Out come the smartphones and all goes quiet. Nobody says a word to each other at the table. They all speak to people who aren't there.

A young woman has been killed because she was looking at her smartphone instead of where she was going. She walked in front of a tram and was run over. That is so sad, and a prime example of how serious this trend can be.

I noticed a car come to stop at a red light, and a second car drew up behind. Both drivers had their head buried in their phones, so they didn't notice that the light had changed to green. It changed back to red and they were still immersed. Finally, they realised they should be checking for green. There was a time when the second car would have honked if the lead car did not move instantly they got the green. .

I no longer go to see movies in the cinema because if the person next to me loses interest in the movie, out comes the phone and I have to put up with this bright light that distracts me. Whatever happened to the usual pest who simply talked all the way through because he had seen the movie before?

I am a person who, from time to time has done public speaking. If someone in the audience didn't like the speaker, traditionally you could expect heckling. These days they simply record your speech and send it worldwide with the question: Do you think this is the most boring person on earth, or what?

The alcholic who sits in the street talking to himself has always been a feature of society. A comic said that perhaps we should not make fun of such people because as far as we knew, he might have been having a conversation with a friend across town. The alcholic is still there doing his thing, but now he is joined by all of us drivers with bluetooth who drive along talking up a storm to nobody we can see. But, they do hear voices in their heads as they use their handsfree devices, and those disembodied voices are coming from across town, or the country, and even some are from other countries.

I truly do want to live to celebrate at least my 100th birthday, just so that I can see where this world will be at that point. By then our cars will be driving themselves which will leave us free to think of other things to do enroute.

Any thoughts?

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

Put on your Summer driving shoes and drive, drive, drive.

Many years ago I saw a lady work colleague take off her sneakers in her car and change into her high heels before heading into the office. I asked her why, and she replied that her high heels were inappropriate for driving as they can cause her to make mistakes. We men don't think we evere have to worry about such things, but the truth is that we do. From the Highway code, Article 3.1 of Reglamento General de Circulación states that you have to drive properly avoiding damage to people/things. It is forbidden to drive in a negligent or reckless manner. From this roughly translated wording many things can be interpreted.

Firstly, let's look at footwear. Under formal circumstances we would normally wear shoes that were good for walking which will fit snugly with backing so that they don't fall off. However, during the Summer months we tend to let our guard down and slip into flip flops or sandals that are comfortable for the beach.Using such footwear to drive carries the risk, especially when reacting to an emergency, that they will become twisted or will simply fall off when braking. Law officers take a very dim view of driving with footwear that is without backing. You run the risk of attracting a fine, but worse than that, you may suffer an unnecessary crash.

Under this same section an officer will probably stop the vehicle if you are seen driving with the back hatch open. He will find several things wrong with this, but the most serious is that if the car's back is open the car is drawing into it spent exhaust that is dangerous to your health, and will probably cause the driver to lose focus. This will also result in a fine, but again, worse is that they are right. The exhaust from your vehicle is really bad, both for the environment and living creatures in general, who are out in the open, but especially bad for those people in the car.

This section of the driving code essentially requires us as drivers to drive with due care and attention, avoiding at all costs damage to persons and property. To do this we must be fully focused on the road ahead, as well as on pedestrians walking alongside us, and we must anticipate what other drivers and pedestrians will do next.

We take driving so much for granted, but it really is a heavy responsability. Once behind the wheel we are no longer in our living rooms at home. As the popular saying goes, "A little care will get you there...and back."

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael

BEWARE OF DRIVER EXHAUSTION ON LONG JOURNEYS!  

The Middle Lane Hugger

It seems that everybody hates the Middle Lane Hugger, even though we all have done it at one time or another. The rules of the road mandate that when not overtaking we should return to the right lane, (or left lane where driving is on the left.) We have no argument with that, so why do we constantly find ourselves drifting into the middle lane?

The right lane is where we find the slow pokes, drivers who stick to half the speed limit. That prompts traffic from behind to have to move out into the middle lane, but who find themselves locked behind the slow poke by the mid lane huggers. Then there are all those emerging vehicles that do not want to have to stop. They will force the crowd already in the right lane into the mid lane, which is full of mid lane huggers.

To insist on defaulting to the righthand lane requires a lot of in the lane and out again. If you take up a position in the mid lane and just stay there you are in a stable position. However, faster moving traffic find that you are a hazard and a bloody nuisance. To correctly overtake you, assuming that they are in the righthand lane requires that they move two lanes to the left, which can create a danger in itself. Many drivers will overtake you to your right, which is of course incorrect and also dangerous.

Now, the law has been stiffened against Mid Lane Huggers to discourage the practise. However, no-one has defined what is the maximum time period and length of travel that defines mid lane hugging. Clearly, if there are only two cars moving along, you and one other, once you have overtaken him you should promptly return to the righthand lane. But when it's busy time, with trucks, buses, and lots of private vehicles, that would require constant into and out of the righthand lane, and it seems to me that increases the danger rather than improving the flow.

If I am ever a Mid Lane hugger, I promise to do better.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael  

Preparing for Summer Driving

Summer is just around the corner, a time when we pack up the car with family and head to either the hills or the coast. For those of us who might still be home, what a joy it is to be able to drive in downtown Valencia and find parking spaces on the street.

For those of you who will take a road trip to visit friends and family, it is my wish that you all get there in one piece, and that you return home with everyone having had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I probably am not going to realise my wish, but my wish could come true if only a few commonsense ideas were followed.

This Summer, at least two people should take the responsibility for the driving. For these designated drivers nothing should be allowed to impair your judgement. Not alcohol, not prescribed drugs, not recreational drugs, not overeating before driving, and especially not the real killer: Driver Fatigue. I'm convinced that fatigue is a central player where long distance driving is concerned. The problem is that often you do not realise you have lost control, because you never wake up. You just nod off, your foot goes down on the accelerator and you drive head-on into the car coming towards you.

I can say no more.

Don't ever leave home without the essential documents for you car. They are; The Permiso de Circulation, and the ITV document. You should also have your insurance documents, including a summary of what you are covered for, and especially the number of the breakdown service. The police can tell whether you have insurance, but you need to have the details of this information to hand. When you need the information you need it there and then. Also check to see if you have the folder for recording a collision. It will also be handy to know something about your health provisions.

Your Road Tax should also be paid up when it is due, and if you are driving into one of the countries adjacent to Spain be sure you have your Green Card. Foreign drivers seem like such an easy target for local police forces looking to bring in some extra money for the treasury. They are just human beings like the rest of us so we can expect them to give in to temptation and try and get what they can. So, it will help to have all your documents in order, and expect tp pick up at least one or two tickets along the way.

Happy Summer Motoring, and remember, the objective is to come back safely!

Copyright (c) 2015   Eugene Carmichael

A Yellow one and a Red one.

In 2013 a fire broke out that was to burn its way through five counties, including my own of Pedralba. It would take 800 firefighters on the ground and 47 aircraft over four days to finally put it out. We knew something had started because the fire chief showed up in his helicopter, flying low while he assessed the situation.

The fire moved over and around our house, burning our hedges but not touching our house. The same thing happened to a lot of people, but we left only minutes ahead of the fire at 3:30 in the morning, convinced our home and everything in it was gone. That it survived intact we consider a miracle, for which we remain eternally grateful.

With that in mind, anytime we hear a helicopter flying low overhead everybody in the area stops what they are doing to concentrate on what the helicopter is doing.

This past Thursday,  May 7th, two helicopters, a yellow one and a red one,  moved into the area and started flying low, wide circles around my house. The yellow one then picked out a spot away from wires and landed, while the red one continued to circle before flying behind a hill, out of my sight and sound. I presumed he had landed as well. What the hell was going on?

I took my dog, Mini-Max, and drove over to the opposite side where I had a clear view of both craft.

The red one had not landed, but rather it was doing a steady hover over the river. After about five minutes it rose straight up with two figures hanging on a line, and it moved off to the east as it winched its cargo into the cabin. Then it made a wide circle from East back to West and returned to near its original hover spot.

After a short while the yellow one lifted off and circled left and took up a steady hover  on top of a small hill that was behind where it had previously landed. Nothing happened for what seemed like about five minutes, but then a person was winched up to it, followed by a second person. They then moved off to the East in the direction of Manises airport.

Had we watched a dramatic river rescue or a training exercise? I accept that training is crucial, and I suppose it must be carried out somewhere, but I can tell you that whatever it was that we had seen, it had a maximum audience.

We had a period of very heavy and sustained rain recently that has resulted in the whole mountain range having broken out into wonderful bloom. It will be a long time before our trees come back but we have heavy ground growth.

We are still in Spring and temperatures are seriously higher than normal. That means an elevated risk of fire danger throughout the country; so a note of caution to everybody: Beware! Only You and I can prevent Forest Fires!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael 

New technology to assist driving.

We are all probably aware that self-driving cars are in full development with test cars driving themselves very long distances. The latest that I have become aware of is self-drive racing cars. That is impressive because not only do they cope with the basics of moving a car from A to  Z, but they have to  cope with high speed. The age of stepping into our cars and programming our destination, and relaxing is likely something that will be realized in my lifetime. Interestingly, on my fiftieth birthday I reviewed the past fifty years, and I made some predictions for the next fifty. I was deliberately outrageos, but among my predictons was self driving cars to answer the problems of driving by humans.

Now it has been announced that new cars will have crash sensors installed. The problem this answers is where a crash occurs resulting in the incapacitation of anyone from either vehicle to call it in. If the crash occurs in a lonely place  your car will summon help which could be the difference between life and death. If we are very lucky we get a golden hour after an impact within which to receive life saving treatment. The article I read suggests that this new technology might save as much as 2,500 lives a year. That's significant!

The system cannot report how serious the crash has been, nor how many people are involved or the nature of their injuries, but if both vehicles have the system installed some deductions may be made. In the main the probability of help being dispatched sooner will most likely be met.

On the same page of The Post from which I read this article was a story about a drunken driver who caused absolute chaos along the highway. Bring on the self-driving cars as noted above, and the sooner the better. We need to solve the problem we have with this type of driver who has been responsible for so many premature deaths over the years. If only he didn't have that first drink that convinced him it was alright to have a second, and a third.

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael   

The Great American Touring Motor Show in Valencia

It is called Valencia American Fest, and the show is in progress on its second day at the Ricardo Tormo Racing Circuit in Cheste, Valencia, as I write this. I attended yesterday, April 25th and thoroughly enjoyed the day. However, considering the program on offer there should have been thirty or forty times the number of people in attendance. The publicity machine completely failed because people living in the town of Cheste were unaware that anything was going on. I became aware by accident because the story was picked up from a newspaper article. What a shame because it was mega expensive to put on this show with a lot of participants working their hearts out.

There was absolutely something for everyone, in spades. Fabulous cars, bikes and trucks on display! One truck was so big it needs three windscreen wipers. Someone had his VW Transporter wagon on show which is simply an Uber Sound system on wheels. This is a private individual who has spent so much money on his sound on wheels one has to wonder how he found money for food.

The layout of the terrain was as follows: The main racing circuit was the A- ring, of course, and the B-ring was the centre of attention in the paddock area. There was continuous entertainment in the B-ring by stunt riders and drivers who did things that none of us should try at home,or anywhere. When I first got there a driver was running doughnuts in a Seat Leon. My wife owns a Seat Leon and I'm fairly certain she did not know the car was capable of such things.

There were lots of eating and drinking places in between the many static displays.  There were two super sports cars, one an orange coloured Lamborghini superleggora, and the other was a white Spano GTA, both cars looking like they were ready for space travel.

In my opinion the car of the show was number 122, Ford's 2015 Black Mustang. I couldn't resist running  my hand along its lovely lines and curves as though to pet it. A look in the cab revealed lots of silver trim to set off its instrumentation and equipment. The problem for me is that once I got into the bucket seat I may never be able to move my bucket again.

The truck of the show was the Kenworth W900, an out of this world massive monster of a truck. It was fully kitted out with lots of lights and chrome and antennae, and a solar panel on top to add to the comfort of its roomy studio sleeper for two men, or one man and as many women that can stuff themselves inside; because they will want to There was even a boot brush on the step so that you need not step into the cab with dirty soles of your shoes.  When you sit in the cab the seat adjusts for your weight and height.

If you were driving along the highway at night and this truck came up behind you and he turned on only some of his lights you could be forgiven for thinking that a space ship had just landed behind you.

Meanwhile, over in the A-ring there was something continuously going on. When I arrived there the safety car was leading the way for a run around the circuit ahead of at least twelve NASCAR racers. NASCAR came to Valencia in a moderately exciting race, which I enjoyed, but I compared it to Formula 3 and Formula 1 races that I had seen in this same circuit. I should not have done that.

The next race would be one between trucks that we normally see towing trailers with freight. We regard them as slow moving lumbering work horses. After this race I will never see them in the same light again.

Sixteen of these guys lined up for the off, with number 2 quickly taking pole position which he never gave up. Number 35 was last of the pack and as the race  continued over the eleven laps, number 2 eventually caught up with number 35 and lapped him. Eventually the whole field lapped him and he fell back to being last again. Number 2 ran a brilliant race, extending his lead from six seconds to eight seconds, and eventually winning. What excitement as I really didn't expect such vigor from this  group.

Then came a parade of customized towing trucks with special lighting systems and art work. There was one truck, number 16, that was named Violeta. This was the name of my first wife, the mother of my two daughters, who died much too soon in 1982. A truck named Violeta had more significance for me than the owner had intended. I thank him for honouring that good lady.

It was not intended for me, but rather as some kind of honour to people sitting behind me, but the trucks pulled off the track and formed a semi-circle facing us, and they hooted their horns and flashed their lights, and Violeta did doughnuts. What an emotive moment for me, and they had no idea that this little celebration came only a few days later than would have been her birthday.

Later that afternoon a second truck race was scheduled. I had enjoyed the first so much I decided to stay for the second. The line up was the same but this time number 2 started in fifth position. Number 35 was in its usual last position. Number 2 moved up to third position which it held until moving into second place, but then disaster struck, as a water line on number 2 burst causing the trucks behind to have to use their wipers.

Number 23 was driven by a favourite Spanish driver who started in third place. To the sound of furious excitement he moved up to second place, and for a brief time he moved into first place. I thought the whole group of spectators would have a collective heart attack, they were so pumped up. Unfortunately he could not hold the position and gradually dropped back to sixth place, but he gave us something very special to cheer about.

Meanwhile, number 35 was again being lapped by the field to move back to last place, yet again. Alas, number 2 had to make a pit stop, which was quick but he re-entered in ninth place and stayed there. The field was now being led by number 1, with number 7 in second place, and that is how the race ended, with number 23 in sixth place and number 2 in ninth place.

Those races should have been witnessed by sold out spectators. What a pity they weren't!

Copyright (c) 2015  Eugene Carmichael