The Go-Slo Guardia

Police on the Go-Slo

The only reason this is news worthy is because it involves a de facto strike by part of the nation’s police service, and that can only mean a little bit of a slide towards anarchy. The Guardia have had their salaries cut by 5% as part of Spain’s austerity program. At the same time drivers have been warned that our behaviour on the road is being closely monitored and that we will likely be fined for things that we got away with before. This is because town halls are suffering with cash shortages.

However, the police feel hard done by in the loss of part of their salary. On top of that they are being asked to work harder to bring in money from any source that they can, and they have decided they are not having it.

To see the political head of their department castigating the officers for not writing tickets is a little disturbing, and a little sad. I suppose that as a driver I feel somewhat relieved not to be under such intense vigilance from the standpoint that someone is just waiting for me with his pen poised, but I hope it doesn’t lead to people relaxing their sense of responsibility.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Valencia: Big Brother is Watching!

Valencia: Somebody is watching your every move!

The news this week is that the department for traffic flow in Valencia have completed the setup to monitor traffic over 300 kilometres of roadway in the province on a 24/7 basis. There are now 700 cameras watching our every move. That could be both good and bad. Good from the standpoint that reckless and dangerous driving will be seen in real time and a police car will be sent to rein the offender in. Good also because where there has been a crash, one where it could be his word against yours, the truth can now be backed up by the tape.

This is especially important for those crashes that take place on roundabouts. We are notoriously bad at lane discipline. It is a wonder that there are not more “accidents” due to wrong-lane placements.

You have to wonder what the driver, who is in the extreme left hand lane is thinking when he wants to go to the right. With 50 monitors the live and unrehearsed images are played out around the clock, so very little will escape the attention of Big Brother.

I consider myself a fairly responsible driver, but I do make mistakes, especially with traffic lights. I have seen the red on far too many occasions. It’s not something I do deliberately but a mis-timed approach to the lights that are on orange, with a madman on my tail who thinks we should keep going, and I find myself pushed through the red light.

That is a difficult situation because if I do stop that will probably mean a crash into me. There has to be time enough for me to stop and to control the person behind me. I usually don’t have to worry about the driver if it is a she, but guys are something else.

Now I feel doubly uncomfortable in that the roads administrators are watching me commit such an infraction. I have to remember that as I am going through on red someone on the other side is beginning to move off while his light is still red. This is not a good thing. I must say that this is a very rare thing to happen because I am usually moving at a rate that is calm enough for me to stop, as well as to bring the person behind me to a stop as well. But once in a long while it doesn’t quite work out like that.

Should you believe that a tape of your crash can help, you have to obtain a copy from the Sala de Control de Trafico before it is destroyed in 30 days. Good luck!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Disaster on a straight Road

Don't fall asleep on a long straight Road

I suppose being a trained crash investigator you likely would not be as confused as us laymen when coming upon a crash site. For the general public, it can be very difficult to piece together how something happened. What first appears to be the likely scenario need not be the facts of the matter at all.

For instance, I came upon a scene where there had been a head-on collision on a blind corner. Was it possible that the offending car was taking the corner on the wrong side? I suppose that was possible but it would have been a death wish.

Another road crash happened on a bridge with two-way traffic. It seems that a vehicle, that had been taken away, had side-swiped the right hand side security railing, continued on across the road and slammed into the left railing without involving another vehicle.

How does this happen? It has to involve carelessness. I have seen how some people drive while talking on the phone or talking to a passenger while looking at that person. All it takes is a turn of the head by a very little degree and the hand follows. This happens to the most careful drivers and might involve simply turning the radio or the air-conditioning unit on.

Then there are the super drivers who are indestructible. They whiz in and out of traffic lines, always at speed with the attitude that nothing can harm them. I think I understand this attitude because I have been there and done that. But this type of stupidity is dangerous and probably will cause somebody’s family a lot of grief.

The latest incident that is causing me to scratch my head was a car that I watched being hauled out of the side of the road. The car was a total loss and was completely covered with brown earth. Evidently it had rolled several times grinding up the earth like a farm machine. This happened along a straight stretch of road and within a fairly short distance.

Alice, in her Wonderland would say, “curiouser and curiouser!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

To drive in Paradise

To drive in Paradise and not be distracted by the beauty.

My island home, Bermuda is truly a paradise. When I lived there the idea would occasionally occur to me, but it strikes me full on when I go back to visit, as I now live in Spain. There are many aspects that I could focus on, but for the time being I want to concern myself with driving.

I have worked at most things in my life, if only for short periods of time. One occupation was that of taxi driver. Whenever I picked up a fare from the airport, if the people were first time American visitors the routine went like this: They would pile all their luggage into the car and off we would go. They would have a conversation about how things went through immigration and customs, and the flight down, and the first sighting of the island and the beautiful blue water. Then they would realise that I was driving on the wrong side of the road and there would be silence.

Then, as though this was a question that everybody rehearsed at JFK airport before they left, somebody would ask :” do you drive on the left side of the road here?” Well, I have been doing so for the past five minutes, so that had better be the rule.

The speed limit is 35 kph. These people have come from a country where the limit is 100 kph, so they are expecting me to reach the main highway so that I can put my foot down. Sorry! It doesn’t get any better than what I’m doing at the moment. Most Americans have double beds that are wider than our roads.

So, imagine conditioning yourself to drive at that speed each time you set out to get someplace. For the foreign driver this is a tough discipline, but for locals it’s no big deal because there is so much traffic on the roads that driving faster is not an option. When I left the island, to be overtaken by another car was a common thing, but in eleven years the lines of traffic have filled in to such an extent that overtaking is no longer possible.

Having said that, you will find all manner and types of cars on the road. Size is the only limiting criteria. Most small versions of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and other top brands are represented, but it seems like such an abomination to own such a performance car and not to be able to get over 35 kph.

The other noteworthy thing is that everyone seems to be driving a new car. When last I looked there was a busy second-hand car market, but these days almost every car is a fairly new model. One great negative about Bermuda is that, as a small island, salt air plays havoc with cars. Rust is public enemy number one. It is really heartbreaking that the motor may be perfect but the frame is rusting away.

Now I have to really stretch your imagination because we have said that it isn’t even possible to drive faster than 35 kph, but nonetheless the island habitually records about 20 deaths per annum. They occur mostly with motorcycle riders, and I believe alcohol is a factor, but not always. Add to that car and truck drivers manage to drive their vehicles into one another (slowly) due to a lack of due care.

This is a profile of life in the driver’s seat in Paradise. When everybody does their part it is a stress free exercise driving along some of the most beautiful roads in the world, but Bermuda is one of those very liquid societies that likes it drink, especially the Dark ‘n Stormy. That may be fine, but not if you have to drive.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Vacation’s End

Vacation’s End - Back to Reality!

A Columnist and Blogger is never completely on vacation. In fact, when such people travel away from home we are in reality collecting more experiences and ideas to write about. I have completed a trip to my native Bermuda and the United States, and that has resulted in a head full of future titles.

One of the first things to occur to me is that I have become a reluctant traveller, especially by airplane. I admit that air travel is still the fastest and safest, but what a complete pain in the ass it is. Even before you get to the aircraft itself there is all that hullabaloo over security. We have to practically get naked before they let you into the secure zone. There is a long list of things that you must abandon at the checkpoint, only to be able to buy them at the duty-free.

Then there are the delays and lost luggage and grossly overpriced items in the airport, and the long waits between flights.

On the flight back to Spain I awoke at 6am in The United States, and we made up six hours as we flew through six time zones, and we landed at Valencia at 7:30 am the following day. Throughout that time I didn’t actually sleep, although I closed my eyes for a few hours. I got off the plane, went directly home and straight into bed. My internal system has been totally screwed up ever since.

However, these are the challenges one must endure to make personal contact with family and friends, and from that point of view it was definitely worth it. Part of the reason for going to Bermuda when I did was to be a part of my family reunion. Perhaps as many as five or six hundred members of my direct and extended family made contact under the very best of circumstances. No-one had to die to bring us together, we just got together to celebrate our being-ness over four days, and that is the best reason of all.

Now I am home and back to the reality of one day at a time. It was a wonderful experience and also one that was a little horrifying at times as the whole included discovery, joy, warmth, work, hurricane, murder and multiple shootings that were too close for comfort.

As I have said, I now have a head full of stories to share, so perhaps you might like to stay tuned.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

How Times have Changed

How Times have Changed for today's Grandfathers

I am a Great Grandfather to Cherrae, the daughter of my Grandson, Ramon. He didn’t warn me that something was coming that was going to knock me off my feet, and by definition would change my status in the world forever, so when it happened it knocked me off my feet. I have not yet met my Great Granddaughter because she lives between Bermuda and America, and I live in Spain, but I will some day.

I recall how mysterious my grandparents were to me. I only got to meet two of them, my grandmother, (my father’s mother) and my mother’s father. They seemed so ancient to me, and I was so totally awed by them that absolute respect was all that I could possibly accord them.

I remember when my Grandmother died. She was lain in repose in her house, a very sombre and dark place, and she was carried off to be buried in a horse-drawn hearse that was black and high off the ground with giant feathers. I was terrified that death was a thing of punishment.

Now, I am the second oldest ranking member of our family and I am the Great Grandfather. When I do get to share some quality time with Cherrae I can only imagine that she will see me as someone who is as old as time itself, although I am the 2010 version of a 71 year old. The story I have to tell her will go something like this:

“Cherrae, how old are you? I’m five years old Great Grandpa. Well, that’s very good because you are just beginning your life. I am 71 years of age, so that means I have lived 66 more years than you. During that time a lot of things have happened that have changed my life, not always for the better, but the one thing that has been constant is change itself.

I know that you are a little young to understand fully what I am telling you, but you will come to understand better as you grow older. When I was your age I lived in a house that had no electricity, no running water, no television, no telephone, no toy computers or real ones either. We children didn’t have game boys or x-boxes to play with, nor could we send sms messages or talk on our mobiles. We didn’t even have Facebook!

The form of family transport that we had was one bicycle. That was for my father to get to and from his work. Everybody else used shank’s pony, which meant that we walked. In our case we had to walk to school along a road that was made with very hard rocks that had been broken by prisoners. During those days if you went to prison once you never went back again when your time was served because you had to work very hard every day. Now the guys, and girls seem to think that going to prison is some kind of paid vacation. In the olden days they didn’t even lock up women.

When I walked to school it was without shoes. No-one, except the rich had shoes. Can you imagine that?

Those were absolutely wonderful days in my life because we lived near the water, and we had tons of open space in which to roam and use our imagination, unlike today when everything is so crowded, and people live in apartments. Even so, people don’t know who their neighbours are.

Eventually things changed and we had better facilities. We moved to another house, and we got electricity, running water and an inside toilet. We got a telephone, but it didn’t do anything unless we called somebody. The big change was when one of the neighbours got a small black and white television. They allowed us, their neighbours to come round to watch it if we sat on the terrace and looked at it through the window. At midnight the station ceased broadcasting by playing the British national anthem, God Save the Queen.

Do any of the tv stations stop broadcasting during the day in the United States where you live?

With our telephone we got a shock one day when we called our Aunt Muriel. She said guess where I am at the moment! We guessed she was in the house answering the phone, but she said that she was answering the phone, but she was outside hanging up clothes at the same time. How could that be? She had installed an extra long wire to her phone. Wow! Now, of course we have mobile phones that allow us to talk to one another while driving our cars. That is not such a good idea, but it can be done.

Perhaps the biggest change to affect the world was when a company called International Business Machines (IBM) introduced a machine for business called a computer. I was encouraged to buy some of the company’s shares when they were very cheap, but I didn’t understand what was going on, so I didn’t buy any. That’s a shame because if I had done so, I most probably would be a trillionaire today, and I could give you a big box full of money.

The computer changed everything about how we lived our lives, and continues to do so today. There are very few things that we do in our lives that are not impacted by the computer. Your own life will have changed so often by the time you become my age. For one thing, when I was born my life expectancy was 47, but I’m now 71, and there is the possibility that I may live to be one hundred. Your life expectancy is 78, but you will probably live to be 130.

I have seen the world change from cars that went very slow to Formula One super fast racing cars. Now we have world racing yachts that zip across the Atlantic, and airplanes that got so big that they are a place unto themselves, and they fly by jets that propel them at fantastic speeds. We live in a world where you never really have to touch money, and information is within a few seconds grasp. In our choices of telephones we have the Blackberry, and something called an iPhone. I won't even go there!

All these things have happened within my life. Hardly anything took place within my parent’s life, so only Heaven can have any idea of what to expect within your life as change keeps coming ever faster.

One of the negative things that have occurred is that technology exists in which a person can always be contactable, whether it’s during meal times, or when you sleep, or are travelling, or worse, when you are on vacation. Mankind was not designed to absorb so much stress. However, if you choose you can unplug everything and feel the stress slip away.

And so, Dear Reader, that’s what I’m going to do for the next month: no internet, no mobile phone, no radio, and no weekly columns. I’m hanging out my “Gone Fishing” sign, and I wish you all a good Summer break.

To be continued in September……..

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Driving Vacations

Driving Vacations: A long way from the office!

We are in that time of year when we vacate our jobs, or at least our habitual activities in favour of a change of pace. If the country in which you live is large and varied, then the tendency is to pile everyone into the car and head off for a place of interest. Everybody has done this at some time, but really, it is a very curious concept, at least for the principal driver.

The usual five-seater car will include father and mother, and the other three could mean various combinations of children and grandparents. Then they all head out onto the motorways of the world where they all become at risk. The idea is to have fun and to enjoy the scenery, and to return home safe and sound.

The hope is that all who venture out will return home without incident, however, all too often it does not work out that way. Assuming that the man does most of the driving while his wife attends to the children, he has to be a very responsible person indeed not to take the odd beer or two along the way. The most amazing thing is that not all who are tasked with such an enormous responsibility are aware of the gravity. The reports start to come in and the body count mounts. It happens every year, so you think the lesson would be crystal clear by now.

My wish and hope is that this year the numbers will be much lower than they were last year, and last year’s statistics were the best they had ever been.

A driving holiday can be an enjoyable way to pass the time, however, for the driver it means more work until arriving at the destination. As long as everyone does their bit to stay safe these types of vacations can be the most interesting because you are close to the details of the country.

So, enjoy, and remember that the most important thing is to return home safe.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Traffic Free Sunday July 11

Traffic Free Sunday July 11-What a Glorious Day!

This is a very easy blog to write, because today is the day for the World Cup Finals between Holland and Spain. I am writing this during the morning. This evening will bring about a new world champion and history will be made.

Today, between the hours of 8pm and 10pm Spain will experience something it has never seen before: there will not be one single vehicle on the roads, anywhere within the country. No buses, trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, cars or motorcycles. The complete country is gripped with World Cup fever. Even people such as myself, who normally pay no attention to football will take the time to be glued in front of the television.

It has been a very interesting World Cup. Starting with the fact that it was held in South Africa, a concept that was a non-starter under the National Party government, the hosting has gone well. Security has apparently not been as much of a problem as was anticipated. The infrastructure was ready on time. That provided much needed work for the populace, and the fear that South Africa could not handle the administration was ill founded.

As one young black South African woman said, things have changed. Now she is proud to say she is South African. Under National Party rule she would have been told that was too bad; but now she can say she is from the proud nation that hosted the 2010 World Cup games.

My only regret is that no African team is part of the final. However, Bafana Bafana, the South African team can hold its head high as having played extremely well. It is fitting that a new nation will be crowned World Champion in a new nation to host the games.

So, let the day roll forward and the traffic come to a complete stop. What a day this will be!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Road Works

Road Works -Cruel and Unusual Punishment

If there is only one thing for motorists to suffer road rage from, it would be road works. When we see that dreaded sign “Men Working” our stomachs turn even just a little, and the thought is uniform: “Oh no!”

If all other industry ceased in the world there would still be road works. If there is a road, someone will think of something that just has to be done that requires digging it up and squeezing traffic into one small lane.

What is driving me to think about this is that in our little town they have torn up most of our road surfaces that were in a bad state of repair, and to the joy of the residents they have put down these smooth black ribbons of new surface for us to cruise effortlessly along on. However, to our dismay, within a day or two another set of men appeared to dig it up again. Granted, they didn’t dig up the whole thing, but they are busy making holes here and there. Townspeople look on with wrinkled brows muttering “¿Que Haces?”

Just when we thought it was safe to relax. Just when we thought we were finally getting some much needed attention from the local Valencian government, they give to us and they taketh it away.

I only hope that they put that all-important top sealer on, otherwise, the pot-holes will soon be upon us. I know that road works are essential. I hate it when the work is done, and I hate it when it is not done.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

A Wholly Avoidable Tragedy

This did not have to happen!

The night of June 23rd , and on into the morning of June 24th is considered the festival of San Juan, the shortest night of the Summer. Custom demands that all roads lead to the beach from early evening until daybreak. Fires are lit in dugout sand pits, dinner is consumed with lots of alcohol, and a curious ritual is engaged in by jumping over the fires barefoot. At midnight, for good luck everyone goes into the water up the their knees to jump over the first seven waves.

In a word, it’s a time of enjoyment, bonhomie, and goodwill, and generally is marked by an absence of anyone getting hurt. Notwithstanding the fact that part of the leftovers are hot coals smouldering in the sand waiting for bare feet, the clean up is very efficient, so not even that is supposed to end in any kind of medical emergency.

This year was different. A massive tragedy took place, and it was not even supposed to have been possible. A large group of celebrants took the local train to a station alongside the beach in Castellon, got off the train and then did something that common sense says never to do. They needed to cross over to the other side of the tracks, and so they went in front of the train and started to make the crossing.

Someone must have led the way, probably stating out loud with great bravado “come on, we can go this way.” However, given the danger, there is an underground pass built for pedestrian crossing. It means that a person has to go down the steps, and then up again. What a lot of bother for the partygoers. Better to just cross over the tracks even though to step out in front of the stopped train meant doing so blindly.

I imagine that as a large group they felt the power of their numbers to keep the train at a standstill, but they didn’t reckon on the fast through train that they didn’t even see coming. It mowed down everyone in its path, instantly killing 12 people and injuring another 15. The pain and suffering being endured by the families left behind is quite enough without being added to by criticism of the actions of the deceased and injured. It is plain for all to see how this disaster could, and should have been avoided.

What’s done is done, and the only thing of any positive aspect now is to learn the lesson that has so painfully been laid out before us. The taking of reckless risks is always something to be avoided, and all too frequently ends in tears.

For this reason we should always hold the night of San Juan as a reminder to be careful and vigilant in our daily lives. At least that would give some meaning to an event that otherwise would be a complete and utter folly.

Needless to say, the person whose idea it was to cross the tracks most probably survived to look back on the result of his recklessness. I wonder how he is feeling today.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Now for the truth

When road signs are as clear as the one on the right!

STOP! is not a Spanish word.

What’s the first thing that comes out of our mouths when someone runs a stop sign? Can’t you read?

I have been amazed to have seen many elderly drivers cruise through stop signs as though they just aren’t there. Some of these people were driving top of the line cars, and I gave them credit for being more responsible. If for no other reason they were driving cars that you would normally take care of.

I had not been in the country for long before I saw my first broadside crash. All the people were badly shaken up, so it was no light matter. Eventually it would be my turn to narrowly escape being crashed into, but only because I could hear the car nearing the main road that I was on and it didn’t sound as though it was going to stop; so I did. We ended up with only centimetres to spare between us.

Next, I observed a van driving at about 40 to 50 kph broadside a family car driven by a mother taking her daughter to school. The mother thought she was on a main street with the right of way, but in effect she was driving along an area where the vehicle on her right, (the van ) had the right of way, simply because it was on her right. Two times I have been a witness to such collisions, and once almost a participant, and I can tell you that it is a traumatising experience.

I can’t say absolutely that the greater percentage of such accidents will involve the fault of a Spanish driver. Other non-English speaking drivers could just as well be to blame. If it is so, I think that might just be the luck of the draw. What I have been discovering is that many of the older Spanish drivers have never taken any kind of test, and they have no idea about these (new) international road signs. Consequently, there is a whole army of drivers who go about their daily lives driving vans, cars, trucks and tractors totally oblivious of what those red and white signs are demanding that they do. They should recognize red stoplights, but that is another story.

I can’t speak for you, of course, but that puts the fear of God in me. Especially when we couple that with men who are driving very large trucks without a license, and I have to question whether I really want to go out onto the road.

I have been driving in Spain for eleven years and I have been involved in two accidents where people ran into the back of me. Otherwise, I have lost count of the number of crashes I have avoided by exercising a very high level of due care. With this added knowledge I will have to be even more careful.

What about you?

Copyright (c) 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Spain, Sweet Spain!

Spain, Sweet Spain!

We have had a gathering storm in Spain as the government has seen its reserves depleted. One response was to press the police into going after the softest target of all, the motorist, as a source of funds to pay salaries, etc. I have long complained about the act of bringing into disrepute the officer of the law by insisting that he act as a revenue officer, rather than the enforcer of the law.

Suddenly we found ourselves under strict inspection by large groups of police who seemed to be intent on fining us for any infringement at all, even down to the state of our tyres. I agree that it is important to drive on tyres that are in good condition, but I had never heard of police checks to inspect the tyres. Fines were threatened of up to 200 euros for each deficient tyre, so things could get very serious.

In days of old it was the highwaymen who stopped the passersby and demanded: “Who goes there? Hand over your purse!” Now, city hall has the police doing that. It was all being driven by the fact that we are in financial crisis, and that has led the government to look for ways to reduce spending. That makes sense, of course, so the government decided to cut the salaries of public workers and parliamentarians. Seems they forgot that the police are public workers too, and they are not pleased to have their salaries cut by 5%.

Drivers are somewhat amazed to be stopped by the police and informed of their offence and told what the fine is, then told to continue on their way without having to pay the fine. Apparently one senior officer said that some days they have not actually fined anyone. The situation looks to get worse. Naturally, that just suits the public, but we will soon slide into anarchy, and then it won’t seem so fine.

Meanwhile, Formula 1 rolls on, regardless of everyone’s financial worries, and in spite of the World Cup Soccer competition that will have a lot of Formula 1 spectators glued to their televisions watching football. Some admission tickets will sell at 2,800 euros each for the VIP Paddock Club section in the Valencia street circuit. Who is still making that kind of money that they can splash out on such extravagance? It must be nice work if you can get it.

If all you want to do is watch cars that are driven too fast, stand alongside the side of the A-7 any day of the week and catch the show.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

New Valencian Traffic Laws

More New Valencian Traffic Laws

I’m certain that the Valencian government’s strategy is to keep us confused by ever changing rules and laws, and to fine us when we are out of step or just plain all mixed up. I hate to use this example, but in days of yore it was the highway man who cried out “halt! Give me your money and your valuables.” These days the police are the ones who are undertaking this activity: To make maters worse the likely fine to be suffered has risen to a minimum of 100 euros for minor offences, and to 200 euros for more serious breaches. If you commit a very serious offence indeed the minimum fine will be 500 euros.

When we add all that bad news to the increase in the iva tax, and the reduction is wages for many workers, or no wages for many, many more people the stage is set to make people very angry indeed. That may be why someone has prevailed and added that when a driver is fined he can receive a discount of 50% if he pays the fine within 20 days.

Make no mistake about it, the crisis is hitting City Hall very hard. Lately the Guardia presence on the street is amazing. I didn’t realise there were so many officers in the force, and they are taking very close note to our driving habits. Things that have simply been allowed to pass in the pass are now receiving close examination, such as the maximum speed for coming off the autovia or autopista, and the maximum speeds when passing through road works areas.

If you ride a pedal cycle at night without a front light you will be fined. If you park in a blue zone parking area with a ticket that has not run out of time your car will be towed away. At the impound centre you will have to pay the towing charge, and as was my experience, I was also charged the parking fine, only to receive a ticket for the fine again. Because I could not find my receipt I had to pay the fine again. How likely was that to have been a coincidence?

The Minister for the Interior assures us that the government does not fine people for pleasure. I believe him. A traffic fine is supposed to be like the tuition charge to learn a lesson that you will not wish to repeat. It’s all part of the safety process, and we are learning something about driving, judging by the falling death toll. In 2009 1,897 people lost their live unnecessarily. In some year gone by the toll was over 7,000, so you could say that things are getting better. However, the nitpicking that is going on seems to have more to do with bring in revenue from the motoring public, always a soft target, than to do with real police work.

If you do not wish to cooperate than you can drive as though the car behind you or in front of you is an unmarked police car. You can expect to find them parked around the next bend, over the crest of the next hill, and the radar is always pointed at you. They are in the sky, and they are watching us via their cameras. Be good!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Believe it or Not!

Believe it or Not-Souped up Wheelchairs


Some drivers recently got the shock of their lives when an elderly, one-armed, no-legged man in a wheelchair overtook them on the main carriageway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the 28th May, 2010. His actual speed was not known but estimates put it at more than 80 kph. The man had taken the idea of an electric powered wheelchair and substituted a gasoline-powered motor on to it, and had souped that up so that it would propel him along at very fast speeds. He had made it a three-wheeler with handlebars to control the direction and bicycle-type brakes. The acceleration was provided by the same type of mechanism as a motorcycle.

He was stopped and charged by police for driving a motorized vehicle of an unknown type without permission. He said that he only wanted to try out his new invention.

This is what can happen when you are badly disabled and confined to your wheelchair all hours of the day. You become bored out of your mind and sometimes you might be tempted to engage in suicidal activities.

I tried to look up this particular man’s adventures on line, and to my absolute amazement I found that he is not the only person to tinker with his wheelchair. A guy named Jeff has got his electric chair to get up to 30 mph. He was giving a demonstration on the very quiet street where he lived in the suburbs, but didn’t stop at the stop sign.

On December 4, 2007, a 54 year-old man was fined $618 for violating the speed limit twice in his wheelchair by travelling at 41 mph. Police confiscated his wheelchair.

In Brighton, England, on April 4, 1952 a man was fined for speeding at 41 mph. His fine was One Pound. The police said that they had been getting too many complaints about speeding invalid chairs. After all, the speed limit in those days for wheelchairs was 20mph. That's right. Twenty miles per hour!

England actually has laws on its books to cover such transport. Wheelchairs are Class III vehicles, and the speed limit these days for them on public highways is 8 mph, and 4 mph on footpaths.

It should not come as a surprise to learn that wheelchairs are adapted to meet all sorts of challenges for the handicapped. In the USA the Federal Drug and Administration have approved wheelchairs that can traverse steps, both up and down, and even to lift the occupant into a standing position. The machine is called the iBot and costs about $30,000.

Then there are those people with spirit who, upon finding themselves sentenced to a life in a wheelchair, find the courage to have a life as normal as possible. Such people might be veterans of war, who could spend their days feeling sorry for themselves, but instead take on the challenge with gusto.

We see them engaging in very rough contact sports, such as basketball where they wheel around the court and slam into one another; or they engage in straight races. They drive their specially adapted cars, and they shop on their own, and they keep house and maintain personal relationships.

I will not say that I salute such people because I cannot say that there is a right way or a wrong way to deal with one’s own disability. To each his own; however, if it works for you then all well and good.

There is one class of mobility wheelchair user who needs to be mentioned, and that is the person who has a very heavy chip on their shoulder. They are likely to slam into pedestrians standing in their way, inflicting serious pain upon the ankles of the unwary with the footplates, in a fit of jealously because the pedestrian has two good legs and feet and didn’t get out of the way.

There is no pain and suffering that you can put such a person through that could possibly be worse than what they are already suffering. If there is such a person anywhere in your proximity be sure to give them a very wide berth, keep a close eye on them and give them a lot of respect, and love, if you can.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Being Different

Being Different --Driving on the Left

Within Europe, Britain is the odd man out. And that country is doggedly determined to remain an island unto itself. Particularly in two areas its difference with the Continent is extreme. Driving on the left presents an unnecessarily dangerous difference, and Britain drags its colonies or former colonies into the same situation. People lose their lives over the confusion this creates, but the authorities seem to have their heads up their collective Asses over this.

The other thing is the fact that Britain retains the Pound as its currency while all of Europe uses the single currency Euro. When the Euro was launched I heard a story that Britain decided against joining in the move as it expected that the euro would collapse in the fullness of time. That may yet turn out to be the truth. But getting back to this business of driving on the left, while almost the entire rest of the world drives on the right it something that simply must be addressed.

Taking a stiff upper lip while insisting, “We British are Different” is simply not good enough, especially when some British drivers go to America or come to the Continent and drive straight into oncoming traffic.

Is it even possible to change at this point in time? I suggest that it is, as it has been done elsewhere. I grant that for some time British drivers would have to be tremendously careful. Also, the legacy of right-hand drive vehicles would take a long time to phase out, especially given the fact that many British owners keep their cars forever.

What a shame things were not uniformed at the start. To have the situation having carried on until the mess we are in today is a great shame. However, I do not really expect to see such a change. It was enough of a challenge to get the British to change over weights and measures. That is still not complete; as is the fact that here in Spain we are still pricing things in Pesetas.

We humans are such creatures of habit!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

The Masturbator

Where is his other Hand?

I agree that this is a shocking title for a column, but it is justified. A man was discovered to be masturbating while driving his van around Valencia city during daylight hours. Well, now we know what to credit driving customs to in Valencia, and probably throughout all of Spain.We are not surprised because it seems that we (men) are all a bunch of wankers at the wheel.

I feel like being funny about this, or at least sarcastic, because driving skills and attention to safety on our roads are in short supply. It’s true to say that conditions have been improving a great deal, especially judging by the falling death rates. That is reason for pride, but the idiots are still with us. There is no lane discipline; most people seem to think that signalling is illegal, and very few people seem to have a clear idea of what they are doing on roundabouts.

Add to all of that is the fact that so many people insist on driving while drunk. There is also the cowboys who think nothing of cutting off three or more lines of traffic to go off to the right or left, or they overtake the cars in front only to exit the highway having caused everyone to brake.

So it should not be much of a surprise that one of the wankers has been booked for driving while failing to pay due care and attention.

However, it would be hypocritical of the public at large to laugh at this dopey guy from a sense of superiority, as though we would never do anything like that. The fact is that as young drivers we have got up to all sorts of things while driving. We also got up to even more things while parked. That’s all a part of our love affair with (and in) our cars. However, it’s a very poor sap who gets caught playing with himself while driving through the city during daylight hours.

I can only assume that there was a bet in place. Nobody would be that stupid without money involved.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

More Driving Misery

Just what we need: More Driving Misery

As we all know by now the police have their marching orders to hand out denuncias (tickets) in greater volume in order to bring in money for the town treasury. This they should do by all means (legally, I hope) possible.

The one weakness of all who drive on Spanish roads is to take heed of those speed signs that require us to reduce our speeds. I am willing to bet that if there are two drivers in all of Spain who follow these instructions to the letter, then they are the only two, and that they are seen as a real nuisances. In fact, the way that traffic signs are set out, in most cases they are not even intended to be adhered to exactly. The driver would have to practically stand on the brakes in order to slow as rapidly as required.

However, be warned! Especially in road work zones, hidden radar machines are being employed to record speeds, and the problem here is that generally speaking if your speed is 50% greater than the speed indicated the fine will be at least 200 euros, plus points lost from your driving permit.

The lower numbers are the most difficult ones, because if the speed mandated is 40 and you are travelling at 61, your offence is grave, and worse still when the limit is 20 and you are travelling at 41.

We will have to learn driving discipline like stopping and remaining stationary for a red light even though there is no-one crossing the street. I hope you will take this as fair warning and be aware.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Your Car Personality

Show me your car and I will show you your Car Personality

The car or motorbike that we buy reflects our personality as much as the clothes we wear. I have often considered this, but little did I know that great studies have been done to determine who buys what type and make and colour of motorised transport. You and I are completely unaware of the knowledge that the car salesman already has about us before we walk into the showroom. Today I would like to focus solely on colours:

CarInsurance.com reports in their article, “What your car says about your personality” that the choice of colour of your car broadcasts your personality very loudly, whether you realise it or not. My favourite colour is blue, a calming colour, and when it’s properties are described it reflects who I am perfectly. I am someone who likes to think I am a steady person ;who thinks things through before acting. I’m an accountant, so I am supposed to be a blue person. However, having had the option of buying a blue car I decided against it because blue is not who I am as a driver.

I chose instead a Burgundy colour for my Volvo 850. Good Heavens! Burgundy? It doesn’t even show up on the list of car colours. For my second car, a Jaguar XK Sovereign my choice colour is black. That is very interesting, because it suggests that I am an aggressive, possibly dangerous driver, (I'm definitely not!) and a great and competent conductor. A shiny black car with tinted windows also suggests menacing power and mystery.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that secret government agencies are always depicted as driving large black shiny 4x4 vehicles. They are definitely trying to tell us something. But, black is good to give an impression of seriousness.

I once hired a rental car that was small and bright yellow. I had so much fun with that. It really did something for my driving mood. I felt like I was driving around in a yellow canary and I almost felt like singing. Supposedly people who would deliberately buy this colour are generally happy individuals with a light attitude towards life. I say more power to them.

Silver is a curious colour on a car. It seemed the world suddenly went wild for silver, and some of the drivers are said to be somewhat snooty. However, in my view that colour only works if it is highly polished. In that state I am drawn towards it and I give the driver credit for being cool, but, when the shine dulls and it becomes scratched, dented and dirty there is nothing worse.

British Racing Green as a colour does work for me, but not on every make of car. A long while ago I owned a green Jaguar XK120 convertible that I was so very proud of. It was a lovely classic car that I was never sure whether it was the colour or the car that gave me the greatest pleasure. Recently I owned a Chrysler Voyager seven-seater mini-van that had tinted windows. The problem was that I had to keep it clean and shiny because it was in the league of a black car of similar design.

It was such a good-looking car some cretin stole it and set it ablaze. I suppose jealousy had something to do with that.

There are lots of other colours, some of which are shades like pink (for a girl), cream, orange, etc, but two colours stand out and grab for the attention. One is white, which works really well on a large Rolls Royce or Bentley. When we see one of those coming our way it usually suggests someone of wealth and importance, such as a rock star or captain of industry. This is a Statement Car that announces the owner as a person not to be ignored. The Pope drives around in his white PopeMobile I suppose to display a sign of purity and cleanliness, but that would not necessarily be true of all owners of white cars.

The other colour is bright Candy Red. The colour of Ferreri says it all. This tells us that this is flash, hot, very fast, very powerful, and very, very expensive. If you have to ask “How Much?” then you simply are not in the league to own one.

The most rare colour on the street is brown. If you think brown, you should be thinking UPS. Who would drive a brown car? Ithink I would want to follow such a person around to observe what kind of personality would want a brown car. They would probably want a brown Lada.

My Goodness Gracious Me!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

More Driving Pleasure

Driving like this is truly a Pleasure

I wrote of my lament that driving these days is such a utilitarian thing and a real burden There is ever more traffic with which to cope and hassles galore. Now the police are under orders to stop and fine drivers for every little infraction in the interest of bringing money into the government’s coffers. Whenever I take public transport I get to relax because someone else is doing the driving and the focus shifts away from me.

It occurred to me that driving the Highlands of Scotland and through parts of Ireland’s green valleys and hills would bring back some of the pleasure, and I’m sure that would be so. However, Spain has much of its old road network still intact, and what’s more it exist all around me. I just ignore that network because normally I’m in much too much of a hurry to detour off the smooth new ribbons of highway, but I did just that a week after posting my previous blog on this topic. What I discovered was actual driving delight.

The route took me through the back-country where in parts no buildings stood at all. Not even farming was in evidence. Except for the roads there was no suggestion that man had ever set foot on the land. To be able to see nature in such unspoiled and virgin conditions today was a real treat. To make the discovery even more astonishing, all of this is within 50 kilometres of where I live.

The roads are very narrow and winding, but I had to reflect that these were Spain’s original roads and there would have been a time when that road would have been a busy hive of activity. In days gone by everyone drove a Seat 600 type car, a car almost small enough to fit in my luggage compartment. I was deathly afraid of meeting an oncoming vehicle. There was not enough room for us to pass, so it could have been interesting.

Roads like these are there to be enjoyed as a throwback to the days of old, but extra special care should be taken. Unfortunately I don’t trust the average driver to take such care and caution and to exercise appropriate patience, so it’s probably not a good idea for large numbers of people to pass along on these roads.

For me, it was a very pleasant diversion from the mundane and to be able to do the route on such a brilliant day was wonderful. All the while that I was doing that there were many thousands of people trapped in airports unable to move forward nor backward.

What a crazy world we live in!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Driving Pleasure

Driving pleasure with very few fellow Travellers

I am probably like most people who drive, in that my driving is entirely utilitarian. I drive to get to the shops or to the city for various business reasons. My route covers the same roads every day and there is nothing new under the sun. I have to cope with the same traffic situations, and in some cases the same traffic. We know each other and expect to pass along the same stretch. Driving is a dull task.

I was watching a travelogue that took us through the highlands of Scotland. I admit that I was far more comfortable watching from my television than actually being there, because it evidently was very cold. What intrigued me was the discovery that driving along a road that had very little other traffic on it held for the driver.

The Scottish Highlands is not for the faint of heart. Firstly, take lots of clothes to bundle yourself in, otherwise you will need to be a very hearty person. There are few of us who are sufficiently tough to survive in that climate. To add to the cold the wind will give you a severe lashing, and the North Sea beats down upon the shores unmercilessly, creating a scene of great wonder and beauty.

There are the mountain passes and valleys, the coastal drives and the small towns. There are houses that sit all alone amid the empty waste that leaves the observer wondering why would someone have built a house in such a remote place? What must life be like for the people who live there?

Such places exists in my mind solely for the purpose of being visited. To get there we first make certain that the car is totally roadworthy before setting out, and we carry extra fuel. Then we are ready to go for a drive.

Should we take a camera? Frankly, I think that pictures can only do so much to tell the story. This is one of those things that each person has to experience for himself, particularly because getting there is really most of the fun.

I have this as one of my “Must Do” things before I turn in my driving license for good.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Driving in Marrakech

Driving and Dodging in Marrakech

I begin by saying how much I appreciate driving in Spain. I have spent a long time throwing barbs at our driving habits, but when you sometimes compare with another country you can rightly feel that things here are not so bad after all.

We recently visited Marrakech, and the bottom line is that we had a wonderful time. The people were very hospitable, in spite of the fact that so many live in dirt and abject poverty. The one thing that broke my heart was the number of elderly women who have nothing and daily go hungry. I quite naturally felt I should have given them money, but they are so numerous, the problem is overwhelming.

I want to focus a little on driving habits and street life. Within the city, so far as I could see there seems to be very few rules. For instance, one day we had to wait to be picked up for a sightseeing trip. The place at which we were standing was a plaza with a roundabout and a central island. Driving is on the right, so one expects traffic to circulate around the roundabout in a counter-clockwise direction. Not so! Traffic entering from our right that wanted to go left simply ignored the centre island and turned left meeting traffic coming from the left head-on. There was much horn blowing and dodging and weaving, but it all worked somehow.

There are the usual traffic signals, like stop, that most people tend to ignore. Hardly anyone wears seatbelts or helmets, and the motorcycle serves as a motor taxi for the whole family. When we add to this mix the fact that a thick layer of dust covers everything, and trash is ever present, combined with the crumbling state of most buildings and people congestion, the mind boggles and the eyes cannot take it all in.

Having said all that, the attitude of travellers is one of calm and tolerance. I never saw one example of road rage, or even discourtesy. It cannot be said that drivers are reckless, although as first sight it certainly seems that way. Were they actually so there would be a thousand crashes a minute. I didn’t witness even one accident of any consequence.

Driving in the countryside is another matter. The police are everywhere with their radar traps that are over-used. It seemed to me that the police are especially interested in vehicles with foreign plates or rental cars. In Cameroon, I observed that the police were worse than bandits as they spent their time in extracting “fines” on the spot from drivers. Someone suggested that is how they earn their living as the State rarely pays them.

I probably won’t go back to Marrakech because we have seen the sights, but for someone who has never been it can be a fun place to visit. It certainly is an eye-opener.

On our last day we passed a business that displayed the following sign: “Would you like to rent a Car?” My response was, “Are you Nuts?”

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Where did the Time Go?

Time flies and your children leave in your car.

The event is so fresh in my mind that it could have been only yesterday when I stood in the delivery room and watched my son enter this world. I think my heart may have stopped for a beat and I definitely forgot to breathe when he arrived almost like an angel.

I whole heartily recommend to every father that he be there to greet his new-born because it certainly is the beginning of a bond. We have been there with our son every step of the way and the memories we have are truly very fond. I think back on the time of his first clear word, and his first step. There were all the milestones through which we travelled, things that were familiar to us adults, but through which we saw again with his new eyes.

His first day at school when he stood in the doorway of The Montessori Academy and saluted us without the slightest hesitation; the time that he stood on stage and recited his prepared work with calm and assurance; his first piano piece before a mixed audience; the first time I let go of the cycle and he stayed upright.

We came here to Spain and within six months he was speaking fluently in Spanish. I know this because I came upon he and his friend, Julian, and they were engaged in a passionate argument. He was giving as good as he received, which was a pretty good indicator that he was settling in really well.

Fortunately his Mom took up employment at the same school that he attended, so everyday he was driven in the family car to school. From this point time seems to have moved quickly, and before we could hardly have time to realize what was happening he had graduated from secondary, and was off to Australia for a gap year experience. He had his driving license in hand, and now that he is back, he sometimes drives his mother to school, and then he drives off to go about his business. This one aspect is more descriptive of how things have changed. For every family who has this experience I’m fairly sure they are as gobsmacked as we are.

So, where did the time go? While I shrink in height and size he continues to grow. With a full head of hair he seems to be about two metres tall and I have to look up to him. This is about as good as it gets, and we have so much to be thankful for as our boy has grown into a really wonderful man.

To place the icing on this, he is also a very good driver, and that is one more thing to make me proud of him.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson : A very interesting man.

Jeremy Clarkson has made a very strange career of trashing manufacturer’s cars. I don’t know how he does it, but he has made a lot of money in making fun of just about every brand of car ever made. Why don’t the car manufacturers sue him? I don’t know. If I were to try and follow in his footsteps would they sue me? Yes! Most definitely!

He is a very controversial person. His views and opinions on just about everything seem to be designed to stir things up. People have organised “We hate Jeremy Clarkson” campaigns, but the one thing that hasn’t happened as yet is that he has been ignored. Love him or hate him, we just don’t want to ignore him. For instance, his television series “Top Gear” is a silly piece of TV fluff. Why then do I look forward to watching it? I don’t know the answer to that.

I personally can’t say that I agree with him in everything that he says. In fact, I’m not sure that I agree with him in anything at all, but the manner in which he writes is pure poetry. He once said that a certain young man would rather eat his knees than drive a Ford. Very expressive indeed!

There was a time when I bought The Sunday Times newspaper for the principle reason of his column, and I admit that it was he who inspired me to write “From the Driver’s Seat.” Recently, in considering my style I lamented the fact that I was still light years away from the brilliance of his copy, so I have given up trying to emulate him and I have decided to just do my own thing.

So, continued good luck Jeremy, and if we ever meet in person, it will have to be by accident.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Outrage !!!

Outrageous Behaviour

Matthew Pritchard, writing in the Costa Blanca News column “Spanish Insight”, highlighted the good news of declining road traffic deaths, something I have also done in this blog. One of the reasons that the death toll has been so high is that of driving while drunk.

I came to Spain ten years ago and the first thing I noted was the attitude to alcohol. I noticed people having a brandy with their morning coffee, then a full litre of beer with the mid-morning bocadillo, followed by a bottle of wine with the menu del dia. In between, stops were made for a café cortardo con whiskey, and perhaps more wine at night. In other words people were constantly under the influence of drink.

Small wonder that at that time more than 3,000 lives were lost unnecessarily on the roads. Someone said that if the day ever came when that attitude to drink were to change, that Spain would no longer be Spain. Perhaps! But enough is definitely enough!

Matthew Pritchard wrote of just how ingrained the problem is in pointing out the culpabilities of several government ministers, or committee members sitting on boards concerning themselves with road safety and the prevention of accidents. Some have been booked for driving two or three times over the legal limit, including while driving their official government cars. Just as outrageous is what happens when these people are caught. There is an absence of true contrition. Caught in a position of that magnitude I think the decent thing would be to completely step down from the position of trust that is held in the government, but no, the usual thing is for the guilty to seek support from those in power.

Added to that there will be those who give them their support because they think the offence is something minor. Well, I can only hope that such people learn their lesson the hard way.

In 2009 the death toll fell below 2,000 persons for the first time in recorded history. This now means that suicides exceed death on the road as a major cause of death in Spain. Add to that that many of the deaths on the roads are suicides and that changes things again.

However, it seems that the country has a very long way to go if we cannot even rely upon those in government to provide the good example that is required. Here’s where I have to say that for me, when there is even a possibility that I may have to drive I simply do not take anything that may impair my driving ability and judgement.

Does that make me a better person than the guilty people in government? Actually, I think it does!

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Toyota’s Troubles

No Complaints

The first thing that we must acknowledge is that the modern car is a computer-on-wheels. One of the reasons that Volkswagon had so much success with it’s “Beetle” was that it was a simple machine that got the driver from point A to point B without too many things that could go wrong.
Now we all drive computers, and the annoying thing about computers is that they have a tendency to “crash” every now and again. Relate that to cars and the crashes can take lives. Toyota has some big problems to deal with, and these must be especially painful for the brand that enjoyed top ratings for so many years. The thing to bear in mind is that these are simply machines and as such, there is no such thing as perfection.

I drive a Volvo, a brand name that stands proud on a reputation of safety. However, as the years roll by unexpected problems can occur. In my case my car would simply shut down without warning. After about two minutes I turned the key and it started up again and sometimes would run just fine for months. Volvo engineers determined that the most likely cause was probably the major fuses malfunctioning. We changed those and the problem has not resurfaced.

I also drove a Chrysler Voyager seven seater mini-van before that and suffered through the same effect, only that was laid at the feet of the computer motherboard that was shutting down the system. We changed that and the problem went away.

When a customer brings in his car with a tale of these types of problems, I believe it is incumbent on the dealer/garage to take the matter seriously and detain that car until a solution is found. Perhaps they could provide the driver with another car on loan while they confer with the brand network to find the answer. Toyota seems not to have done this for a long time, and I shudder to think what some consequences might have been.

Unintended acceleration seems to be the major problem that Toyota is facing, but apparently Ford and GM seem to be battling similar concerns.

I was a regular follower of the CBS program “60 Minutes” for many years. On Sunday November 23, 1986, Ed. Bradley presented a segment entitled “Out of Control” following the unfortunate death of a six year-old boy who was crushed to death because his mother said her car suddenly accelerated. That car was an Audi 5000 and the report was so damming that it nearly drove Audi into bankruptcy. (Allegedly there was a police report where the mother said her foot slipped onto the accelerator and the car shot forward, but this was not contained in the CBS report.) The program has since been criticized for not being strictly objective and I wonder whether Audi still suffers from its sting. It was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard of Toyota’s troubles.

We all like to show off all the bells and whistles of our latest acquisition, but they can come at too high a price if your car is simply laden with too much technology that can go horribly wrong in the fullness of time.

One last thought about cars that take on a mind of their own: Didn’t Stephen King have a car like this that he called “Christine?”

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Speed Limit 140 ???

The Perfect Highway Speed

Law makers in Spain are currently thinking about increasing the maximum speed limit on Auto-vias and Auto pistas to 140 kph. I am absolutely appalled that this is even a suggestion, let alone a serious consideration. The country has reason to rejoice at the falling death rate on the highway, which can only be the credit of drivers slowing down and taking greater care. Then the government come along with this crazy scheme to increase the speed limit.

A lot of people have been taking the liberty of driving at 140 when they should have been content with 120. If the government make the speed limit 140, can we expect that people will drive at 160? Of course we can! The death toll in 2009 was 1,897, the first time that it had been less than 2,000 people. Am I missing something here? Is the government so concerned about over crowding on the streets that they rely on a certain number of people to actually die on the roads.

The logic seems to run contrary to normal and rational thinking. Why do we need to drive at 140 kph? We can always arise a little earlier from our beds and leave home a little earlier to make it to work on time. We can better organise our day to allow travelling time. We don’t have to make up time on the highway. Simply put, we don’t have to drive that fast. Drivers have been slowing down and that has resulted in fewer deaths on the road. I really hope that common sense will prevail and that this senseless idea be defeated in the legislature.

The best highway speed both for fuel efficiency and control is 90 kph. Every ten kilometres above that control decreases by a quatum jump, as does fuel consumption due to more wind pressure generated against the vehicle. I say "it ain't broke so stop trying to fix it!"

My conclusion as to the intent of the suggested new legislation is that the government must actually want us to kill ourselves on the highways of Spain. Everything else that they say and do seems to be just politics.

The question now is whether we drivers will take the bait? Personally I rarely drive at 120 kph.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

TOWED II

THE PAIN OF BEING TOWED

In my previous column entitled “Towed” I described what happened when we doubled-parked our car on 26th November, 2009. We were trying to attend an appointment and we could not find anywhere to park, so we did what many other drivers did and made a second line and left our handbrake in the off position. Some cars were left with their emergency lights blinking, which I always think simply draws attention to the offence that you are committing.

When our appointment was over we returned to where we left the car and it had been towed away. We took a taxi to the impound centre and paid 139.44 euros to retrieve it. The receipt said that sum was comprised of 91 euros for the fine and 48.44 for the towing fee. With this type of receipt I think it’s important to maintain it in a safe place, just in case there’s a question later.

Later arrived in February when we received a summons for the “unpaid” fine. I decided I would simply take the receipt and show that we had indeed paid the fine. The problem is that I’m still trying to find the safe place that I placed the receipt in and time has run out. Unable to prove my point I have had to pay the fine again, although they gave me a discount.

What’s the chances that happened naturally? Firstly, if the towing fee really is 139.44 euros, that would be absolutely outrageous, but the lady at the government office was adamant that was only the fee for the towing. However, why would the impound centre release my car without having me pay the complete charge? It is possible as the impound centre does not issue the denuncia, so perhaps I should have been charged only the towing fee of 48.44.in the first place.

There is a story here with a bad smell and it needs to be looked into. The mere fact that I have paid twice for the same charge is criminal in itself. Unfortunately my prime exhibit is missing for the time being so I am unable to move forward, but I suggest that anyone who finds themselves in a position of having their car towed should save their receipt. It may become very important evidence later.

Also, this whole experience is making me think twice about doing as the Spanish do. I think I need to be less cavalier about where and whether I abandon my car. It gets a little expensive.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

A Warning

Beware!

These are very desperate financial times, and that is apparently leading some people to take desperate action to get their hands on money. James Foxall, Car Contributor to MSN writes that the percentage of fraudulent claims that insurers are receiving have increased by over 70%. He noted specifically ten forms of claims, some of which involve innocent other drivers. There are some things that we can do so as not to cooperate with the scam artists, but fundamentally, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Principally, the things that we can do is to drive carefully, free of impairments and with due attention to what other traffic is doing around us. Keeping one’s distance from the car in front means that if he intends to stop sharply forcing you to slam into him, by keeping a safe distance you will frustrate his endeavours. The reason he wants you to slam into him is that he can claim for whiplash damages, even although he may not have such an injury.

Beware of other drivers signalling you to move into their lane. Normally, the other driver will drop back allowing you to go ahead. However, in the case of the intentional collision he will not slow down, and then claim it’s your fault and deny that he gave you any such signal.

Other scams, such as asking a friend to take your car and dump it so that you can claim for a stolen car, is beyond the scope of members of the public to stop. Likewise, exaggerating the claim for things not lost is something none of the motoring public should do. Similarly, when applying be sure to complete the application truthfully and fully. Errors and omissions at that stage could lead to no coverage just when you need it most.

It is important to remember that there are organised gangs who wake up in the morning to go to work. Their job is working all manner of insurance scams, and they may ensnare you using two or more cars. It will be difficult at first to detect when you are surrounded by a gang, but keeping a keen eye out for behaviour that is not just bad driving, but driving to cause a deliberate accident will become clearer with experience.

Putting packages or handbags on the front passenger seat, or worse the rear seats is an invitation to “break my window and take my bag.” This form of highway robbery is on the increase as well. If it’s your handbag or briefcase and you really must place it on the front seat, then use the seat belt to secure it. The more obvious the better.

These are the realities of life today. It helps to anticipate what could happen so that you can be better prepared to deal with life on the roads today.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

They are Out to Get You

They are Waiting to Save You from.....Yourself!

Earlier we spoke of the warning that law enforcement would be concentrating more intensely this year on speeding. True to their word the Big Guns are out there. The part I don’t like is that it is more about raising revenue than law enforcement. The police are to be respected as enforcing the law, in my opinion, and to reduce their status to that of revenue officers lowers the overall respect for Law and Order generally, but I’m not in charge, so my opinion counts for nothing.

In the city of Valencia, many a driver has come to a shocking realisation along the Ronda Norte and Ronda Sud. We are reminded that the limit is 50 kph, the same as driving along any interior city road, however, very few people adhere to that limit.

Recently, apparently someone who has felt the sting of a fine for speeding along those routes was driving along so slowly that all the traffic was going around him. As I caught up with him I noticed my speedometer was reading 50 kph. Ah! Thought I. The problem is that this person is travelling at the legal speed limit.

Some times, the speed limit posted is a really good suggestion to keep drivers from injuring themselves. I’m being facetious, of course, because legal speed limits are always for that purpose. There is one stretch of road where you climb a small hill, and as you go over the top you are faced with a place where traffic might be crossing the road from the right. Many large trucks use that area, and if you were travelling at 100kph and an extra long truck was crossing you would not be able to stop in time.

The year 2009 was a bellweather year in that the number of people killed on Spanish roads fell below 2000. The truth is that if we all slow down that would help that number to fall even further. The number that we are hoping to beat on the low side is 1,897. We, acting as a group, can do that. We can make Spain’s roads the most safe in all of Europe.

Whether it’s a case of raising money or raising awareness it really is in our own interests to show respect to the speed camera, avoid the penalties and stay safe.

My best wishes to all my fellow drivers for a “Multa-Free” year. That would be just fine in my point of view.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

I Would-A if I Could-A

I Would have if I Could have

This story is only part fantasy. It is a story about being a hero if only I could have been. But, I didn’t get the chance to be, and that’s such a shame.

The story began on a perfectly normal day. I had driven my car into town and parked in a pay-park area in front of the car that was already there. I collected my things and got out of my car to buy a ticket from the parking machine. I put in the money and stepped back to retrieve the ticket. At that moment there was a commotion to my right that I detected from the corner of my eye. It was a man with a stick, and he was running towards me. I thought I was under attack, but before I could react he bounced off me and came to a halt a few metres away.

He threw his arms in the air, including the stick and he absolutely SCREAMED at the top of his voice: DIOS ME! NO! NO! NO! Everyone on the street froze. Two meter maids who were walking towards him went quickly up to him and asked: “What’s the matter?” He kept repeating : “No! No! No! It cannot be!” Again the ladies asked “What cannot be?” He replied that he had left a bag containing money on the bonnet of his car and someone had taken it.

Poor man. He had evidently had one of those Senior Moments. Reconstructing what had happened, it seems that he had got out of his car and placed the bag with money on the bonnet of his car, and then walked the twelve steps to the machine and bought a ticket for the car. He then placed the ticket on the inside, turned to the right and simply walked away without the bag. At some point he realised that he did not have it, and in spite of the fact that he needed a cane to walk, he had come running, hoping against hope that the bag would still have been there.

I had arrived and parked in front of him but there was no bag at that time. This is where my fantasy comes into the picture, together with a question: What would I have done had I come face to face with a bag of money that was just sitting out in public?

I have thought about this over and over again, but my first thought still prevails: I would have made certain that the money found its way back to its lawful owner. I would have taken the bag from the bonnet of the car and put it in my car. Then I would have simply sat to await his return. In the meantime I would have called the town police and asked that officers came to the scene.

If only that could have been the way it played out. If you could have witnessed that man’s agony you would have wanted to be the one to have been able to say, “Here it is! Calm yourself.” He was a mature man, and I have no idea how much was in his bag, but evidently he considered it an absolute disaster that he had lost it.

Of course he was given the advice to immediately report it to the police. My only hope is that in doing so he would have found that some person had made the trip to the police station to turn the money in.

What disturbs me most about this is that if he got his money back we would have celebrated that fact as a major event because we would expect that whomever found it would keep it.

Honesty really is the best policy. If that money was simply spent by the finder, that would have possibly been the end of it. A guilty conscience might have been the price. However, had the money been returned to its owner, that deed would have been a solid part of the finder’s reputation for the rest of his life. It would also be a matter of personal pride, and that would be Priceless!

That is something to think about so that we will be ready when fate makes it our turn to make the right decision.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael