A Hypothetical conversation with Readers

Readers: You suggest that we should not overtake along two-way roads, but surely there are times, such as when following slow-moving vehicles like tractors and mopeds, when it is not reasonable to crawl along at 40 kmp/h.

Driver’s Seat: The point is well taken. My appeal refers principally to overtaking other cars out of simple impatience If the stretch of road has a broken centre line, it would not be illegal to overtake, but the question becomes is this a safe place to make such a manoeuvre?

Spain has undergone rapid changes over a very short period of time in every aspect. So much so that Spaniards say the pace of change is enough to make one dizzy. Starting with the road system itself, it was not that long ago when everybody was driving the Seat 600, a very small car indeed. Roads were narrow, and the route from one major place to another was an adventure that took the motorist through mountain passes along agonizingly winding and endless terrain. Such stretches of roads have become abandoned as they are too dangerous for today’s size of vehicles, and no-one has the patience to creep along them.

Even roads that were laid down parallel to the old system are in the process of being widened yet again. A classic example is that of the CV-35 that runs from downtown Valencia to the region of Ademuz. Until we reach Lliria this roadway is two lanes in either direction, and it is relatively straight. Now the department of road works are in the process of adding a third lane in either direction, and of extending this motorway past Lliria. Such is the heavy volume of traffic that demands it, and more to the point, the size of each vehicle has increased by such a degree that the Seat 600 could be carried aboard or behind in a light trailer as though it were a cement mixer.

We are starting to see certain stretches of road where, due to sheer volume of traffic, roads management are rescinding the overtake provision and instead they are putting down an unbroken centre line.

One of the most distressing road facts is that every head-on collision results in death. So often the headlines read that more people were killed than actual crashes. .i.e.” 47 people killed in 45 head-on accidents.” This, in spite of seat belts and air bags. Well, if it’s a head-on collision that means at least one car was where it was not supposed to be. Why was it there? Most likely because it was in the act of overtaking and badly misjudged the distance of the oncoming car; or the overtake took place when it was simply not possible to see clearly that the oncoming lane was entirely clear, such as before the crest of a hill.

Another reason could have been that the offending vehicle was in the act of making a left turn across oncoming traffic. No-one has explained how it is possible not to see the oncoming car on a straight road, but I have heard drivers say after a near- miss, “I just didn’t see him coming!” The fact is that it is very rare to have a truly safe opportunity to overtake as there is simply too many of us on the road.

So, having said all that, perhaps it is a little clearer what is meant by refraining from overtaking as we might have done when times were a lot simpler and less congested. We tend to drive over-fast in this country anyway. Most people seem to think that they are in more of a hurry than they really are. For instance, if we drive too fast to get to the restaurant and then sit back and relax for several hours, that betrays the need in the first place for all that speed. What was needed was simply to have left home a little earlier.

As the journey to work lengthens because of traffic so must we allow the extra time for making the trip. We cannot squander time at home in the expectation of making it up on the road. Those days have most probably gone forever.

At the heart of all the new traffic measures is the objective of one day reaching a zero death toll on our roads. Why not? That would be a wonderful day indeed if, and when that goal is reached. The fact is that when the news is reported to us of the death toll for the day, week, month or year, something inside us is badly affected. Perhaps we are disturbed to think that only for the grace of God, go I, and that none of those people thought it would ever happen to them.

Prior to July 1st, 2006, the risk factor inherent in venturing out onto the roads in Spain was greater than moving about the war zones of Afghanistan or Iraq where people fire live rounds of ammunition. The government are trying to do something about that with the introduction of the points system. Their effort deserves our support After all, it’s our lives they are trying to save.


And so, to repeat, please don’t overtake along two-way stretches of roadway unless it is abundantly clear that it is safe to do so. Someone is waiting at home for your safe return. Their disappointment if you don’t make it will be too much for them to bear.

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Be Seen to be Safe (II)

In the first part of this thread I responded to the untimely death of a promising young man who died as a result of an “accident” involving his motorcycle and a car. In the course of the investigation, the motorist said that he just didn’t see the young man. In far too many incidents, such as that one, the driver has the same response. I had therefore suggested that riders of cycles, motorized or otherwise, should take the simple step to remove this excuse by making certain they can be seen.

Recently, I have become a motorcycle rider. On the first day I rode I was without a reflective vest. I was very embarrassed as I was not taking my own advice. It was not so much a case of being recognized, but I knew, and that was enough for me to be embarrassed and to feel guilty.

So I got my vest, and now, I never leave home without it, whether by day or night. In doing this, I am taking my lead from policemen who wear the vest as part of their uniform.

The point in doing that is those vests, especially the lime-green ones have been around for such a long time, that even a fleeting glimpse of one tells us of the presence of a human being. As a driver of car or truck we know instantly that we have to exercise caution, and that the person wearing the vest might be a police-person.

Gone is the usual excuse of I didn’t see him or her.

On the day that I rode without a vest I was treated differently to the way I am now. Traffic is definitely more courteous and I get more space. I can make a comparison with a person walking along a road and a person using a pedestrian crossing. We know that if we hit someone on a pedestrian crossing our penalty will be greater. Strike a cyclist who is wearing a reflective vest and you have no excuse at all.

So, I re-submit the suggestion that as cyclists, if we want to save ourselves the experience of being involved in a crash, we have to warn off the oncoming driver. Make sure that you stand out from the landscape by making ourselves as visible as possible. Remember, we have no idea of how easy or difficult it is for the motorist to see us, especially when coming from behind.

Stay safe. “Be Seen to be Safe!”

Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Lane Discipline

Our lack of lane discipline borders on the absolute stupidity. We all know better than we put in practise, but we do it anyway. When we see others driving with such wild abandon, it seems as though we need to do likewise to be part of the crowd. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I am utterly convinced that were it not for deliberately bad driving habits, the death toll on the roads would drop to practically nothing, and even fender benders would be a minor statistic.

Lane discipline is a big part of what I’m talking about. On U.K. roads it is made very clear by commands that state in no uncertain terms: “GET IN LANE”, or “STAY IN LANE.” What that means is, if you know where you are going, start before getting right on top of your exit to move into the correct lane to be able to exit the highway without cutting others up. But we see it all the time here in Spain: You are driving in the right hand lane when someone comes up from the left and cuts right across your bumper to go off in the exit just ahead. It even happens when the driver could have made that turn by comfortably coming in under you and going off from behind.
Roundabouts are the worst. A driver is on the far left and wants to go off to the right exit. He sees nothing wrong in cutting across the paths of six lanes of traffic to get to where he wants to go. I just cannot get my head around such thinking. Did I say thinking? I jest, of course, because there is nothing going on between those two ears.

So, why do we drive like such lunatics? It’s probably because we are lunatics. Ordinary responsible types at work turn into crazed patients who haven’t been taking our medications when we get on the road. What on earth is that all about? Would some scientific type person please look into this phenomenon and report back to us what makes us behave this way.

We see people struggling to get ahead of everyone, only to have to come to a stop at the red light at the head of the line. Why? And even if he saves a half a minute by getting to his destination that much sooner, what will he do with it? You know the answer. We are looking for logic where none exists.

Lane discipline is simple. It is the very essence of being a good motorist and a good driver. Think ahead and prepare, if you can. If you make a mistake, play it out correctly and make your correction without putting others in danger. Get in the lane that is intended for you to exit to your destination, and do it in good time.

Your fellow road users will thank you.

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Motoring Security (II)

A simple thing that we can do that may make all the difference is to buy a good steering wheel lock, and to use it! The one prerequisite of car thieves is that they need to take your car in sixty seconds or less. More time than that means hanging about when the owner can suddenly return, or time for witnesses to appear. So, take the case of two cars of identical make parked side by side, and the thief has an order for that make. One has a steering wheel lock and the other doesn’t. There are no prizes for guessing the most probable one that will be stolen.

My car was stolen and later set alight. Because it was broad daylight when I parked it, and in a “good neighbourhood”, and because I wasn’t going to be gone a long time, I didn’t put the steering wheel lock on, although I locked the doors.. When I later went to where it had been set on fire and found the wheel lock just where I had left it, I could have wept with anger. Now, unless I am absolutely certain that I will not be away from the car for more than two minutes, I put the lock in place.

When parking at night in a place that is practically void of people, before switching off the car engine or putting on the interior light, have a quick 360-degree look around for any suspicious movement. If not completely sure that all’s clear simply drive off. Remember, when you are in the car with the interior light on your movements can be clearly seen.

If you do use a scheduled rest stop and your car is left out of your sight while you are in the building, it would perhaps be a good idea that when you return to it that you walk around it paying particular attention to the inflation of the tyres.

Spanish law states that you must produce the documents for the car when required by a police officer. Generally, the wording is along the lines that the documents must be carried in the car at all times so as to be produced on demand. That does not mean that the documents need stay in the car when it is parked. The only person who hopes that your papers have been left with the car is the thief who is planning on stealing it. With the documents he not only steals your vehicle, he also steals your identity, and what’s more, he now knows your address. If you have left nothing to link you and your address with the car you make his task more difficult.

It is best to have a system for taking the papers into and out of the car as you go. If they are attached to the key, this will be one sure way. The other advantage is that in the event that the car is stolen you will not experience any delay in the recovery/claims process as you will have your originals.

If you have off-road parking, especially in town and at night, it really is best to use it. Hooligans have been known to set fire to cars just for the fun of it. However, when choosing undercover parking one has to take into account the risk of flooding as happens during the “gota fria” season. Far too many cars are lost to water while trying to avoid fire and vandalism.

Many of the high-end cars have very sophisticated locking systems, and thieves who wish to steal them simply do not bother with the traditional methods of overcoming the locks. You should know that if they really want your car they will come for it when it is parked at your home. There have been too many instances of breaking and entries primarily for the purposes of stealing the car keys. This is not to scare or alarm you, this is about being fore-warned to be fore-armed.

Spanish law prohibits the practise of hitchhiking by those on foot, and drivers are forbidden from picking up hitchhikers. This is a very difficult situation to apply evenly because of the circumstances that may lead to the necessity of asking for a ride. Should one’s car break down and it is just not possible to get a tow truck to come out into the middle of nowhere, you are left with only one alternative.

For the driver of the car who is being asked for help, this presents a special danger. If it is at night, and on a lonely road, the situation that confronts him may be genuine or a set-up for robbery.

The other potential problem with picking up strangers is that it can never be ascertained from a quick glance whom you are taking on board. On balance, it perhaps should be avoided if reasonable.

It almost goes without saying that to avoid falling into those circumstances requiring that sort of help, keep your vehicle in peak running condition, and never set off without sufficient petrol to get you to your destination.

Lastly, I include in this list the common sense suggestion that one should never try to make it to your intended destination, especially at night if fatigued. This condition is not only a problem at night. During the day one can struggle to stay awake. But at night, when driving back streets and along country roads that are lightly travelled, the element of fatigue increases the risk that something is likely to go horribly wrong.

This scenario is bad enough for a man alone, but for a woman it is to be avoided at all costs. However, should you find yourself in just such a situation this is where your mobile telephone comes into its own. You need to be certain that you have enough battery charge, enough credit, and you need to know exactly where you are. Refer to the roadside markers that appear every kilometre for that information.

Make your driving safe and secure every day. Be road smart!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Monster Truck Travelling Road Show

A bit of Americana came to the town of Villamarxant, (Valencia) Spain recently in the form of Team Lemoine Monster Truck show. This is the type of show that gets them good ‘ole boys back in the States a whooping ‘n hollering like nothing else. Only this is not an American production, in spite of all the American flags, and hot dogs and Coca Cola. This show is a German faithful reproduction, including one of the performers who goes by the name of Jack Daniels.

I have seen this type of show before, and frankly I could have written this piece before it started because of the set formula, but that would have been unfair to the young men who have honed their skills to such a fine degree.

The program starts off with Free-style American Motocross performed using three off-road bikes and a tri-cycle. Lots of wheelies and some truly outstanding jumps. The biggest jump has an awful lot of air time as they sailed over eight car widths, that being at least 12 metres. They made it look so easy.

I put the ages of the drivers between 18 and 30. What they did with the stunt cars was almost as amazing as the fact that they were using BMW’s to drive on two wheels only. A very decent sized crowd turned up, and from the spectators the guys convinced five very brave young women to come ride with them as they did this stunt. The picture of the night, which I unfortunately didn’t get, was that of one of the young women looking back out of the car with a very worried look on her face, like “Help!”

Of course, anybody else wishing to have a similar experience need only take a New York City taxi.

The star attraction is the monster trucks. These are normal “cages” mounted on a massive chassis with mega-truck engines and tyres taller than the average man. In full stride they easily roll over anything in their way. Oh, how I could use one of those to get around Valencia.

I don’t think it’s been done yet, but wait for a car chase using one of those. I don’t remember the name of the movie, but Clint Eastwood made his film debut as the unseen truck driver who chased a hapless motorist half way across America. I can only imagine being chased by a monster truck the size of those featured in this show.

I was impressed by the diversity of the spectators. Very seldom does one see that many people out of the house that late in Villamarxant, (after 7pm). To see some pretty elderly folk, along with the very young ones, of course, and everybody in between was a delight, especially as all seemed to have enjoyed the show.

One thing that I didn’t like was the choice of hard-core American rap music blasting out some pretty blue language, certainly unfit for a family audience. However, since the rest of the spectators were Spanish I was probably the only one bothered as it most likely went right over their heads.

I did bring my sense of humour with me so it didn’t ruin the evening. Perhaps I was being a little too sensitive.

So, if you’ve never been to one of these shows you might give them a chance when in your area. There appears to be more than one group doing the Spanish tour, so it’s not as though I am promoting any one group in particular. It just makes for a good evening out that involves some jaw dropping moments along the way. I only ask that when you return to your vehicle to drive home, don’t try any of the stunts you’ve seen.

Formula One Racing

While on the subject of things not to try at home I must comment on the obvious achievements of Spain’s favourite son of the moment, Fernando Alonso, World Champion of Formula One Racing. I may not have been born here, but it’s simply not possible not to feel admiration, and yes, pride in the incredible accomplishments of so young a person. (age 26) He won his first World Championship on the Brazilian circuit at age 24. Such glory to have unseated the near invincible Michael Schumacher, holder of seven World Championship titles. This is no mean feat!

However, F1 racing has been energized by the fairly new entry into the mix of Lewis Hamilton, who nearly did the impossible in his firt

I live quite near to the circuit in Cheste, Valencia, so it is quite convenient for me to drop by when an event is taking place. This is a very glamorous sport. Money is spent by the truckful; it attracts the attention of some of the most beautiful women in the world, and includes household names like Michael, and his brother Ralf Schumacher, (how special is that?), both of Team Ferrari; Jenson Button, British, age 27, Team Honda; and Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian, age 35, (the old man of racing?), with team Ferrari. These are just a few of the illustrious names of F1 racing. These are people who I openly envy because they get to do something for a living that they absolutely enjoy, and they also get paid buckets full of money for the privilege.

Mr. Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One chief was asked to consider licensing Valencia as a venue for F1 racing. He came here and looked at the circuit at Cheste and agreed that with a few minor adjustments the track would be suitable, however, he had the idea that he would like to see at least one of the races held in the streets of the city itself, in the tradition of Monaco. That’s pretty exciting stuff on the face of it, except while waiting to cross the street in front of the bullring I do find myself wondering how would F1 be any different to what happens there everyday.

Lastly, let me add my voice of congratulations to Michael Schumacher on a racing career well run, and wish him all the best in his retirement. To quit when you’re on top of your game is to get the timing absolutely correct.

Remember: Alcohol, plus drink, plus drive equals a shortcut to the cemetery!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Motoring Miscellany

The Road Hog in a Porsche!

A group of us stood round admiring the deep blue Porsche sports convertible when the owner, a man of about 55, came up and pushed his way past us, got into the car, turned the key and over revved the engine, and with a great squeal of tyres he burnt rubber, leaving behind a cloud of foul smelling acrid smoke, as he fishtailed out of the area, causing other motorists to take evasive action.

He could only travel about 75 metres before he had to stop due to cross traffic. Without waiting for a clear opportunity he barged into the stream of passing traffic and crossed into the passing lane and burnt rubber again.

We were all gobsmacked. This was behaviour from a man who was old enough to know better. Sure, he was quite obviously wealthy, and he evidently wanted to impress us. That he did, but the impression that we got was not one I would recommend. He fails to understand that a punk in a Porsche is still a punk, and a lout in a Lexus is still a lout. A moron in a Mercedes is, well, just sad.

Is this your day?


On one of my journeys from Valencia to Torrevieja, a distance of over three hundred kilometres, two cars merged from the right with my lane of traffic. One went ahead of me, and the other came in behind, and for close to one hundred kilometres we were a convoy.

The car behind me made me very nervous, but I soon began to take notice of the one ahead of me because the driver was a good example of prudent driving habits. In other words, that driver was a good motorist. So was the driver behind me, but he still made me nervous.

The driver in front maintained a good speed, was careful and courteous, always defaulted to the right-hand lane after we passed slower moving vehicles, such as trucks. This was permitted as we were travelling along a dual-carriageway in one-way flow of traffic. I could tell that the driver employed anticipation, and I felt safe in following the example being set.

That car came to the place of their choosing to exit the motorway, and as I drew parallel I stole a glance, as you do, to see whether a man or woman was driving. The driver was a woman.

The car behind was still making me nervous, not that he was doing anything particularly wrong. There were two men, one driver and the other his passenger, and we continued along for about another thirty minutes until I stopped off at a rest stop.

They continued on, and as they drew alongside me I could see that they had another passenger, although I couldn’t make out whether male or female. That’s because the lid was fastened down on the coffin.

I suspect having a hearse following along behind would make anyone nervous. You might even think, “ Man, this is not my day!” Pray that they are not thinking, “According to our records, it is. Whenever you’re ready, we’re here for you!”

Gotcha!

I know from first-hand experience the feeling of getting caught after having been warned. Trust me, you feel really daft. You have to take signs like “Speed controlled by Radar”, and “No Parking” seriously.

Recently, in the town of Lliria, just off the main Ayuntamiento plaza the roads narrow considerably. There is a no parking sign, and just under that on the same pole, there is a graphic to show what will happen if you do park there. The sign shows a grua picking up a car ready to carry it off to the impound centre.

As I was passing on foot, sure enough there was an actual grua picking up the car that had been parked right under the sign. I stayed around to watch, hoping for the owner to come back so as to enjoy the drama when he realised what was happening. Unfortunately he did not show, and equally as unfortunate I did not have my camera at the time. That would have been one of those priceless photos that could have gone round the world.

Along the AP-7 there are several stretches of road where the speed is limited to 100 km/h, but along this particular stretch we are warned that our speed is being monitored by radar as the road branches off to the left. Fortunately for me I was cruising behind a lorry that was travelling at under a hundred, and I chose not to overtake. There was the radar, and just around the corner was the queue of traffic awaiting their speeding tickets.

The thing is, when we come upon a directive like that, we must be certain to have already reduced our speed to that mandated. It is usually not enough just to take our foot off the accelerator; we also have to apply our brakes. Especially along areas of road works it is important to cooperate with the slow-down signs as there are men working, and they are absolutely relying on drivers to watch out for their welfare.

Road Improvements!

I must not let this opportunity pass without giving praise to the Administration for the work that they are doing to improve the CV-35, and in particular the addition of the new CV-50 that cuts across from the CV-35 to connect with the Madrid road.

It is a really great stretch of road that will eventually circumvent Villamarchante and Cheste. It will also cross and connect with the Pedralba road, and will make redundant the need to pass through Villamarchante and Riba-roja. The reduction on those secondary roads should then be very noticeable, while making the drive from Pedralba and surrounding towns quite quick into Valencia city. Hurrah!

Motorist! Please take extra care with motorcyclists!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Motoring Security (I)

As though there was not enough to concentrate on with the every day dangers of the road, there are other perils awaiting us in the evil minds of the highwaymen who seek to relieve us of our possessions. Added to that there are a number of things to keep in mind as simple precautions to avoid having one’s day spoilt.

By simply taking the moment to buckle up we increase our chances of surviving the day in the event of a collision by a significant percent. The late, Princess Di gave her very life to make that point. The least that we can do is to heed her final warning.

It’s not just us as adults. When I see parents driving along with their children moving about the car I absolutely cringe. All that it would take is an incident where the driver has to brake sharply to avoid a crash, and while the crash may be avoided the consequences to anything or anybody not held in place by a seatbelt or other restraint could be catastrophic.

The drill before setting your car in motion should be to ask yourself whether everything in the car will stop at the same as the car does, particularly in an emergency.

- Will you, and all of your passengers stop with the car, or will one or more continue moving forward when all else had stopped?
- Will your pet stop with the car, or will the poor thing be flung out the window to the absolute horror of everyone else in the car?
- Will your shopping stop, or will the car suddenly become filled with flying objects that might well kill?

Consider for a moment what actually happens when you bring your car to a screeching halt: If the vehicle is moving at only 5 kilometres per hour and you press down hard on the brake, if you had an item, such as an umbrella sitting on the area behind the rear seats, it might amaze you how far it would travel, and the force with which it would be propelled.

Now consider what would happen if you have all sorts of shopping sat on the rear seats, and you have to brake very hard to stop while driving at 80 km/h. What a mess with broken bottles, probably a smashed windscreen as stuff goes flying through it. Got eggs and milk? Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? Place the groceries in the boot.

As for your child that is not properly strapped in, the child would, at 80 to 120 km/h take on the force of an object weighing about 3,000 kilos and would sail out into space with the impact of falling at least three stories. I emphasize properly strapped in, because if not the force can actually pull or push the wearer right out through the harness, if not being worn as designed.

Pets should never be allowed to freely roam around the car. They have no sense of what is involved and could cause your death just because they want to climb in your lap at a crucial moment. They too become flying missiles if not properly restrained. That means they should be carried behind a secure net. To restrain them by attaching their lead to their collar and the other end tied to an anchor point in the car could result in a broken neck for the animal.

Passengers in the rear seats that were not wearing their seat belts have been known to have killed the driver and or passenger in the front seats who were wearing theirs. It is therefore expressly in the interest of the driver to make sure that everyone is properly buckled up.

You are advised not to leave packages of any description in the car. That will be one less reason for the opportunistic thief to break into your car. He cannot know that the package he sees only contains your soiled laundry.

When carrying a handbag or briefcase, it is normal to place the item on the front passenger seat. There it sits as temptation to a would-be thief who waits for you at the traffic lights. To discourage him simply thread your seatbelt through the strap of the bag. This will restrain the bag, and he will see that you are not co-operating with him.

When travelling on a long journey of more than two hours you will need to stop and rest. There are organised rest stops where one can use the facilities, and get something to eat and drink. What they don’t usually do is provide security for your vehicle. It may be better to avoid these stops in favour of a simple petrol station if you are travelling alone.

Otherwise, if there are two or more adults it is much more secure that at least one adult stay with the car. There may be organised criminals waiting for you. They may break into your car there and then, or they may simply let most of the air from a tyre, only to follow you and to alert you that you have a soft tyre. When you pull over they will distract you while robbing you of your valuables.

If you ever return to your car that you left in the commercial centre car park and you notice that there is a piece of paper taped to your rear window, it is best not to remove it immediately, but rather to drive away until you reach a well populated place. Then stop your car, turn the engine off, lock the door, and then remove the piece of paper.

Normally, you only notice the paper when you have started the car, and when you step out to remove it two men will suddenly appear and jump into your car that has the motor running, and they will drive off with everything that you had, leaving you with a piece of paper in your hand. If they have a sense of humour they will have written on it “Sucker!”

Be road Smart! Don’t be a Victim. Use Common Sense.

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Roundabouts, Rotondas.

Continuing on from Part A of this topic, I was thinking wouldn’t it be nice if we signalled our intentions to our fellow travellers, especially when using roundabouts. It is very rare to be advised by the car that is coming round the circle that they are going to cross our path. You’d think they would do so in the interests of self-preservation, but no, we just have to assume that is what they will do. The problem with assuming is that like the roll of the dice we will mostly get it wrong.

The next time you use a roundabout first make certain you signal your intention, but also take a quick little check to record the number of times you are given a signal. It just seems to run against the grain to do so. I have no answer other than to keep hammering home the dual messages of “enter the roundabout in the left lane unless taking the first exit, and indicate your intention”.

I considered putting in a couple of graphics to show the point I am trying to make, but there is no real substitute for going to see for oneself the organised pandemonium. It gets worse at the hybrid roundabouts that have the main road running straight through the middle. These are neither one thing nor the other, and should be approached with the greatest of caution. I have no idea what these engineers had in mind. Whatever it was, it does not work too well. For one thing, other than the through traffic, all other vehicles tend to gather in the holding areas on the side streets awaiting their green lights where mass confusion reigns.

Imagine a situation where the car in the far right wants to cross over two or more lanes to get to the far left, and a car on the far left wants to do the vice-versa. Now, multiply by a factor of dozens. Welcome to the intersection from hell.

This topic is so complicated that the greater in-depth I go the law of diminishing returns begins to apply. So, I will end here with this summary: (a) if roundabouts confuse you, go and observe for yourself. You will instantly see who is doing it correctly and how.
(b): Try it as suggested above, you’ll like it, because when done with care and skill it really is a thing of beauty. Just be careful and execute it slowly.

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that!
Stay safe! Drive safely!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Is it Service, or is it Something Else?

Having a vehicle means having to have it serviced, and that means inter-acting with the service providers. That term covers many sins, from filling up with gas, petrol, or fuel (whatever you might like to call it) at the “service station” to a full-scale overhaul at the taller, (garage) it ultimately means trouble.

I’m dating myself by saying that I do remember the good ole days when you pulled in to fill ‘er up and you got your windshield washed, your tyre pressure checked, and there was also a mechanic on duty. Have a flat? No problem, “we fix ‘em while you wait.” These days, generally it’s self-service, or as it will be indicated in Spanish, “auto-service”. That sign at a car service station is more than a little confusing. You could be waiting a long time for the attendant to come out.

Even if you are a lady with fingernails, if you drive a car there are some things you are just going to have to be able to do. Even the traditional act of chivalry whereby you could depend on a man to stop and change your flat for you is fast disappearing. Men are just as likely to pass you by muttering, “sorry lady, I am in a hurry!” My suggestion ladies, get your tyres ultra-sealed so that you never have to worry about a puncture.

I am pleasantly surprised whenever there is an attendant on duty. Ever notice how controlling they are about you sticking the hose in the car. It’s because they are paranoid. If the boss sees that customers are quite prepared to fill up their own cars then that guy’s job is surely in danger. And then there is the question of those latex gloves: who uses those? Probably the ladies with nails and nail polish, I suppose. I personally wouldn’t be seen using them. It might call my manhood into question.

I have only driven into one service station where the attendant, a beautiful young woman, (am I being sexist? Sorry!) started the process of filling up my tank, then walked off to the front of my car with a small bucket and actually cleaned my windscreen. Now, you should know that I am a fanatic about having a clean windscreen at all times, so I got the greatest pleasure out of that. Who does that anymore? The only place I know of is the ZARCAR service station in the Poligono Industrial La Cala in Finestrat, quite close to the printing presses of the Costa Blanca News Group. And yes, they do have the loveliest young women working there which is another plus for us guys. (There, I’ve said it and I’m not really sorry! )

As to finding a good and satisfactory mechanic who actually understands your car, they are like gold dust. Much like finding the perfect bartender, they are to die for. Quite naturally one’s experience will be varied, but I do believe that it can be said that there seems to be one common thread amongst mechanics here in Spain: at least in my experience I have found there to be a reluctance to help me beyond my requested work. At no time have I had a garage suggest to me that I really should have the timing belt checked. No one has asked me, when was the last time the airbag was replaced? Oh yes, especially in older models with airbags, if you need the thing you will really need it, rather like a parachute. That’s no time to be testing it. There doesn’t seem to be any guidelines about this, but to have peace of mind ask your authorized concessionaire about possible tests for your model of car.

If there is a British garage near you no doubt you will be encouraged to work with them. At least the language problem disappears. Well, maybe! I took my car to a mechanic who is a Scot, and I swear I understand Manolo from Barcelona much better. Clearly, dealing with a British garage is not necessarily a panacea as even in the U.K. there will be good ones and the not-so- good. I personally had an experience where I was not very happy at all. Perhaps it was a one-off situation so I won’t whinge on about it. I just never went back.

I don’t want to leave this topic without touching on the preventative maintenance topic. It cannot be over-stressed that regularly scheduled maintenance appointments should be kept. At least twice a year for most ordinary driving, the car should have the oil changed, together with the oil and air filters, and a general check of other things such as brake pads, fluid levels for brakes, power steering, belt tensioning, particularly the timing belt; spark plugs, and a host of other check points, and a report prepared. This is the process that keeps your car in the best condition so that you can rely on it when you need it.

I admit that we can get a bit lazy about the care and maintenance of our vehicle, but look at it like this: if we were still riding horses and we failed to do our due diligence we might have a very long walk indeed!

Please don’t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Roundabouts, Traffic Circles, or Rotondas (Part A)

Roundabouts, like mobile phones in Spain are everywhere. Before they were introduced how did we ever get along without them. The problem is that not everyone knows how to use both of these things to their best advantage. But should we fail to take advantage of the full technology available to us in our mobile phones, we will not suffer to any appreciable degree. When we get it wrong on the roundabout, the consequences can be at worst disastrous, and at best inconvenient.

The roundabout is a relatively newcomer to Spanish roads. Simply put, it's an intersection, but one that is intended to keep traffic moving. In many other parts of the world they have long been in use, especially in the U.K. and the U.S. But nobody does roundabouts like Spain. I never stop marvelling at the grandeur of some of these creations. They are either architecturally award winning, or blue ribbon gardens. Increasingly they are being used as showpieces for the town, indicating historical aspects and the pueblo takes great pride in their offering.

In the pueblo of L’Eliana which is twenty minutes from downtown Valencia to the West, when we moved in five years ago there were only two roundabouts. Now between the main road turnoff and the other side of the town by-pass there are nine. But, there is just one tiny problem: we are not universally certain of how to correctly use them.

I stood and watched the action at one of the very busy ones, and what I discovered was that approximately 75 to 80% of drivers got it wrong resulting in some very near collisions. To complicate matters, even the official rules-of- the-road book gets it wrong. To quote the English language version, called “Learning to Drive”, on the section on intersections, “In squares, traffic circles and road junctions, you should circulate on the right leaving the centre to the left, unless there is signalling indicating the opposite.” Now, apart from trying to decipher what that means, they actually present a graphic of a roundabout with cars entering in the right lane and passing the first exit on the right.

I do believe that the designers of this concept had it in their minds that where there are two lanes in the circle, all traffic entering the roundabout should enter in the left hand lane, except for traffic that intends to exit at the first turnoff.

Let’s consider how that works: two cars approach and enter the circle at the same time. The car on the outside (right) lane intends to take the first exit on the right. The car on the inside (left) lane intends to take the next exit and does so after the first car has left the circle. The way is clear for the second car to do so as there are no other cars to his right. Vehicles waiting to enter the circle only do so when they have the all clear.

But beware, the rule of priority at roundabouts is contrary to that of the norm, in that traffic at other type intersections approaching from your right would have the right-of-way, unless they are restrained by a stop sign. (However, in Spain lots of people regard stop signs as mere suggestions.) To older resident drivers this becomes confusing, especially after a hard day’s work, or late at night after the bar closes. They may forget. I have saved myself three broadside collisions by making sure the other driver was giving me my priority.

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that!
Stay safe! Drive safely!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Driving Through Europe

Don’t leave home without an International Driving License or Permit if it is your intention to drive through several of the members States that make up the European Union. Of course, should you hold a new style British license that doubles as the EU driving permit your past problems of driving on the Continent should be over. Alas, would that life was that simple.

Q. What is the International Driver’s License, (IDL), or Permit, and what is it’s intended purpose?
R. It is simply a translation of your original license into ten major languages and it is intended to assist the traveller when passing through a country that might not recognize your original permit owing to the language difference. Having said that, if the country in which you intend to travel absolutely prohibits driving under your original permit, an IDL, in theory, will not help you.

The document itself is a small booklet with several pages that contain the name, place and date of birth, and address of the holder in the country of issuance, as such details appear in the original license. On the primary page there will appear a photograph of the holder, and this will also be the signature page. The same information appears on the subsequent pages but in different languages. Normally they are only issued in the country of original issuance of the primary license and may only be valid for one year, although under certain circumstances validity can be extended for three years. Automobile associations can be helpful in obtaining an IDL.

It should be clearly seen that this facility is designed for the travelling public. It does not act as a substitute for foreigners who take up residence in one of the EU countries who may be required to hold a local license. I have a couple of examples in mind:

- You have come to Spain to take up residence. You hold an old-style non-photo British license. Firstly, you need to have that license translated by a judicial translator for the benefit of the police officer. Otherwise, he cannot even begin to understand what he is looking at. The law in Spain says that such a permit is lawful, but it is highly likely the attending officer won’t think so. And there you are, caught in the middle.

To make matters worse, such an officer may not even accept from a resident as valid a British, or other country issued EU style license. The only response that you can give to such an officer is that your license is registered on the Spanish police computer, (if this is so). However, to get your license registered will be an uphill battle because the clerks at Trafico think that it is not necessary, and will refuse to do it. (Hire a business agent, an Asesoria, or Gestor to handle this aspect for you.)
I am deliberately placing emphasis on this matter because I have encountered several people who are living and working in Spain and driving on licenses issued outside the EU. Because they hold IDL´s in conjunction with their original license they believe that they are safe. Some have even been given a pass through documentation check-points, and they use this as evidence that they need do nothing more to be in compliance.

The real problems will start when, or if such a person is the one to have caused an expensive accident. Insurance companies only pay those claims that they absolutely have to by law. They examine each claim looking for the one thing that will let them off the hook. (This is because the insurance policy is a legal contract, subject to various exclusionary clauses). At the top of the claim’s check-list is the question: Was the person, presumed to be at fault in the accident, in possession of a valid and current driver’s license?

The license will be subject to the most intense scrutiny, and what went flying by an officer at the side of the road could bring the claim’s process to a screeching halt, with jaw-dropping consequences for the individual. Conversely, often the officer at the side of the road is overruled by Trafico, or the courts, or the insurance companies. This will be a relief after the initial hassle, but of course, the idea is to avoid such unpleasantness in the first place. When visiting other countries, if you are in possession of an IDL you have a little bit of extra “insurance” to cover possible misunderstandings.

So far, we haven’t even got out of first gear in our intended trip through Europe. We now have 27 plus countries on our itinerary, so we better get started. Once having visited places of interest in Spain we can set off in any direction that takes our fancy. The Spanish will warn us that people drive like absolute maniacs in Portugal and in Italy. Neither of those countries are complimentary about Spanish drivers, but all three are united against the French. So, we shall see. Wherever we go outside Spain we will need to raise our alertness to a higher level than normal because having trouble away from home is always more bothersome because of the distance.

Why go to Portugal on a driving holiday?

For the change of scenery! A change, it is said , is as good as a rest. Portugal offers destinations such as Lagos, in the southwest corner of the Algarve with superb beaches and many points of historical interest dating from the 15th century. Lagos was once the capital of the Algarve. Like Spain, the Arab influence is very strong, especially along the Ponta da Piedada, a favourite with visitors.

The Costa Azul is the Atlantic coast and takes in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, and along to Porto in the north. Lisbon itself is a thoroughly modern and exciting city to visit. One could be fully occupied and never leave the city, but around and about there are castles, churches of great importance, museums, palaces, great parks, archaeology digs, and of course, great golf courses. While it’s true that one can find many similar such interests in Spain, you have to go to Portugal to experience the Portuguese hospitality and way of doing things.

And so our great adventure has begun. We will return to our travellers to follow them into Gibraltar, then again through Spain’s Costas, into France and into Italy. But for now we bid them good luck, and safe driving.

Always wear the seat belt. It’s meant to save your life!

Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Suicide on the Roads

Suicide on the Roads, or Death by Stupidity

What on God’s Green Earth makes so many people act with such stupidity while on the road, is quite beyond me to comprehend. Take away the element of death by stupid cause, and what would we be left with? Very few deaths on the road, that’s what.

We all see it every day. Daring, kamikaze, insane and impatient acts that are simply fatal crashes on their way to happen somewhere. Young men on high powered motorcycles get the lion’s share of attention, as they go hell bent for leather on their racing bikes. It seems to be some kind of rite of passage that as a young man you have to have a motorbike that has a big engine sound, and even when travelling a short distance, you want to be noticed.

I was in the vicinity only recently of one incident when a young man left a junction and went screaming towards the next when a car pulled out into his path. The resulting crash, which I did not see, but sounded absolutely horrific, certainly got everybody’s attention. I don’t think that was exactly what the young lad had in mind.

Another situation, another young man with somebody’s daughter sat as pillion passenger, holding on for dear life. This silly boy decided that he would pass me along the right side by squeezing between my car and the hedge and the drainage ditch. At the end of the hedge was the principal entrance and exit of a popular supermarket. Perhaps he was trying to impress the girl, but it’s only by the sheer Grace of God that the two of them did not lose their lives that day.

If he really wanted to impress his passenger, all he needed do was get her home safely without injuries.

I was once young and stupid myself, so I had better admit that to the world, and be done with it. I try to draw on my experience from those days, and I ask what was going through my mind at the time. The answer is, of course, absolutely nothing! I didn’t think about the foolish things that I did before I did them, nor afterwards. And if any of the “old guys” cared to comment on my derrings-do, that was just fine. I had made an impression. I can only imagine I was spared to be able to caution today’s young people in the hope they will be spared. The real question is, are they listening? Of course not!

Getting through that period of one’s life is a challenge to avoid the cull of young people who don’t live to reach their majority. Some people never grow up into responsible adults. Being stupid and middle age is a real indictment. There is no excuse. Like I’m so young I’m expected to be immature, or I’m getting old now and my reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Yet, a significant number of deaths are caused by middle-aged drivers, and far too many of those deaths are self-inflicted. This is a very sad fact because this group are in their prime as family wage earners and carers. A country depends on this group to be homebuyers and consumers, and to have families. All the things that drive an economy forward, so when we lose a young husband or wife the blow to all concerned is very intensely felt.

The saddest thing of all is that death by stupidity is so avoidable. When we know we have to drive, leave the alcohol or drugs out of the consideration. Pay attention to the road when in charge of the vehicle. We are not in our living rooms, we are driving in traffic and we have to stay vigilant and follow the rules of the road.

And finally, before setting out let us as drivers make a promise to those who love us: “I’ll be back!”


Copyright (c) 2008 Eugene Carmichael

Foreign Driving permits need a Medical Certificate in Spain

For some considerable time there has been a sort of problem at large in Spain concerning driving permits issued by other countries within the E.U. Actually, there are several problems, but the one I want to focus on at present is that of the British license and its acceptance in Spain.

A British driving permit, or license is issued to expire at age 70, and in the interim the holder need do nothing at all to maintain it. To compound the problem, here in Spain it was made lawful several years ago that all driving permits issued by member E.U. states are legal and acceptable, and it is not required of those E.U. citizens who move to Spain to change their originals for Spanish issued permits.

However, the officers who police traffic seem to see things differently, and they are inclined to persuade and passionately encourage people to regularize their situation by making an exchange. The difficulty with this is that the clerks at Trafico know that it is not necessary and will have to be persuaded to effect the change.

The patrol officers do have a valid point. Firstly, they want to be able to find you on their computer to determine whether your permit is genuine, as there are some very convincing forgeries in circulation. Secondly, if the officer finds you in a state of emergency in that you are lying in a heap and cannot speak for yourself, he may need to contact your next of kin urgently. The address on your license will almost certainly be incorrect, and without the ability to access the Spanish police computer to obtain your most current information, which is your responsibility to maintain, the situation might go badly against you.

The major problem that is encountered by holders of British driving permits is that there is no information provided by the government to alert such drivers that in order for their license to be considered valid here, it must be accompanied by a medical certificate that is current, and that certifies the medical competency of the individual to drive.

Only the more knowledgeable policeman will know to ask for such proof, but the crunch comes when and if such a person is involved in an accident that is attributed to them. The insurance company, when processing the claim usually starts off its checklist with the question:” Was the driver presumed to be at fault, in possession of a current and valid driver’s license for Spain?” To arrive at an answer the license will be put to a number of tests for among other things; forgery; validity within the expiry date, and, if issued by a foreign authority that is within the authorised group, does a current medical certificate accompany it?

It now seems as though Spanish law covers this situation in that it requires that the holders of foreign issued licenses are subject to all the same obligations as Spanish license holders, and that means medicals every five years or more often, depending on age and physical condition. Failure to hold a medical certificate renders the license in Spain to be expired.

To correct this situation one need go along to a Centro Medico specializing in driving or gun permits and take the test that involves eyes, reflexes, including a strange video-type game, and tests for blood pressure. The examiner will inform you of the validity period of the certificate.

Finally, if you have taken up residency within Spain the DVLA in the U.K. expect you to change your U.K. issued license for a Spanish permit after one year, as is the case where the situation is reversed. After that period the DVLA will not honour your request for a duplicate.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

ZEITGEIST!

I was just thinking that I have never written a column with a title starting with the letter “Z”. When I took the Dale Carnegie course on public speaking, as an exercise we would be called to the front of the room and given a topic upon which we were challenged to speak for two minutes. The idea was to sound intelligent, and not to pause for words with the usual um-mum. Of course we did, but there was always the official counter who announced to all and sundry the number of times you dropped that ball. Oh! How I hated that man!

So this is that type of exercise where I have chosen the title, and now I have to find something to say about it. Firstly, I’m sure it would help if I explained what the word means. It is of German origin, of course, and according to the Wikipedia on-line encyclopaedia, it is an expression that means “the spirit (Geist) of the time (Zeit).” This word is well travelled for it seems to have been adopted by the English, Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese languages.

I have been thinking about what appears to be the spirit of our times here in Spain, relative to driving following the application of the points system which was designed to bring about better behaviour on the roads. It was clear from the start that the awful statistics were not due to unavoidable circumstances. We saw it with our own eyes, the deliberately bad attitude that created the climate that led to so much death and destruction. It has not all gone away, that’s for sure. The worst times are during holiday travel when it seems that the lunatics are released to go wild on the road.

Normally, I absolutely avoid driving during those periods when there is an exodus from Valencia of people going on holiday, or returning to the city. If I have to be on the road, ideally I need to be going in the opposite direction along the motorway. What possesses a man to load up his car with his family, and then to drive recklessly? I suppose it could be that with the children on board for a long journey they become impatient, start to bicker and fight, and that becomes a distraction and an incentive to get the journey over with in a hurry. Also, it could be that some people think they need to calm their nerves by downing a couple of drinks.

If not a family problem, then perhaps simply being in a relaxed party mood leads to a loss of commonsense. To resist the temptation to have one for the road requires a measure of discipline not normally present in a young man or woman. It has taken me all these years to say no to even a drop of alcohol if I have to drive. It was hard at first. When refusing a drink from my host I got a look along the lines of, “oh, you’re Mr. Goody two shoes eh?” or “so, you think you’re better than us?” But lately, I am hearing more people order beer without alcohol, and more bartenders being encouraging about it.

Our Zeitgeist may even be able to be named. Fear of losing our points and license. Now, this is truly an amazing thing, but the numbers appear to bear out the facts before and after the introduction of the points system. Deaths on the road are down. Speeding convictions are down. Ticketable offences in general are down. The mere fact that over 3,000 people were losing their lives annually on Spain’s roads didn’t seem to make a dent in our consciousness. I suppose it was the usual case of it won’t happen to me. But the loss of points could indeed happen to each and everyone of us, especially when there are policemen actually on the lookout to get us.

Irrational behaviour, except by a diminishing hardcore group, is actually becoming noticeable. When I first arrived here over eight years ago I immediately noticed the extraordinarily bad antics, but it soon became clear to me that the average Spaniard simply shrugged his shoulders in acceptance of the fact that is the way it is.

No longer. Reckless and dangerous behaviour is met with very loud and passionate denouncement. I saw this just recently in Valence at the pedestrian crossing in front of the bullring. A car was driven through a red light narrowly avoiding taking down people who were crossing at the time. Idióta! Imbécile! Tonto! So went the cries. That didn’t happen just a few short years ago.

The French have passed this way and have gone on to amazing change in their discipline on the roads. They are our neighbours. If they can do it, I can see no reason why those of us here in Spain cannot. I know that the saying goes, “When in Spain, do as the Spanish do!” In many ways, I think that our hosts have got it right. Their attitude to family, and the fact that they take the time to savour the good things that life has to offer is truly commendable. My own quality of life has been so enriched by learning from these wonderful people. But bad driving habits are not to be commended to anyone. So, no, I will not start the day out by having a brandy first thing in the morning, nor will I take a litre of beer with my elevenses or a bottle of wine with lunch when I have to drive, even if its for a short distance.

The spirit of the times seems to be “We can do better.” I have said this before, that the will of the people can move mountains and accomplish miracles. I am very happy to be a part of the Spirit of these Times. This Zeitgeist thing is pretty neat. Long may it live! Yes! We can do Better!

Motorcyclists! Wear the lime-green reflective “Gerry Jacket” both day and night. Be Seen to be Safe!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

The Gem on the Second Hand Car Lot

If you are contemplating the purchase of a new car, apart from trying to decide which model and colour, and which of the bells and whistles you absolutely must have, the process is relatively simple compared to buying second hand.

Why buy brand new?

You will be the only driver of the vehicle, and therefore you will impose only your driving style on the machine, and you will know its history. You will control its maintenance, and you also get to experience that new-car smell. Of course, that smell is entirely contrived. One day I’m sure the manufacturers will make available the aerosol to the general public. But driving away from the showroom in your brand new, sparkling clean, shiny motor is a very special feeling.

Why buy second-hand?

The general reason is that the cost to get on four wheels is lower than buying new. Two or more people have pooled resources to acquire the car on a time-sharing basis. This is particularly important when considering a high-end make, such as Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, BMW, etc.

You may decide that given the many things that can go wrong with owning a car, you may not wish to put a lot of money into something that could be stolen, written off due to accident, flood, fire, or other unforeseen events. You will carry insurance to respond to such sudden and unexpected situations, but after the settlement you will still have something to contribute to the cost of replacement. If the budget is stretched because you are buying a house and car, a good second-hand car may be just the ticket.

Generally speaking, brand new cars can be classified into low cost, low quality; mid-range cost, mid level quality; and high end cost with top quality. The low cost group are priced to make them accessible as entry-level cars. However, the quality is simply not there and consequently these have a programmed useful life of, say, up to ten years.

Such vehicles obviously continue to run beyond that date but the cost of maintenance can be expected to start to skyrocket. The costs were not there at the start but become apparent at the end.

Mid-level cars are programmed to have a useful life of approximately between ten and fifteen years by which time they are likely to spend quite a bit more time in the garage, with the attendant costs.

High-end cars that are built to last forever continue on well beyond twenty years. We see them still going strong with more than 700,000 kilometres on the clock. Obviously, among others there are the Range Rovers, Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Volkswagon, especially the Beetle, which bucked the trend by being a low cost car when new, built simply to last.

Brand new models come with so many electrical, computerised widgets, gidgets and gadgets, they are almost assured to become headaches long before older models. Computers are brilliant when new, but if your car is simply a computer on wheels it will need a lot of monitoring, and they give new meaning to “my car crashed.”

Dealing with the Second-Hand Car Salesman:

Firstly, buying a car should be a process that is spread over time to make rational decisions, get recommendations and to think through what you are about. In other words, you need patience.

When approaching a used car lot, if prices are not clearly displayed on all the cars, perhaps you should go no further. More than likely this salesman will make up his prices as he goes along, according to how much of a sucker he thinks you are. (If you’re a foreigner in Spain, he’s likely to think you are a big sucker.)

This is not the type of mindset that promises transparency, honesty, integrity, and care of the client. The saying, “Let the buyer beware” is never more applicable than when buying a second-hand vehicle.

If at all possible, get a reference about the dealer you are thinking of doing business with from someone who has actually bought from him. There is no substitute for this. The industry seems to attract more than its fair share of Rogue Traders who are in for a quick buck

For those readers in the Valencia, Spain area, specifically the town of Betera, I have no hesitation in recommending you pay a visit to Autos Betera, located at Avenida Del Ejercito, 51, which is on the main Betera-Naquera road. Once there, ask for Armando. In my opinion the Gem on their lot is Armando. I found him to be so helpful, so open and possessed of such integrity that I bought two cars from him, and I would not hesitate to buy a third. I should also say that three partners run the company, all of whom have very good reputations.

The point I’m trying to make is that the most valuable commodity that the dealer has for offer should be his integrity. The real Gem on the Lot that you might hope to find is the dealer himself who you can trust.

Naturally, those who give their personal recommendation based upon their own experience do so as a public service, and cannot accept liability for other people’s transaction. Such is the case for this column and myself.

Finally, before paying down any money at all you need to ask the dealer what happens if there is something that would stop the transfer of the title from happening, such as money owed on the car, or unpaid fines. The dealer should have done a check to ensure that there are no impediments, but in most cases this will not have been done. In those cases he simply will not know what the position is.

You need to be able to get all of your money back if you encounter this type of problem, including charges paid up to the time of discovery. Depending on what his response is to that question you will then be able to decide to proceed to do a deal or not.

Good Luck, and Happy Driving!

Copyright © 2007 Eugene Carmichael

In Pursuit of Fun

The weekend of November the Second to the Fourth, 2007 was the Grand Prix of motorcycle racing at the track at Cheste, in Valencia. It is supposed to be a long weekend when people of like-minded interests come together to have fun, and to make new friends.

The event saw approximately thirty thousand young people with their bikes, and friends and families congregate in and around Cheste in an atmosphere of great excitement. It really has to be seen to be believed. Both young men and women, dressed in their finest leathers, proudly showing off their customized “hogs”. Bikers are the same the world over. I am convinced of that. I count myself among the fraternity, and now, so does my son.

I am certain that all attending the event just can’t wait for the date to arrive. As for the small town of Cheste, it’s like a good bomb went off. The bars and restaurants did a booming business, the gas station didn’t know what hit it, and the shelves at Consum and Mercadona were laid bare. Oh sure, the kids made entirely too much noise, and they generated too much trash, and none of the residents got any sleep for the entire week-end, unless they visited relatives and friends elsewhere. The point is, it’s all about having a great time.

Then came the crashes off the track. Perhaps too much exuberance, most likely too much speed, and not enough care is all that it takes, and a young life is lost to the world forever, with all its promise. All too soon!

Today, families are struggling to cope with their losses. Two young men and a young woman died, while another young woman was seriously injured, her life hanging in the balance. I don’t even know the people directly involved, but that does not shield me from feeling their pain.

I was particularly mindful of the bikers during the event. I normally use special precaution about bikes, being one myself when I’m not driving my car. They were everywhere, sort of like flies buzzing about. However, it occurred to me that on the weekend not one of them passed me on the right.

Being young is so precious. It’s a time when you get to experience things with fresh eyes. You have the energy to make things happen, and to change the world. The young people at Race Weekend were only trying to enjoy themselves. Surely we wouldn’t want to deny them that. Having fun does not normally come with a death sentence.

I urge cyclists, whether riding pedal or motor, to wear the reflective lime-green vest, both by day and night. That will make it easier for us drivers to see you. I call this “Be Seen to be Safe!”

To my fellow drivers, please take extra precautions to keep cyclists safe. They are someone’s child trying to grow up. If we all look out for each other’s children we play our part to make that happen.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Motoring Pleasure: An Oxymoron?

The car manufacturers all say that in order to enjoy motoring pleasure you need to buy their make and model of car. Oh Really?

I’m only going to take a page out of one day’s driving to see whether there was even one moment that was sheer joy: I live in the mountains outside Valencia in what I like to call an orange tree forest, with commanding views over our little pueblo of Pedralba. When I exit the gates of our home I must first take great care that I’m not rammed by a neighbour flying past as he is in reverse travelling at about 30 kilometres per hour. How he does that along a narrow lane, and without incident, is something to behold.

Then I join the 2 kilometre long tarmac estate road that winds its way through the fields. There are four main junctions that could do with more stop signs, but in reality, there would be very little point as those that are there now are ignored. One day there will be a fatal smash on that road. I just hope that a member of my family will not be involved.

We are in serious Spanish country where the most common vehicle is the tractor. At morning coffee and at lunchtime at the Bar Sardi, the local restaurant parking lot is mainly filled with tractors, and the rest are trucks. For country roads I must admit that our road system, although narrow is well maintained. However, in spite of the fact that there are some nice straight stretches I can never give in to the temptation to put my foot down because I must always expect that around the next corner there will be a slow moving tractor going in the same direction as myself.

Then there are the mega-trucks that go through our little town with streets barely wide enough for two cars to pass. The situation long ago passed critical and calls for a by-pass road grow louder by the day. The plaster quite literally falls from the walls of the homes along the streets, so some relief has to be found soon. I must thread myself ever so carefully through the exit road that will take me to the town of Lliria, the major seat of the government in the region. The road is hilly and winding and the maximum legal speed is 90, but I think that I’m the only person who knows that. Everyone else thinks is about 120 or 130.

Periodically I must go into Lliria on some sort of business. Pedralba was bad, but Lliria on a good day is a nightmare. It seems to me that for the past five years there has been on-going road works on the main route through the town. The problems that are caused by this, plus there seems to be 300% more traffic than parking spaces means that you have to be a glutton for punishment to voluntarily go to that town. Of course, on market day a bad situation is taken to the extreme.

But today I don’t have to suffer through all that. I go on to the CV-35, otherwise known as the Pista de Ademuz for the drive that will take me into downtown Valencia. There is just one little problem: there are major road works for the next fifteen kilometres as an additional lane is added to both sides, making three lanes in each direction. Barriers squeeze the traffic together so that one can hardly breathe. Absolute concentration is necessary, there being no room for error. I made the mistake of overtaking a huge truck and realized while in the middle of that manoeuvre I had made a wrong move. I had to continue, but every centimetre counted. At one point I also realized that I was no longer breathing. I don’t think I will do that again in a hurry.

Since there is a lot of such road works going on at the moment we must be mindful to be on the lookout for the unexpected, such as a breakdown. There is no breakdown lane, so traffic might suddenly come to an abrupt halt, so concentration along these stretches must be absolute.

Finally I emerged from that long stretch of road works into a normal stress level section that lasts for about four kilometres when the next section of road works begins. This is a relatively short section, being part of the new Valencia ring road, but it is at a crucial point as this is where three lanes of traffic fan out into eight lanes, and then into 10 or 12 lanes as we enter the roundabout from hell. Here it is meant that you should get in the proper lane for your intended destination, but almost no-one does. Then, instead of traffic following the invisible lanes as they curve around the roundabout, most people try to short cut across with someone getting squeezed in the middle.

There will be much blasting of horns and screaming of obscenities. My favourites are calling someone an idiot or an imbecile, but in Spanish. With these words you can really wind them up for emphasis: Idiota! Imbécile! Be sure to pronounce every letter, slowly, and with relish. Be sure to place the emphasis on the first letter “e” in imbecile. Nice!

There will almost surely be someone stationed in the lane closest to the inner circle, who wants to go off on the next exit. He will not think it wrong to cut across everyone else, just as long as he does it really fast. That’s when you get the feel of having your heart in your throat.

I have decided that under no circumstances am I going to drive downtown Valencia today. I am going to do what I do most of the time, and that is I am going to park the car at the main junction of Empalme metro station and take either the bus, or the tram, or the metro. There is no use in my driving beyond this point as I will not be able to find a parking space in the street, and I probably won’t find one underground either. In the underground parking you see evidence everywhere of paintwork left behind. Out on the street, if you do find a space you will come back only to find that you are now locked in by a second, or even a third line that has formed.

Motoring pleasure? I didn’t find any today: Maybe tomorrow.


Motorcyclists! Wear a lime-green “Gerry Jacket” reflective vest, by day and by night. “Be Seen to be Safe!”

Copyright © 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Rating the Service Providers

If you have a car you will call in periodically to the garage of your choice to attend to the many things that go wrong. Just as surely, you will develop an opinion about your service provider. I haven’t the foggiest idea of what the statistics say about how many of us are completely satisfied with the care given our rides, but I am willing to bet that it’s likely a single digit figure.

The stories one hears are the stuff that legends are made out of. Firstly, if you are British living in Spain you are one half of the problem. Trying to explain your car's problem to a British mechanic is difficult enough, especially when the sodden car will not replicate the fault at the garage. Here you are, standing in front of Jose Manuel who says, “Dime!”, so you try your best. If Jose Manuel understands anything at all you are making progress. There is hope. Perhaps he will take the car, drive it and discover for himself the problem.

Between my wife and myself, we have had, or have, an Italian Fiat, a Swedish Volvo, a Canadian Chrysler, and a German Audi. In the normal course of things it is usually possible to have something simple dealt with efficiently although, not necessarily quickly. Our first car was the second-hand Fiat. We bought all our cars second-hand because of the awfully high rate of car thefts. Not wanting to spend a lot of money on something we stand an unacceptably high risk of losing we opted to go this route. The downside is that when we buy second-hand, whether we know it or not we are partly buying the car for the same reason the seller is selling it. That may not be good news at all.

After owning the Fiat for about two years, during which it gave good service, it developed a hiccough. We took the car to every Fiat garage we saw, including the authorised representative in Valencia. No one could work out what was wrong with it. Finally, we gave up and bought the Audi. Meanwhile, we simply parked the Fiat, starting the engine occasionally. After about two months, just before its ITV ran out I decided to drive it to the breakers yard. The car ran perfectly. All it needed was a rest. We still have it.

There apparently was no consultation with the manufacturers. We were just given a shrug of the shoulders and told there was nothing more that the mechanics could do.

The Chrysler Voyager was a lovely car, although with seven mini computers on board it developed a fault with the motherboard that controlled all the others that gave us a headache for a while as the engine would mysteriously just cease running. It didn’t care where you were at the time. Through consultation between the local garage and ultimately, the manufacturers in Canada the problem was identified and fixed. Then the car was stolen and set on fire.

Chrysler service reps get full marks for at least kicking the problem up the line to find a solution.

After the Chrysler we bought the Volvo. Personally, I consider the Volvo the ultimate motoring machine. It has a certain mystique and cache about it. Of course, it has had to battle an image problem of being built like a tank, and being the car of choice of bankers, accountants and insurance professionals. In my former working life I was an insurance accountant/manager, so I was pre-destined to come to Volvo in the end.

I had owned the Volvo for only one month when the engine suddenly and mysteriously shut down. My wife said it had to be me. Since that time it has repeated the same thing, but never for the benefit of the Volvo mechanics. The garage finally gave me a shrug of the shoulders and sent me away, but they don’t know me very well. I am made of sterner stuff than that. I contacted Volvo, Sweden who were suitably appalled, and they put the Volvo top concessionaire in Madrid on the case.

Take the car back and our top technicians will confer with the garage in Valencia, they promised. It seems that most car brand names have an established protocol for dealing with hard-to-diagnose problems. The authorised representative should simply tap into that line of communication and help will be given. I think perhaps it doesn’t happen when it should due to the machismo thing. The local garage does not want to admit that they are incapable of repairing absolutely every problem presented to them. So, the customer is sent away supposedly to throw away his car and buy a new one.

Volvo Sweden say that Volvo is for Life, and that they are determined to be and to stay globally, number one for customer care. Well sure, does anyone deliberately want to be number two? Perhaps they have to work a little harder to get all of their authorised service centres on board.

If you are dealing with your car’s authorised dealer and the standard of service falls short, it need not end there. So far the Audi is performing like a trooper!

Please do not overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you!

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael

Recognizing the Road you're On

Dialling 112.

“Hello! I need to report a serious accident with at least three persons injured. The location is the AP-7, in the direction towards Valencia, between kilometre markers 616 and 615. There are three cars involved directly in this incident, and in my opinion all three cars will need to be towed away.”

With that basic and precise information this caller might have cut a full half-hour from the response time as the following will have occurred: While giving the information the operator will have typed the location into the computer. That will immediately alert the
team responsible in this case for dealing with north-bound traffic. The team will be scrambling while the operator is still talking with you.

An alternative scene could be one where the driver has no idea what road he is on, and has to walk back or forward to the nearest marker to ascertain those particulars. How long might that take? It’s difficult and time consuming trying to get the operator to figure out where you are by your description. Depending on where you are the operator might well be in Madrid. If you are within the Valencian Community the call centre is located in the very upmarket town of L´Eliana, twenty minutes outside downtown Valencia city.

If you were making your report in Spanish you might even get to speak to my friend Javi, but the centre also takes calls in English, French, and German. A 112 call made in Torrevieja will be answered by the call centre in L´Eliana, approximately 300 kilometers away.

Although this tale deals with driving in Spain, the same principle holds true regardless of what country you're in. If you really want emergency services to come to help, tell them precisely where you are.

Some reasons to know exactly where we are at any given time:
(a) In the event we have to call in the details of our own accident in which we have suffered injuries that would make walking to find the nearest marker difficult or impossible.
(b) In case of simple malfunction of the car. Especially in the case of women, the use of a mobile phone becomes very handy. Of course we need a battery with enough power remaining and sufficient credit to make the calls necessary. It is best if we do not need to leave the car except to put in place the warning triangles. At least one, placed 50 meters behind the car on a one-way road. On a two-way road, place one in front as well. (Don´t forget them when the grua arrives.)
(c) In the event of rainy weather the need and length of time to be out of the car should be limited.

How do we know the road identification? There will be road markers placed at one kilometre distances that give the road number, including the all-important alphabetical ID. When giving out this information be sure to include the letters and be certain that they are correct as Spain has a bewildering array of road systems. Some are designated Autonomous Network; others national roads, i.e. N-340 and N-332, roads that have gained a certain notoriety; and then there are the international roads, such as the A-7, also known on the European grid system as the E-15. That road enters Spain from France north of Girona, and carries on down to southern Spain. Along the toll stretches it is known as the AP-7, and when acting as a by-pass road around Valencia and Alicante, it becomes simply the A-7.

I refresh my memory as to the road information I need by noting each marker. It is now second nature to me and I have no need to think about it. Once or twice the information has come in handy when I have had to call on the grua, (tow truck) when the car refused to go the distance. I realize that it is not normal behaviour to be so aware. I am seeking to add another level of alertness to driving. If we ever really need this type of information we will need it immediately. While waiting for help to arrive the minutes tick by as though they were hours. Might as well help speed things up.

I don’t want to close this piece without paying tribute to the wonderful women and men who attend to the victims of carnage on these roads. I think that most of them would say that they love their jobs. There can really only be one aspect to that type of love, and that is when they arrive in time, and through their knowledge and experience take a broken human being and quickly transport that person to expert medical care. Later, if they receive a visit from a person at their station, and they hear with their own ears: “Thank you for saving my life!” That must be the equivalent of a King’s Medal.

You and I can be a part of such success stories if we take First-Aid and management of accident sites seriously. We can be instrumental in presenting to the para-medics a patient complete with detailed information observed while we cared for the person. They, the para-medics need to know whether the patient lost consciousness, and if so for how long. Preferably note down times and all pertinent information that will be useful in accurately treating the patient back in the emergency room.

It is the law that upon arriving at an accident site that is not adequately being cared for, we must stop and give assistance to the best of our abilities. I am prepared to do that in the hope that if I, or a member of my family are the ones needing assistance that we will receive it from someone equally dedicated. It is quite a responsibility, but when it is discharged well and to the best of one’s ability, simply knowing that we gave our best is enough.

Death on the roads? It doesn´t have to end that way!

Don´t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you.

Copyright (c) 2007 Eugene Carmichael