Driving against the Flow of Traffic

We call this an accident. It's really simply a crash that might have been avoided.

My recent motorcycle crash was caused by a car moving against the lawful flow of traffic. That sent me in search of other incidents of this nature, and what might have been some of the consequences. In my case I have a broken leg and a cast that I will have to live with for six weeks, not to mention the discomfit.

No sooner had I started my search did I come across an incident that happened recently in the United States. A woman attended a family and friends picnic in the country, at which she drank alcohol and smoked marijuana. At the end of the day she borrowed a car and piled into it five children, her own and a friends, the oldest of which was nine, and set off to drive them home. However, she promptly drove into the wrong lane and didn’t appear to notice.

For two miles she drove at speed, and through divine intervention she missed all the on-coming vehicles until luck ran out and she slammed head-on into an oncoming car carrying three adults. Those three people were killed outright, and her car exploded into a ball of fire, killing all but her own son, who was badly burned.

This is a statistic that just simply didn’t have to happen. It was caused recklessly and stupidly and is just plain indefensible.

Question: Does anybody out there still think that it’s a good idea to drive with alcohol in your system, and is it a good idea to take illicit drugs of any kind?

This makes my broken leg seem not so important after all.

There was a time when I was most frightened on the road. It was the day that I met a driver on the highway coming towards me in the wrong direction. We were on the A 7 travelling North and we had just passed the junction with the road to Madrid. All three lanes were occupied and traffic was moving fluidly, when off in the distance we could hear the blowing of horns and something strange was taking place. A vehicle with its lights on and occupying the left lane, sometimes called the fast lane was coming our way.

There was a short break between us and the traffic ahead and we could see that the driver was making a left hand signal. We all went to our hazard lights at the same time and that great body of traffic reduced speed as though we had rehearsed together. The driver made a flawless u-turn then picked up speed ahead of us and took the first exit.

Is it possible to accidentally enter a highway and drive against traffic if there is nothing to impair your judgement? I think this is so because in most cases there is only a painted line on the road to divide the exit ramp from the on ramp. If something distracts your attention just for a moment it would be possible to cross over that line. However, it has to become apparent very quickly that you are doing something very wrong.

Unless, of course you are impaired by drink or drugs or tiredness. All of these things are fatal and should be avoided at all costs. You may not be so concerned for my benefit, but for self-preservation alone I expect you to care, because by now we all know how deadly these things are.

I don’t want to leave this without bringing into the picture the whole culture of drugs, and that includes alcohol when talking about having a good time. I no longer will go to someone’s home in the United States, except my family because I was always confronted by that tray with a choice of poison. “Do a line? Smoke a joint? Drop some pills? What’s your pleasure? “ Trying to refuse would lead to all manner of bad reactions. “You must be a narc!” “Do you think you’re better than we are?” I never got a return invitation and had no intention of ever going back. Meanwhile, the United States are giving Mexico a hard time to do more to stop drugs coming over their border, when in fact it is the buyers in America who are responsible for the problem.

The first time that a drug importer brings in a shipment and no-one buys it, he will change into a different business.

Finally, others can make such fatal mistakes such as British drivers coming to the European Continent, or vice-versa. Usually the problem arises when entering a major road from a minor road. If there is no traffic to remind us which side to use it is all too easy to make a mistake.

Take care out there. No one says that you have to die on the road!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Anticipation, again!

Three Golden Rules: Anticipation; Anticipation; and Anticipation!

Anticipation starts with the first letter of the alphabet, which is how it should be as this is the first and most important rule of the road. Anticipate what might happen and you can be better prepared when it does happen.

I have followed this rule loyally over many years and in the process I have avoided a great many potential accidents. I have written about it before and I have tried to encourage readers to do likewise. An accident avoided is worth its weight in gold. An accident that occurs can potentially spoil your whole year.

Just two of the calamities I’ve avoided were (a) not knocking down the child that ran out into the street and stood directly in front of my car. I avoided crashing into him because it caught my eye that his father was not looking after him, so I felt that I had to be extra careful.

(b) Up ahead there were two cyclists. The one that was ahead was an adult woman who was riding on the right-hand side of the road, and behind her was a very young girl who was on the left-hand side. My instinct told me that she would cross over to join her mother without taking care of traffic. At the point when I would have passed her she suddenly simply crossed over without regard to me. Her mother never even glanced back to see how she was doing. Some times we motorists have enormous responsibility cast upon us by some very stupid adults. We have to learn the art of anticipation.

I recently had a crash on my motorcycle because I had lowered my guard and failed to anticipate. I was travelling within our pueblo and I needed to leave the main road by turning into a side street that is one way going in. Everybody knows that, and recently it has become a very busy street as the main Calle Mayor is closed due to works. So I approached at a very moderate speed of about 15 kph and made my turn into the street that has high buildings on both sides, so visibility is limited. Just as I was at the entrance there came a car heading out of the street contra to the flow of traffic.

I acted quickly to stop, but unfortunately there was just enough gravel on the ground to cause my bike to slide out from under me and down I went. I didn’t crash into the car, and I didn’t even damage the bike. However, my leg was trapped under the bike in such a way that as I went down my tibia snapped.

I’m sure that it will turn out that the driver was from another town, because everybody in my town knows not to drive in the direction that he was proceeding. However, the point I’m making is that it really does pay to stay vigilant. Although you know that traffic on a one-way system means that the flow of traffic should be from your left, or your right, that does not mean that absolutely there will be nothing coming from the wrong direction. You will be right, but that is very small comfort when you are sitting here with your leg in traction having to suffer from someone else’s mistake.

Some things to bear in mind when on the road:

- You are not the only person using the road, so make allowances for other traffic.
- When approaching a junction, even if you have the right of way, be sure you know that the other fellow will cede it to you.
- Drive within your capabilities when it comes to speed. That means adjusting your speed to road conditions, the weather and night time driving.
- Beware of children, and especially the elderly who might stumble in front of you if they are undergoing a moment of unsteadiness.
- Anticipate pedestrians who might pop into your path. You have to swerve for pedestrians.
- Beware of animals that are not on a lead. When animals dart out in front of your car or truck, the general rule is that you should not swerve as that can lead to loss of control. This is something that is easier to say than to do. However, if you see up ahead one dog cross the road, then you should anticipate that another will follow.
- When entering the unfamiliar territory of a town that you are visiting, assume that you will be in a complex set of streets and make absolutely certain that you are doing the correct thing before heading down each street. This can also save you some great difficulties by avoiding dead-ends.
- Above all else, stay focused in your driving and don’t allow the familiarity of travelling the same piece of road to disarm you. That’s a lesson that I have learnt to my own pain and dismay.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Life can be Funny/ Strange/ Peculiar

Life can be Funny/ Strange/ Peculiar and Surprising!

On Sunday 11th October I wrote a blog about “Selfish Motorists.” It was brought on by the fact that I have witnessed countless acts of absolute self-centeredness here in Spain that would get one killed in certain other parts of the world. The last straw was the couple with a “Wales” sticker on their car who drove into a Mercadona car park and deliberately took up two spaces, both reserved for the handicapped.

I though of having a dialogue with them, but anybody so cold as to do such a thing is not about to learn anything from me. I reasoned that they have to experience for themselves what it is like to be a handicapped person, even on a temporary basis, and to have their rights trampled upon by the selfish and uncaring. I ended that rant with an appeal to respect the rights of the handicapped before ourselves needing those rights.

Well, life can be funny and strange and peculiar. On Wednesday, October the 14th, while riding my motorcycle in my little village I came face to face with a car that was moving against the lawful direction of traffic and I went down in a slow-motion crash and broke my leg.

I don’t ever recall having parked in a handicapped space, or otherwise abused the rights of the handicapped. In fact, on occasion I have actively worked to benefit those not fully able, so the question arises why me? The answer can only be that I have opened the subject, and now I must carry through and share with readers what it is like being disabled. Hopefully, some good will come from my story.

The crash occurred at 10:45am, and neither vehicle was damaged. I took myself to the nearest clinic and they despatched me to hospital by ambulance. Any emergency department of a big city hospital must be the most interesting place on earth. I was taken to the Hospital Arnau de Villanova in Valencia. Here we see humanity at its most vulnerable. Pain and discomfit is the great leveller. In the outside world you may be a mover and shaker, but in here we all speak the same language, and that is “Help Me Please!”

The crush of people needing to be seen right away is daunting, and I have collected notes from my observations that I will make into a separate blog. For now it is sufficient to say that I was checked in at reception, then passed along through triage, and another office that took more in-depth information from me, and then to x-ray, and after five hours waiting, I finally saw the doctor in the trauma unit.

“I have to tell you that you have broken your leg and an operation will be required to reset it.” Not good news, but also not unexpected. I requested that I be transferred to the hospital that my insurance uses, “el hospital nou de octubre.” I was delivered to their emergency department where the process started all over again, and eventually by 11pm I was admitted and in my room.

The operation took place the next day and was successfully completed in spite of the break being in the most problematic place in my leg. I now am carrying two long screws that periodically give me electrical shocks. Airport security will now be an interesting experience. The extraordinary thing to bear in mind is that it was one year ago, October 16th that I was at this hospital having a bunion removed, and now I was having more surgery on the same foot.

I must not leave the hospital without saying how absolutely professional everyone is. They are super busy but are able to maintain their good nature, and even inject a smile every so often, which is just as good as any other medicine.

Now I am at home with a heavy cast on my left leg, and I have to cope. My wife is wonderful, but she will return to work during the week, so I will have to learn to deal with everyday tasks. Already I am finding that there are very little things that annoy me. I have converted my office chair with wheels into a wheel chair. Some of the floor tiles are uneven, something I don’t even realise normally, but they stop my chair and make moving about difficult.

Whether I’m moving about on my crutches or in my chair, I’m suddenly being left behind as the whole world passes me by. From my chair I’m constantly looking up, and I do notice that I have become invisible to most of the world that just doesn’t have the time for Mr. Go-Slow.

From my last experience on crutches, I remember having stumbled and I nearly fell in the street. That was met by outright laughter from two women who must have seen it as something from Monty Python. I don’t expect to be going too far for a while. In fact, the authorities might like to think about hobbling prisoners in this way with a heavy cast-like apparatus on a leg. They could stay at home without making too much mischief.

Stay tuned, as there will be more to report in the future. Meanwhile, please respect the rights of the disabled. You never know when you might need those rights yourself.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Selfish Motorists

Please Respect This Sign Today. You May Need It Tomorrow!

I have to be open and honest from the beginning, this is a rant about selfish motorists. If I offend you because you are one of the people about whom I’m complaining, that's what I intend to do. But if I can get you to think about your actions and perhaps to correct them, that will be worth the effort.

Everyday I see things that are so self-centred; that are done without any concern for anyone else, that I am astonished and outraged. Starting with the way many people drive, they position their cars by cutting corners without knowing whether or not anyone is coming the other way. This often results in frontal crashes. Frankly, if the offending driver is killed that’s one less menace on the road. Unfortunately, it’s probably all too often the other driver to suffer the worst of it.

On a recent visit to Mercadona supermarket in Lliria, near the Pla D’ Arc, a driver with a Wales sticker drove his car into the parking area and parked it at an angle across two parking spaces. This all by itself was bad enough, and he showed not the least concern that he was taking up two parking spaces. However, both spaces were clearly marked reserved for Handicapped Drivers. The crassness of these people’s selfishness took my breath away. Bastards! Shame on you! There can be no excuse. In case they could not read Spanish there was even a picture to assist these morally dead idiots.

Then there is the offence of simply parking in Handicapped reserve spaces by people who are clearly handicapped, but only in so far as they have shit where their brains should be. When we do this, we are simply saying to the handicapped: Fuck You!

Then there are those people who park in loading/unloading areas reserved for delivery trucks. This is a selfish thing to do, especially when there is a dire shortage of parking spaces. I have been tempted to do the same, but instead I will go and find a pay parking area that’s perhaps a little farther away.

There is one offence that is so often committed that makes me so angry I feel like doing something drastic to remedy the situation. In many places the city has made provision for people who are confined to their wheelchairs to be able to access the sidewalk, and to go from one to another. They have made a slope in the sidewalk, but, in so many cases along comes a car and they park right across the access point. The driver just gets out and walks away.

I try and imagine how a handicapped person must feel when they come to this point, and I can only think that they must be so angry and hurt at the same time. When a policeman sees this he should call in the grua and tow the vehicle away. The driver's fine should be at least 1,000 euros, mainly for his insensitivity and to teach him or her a lesson.

I will only say that there can be one solution to permanently remedy this situation, and that is that such drivers should meet with an accident that places them in a wheelchair. It need only be for a limited time, but the first time that they are confronted by such wilful neglect for their welfare by someone who should have been more sensitive the message will have been driven home. Trying to talk to these people will be an exercise in futility as they are obviously too stupid to accept the truth.

I´m sure there are many other examples, and we need to think before we act. When trampling over the rights of the handicapped we should remember that our fully capability status today could change in an instant. It is in our own interest to protect the rights of the handicapped before we need those rights ourselves.

“There but for the Grace of God, go I.”


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

The Trials of Formula One

Some time ago I wrote posing the question of why is it that one year Formula One seems to produce one driver who leads the field consistently, and the next year that same driver can hardly get in a first place finish. There was a time when the finish of a race was predictable: Michael Schumacher would win in his Ferrari. That was the case race after race, and year after year. Fans got bored and ticket sales fell. So, Schu retired leaving the field open for anyone to win.

Then we got Fernando Alonso, the pride of Spain, and that was followed by that fabulous year of Lewis Hamilton. That was only last season. This year he has hardly been heard from. What happened?

My question was whether there was a possibility that there was a conspiracy to keep up interest in the sport, so that no one driver would dominate it as had Schumacher. I had speculated that if fans got the idea that races were being fixed they would probably turn their backs. There were allegations of teams ordering one of their drivers to allow the other to go through to win, which would be bad enough. Now we have hard evidence apparently of just such a thing happening.

The case of Renault and the order to Nelson Piquet, Jnr to crash his car to favour Alonso is outrageous. To deliberately do such a thing, with all its unintended dangerous consequences is just not acceptable. Small wonder there was such a furore that resulted in the life time ban from the sport of Renault’s Flavio Briatore over the alleged attempt to fix the outcome of the Singapore race.

There is so much money and so much to gain (and lose) in Formula One that it is hardly surprising that the sport has had more than its share of scandals. I would like to think that when I pay 500 euros to witness a race, what I will be seeing is a pure contest between drivers and constructors. So many people have the impression that wrestling is fixed and phoney that they simply don’t bother with it.

Formula One might well be headed in that direction. Management have got to be tough and vigilant and transparent. Formula One has enough problems already without manufacturing any more.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Atten-shun!

Staying Alive

When was the last time your attention to your driving diminished? Was it your last journey? Does it happen every journey? In my case it happens just about everytime I get in the car. When I am driving over familiar territory I find my mind wanders off to think about what I will do with the proceeds of winning the lottery; or perhaps I’m already writing this blog, or any number of things.

When I’m driving over new territory it could be worse as I get to look at all the new stuff. I admit that this is a shocking admission, but it’s the truth. I’m not suggesting that my attention is distracted for long periods. Just a second or two is all it takes to crash your car. For instance, when your eye catches something along the side of the road, just for the proverbial second, and then you look straight ahead only to realise that the traffic has stopped and you are about to crash headlong into the line of cars, what’s your reaction? You panic, right?

We all do, and that example has happened to just about everybody who drives at one time or another. The fact is that you have to interrupt your concentration from time to time, otherwise you will become fixated. The trick is to choose the time and place to take that necessary break. If you do so when the line of traffic is way ahead of you and you’re on a straight road, then maybe you’ll be alright.

A well dressed businessman who was driving behind me along the main entrance road into the city of Valencia, chose that time to turn his head and look directly at his passenger while engaged in conversation. Meanwhile, I had stopped for the traffic light. Just because he was well dressed and driving a Mercedes didn’t make him an intelligent person. He rammed straight into the rear of my car, then looked absolutely startled. I felt I could have slapped him with a car jack.

I don’t have statistics to hand, but I am prepared to bet that the real cause of most accidents involve inattention. It might seem that speeding is at the top of the list, or driving while impaired due to drink or drugs, but it’s easy to see how a loss of concentration could tip the balance.

So, this is just a timely and cautionary suggestion: promise yourself to always pay attention when appropriate while behind the wheel. A motor car or truck, or whatever can do a lot of damage if you’re not careful. To say after the fact that you didn’t intend to kill someone, does not help anything at all

Copyright (c) 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Policemen/Fundraiser

Revenue Officers?

The motoring public are up in arms, and perhaps we should be. Suddenly we find ourselves up against the wall as our pockets are emptied along the highway by bandits. These bandits are dressed in the uniform of a policeman, the officers to whom we look for protection. Suddenly they are the ones who are demanding money with menaces.

Our society is policed with our consent, and our society also works only if we respect the laws and the people who carry out the laws. Consequently, we expect the men and women who police us to conduct themselves in exemplary fashion. We don’t always get that to the letter, but generally, in the Spanish state the police do hold themselves in high regard.

It seems as though City Hall has forgotten all that and has given their police forces the order to bring in revenue as the coffers are bare. If I am correct in that assumption that would explain the behaviour of certain police establishments. How else do we explain a sudden rush of fines on the spot for petty offences such as not standing still at a stop sign long enough; not driving in the right-hand lane of a three lane one-way road without cause; and especially not being in strict compliance with speed signs.

To be fair, if you have been passing a box in which there was supposed to be a working radar, and it has always been empty, and suddenly it has a radar and you are nicked speeding, then fair enough. The sign said “Speed controlled by radar.” You now have no basis for complaint, even if you received multiple fines.

However, some situations approach desperate attempts to rip off motorists. There is a stretch of roadway that I travel everyday that is simply a trap, anytime the police wish to spring it. At the start of the stretch between two towns there is no sign posted to say what is the legal speed. It could be either 80 or 90. I have always assumed it to be 80 to be on the safe side. Shortly after entering on the road we come upon a sign at a dangerous crossing that says 60. Our speed should be no more than 60 when passing that sign and should remain so until we pass the next sign upping the limit.

That sign doesn’t appear. The next sign we pass says 60 as it is another dangerous exit and entrance. Quite a distance along we come to a sign that says 70, meaning that we should reduce our speed to 70 as it’s another slightly dangerous turnoff. Clearly then, we were supposed to be travelling at a higher speed. The next sign to that one says 60 as we pass another dangerous point.

Legally, although someone intends (I think) that traffic should travel between the restricted zones at 80 or 90, we are never authorised to do so. It’s just a matter of time until the traps are sprung. Using policemen in this manner is, or should be a crime and it makes the police criminals in uniform. However mayors may try to justify their demands, having the police pull people over and empty their pockets is no better done by the police than the highwayman.

Here are some more offences, among others, that are rarely prosecuted, except when City Hall’s bank account needs to be topped up: double parking; parking on yellow lines; parking on sidewalks, changing lanes without a signal; driving with one hand draped out the window; parking across a pedestrian crossing; driving with the boot in the up position; wearing backless sandals; carrying inappropriate loads in a car; unsecured seat belts; and talking on the phone while driving. (I saw a policeman doing this.)

I end this with a plea to those who control the police: Return the police to bona-fide policing and give them back their dignity.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

A Fine is serious business. It is the price we pay for learning a lesson.

Samoa changes from Right Hand to Left Hand

The island nation of Samoa in the South Pacific has taken a very bold step. Not since the 1970’s has any country been so brave and confident in changing the side of the road that they drive on. Business owners have changed the names of their business, and even countries have changed their names, and that is problematic enough, and expensive in the extreme, but to change from one side of the road to the other seems like a suicide mission.

The Samoan islands are located approximately halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. There are two major islands, one was formerly known as American Samoa and the other as German Samoa. The total land mass is slightly smaller than Rhode Island in the United States, and the population is about 179,000. Islanders speak their own native Samoan as well as English. They gained their independence on July 1, 1962.

The Samoan islands have had a very chequered past that at times has brought islanders into sharp dispute with their colonizers. From the end of World War II the New Zealanders, more than anyone else have had more of a controlling force upon the lives of the islanders, although people from the former American Samoa tend to emigrate to Hawaii and the United States, and to continue American culture.

The need for making such a major change in the driving habits of the country was driven by the fact of their betwixt and between situation. Importing cars from Hawaii added an exorbitant cost to vehicles. They did this because of the need to have cars that conformed with right hand side of the road driving practise. However, cars imported from New Zealand, where driving is on the left meant that the cost was a fraction of American made cars, and it also brought Samoa into line with the driving habits of their neighbours.

To get an entire nation of people to change from driving on one side to the other must surely be a nightmare that most countries would not contemplate. It is difficult enough when we go abroad to always remember to be on the correct side. Mistakes usually mean death, so that is the gravity of the matter.

To prepare for such an event no doubt there would have been an intense period of education leading up to the change date and time, and it must be ongoing until it would appear that the message has sunk in. Wisely, the government announced a two-day holiday when people would simply go for a drive to get used to the idea. Secondly, and perhaps more important, they closed all bars for a three-day period and prohibited the drinking of alcohol and driving. Of course, every country does that as a permanent measure, but for the event having a clear head would definitely be a help.

At 6:00am on Monday 7th September the Prime Minister addressed the nation on radio and gave the official “let the games begin!” The roads were saturated with security personnel, and at the signal all traffic came to a complete halt where they were. Ideally, most people with their vehicles should have still been at home at that moment, but if not there came the very careful changeover from right to left. Needless to say, this created another problem that will eventually rectify itself. That is to say that all the left-hand drive cars now placed their drivers on the wrong side of the lane, which is not a hopeless situation, but extra care will have to be given until those cars are scrapped.

For the residents the whole thing was a very unusual parade. Roads were lined with spectators watching the process. The only incident was caused by a group that called itself “People Against Switching Sides” who were convinced this action would bring about chaos and blood on the islands roads. They protested by blocking some roads for hours, refusing to let the change begin. However, when they heard that elsewhere things were going smoothly they relented and allowed traffic to pass.

The first day passed without any accidents, and that must surely be some kind of record. No doubt in the future there will be accidents as people relax and forget, but it will work in the long term. This is not just an action that is important to Samoa. My own country of Bermuda, as well as many others, could well benefit from making exactly such a move. We drive on the left and we get our vehicles with steering wheels on the right from England and Japan. However, most of our tourists come from America, and once on the island they hire mopeds and some promptly go out on the roads and drive on the right. As a practical matter it makes sense for us to drive on the same side as those countries from where the greatest numbers of our visitors come from, namely The U.S. and Canada.

Meanwhile, the only country out of sync in Europe is the United Kingdom. It is one thing for them to insist that they will not give up the British Pound, but they are part of the European Common Market, and to doggedly maintain a system of driving that is different to all their neighbours is perhaps taking one’s independence too far.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

The Guarantee

A Formula One Guarantee

Last week when I wrote about the results of Formula One in Valencia I expressed my concerns over the less than stellar ticket sales. I was concerned that should that happen again that would likely be the end of Formula One racing in Valencia. I was not alone in my concerns! Even before the event was over the Valencian Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) announced that it would co-sponsor the event to the tune of about 18 million euros a year for five years in order to guarantee the event in Valencia, for at least that long. It seems that the value to Valencia in terms of positive publicity far exceeds that amount, so it would seem like a good plan.

Formula One racing is big business, and those boys don’t like to lose money. It is a very expensive event to stage, so the support has to be there. The Valencian track is certainly exciting enough, and there is nothing wrong with the organising, but these are tough times, and you have to be very certain that your job will continue to be there on the Monday to allow you to plunk down the type of money demanded for a ticket on the Sunday.

It would be a shame if Formula One started pulling out of venues based on something the location has no control over. The financial crisis is continuing, and although I’m starting to hear optimistic sounding sentences about “The Recovery” I remain a sceptic. This recession has gone deeper and wider than anything I have ever known. It seems to point up the fact that all the past growth has been based on sand. So, a quick recovery won’t take us too far, nor for too long.

At least it’s nice to know that Valencia Town Hall is not napping.

Meanwhile, this weekend, six people were sitting in a van while it had stopped in the breakdown lane, because presumably it had broken down, when a massive truck hauling a trailer rammed into them, killing all six on board. While we are all contemplating the dire economic situation around us and are losing sleep, those six people lost their lives in an instant, on a day when they were actually on their way to work.

At times life seems to be so unfair, totally unpredictable, and just plain scary. The only antidote is to live life to the full while you can. Tomorrow is only a Promissory Note.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Formula ONE in Valencia

Formula ONE in Valencia

On the 21st, 22nd, and the 23rd of August the 2009 edition of formula One was played out on the streets of Valencia for the second year. The weather could not have been more cooperative over all three days. There was still the shadow of Felipe Massa among the missing, and it’s clear that all the other drivers hold him in the highest regard. Fernando Alonso got to race after all as the stewards fined the team rather than banning them from appearing for their lapse in sending Alonso out onto the track with a wheel that was not properly secured in the last race. That definitely helped ticket sales, and as much as we all hoped for an Alonso win, the best he could do was sixth place.

Lewis Hamilton, a name we haven’t heard too often this year took pole position but was pipped at the post by Rubens Barrichello from Brasil. It was a stunning victory and in a sense it paid homage to Massa, who is also from Brasil. For Hamilton, he must be feeling cheated as it was a mechanical fault that held him back from what would have been only his second win of the season.

Remarkably, Jenson Button began the season so strong but finished this race back in seventh place, behind Fernando Alonso. Button leads the board with 72 points and the closest person to him only has 54, which seems to have him placed comfortably towards the championship, but it’s a long way to the end of the season.

This is only the second race season in Valencia and everybody seems to be getting comfortable with the hosting of the event, but there was a very subdued atmosphere this year. Mainly it was felt in ticket sales that started off being worryingly lacklustre. Organisers were forced to cut out one whole seating section that they feared they would not be able to sell. Last year the maximum seating capacity was 112,000, but this year that was cut back to 75,000, a shortfall of 37,000.

On the Friday practise session, paid attendance was down by only 283, On Saturday’s qualifying round ,paid admissions were down by almost 18,000, a staggering loss. It was simply the qualifying round, but on Sunday a total of 81,231 paid admissions were recorded as being sitting and standing, and that compared with 115,123 in 2008. In total, there were 52,137 fewer paid admissions and that must have organisers worried.

We can only hope that this is the effect of the economic crisis, and that the same thing is being seen all over the world. If it’s a Valencia effect the city may get another chance, but if it proves to be uneconomical to race here we may see another disaster like America’s Cup. That would not be a good thing! Let’s also hope that next year there will actually be a Formula One race season.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

One Born every Second

A Class Act

I don’t want to be too hard on the victims of this story because they are already paying a very heavy price for their trusting nature. But, it seems to be true, that a sucker is born every second.

I drive a Jaguar, as well as my trusty Volvo, so when an advertisement appeared asking for drivers to sign on to drive high value clients over the Formula One races in Valencia, my interest was raised.

The advert suggested that the company had several VIP clients who wanted personal drivers using top of the line cars, and the payment to the drivers would be so significant to warrant even hiring luxury cars.

I was going to go along to register for this work as my Jaguar has done lots of VIP work and is in very good condition. The company was located in the industrial park of Riba Roja with no expense spared as to appointments made to their offices. They looked like a very upmarket operation.

I spoke with another driver who explained that all drivers were asked to bring their cars on a certain date for inspection by the chief executive officer. We would be required to leave them overnight while the inspections were done and assignments were made and contracts were drawn up.

What was so important about me leaving my car with keys overnight while I was made to make my own way home and back again? Something was not quite right about that. As we say, it just didn’t compute!

For seventy drivers it was perfectly alright and they left their rented cars and personally owned vehicles in the warehouse overnight, agreeing to return in the morning to get their assignments. When they arrived the next morning what they found was that all the cars had disappeared, except their number plates, and the elaborate offices had been dismantled. Everything and everybody had gone. Presumably the cars had been placed in containers and dispatched to the port for shipment abroad. Only three people with some small connections were picked up by the Guardia Civil, but the big fish were long gone.

As a scam this is a new one. We have long heard about the theft of luxury cars that are then shipped to north Africa, but this one is original in that instead of having to go out and steal the vehicles, one by one, they have simply had the owners bring them in.

The moral of the story is, of course, trust no one. Don’t allow yourself to be persuaded by what appears to be stability, and most of all, if it seems to be too good to be true, that is usually the case.

Can I fault the victims? Only because they trusted their property to others whom they really did not know. Could I have been a victim? I very nearly was. When greed starts to get in the way of common sense any of us could be taken in.

Meanwhile, I really am sorry for the losses of some very good people.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Formula One Cockup!

Girls and Fast cars

The thing is that I don’t believe in coincidence. For the Valencia edition of the Formula One 2009 contest things are not shaping up well at all. Two things went horribly wrong: Fernando Alonso’s team got themselves banned from the race because they allowed him to leave the pit with a improperly fitted wheel which came off endangering Alonso and other racers. Felipe Massa suffered the oddest occurrence when a spring from another driver’s car fell off and struck Massa in the head entering through his helmet. He blacked out and crashed the Ferrari and has gone home to recuperate for the rest of the season.

Michael Schumacher, the acknowledged King of Formula One who is retired offered Ferrari to come back to substitute for Massa, and that set off a round of wild excitement. Ticket sales for the Valencia circuit were moving along very slowly thereby giving organisers cause for serious worry. One whole section of viewing stands has not been erected, as predictions for attendance were so bad.

Then it was announced that Schumacher WOULD substitute for Massa and ticket sales exploded. From the time of the announcement and his eventual stand-down, some ten thousand tickets were sold. Now, we know that every driver has his own fans, and there are some so well heeled that they can fly around the world following their idols, but now a new question arises, and that is, do fans have any legal right to expect their special drivers to appear?

The ban on Alonso certainly seemed to place a damper on possible attendance in his home country, and when Lewis Hamilton races in England the fans come out by the droves, although this year they have been as disappointed with his performance and that of his car. I know that there are many factors that can affect the appearance of a particular driver, such as accidents, failing to qualify, sickness, etc.

Now, let’s be clear, I’m not pointing the finger of blame of anyone….yet! Michael Schumacher has had to abandon his comeback attempt because he is not medically fit. I understand that, however, he had that neck problem before which must have caused him some concern. Clearly, before being absolutely certain that he would be in the driver’s seat there were a lot of hurdles to clear.

The question now is who made the announcement that he would race? I can accept that it would have been impossible for Schu to have done anything in secret that even suggested that he might be available to substitute, but there should have been very strong cautions from officials that they were a long way from that happening.

Perhaps I’m muddying the waters and there won’t be anybody who will seek to cancel their tickets out of disappointment, but I suspect that there will be some folk who are royally annoyed with the way that things have been handled.

What they will do about it remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the race stewards could help matters greatly by reviewing their punishment of Renault and adjusting their ban order to allow Alonso to race in front of Spanish fans.

Already race organisers are saying that refunds on the basis that Schu will not race will not be honoured because at no time are racing participants guaranteed. They may get away with it this time, but it sure is a great way to alienate the fans. Time will tell!


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Where is Everybody?

Is Anybody out There?

August in the city is wonderful! Everyone has gone away leaving, it seems, just me. I can drive into the city of Valencia and at times I find that I am the only car in what is otherwise overcrowded avenues. I can find on-street parking, and in the stores there is a deathly hush.

I made a visit to an office only to find that there was one sole person in attendance. Where was everybody? On vacation!

Spain has changed dramatically over the past ten years. There was a time when all shops closed for the three-hour lunch break and siesta. That is no longer the case as the modern world has caught up with the country. The smaller shops continue this practise but the large chain stores stay open from nine until nine.

It was also the case that during August all businesses except restaurants and bars closed while staff went off on vacation. But international business came to Spain and legal offices that closed during August came back to find that their clients had changed to those offices that stayed open. It’s very difficult when trying to do business with the world. Different time zones make that very hard to cope with, especially when some of your clients are on the West Coast of America and others are in Japan.

While many offices remain open with skeleton staffs, tradition dictates that August is the month of rest and that leads to a wholesale exodus from the city. Business is encouraging staff to split their holiday so that some go in July and the rest in August, but most go in August and the effect is remarkable. The city feels empty, and for those of us who remain here the sense of relief from people everywhere is wonderful.

Valencia plays host to Formula One racing in the third week of August, and that actually brings visitors into the city. Talk has it that city dwellers did not want to be bothered by on-street racing. We have a perfectly good racing circuit on the outskirts of the city and they could not understand why the racing could not be done there. However, City Hall suggested that August could be the month for the races and it was a done deal as most city folk will be away. What’s more, if they play their cards right they could rent out their homes for a very tidy sum.

So, while it is hot in August it is my favourite month as I can I can breath and stretch my arms. Long Live August!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

It Happens every Year

Here we go Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good Luck Everybody, and Happy Motoring!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Has Justice been Served?

I wrote last week about a case that was being processed through the courts. That case has now been concluded and a verdict and sentence have been delivered. The question is whether a reasonable man would consider that the result is satisfactory.

Summary:
A man and his female partner were driving when they suddenly came upon an accident scene where a cycle had collided with a car and the rider was down. Unfortunately, unavoidably, the newly arrived driver came into contact with the rider, actually driving the front wheels over the young man. At that point the car was stopped for a few seconds, and then the driver recommenced his forward motion. A part of the young man’s clothing became interlocked with the car, but nevertheless the defendant driver drove at speed dragging the young man for two kilometres. All throughout this ordeal the victim was alive.

When the driver reached the turn into his urbanisation he stopped the car, then he moved backwards and forwards until disengaging the victim. When the attachment broke he drove over the young man and continued on home leaving the young man to his own fate. It was shortly after this that the seventeen year-old drew his last breath.

Horrified eye- witnesses and cctv cameras recorded the chain of events, but the driver and his passenger denied that they had been involved in any way.

The court deemed that the actions of the driver were as cold bloodied as can be, and his passenger was found guilty of failing to take any discernible action to stop the driver and for doing nothing to assist the victim and the law.

The driver was fined 300,000 euros and sentenced to serve 13 years in jail. His partner was sentenced to serve eighteen months behind bars.

The test of whether justice has been fully served is to put yourself into the shoes of the boy’s mother and father. It may be that youthful incaution got him into trouble in the first place, as is the case with so many young men who consider that they are indestructible at that age. Even the unavoidable act of driving over him with the front wheels might be forgiven, as that was apparently completely an accident. However, to deliberately drive off meant to pass the rear wheels over the young man. In my opinion that is the act of a monster.

I am a person who avoids doing violence to other humans, so to be able to do something like this is outside my ability to comprehend. Most people are like that, especially because that was such an inhumane act.

To further continue driving when he knew without a doubt that he was dragging a human being at speed down the motorway beggars disbelief. I consider that to be nazi-like thinking. I won’t even entertain the suggestion that he must have been mad. What must the parents make of such disrespect to their son?

He has deliberately extinguished the life of another person with very malicious intent and with complete disregard to his victim’s right to life. The Court has considered that for his actions he should spend the next 13 years of his own life behind bars. After that, he can do as he wishes, but his victim will still be dead. My feeling is that anyone who commits the sort of crime as he has been found guilty of should expect to forfeit his own quality of life until he dies. The only encouraging thing in this case is that he is 57 years old, so he might indeed die in prison. Otherwise he should be 70 upon leaving prison. At that point his British license will expire and I doubt whether anyone will reissue him, so he will never drive again. However, that is just by luck as there was no mention of the loss of his driving permit.

In my opinion Justice has not been fully served, although the courts think differently. How that can be justified I just don’t know. Additionally his partner was only sentenced to serve 18 months because she failed in her civil obligation. It doesn’t even appear that she made any attempt to stop what was happening, and she lied to authorities, so that seems to me to make her a full accessory to the fact. She should have been given the same sentence as he.

It makes you wonder what the hell's wrong with these people!

Finally, both accused are British guests in this country, and as such they have thoroughly embarrassed all reasonable thinking other British people. It’s true that we cannot be held responsible for their actions, but nonetheless, it’s hard to hold our heads high when faced by our Spanish hosts.


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

What Sort of Crime is This?

What Sort of Crime is This when it pushes the envelope to the Extreme?

There is a case currently before the courts that I would like to write about, but I have to be careful as the matter being sub-judice, my words might influence the justices. The essential facts being alleged are as follows: A man and his female passenger while driving came upon a young motorcyclist lying in the road after having been involved in an accident with another car. Accidentally, they drove over the man and immediately stopped. At this point, I doubt that the suspects have committed any offence. What has happened to the motorcyclist is very tragic, but I think that none of the blame for anything that has happened can be put on the suspects.

Many things take place in the course of the driving day that are peculiar. We can only avoid becoming involved in tragedies if we are vigilant and if we anticipate what could happen, so in order to try to avoid them happening. For instance, many people drive as though they are the only people using the road. That is the completely incorrect assumption, of course, so it is our responsibility to be in the correct position in the road at all times. The other thing that is in our own interests is to choose a speed at which to travel that is safe and comfortable.

Continuing with the story: our suspects are in a situation in which any driver might find himself. We have come upon a young accident victim lying in the road and we have been unable to avoid running over him. We have stopped with the young man trapped under our car. This is horrible! What should we do next? I hear you say get out of the car and give as much help as you can. That makes sense to me, and is mandated by law, especially to drivers and their passengers who are involved in an accident.

It is alleged that the suspects in this case did not do that. Instead, they drove off, dragging the man, and it had to be obvious to them that he was being dragged. It is further alleged that they drove on for two kilometres with the body still attached to their car. At the end of the two kilometres, according to an eyewitness, they turned off the main road onto a side road, and inside that side road the car was driven backwards and forwards until the body became disentangled

The suspects deny that any of these things happened involving them, but the driver is charged with murder, and his passenger is charged with failing to give assistance to the victim. It seems that eye witness reports and cctv cameras do place them where they don’t want to be placed.

So, if the facts are as the prosecution allege, I have three questions: Why? Why? And Why?

Why would a driver, finding himself in the predicament of having collided with a person in the road, and now stooped, drive off instead of getting out of his car to offer assistance?

It might be because he had no driver’s license and insurance; or was drunk; or was carrying something in his car that would cause great difficulty.



Why drive on dragging a person, who, it is alleged, had life in him?

This is the one question that no one else other than the driver can answer, if he knows. I can believe that his passenger is as horrified as I am, and judging by the body language of the photo taken of the two of them in court, (he is sitting at one end of a bench, and she is at the other), he cannot expect much help from her.

Finally, why, after dragging a man’s body for two kilometres could a person be so heartless as to drive his car backwards and forwards until the body became dislodged and then drive away? This is a statement of man’s inhumanity that makes me very uncomfortable. I know that in war times, particularly involving the nazis, some things were done that are simply impossible to believe, and I find it beyond my own comprehension that I, or anyone whom I know, could stoop so low.

So, I end this with another question: What crime has actually been committed? Prosecutors have charged this man with murder, but that seems to me to not properly reflect the gravity of the crime. No one else should feel free to do the same thing because they will be free again after serving a few years behind bars. The judge in the case, if finding the man guilty as charged, should be able to throw the whole book at him. Most importantly the family of the young man must gain the satisfaction of believing that justice has been properly served.

I have a son about his age who rides a motorcycle. Were I in the shoes of that most unfortunate family, it would take a whole lot more than the standard sentence for murder to convince me that justice was well and truly done. Of that you can be sure!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Summer Driving

Where is Everybody?

There is that time of year when so many people leave the city and their jobs and head out to parts unknown, leaving the cityscape and the immediate surroundings blissfully quiet. When school is out the tension and contest for road space is immediately relieved, and I find myself giving a huge sigh of relief. That’s when you know Summer is here.

Driving along the motorway is uncrowded and I can change lanes as many times as I wish, and I don’t even need to indicate. There is simply no one else around to whom to advise of my wishes. It’s a sort of disturbing feeling being all-alone on stretches of road where ordinarily I would be surrounded. It’s as though everybody went away and I didn’t get the memo.

So I urge the rest of my fellow home-aloners to enjoy the feeling because it won’t last.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Eight into Two Can’t Go

As part of my daily driving experience I often find that the big road that I’m on becomes a much smaller road as we drop lanes as we go. I have also noticed several places where as many as eight lanes have to rapidily squeeze into two lanes, and then down to one lane. There are a few places around Valencia where for sheer entertainment you could go and watch the action at these spots.

I’m not talking about Formula 1, this is everyday driving I’m talking about. You really have to be on your toes because things change quickly. The newspaper recently reported on the completion of a tunnel for a major exit from the city of Valencia that has taken years to complete. At its opening we now find that what these folks have been doing all this time is the following:

They have built a four-lane highway underground to channel traffic out of the city heading north. However, just as the traffic exits the tunnel three of those lanes come to an abrupt halt. To make matters worse there are no markings warning motorists that they will have to merge to the left. Meanwhile, traffic above ground have another four lanes on the right, three of which will merge with the four coming out from the tunnel. Confused? What a nightmare this is!

We assume, wrongly it seems, that designers of our motorways know what they are doing. We should have gotten wise by now with some of the things that they have given us to contend with.

I will make it a point to give this area a wide berth. I don’t need to fall in with the unfortunates who find themselves in that mess.

What’s the name of this place? I really don’t know, except the word “Folly” should be part of it.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

The Funeral Car

A Big Scene


In spite of the fact that the spelling of Funeral begins with FUN, this is not a car to have fun in. Although, you can be sure that there are some young ladies that could tell us a tale or two about their early sexual experiences and the funeral hearse. Personally I would rather not hear them. I come upon this topic because we are all thinking along the lines of the death of Michael Jackson. I find myself trying to visualize what sort of final farewell is being planned. If it will be big, it will be way over the top. Even a State funeral fit for a president would be eclipsed, so in reality it should be private.

But MJ was a public person, and a show person, and this is Show Business, so I think it should be Mega-Big. This is a man who worked so hard to entertain us that his final journey should be no less an event.

So, bring on the stretch limousines for the Hollywood and music glitterati, the chauffered big wheel 4x4s for the politicians and their wives. The Hummers for the rap artists, the Cadillacs and Town cars and top of the line marques, and make it one event that no one will ever forget.

The one big question still to be answered is will “The Beast” remain parked where it is, or will it make the journey as well with its very famous passengers.

Only time will tell!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Formula One Mess and Mystery

It's a Messy Mystery

Topic “A” in the world of driving must surely be the impending split of F1 racing teams into one group that want to spend as much money as they can and wish, and the other team that wants a cap on spending budgets.

The economic crisis is affecting just about everyone in the world except, apparently Ferrari. We now have two entities, FOTA and FIA. Bernie Ecclestone, the Commercial Rights Holder heads FIA the original sponsors of Formula 1 Racing, and under their leadership Formula Racing has become what it is today. However, being sensitive to the effects that the slowdown in car sales are having on motor companies, and with the survival of the sport in mind, FIA have tried to negotiate with the teams a cap on spending.

The problem with implementing such a noble idea is that long-term participants have built up a huge infrastructure to back their cars, and to now cut spending would mean cutting that infrastructure. That’s not an easy thing to do. In the world of high cost, high stakes sports the question is perhaps simply can you afford to play the game or not. If you have to ask what will it cost, then you perhaps shouldn’t be in it. Those companies that can no longer afford the outlay have simply opted out.

At the moment eight teams have lined up on Ferrari’s side, and only five have confirmed to stay with the FIA. The FOTA have said that after 2012 they will mount their own racing series, but that remains to be seen.

Of particular interest is the fact that certain countries have entered into the incredible expense of constructing racing circuits especially for F1, and then those venues have been dropped in favour of newcomers. This would appear to be especially harsh to me.

The mystery element enters when we take a look at what is happening on the track. There was a time when race results were predictable. We knew from one year to the next that Michael Schumacher would win in his Ferrari. However, since his retirement a magical thing has happened. The world championship is anyone’s game and there is no way of telling beforehand what will happen. However, that may be in question.

During Michael Schumacher’s days F1 suffered a fall-off in interest as he was such a powerful force together with his car. That was only natural, and for a time tennis was affected by the same thing as the Williams sisters dominated, and over in golf Tiger Woods was unbeatable. Now, however, one year we are seeing one man winning race after race to become world champion, and the next year he disappears off the radar. He is the official defending champion, but he completes his races way back in the pack.

This year we have Jenson Button who can do no wrong. I really must ask myself what is going on with “The Curious case of Jenson Button.” Sorry, I couldn’t resist that, but it does help to underscore my case. I am asking myself whether there could be some kind of manipulation as to the results in the interest of keeping the sport alive. I could certainly understand the motivation, however, it would be dishonest, and if fans come to suspect that race results are fixed then interest will evaporate like smoke into thin air.

FOTA is a new organisation whose initials stand for “Formula One Teams Association.” Their objective is “To promote the development of Formula One and enhance its worldwide image and reputation.”

FIA is the “Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.” As the name implies it is a huge organisation based in Paris, France whose remit is the welfare and well-being of the automotive public at large, as well as concentrating on Formula One racing.

Formula One has descended into both mess and mystery and bears watching carefully. We certainly have not heard the last from this sport, and that’s for certain.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Making the Points

Don't Miss the Points


The Spanish DGT has announced that in celebration of the three-year anniversary of the points system, those drivers who have not lost any points will actually be given two more points. At the end of the next three year period those drivers who have not lost any points over the six-year period will then be given an extra point bringing the total to fifteen, the maximum available.

That’s a good thing and very encouraging as drivers here in Spain worry more about losing points than they seem to worry about losing their lives. A curious thing that, but the statistics did reflect the potential loss of points by bringing down the death rate when all else failed.

While this is a positive development the story on the other hand is about a great many drivers who have lost all twelve of their points, and they lost additional points that they never had, some having lost twenty points in all. That is quite astonishing and speaks to the hardcore bad driver. There are some people who should not hold a driving permit as they are a menace to everyone else.

The giving of additional points is not without its irony as the people who have held their points intact seemingly don’t actually need more as presumably they’ll protect those as well. The people who need additional points are the ones who have lost all their original issue. However, points are not tradeable, and I hope they never will be as the last thing that we need is to keep the bad guys on the road.

Drive safely, keep a watch for cyclists, and guard your points.


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

One dead Motorcyclist a Day

May, 2009 was notable for the fact that in Spain a motorcyclist a day lost his life on the roads. This is a striking fact that should have the alarm bells ringing in earnest. These were young men on their way to one place or another when they collided with death itself. Presumably there are as many reasons why these things happened as there are cases, but the bottom line is that we are losing tomorrow’s leaders for reasons that are all preventable.

Unfortunately the first image that comes to mind is that of the careless and reckless rider who crashes his motorcycle into a wall or huge truck at top speed. It’s a shame when even that happens. I was young once and I seem to remember that I did not always think through my next move before I took action, so we have to remember that simply being young is a hazard in itself.

This is no time for recriminations. We would do well to remember that every lost son leaves behind people who find that they loved him more than they knew. For parents who have to bury their sons because they crashed their motorcycle is very hard to accept. If our country is at war and we lose our son in battle that is still very difficult to live with. At least his life would have been cut short in the noble execution of his duty.

What needs to happen in order to stop these losses from occurring?

Firstly, as a bike rider it needs to be recognised that the rider has no real protection at all. Consequently we should try and avoid all surprises. To do that we have to keep our eyes on the road ahead as well as trying to anticipate what may come from the sides.

Secondly, appropriate speed under all conditions is vital. Riding too fast is the number one cause of spills. The speed limit that is posted along a stretch of road may be fine under normal conditions. Such conditions that involved dry, clean streets and a fluid flow of traffic would be fine. However, if it is raining and at night that same stretch requires a reduction in speed.

The urge to “show off” is something that is reserved for guys, and it will always be our downfall. Give a young guy an audience and he will want to draw attention to himself. Maybe he hopes that the pretty girl will be drawn to his skill and derring-do and she will become his. The dopey thing is that even if she does consent to perch her cute hot pants bum on his bike, he will still do silly things in an attempt to continue to impress her. The shame is that all he has to do to truly impress her is to get her back home safely. So, avoid the temptation to Grand Stand if you want to live another day.

Drivers are asked to be vigilant for cyclists. The problem is that so often they are hard to spot in the midst of so much environmental clutter. Cyclist are therefore urged to “Be Seen to be Safe!” What this means is that they should wear a reflective jacket over their clothes. The difference is amazing to see how drivers will give motorcyclists a much wider berth if they are so dressed. This is because the excuse is taken away that the driver just didn’t see the bike coming. Just one glimpse of a reflective jacket means that probably it is being worn by a person, so take care!

Nowhere is it written that by simply going to work, or to the movies or to the supermarket you are running a 99% risk of meeting your death. However, if you are coming home from the bar on your bike after having consumed several alcoholic drinks, the chances are more than likely that will be your last ride.

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Finally, Something New in the World of Cars!

It's a Revolution!

The world has been consumed with the need to get away from using fossil fuels for energy. Such fuels contaminate and are not unlimited, and have a way of financing some of the most unpleasant providers on the planet. The one advantage that travel by boat has always had is that there was an option to move without cost, and that is by wind. A day out sailing can be both very delightful as well as cost free.

Driving has never been free, and never will be. However, the search has been to make it as cheap as possible. The most promising development to date had been the Electric Car, but electricity has a significant cost. It has the benefit however, as it makes the actual running of the car quiet and pollution-free.

Now, introducing The Air Car!

This incorporates a new concept that uses only compressed air to move the vehicle. There’s no need for a battery or even an ounce of petrol, however, on compressed air you can only get it up to 55 kmph. To go faster than that you will have to accept the use of a conventional backup gasoline motor.

France is the country that gets the award for this radical new and practical method of energy. It is really great news to the energy world as being nothing short of revolutionary. The company that will mass produce the Air car is Tata Motors of India. Not Renault, but Tata, and that leads me to ask how long has this technology been ready to be produced for mass transport?

Automakers around the world are in big trouble. They have manufactured cars that no one wants to buy because of a lack of quality, or simply because they have become victims of the worldwide economic crisis like everyone else. It doesn’t seem to be sheer coincidence that this “brand new” technology is now being released upon the world.

I understand that there are vast investments tied up in the fossil fuel driven vehicle. However, we are seeing cars being sold at cut-prices, and even then buyers are scarce. General Motors of the United States will have declared bankruptcy by the time you read this. I try to imagine the scope of the impact of that upon the world and it seems to me like pulling out the one last rock that held up the mountain, or on a smaller scale to aid imagination, if we accept the image of a pile of oranges as being the world, what would happen if you were to pull out one of the bottom oranges. Catastrophe!

In an earlier blog on this very topic of coping with rising fuel costs I suggested that there are probably technologies that are variable to that upon which we rely, but that they are being kept under wraps. The Air Car is likely one of those.

Anyway, the news item appearing in The Costa Blanca News says that 2010 is the year that the car will make its debut, and America is the selected country that the market will be tested for it. An initial run of 10,000 cars will be available for sale at a price range of about 18,000 dollars. The cost of running one will be ridiculously low, as it will cost about two dollars to cover approximately 300 kilometres, and general maintenance will be about zero cost. From the models shown it appears that they are for single person travel,on up to five-seaters.

With this car automobile travel has truly turned a corner and opened up possibilities for the future that are straight out of science fiction.

Like all very good ideas this is so simple. Why didn’t I, or you think of it first?

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

I Don’t Want to go to Jail

You Don't have to go to Jail if you don't want to!

Since anyone can remember lawlessness on the roads has been rampant. The DGT has made passing the tests to obtain a driving license so difficult that many people simply gave up. They bought a cheap acr and drove without a permit, insurance, or without paying the road tax. When they were finally stopped and their car was taken from them, they simply went out and bought another.

The implications of that were horrific. When such people were the cause of an accident they simply left the scene. They were uninsured so that left their victims at a disadvantage. Finally, the lawmakers got tough. They mandated that anyone found driving under the influence of drink or drugs would be taken straight to jail. However, they were picking up lawmakers themselves, and law enforcers. So, there was a backing off from that.

After the passing of time the proposal was brought back with the added provision that anyone driving who had never held a license would also go to jail This made sense because those people who drove around in wrecks that they dared the police to take from them, now faced going straight to jail. That gave many of them pause. But, now the courts are very reluctant to send people to prison for these offences. Instead they are sentencing people to do Community Service.

In principle that sounds noble, however, there are so many people out of work that these jobs should be a means of returning people to employment so that they can earn a living. It’s all very well declaring to the judge that “I don’t want to go to jail” for my sins of driving while drunk or without a license, but you really shouldn’t expect to be taken seriously. But, that is exactly what is happening in the courts.

What is wrong with this picture!

Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Not Among the Usual Suspects

To Protect and to Serve

If you were in Valencia during this week, May 11th to 16th, you might have noticed the police presence. The fact is that seldom has so many police been seen so close together. It appeared that the focus was on proper documentation. As I drove around I came upon check- points in downtown Valencia, in the suburbs, in the boonies, in fact, just about everywhere.

It got to be so ridiculous that motorists were stopped at one roundabout, and when they left that one they were possibly stopped again at the very next roundabout. The extraordinary thing is that I drove throughout the week and went through many of these police stops without actually being pulled over. I have to say that I am a black man from Bermuda, which is so close to the United States I can’t help making comparisons between Spain and the U.S.

I have said this before, and it bears repeating: the Spanish police appear to be one of the most disciplined bodies that I have ever seen. There might be those who disagree, but from the standpoint of policing without prejudice they seem to have it right.

Respect for law and order starts with the police enforcement in the streets. In democracies policing is by consent, so to have the police acting like Nazis brings the institution into disrepute. That never stopped the police of several cities in the U.S. Ask any black man about their experience with the police, and whether they have respect for them. Unfortunately, the response will always be negative, even when you are talking to professionals, especially the lawyers. The practise of bigoted policemen was, and probably still is to harass black men, and if the citizen appears to be someone upstanding and professional they become a special target. Should he be driving a high end car he is made to step out of the car, and to prove how he was able to buy the car.

The most amazing thing is that when there are two policemen on duty together, and one is black the harassment continues. However, when the police come upon the gang-bangers driving their customized Humvees that were obviously bought with drug money, the cops pass them by. That is because they know the car is loaded with guns.

So, imagine if you can a situation where you only get stopped if you merit it, or you simply draw the short straw. I fully expect to be pulled over from time to time and have to produce my documentation. This is simply the role of the police, and when they are doing this they are protecting me against unlicensed and uninsured drivers, so I have no objection at all. It’s just very nice to live in a country where the rule of law is served even-handed.


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael

Diplomatic Plates

I have just purchased a second-hand big, beautiful, shiny Jaguar with diplomatic plates. Unfortunately I have had to turn in the plates, but I’m left holding this marvellous car, and that has led me to wondering what would it be like to drive a car with immunity to prosecution?

The whole topic of the Diplomatic Corp is so off the radar that average people can have no real concept of what Diplomatic Immunity can mean. Fundamentally it is an agreement between governments not to prosecute each other’s agents while they are performing their duties in foreign countries. It is ancient practise based upon mutual and reciprocal understanding that a person so protected will not have to appear before the court in the host country.

However, under certain circumstances the host country may request that the diplomat be withdrawn, or the host country may expel that person. In cases of serious crimes committed by the diplomat the immunity may be withdrawn by the official’s home country, and that would allow for full prosecution as an ordinary citizen.

While all this protection sounds wonderful, the fact is that a person who is a diplomat should be the last person to break the law. Usually we expect someone in that position to be undertaking very serious work on behalf of their native country, and consequently should know better.

That has a nice sound to it, but the fact is that the most egregious acts committed by diplomats usually happen when they are under the influence of alcohol. Drunken diplomats behind the wheel have killed people, and if the home country refuses to lift the immunity the host country cannot prosecute. The record is complete with many examples of this sort of thing happening; however, these days the trend is more towards either lifting the immunity in the host country, or bringing the official home to be prosecuted under home laws. Governments are becoming less tolerant of irresponsible behaviour by their officials abroad. At the least it is an embarrassment, and at worse it seriously damages the reputation of the home country.

There is one area that tends to frustrate more than anything else, and that is parking. In New York, home to the United Nations, and consequently the place where practically every other person is a diplomat, cars on diplomatic plates are regularly parked provocatively against the law. Curiously, policemen insist on ticketing such cars, and those tickets get ignored leading the City to complain to The State Department. Countries tend to have a rule that such parking tickets should be paid and the offence not repeated. However, these offences tend to be committed by drivers in their bosses’ name, presumably as a means to feel big.

So, just for a moment I thought it might be nice to be able to do things that not even the police can do…… with their police cars. But then, I went and lay down until the feeling went away, and I gave back the plates.

We can all dream, can’t we?


Copyright © 2009 Eugene Carmichael