There is nothing so sad as a sunken car

To find this when you come back to the parking lot must be the nightmare of all nightmares for drivers.

My country is just waking up to the aftermath of extensive damage caused by Hurrican Gonzalo, a category four hurricane. With so much to take in at once, the combination of damage to the house, the garden, the estate road, and the car must be overwhelming. Of course, there are those people who own both a car and a boat, especially a luxury boat. The human psyche is not designed to cope with that type of tragedy.

Some of us just get so carried away with our cars. For instance, I belong to a motoring society that goes well over the topic by being super car proud. We drive our classics, but only on sunny days. We take them home and we wash them, then we carefully park them in the garage, and then we cover them.

If our cars were actual women, having received such loving attention from us, of course they would want to have sex with us. The motorcycle lot are no better. I was once a member of a Goldwing club and the pampering our bikes got was just silly.

So, we lavish such attention on our cars and bikes only to either be involved in a crash, or worse, to have a deluge occur resulting in submersion.

My pride and joy is a clasic Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign that is in showroom condition. I was told when I bought it that no one had ever sat in that car with dirty shoes, not even the mechanic. What must it be like to come back to the car and find it full of mud. My cream coloured seats and mats destroyed forever. I truly do believe that I would simply turn and walk away. Like a disappointed lover on finding the love of my life had been with another man. She's damaged and dirty. I shall retire to my cave and have a good cry.

I sincerely hope that not too many people lost their cars, and their sanity  in this manner during the Bermuda hurricane.


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

The loss of Jan de Jonge

The Last Hurrah!

Jan de Jonge considered me to be his friend, and I considered that to be a great honour. A couple of years ago I wrote about Jan and his hobby of racing MGB cars, of which he had seven  at the same time. Jan was a jeweller by professon, but he absolutely had a passion for MGB's. He was a member of the MGB racing community, and in that he was in good company. One of those against whom he raced was none other than Mr. Bean, a.k.a. as Rowan Atkinson.

Jan took early retirement a few years ago to enjoy life away from the stress of his profession, which appears to us laymen as being a gentle art, but which  I am assured can be a real headache. His days were kept busy, either preparing to race, or racing at home or abroad, including in England. When he was not doing that, he was working with his friend, Robert in rebuilding MGB's that were the worse for wear. The car pictured above was the last one that he rebuilt and finished just ahead of his demise. It is truly a gem!

Jan knew sometime ago that he was seriously ill. He underwent treatment that weakened his physical self, but not his spirit. Oh, he had his good days and his bad ones, but on balance he never lost his sense of humour. He lived in Holland, and to amuse himself he bought two cars recently, because he could not decide between them. He bought the James Bond brand, an Aston Martin, and he also bought a new model Jaguar. How on earth do you choose each time you leave the house between those two, I just don't know.

In early August my wife told me that we were going to be going on a  journey. I never ask where, or how, or why. However, for some time I had been thinking that I really must make the trip to Holland. Without consulting me, or not having any connection to Jan's illness, my wife had chosen a trip to Amsterdam. So, it was a complete surprise to me that I ended up at Jan's house, surrounded by all my Dutch friends, and I also got some one-on-one time with Jan.

Even more surprising was that he and his wife had decided to visit their holiday home that is next door to ours here in Valencia. They arived on the Thursday and we followed on the Friday. More quiet time was enjoyed between us over several days. We talked about death as not being a permanent state; and that our personal energy, accumulated knowledge, our talents, and even our personality are all recyclable, and are passed on to the new generation. In that regard we were here before, we are here now, and when we step through death's door we step into the next adventure. We are living eteranl life in the best way there is. Our lives are a serial story.

Three weeks later, after leaving Valencia, Jan passed away in his sleep, unafraid, peacefully, and I think, comfortable in the journey he was about to take.

He was one of those persons who made a lasting impression upon everyone he met. He was just such a pleasent man who never needed to raise his voice, and in his going he has left a surprising void where we did not expect.

"Jan, it was my great pleasure in getting to know you. I truly enjoyed the time we spent in each other's company. I'm very sorry you had to take your leave so early, but I feel certain we will recognize each other in the next life that you have already started. There is no point in me wishing that you Rest In Peace, because I know you will keep busy doing something that you love in your new body.

I do join with your family and all your friends in missing you!"

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Cruisin

Looking Good!

We all buy the car that best suits our own personality. Ideally we should look cool while driving it. As young men we like to go cruising in our chick magnet because it feeds our massive egos. Well, that's life. The girls do the same thing and the world goes around.

From my youth comes a really sad tale that involves a man who was gay. This is not about gay bashing, it is simply a story about one very sad and lonely man. This particular man would drive up and down the country trying to give a ride to young boys standing at bus stops. At times you would be grateful, especially if it looked like rain.

Once you were in his car he was the essence of a gentleman. First he would start with small talk, but before long he was into what he needed and hoped you would help him with. I have no idea what his statistic was between those who said drive on, versus those who demanded that he stop this car. He could be seen cruising for many years. I used to catch the bus regularly. I made the mistake of getting in his car once. I kept him talking until he got to where I needed to get out.  I told him that I thought he was a very nice, but creepy man, and that I felt sorry for him. Clearly he was unhappy, and that his lifestyle was a cause of problems.

I also asked him to remember me because I really didn't want him to offer me a ride again. This worked for a while, but eventually he forgot who I was and stopped to offer to take me where I had to go.

Wonder whatever happened to Mr Creep Crawly?

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Gross Abuse of Power?

Justice for All!

Firstly, readers are reminded when passing through an area of roadworks, whether lines have been painted orange or not, that we are obliged to have our lights on regular beam, just as we would do if the road had been modified from one way to temporary two way traffic.

The Costa Blanca News has reported an incident that seems to me to be gross abuse of power. It started with the police issuing a fine to a motorist who failed to turn on his lights while passing through an area of road works that was indicated by orange colored lines; and presumably work being carried out. The man was fined eighty euros with a 50% discount which he received by promptly paying the fine.

Time passed, when suddenly his bank account was frozen due to an embargo placed upon it due to a notional debt of 200 euros arising from the same traffic incident. This arose because the settlement of the fine had not been deemed satisfactory because trafico had decided that he had not been fined enough in the first place, so they arbitraliy increased the fine without informing him. Added to that they have assessed late payment interest that they have simply deducted from his account.

This of course raises the question who sets the level of fines and how are they set? I imagine that the police are as baffled as everybody else. Someone seems to think this is either very funny, or that they are a dictator. This case should be heard in open court and the person behind the pilfering of this man's account be required to explain themselves.

We live in a civilized society where the majority of us try to conduct our business and our lives within the law. That applies to everybody, and especially to those in authority whom we hold to a higher order. It is clear to reasonable people that something out of order has occurred and the citizen needs to be made whole.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

It had to Happen!

The arm of a Dummy


We have all seen those drivers who cruise along with their left or right arm (depending what side the steering wheel is on) carelessly hanging out of the car window, sometimes with a cigarette in hand, or at other times gesturing as they have a conversation with their passenger.  I was following just such a driver recently when we were faced by an oncoming massive truck. It didn't occur to the car driver to pull his arm in.

I have been watching a National geographic program recently called 1000 ways in which to die. Other than being gruesome it really is a good program from the standpoint of pointing out the importance of thinking before we act. To take just a second to ask ourselves whether what we are about to do makes sense could make all the difference.

A classic personal example is something I do a lot. As I get to travel along certain roads and I get to know those roads well, I assess the danger potential from the standpoint of what could possibly happen. There is a long, almost straight dual carriage-way road leading up to my town. There is usually a temptation to put the pedal down as there are generally no police around. However, except the first time that I did it I have resisted a second experience because along that road there are several entrances from the fields.

Sure enough, I came upon a bad crash where one car was overtaking another only to crash into a thrid car that was entering the main road, but he had stuck his nose out too far. It was bound to happen, sooner or later.

Along our three kilometre estate road there are three stop signs that are habitually ignored. I have seen several near crashes, one involving a police car into which I would have crashed had I not taken the precaution that the other driver might not have stopped. Last month there occurred a broadside crash that brought an ambulance and three police cars, so complicated was it. That was bound to happen sooner, or later.

Now, the inevitable has happened. A passenger in a car travelling with his arm dangling out the window had it ripped off as the car passed too close to the side railing which acted like a razor blade. This is even worse than being the driver and was like just asking for it to happen. He was on the land side and he was not in control of the vehicle. Any movement by the driver to give more space to oncoming traffic could have been the cause of being right up against the railing. Apparently there was no damage to the car, so had the passenger had his arm in the car there would have been nothing to talk about. Now we have an example to quote to warn others not to do the same thing.

His arm was found and an attempt was considered for reattachment, however, it was too badly damaged and had to be discarded. So, this is a cautionary tale to us all.

Another thing that just has to happen will take place on an old fashioned train where you can open the windows and stick your head out to get a better view. Ugh!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

Deaths on the Road: More bad news!

Summer Traffic


The Costa Blanca News has just reported something we didn't want to hear: deaths on the road from Summer driving increased within the Valencia Community by 107%.  Year over year (July and August), fifteen more people gave up their lives during those two months, from 14 lives lost in 2013 in 12 crashes, to 29 in 15 collisions in 2014.

This is such a tragedy because we have been doing so well as losses through driving have been steadily falling. The one thing that can be said on a positive note is that the national trend is still down over last year at the same time, so hopefully at year's end we will be able to draw some comfort from lower figures overall.

To die as a result of driving usually means that someone failed to do what should have been done, or did something that he should not have. A simple example is a failure to take care if you are a cyclist or motorcyclist to be sure to be seen, in order to lessen the chance of being struck by a car. It has been very noticable to me this year how a person on a bike just disappears into the landscape if the car driver is wearing sun shades. Such glasses are necessary to avoid being blinded by the sun, however, they do dampen the image generally.

We notice that the police, emergency personnel and road crews all wear reflective apparrel that stand out against the general landscape and identify them as humans. I know no-one pays the least attention to what I say, but in the interest of self preservation I would think that each individual would like to lessen becoming a part of such heartbreaking statistics.

I'm just saying!


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

BE SEEN TO BE SAFE !

An Extremely Important Cautionary Tale!

You are looking at the beginning of a guard rail over a bridge that became a railroad rail.


I have to ask you to use your imagination. During the week I came upon a most unusual accident scene. Unfortunately, I was not able to stop and take a foto because it had just happened and there were so many people in the area, I just had to keep going.

Apparently a car was travelling in the direction shown in the picture, but the driver evidently took his or her eyes off the road and drifted over to the right. The front right wheel became entangled in the rail and that acted as a guide driving the car along it and upwards. At some point the car spun around 360 degrees, pointing the car in the direction from which it had come.

The back wheels went over the rail, as well as the front left wheel, leaving only the front right wheel still firmly entangled with the rail while the rest of the car was hanging over the abyss. Fortunately, it was the gradual beginning of a 15 metre drop. However, I imagine if you were in the car it would have felt a lot different.

As an accident scene it presented an incredible sight. I think there were still people in the car as I passed as there seemed to be considerable activity around it. I have no idea whether anyone was injured, but it's a safe bet that those involved would have been extremely shocked.

There are numerous places where guardrails are tapered down into the ground as this one is. In many cases I have seen them turned at the end to avoid them becoming some kind of skid. That's a  lot safer than the blunt end that could impale a motorcyclist.

How does it happen that a car can drift off to the right or left to such a degree that it gets into such trouble? If this was a case of children in the back seat that  attracted the attention of the driver who turned his head to the extreme right, that action would have pulled the car to the right, and the rest is now history. Many years ago, I came upon a car along a straight road that had flipped onto its roof. The driver had no idea how it happened. One minute he was talking to his girlfriend in the passenger seat, and the next the car was on its roof.

The moral of the story is that when driving we really do need to keep our eyes on the road ahead. We only get to move our eyes and head within a very small arc to the right or left.

The penalty for ignoring this rule of the road can be very severe indeed, including head-on collisions and death!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Summer Driving

Everybody's headed out of town


My wife and I have done road trips during the Summer, but we leave after the mass exodus from the city, and we come back before everyone else. Consequently our experience is much like every day driving. However,  family vacation driving during June, July, and August can be a nightmare. Firstly, it seems that drivers think they cannot have a good time if they don't gulp down great quantities of beer or alcohol. Then, because the car is loaded with the kids they will almost certainly get on the nerves of the driver, but he or she has to stay concentrated on what they are doing.

The death on the roads during Summer attests to all the things that can go wrong. What a shame because people are in pursuit of leisure and pleasure. Instead their lives are ended.

Recently, a car carrying four men was completely demolished by an oncoming truck because the driver fell asleep. He may have been one of those drivers carrying goods to a supermarket that operate on a just- in- time inventory system. Such systems usually work well, but if things go wrong for the trucker carrying replacement goods he may have to push extra hard to make up time. Falling asleep could result, ending in lives lost.

Another crash occured on the roundabout at the entrance into Chelva on the CV-35. Three people were killed instantly in that case, plus another person was taken to intensive care. Traffic was backed up for over 12 kilometres for several hours in the blazing afternoon sun. Ten minutes after this crash at 15:30, another calamity occurred when a truck and trailer overturned on a paralell road that completely blocked all traffic.

When reading about these incidents the thought that occurs to me,other than the impact on the victims and their families, is how did the other motorists cope? I suspect that most of us normally jump into the car and set off without first thinking about water and other neccessities if we get caught in such a jam.

Invariably these things happen away from built-up areas, so you wouldn't have the opportunity to just pop across the road and buy water, or to use the toilet.  Of course, whether you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam or an elevator the first thing that occurs is the need to take a piss.

We humans are funny that way. When faced with some kind of emergency we immediately need to intake or output water. Go figure!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

A City of Bikes

There were only two other bikes here when I left mine. Now there are 2,500.

It has been fifty years since I last visited Amsterdam. Only two things stood out in my memory. One of them was the concentration of bikes. We have become so accustomed to cars everywhere that we forget about the precious few countries that turn commuting into an exercise regimen. In all those countries where people are routinely obese, we could learn a lesson.

It is good to see people using bikes to travel around, but there is a downside. If you are a pedestrian the experience is a lot like being surrounded by a swarm of flies. They are silent and they are everywhere. Before you move your feet you have to look all around you, and you will surely spot a bike coming towards you.

It took a little while for me to notice that inspite of so much traffic, there are no STOP signs in Amsterdam. Tolerance is the watchword of The Netherlands, but this may be taking things too far. Having said that, the system does seem to work. There are a lot of close calls, of course, so much so as to be routine. However, I never observed a crash, and that included the struggling tourists.

The Netherlands is a curious country in that most of it is below sea level. The Dutch have brought water management to a fine art  The country has suffered floods in the past but has learned from such events. The fact that it is so flat is an open invitation to every citizen to have a bike. Everybody does, apparently, because there are 16 million inhabitants and 16 million bikes.

Cycling is not below the dignity of anyone. Government Ministers, including the Prime Minister can be seen cycling about, as does everyman in the street. It is good exercise and probably leads to Tall Person Syndrome, as perhaps the world's tallest people can be found in Holland. These are the people who are leading the way in the continuing advance of evolution.

In the midst of  the seven million bikes in Amsterdam, there are likely to be about 700,000 on the road at any given moment. However, I still managed to have very pleasent and close encounters with the latest in Jaguars, an Aston Martin, and a Masareti. I am convinced that is The Future; My Future.

It makes for an interesting comparison when thinking of future motoring being driverless cars. Holland seems to ask the question: "Yes, but what about exercise?"

The other thing that I remembered from fifty years ago was the sight of women sitting in windows selling sexual encounters. They are still there. Some things don't change.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Near to Home

Many crashes occur close to home

It is a well known fact that many so called accidents occur close to home. That may be because when we start our journey we may not be fully prepared, and in the process of making those last minute adjustments while actually underway our attention is distracted and we slam into someone or something.

Conversely, when nearing home after a long drive we start to relax within sight of home. We allow ourselves to become distracted and before we know it tragedy strikes. I remember all too well the case of an America's Cup worker who was on his way home on his bike at night. Within sight of his apartment block, with his wife and children sitting on the balcony, a car backed out into the roadway and directly in his path. He rode straight into the car and was killed instantly.

His wife didn't realise what was happening. She only knew something terrible had happened when all the emergency vehicles gathered. Slowly the realization sunk in because he was now late in coming through the door.

Another reason why crashes happen close to home is because the topography is familiar to us to the extent that we are contemptuous of our surroundings. We drive as though we own the road. That's what appears to have happened on our estate road recently. The road is winding and in very bad condition. There is a small bridge over a little riverlet, and there is also a stop sign that is near universally ignored.

Then, one day, one driver ignored the stop warning as another driver was passing and a crash occured which left one car looking very much like the car in the picture and the other ended up in the little river among the weeds. At least one person went to hospital as when I came upon the scene there were two Guardia Civil cars and one Policia Local vehicle, plus the ambulance.

By the time I returned home all was back to normal, including the crazy drivers who ignore the stop warnings, and who race over the potholes as though they own the road.

No one will be surprised when the next crash occurs. I promise to do my best not to be a contributor.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

The Predictable Motorist

Everyone's a Formula One Driver

There are many nationalities that drive on Spain's roads, but they have all blended into one predictable personality. He, it's usually a he, can be counted on to do the following things:

-As we go around the roundabout he will cut across rather than follow a semi-circle path. The car in the extreme right lane can fully expect to be cut off by the driver in the lane next to him when entering the straightaway.
_ The driver in the extreme left lane, especially when there are six lanes, can be expected to cut across the other lanes because he wants to go to the right. The driver in the extreme right lane can also be expected to do the reverse.
-The driver who overtakes you just ahead of an exit can be expected to take that exit.
- The driver who overtakes several vehicles in a row can be expected to then exit the highway in full view of everybody he just overtook.
- The driver who overtook every car, truck, and motorycle he came upon can be expected to reach his destination, only to sit down and put his feet up.
-The driver behind you will overtake you just because?
-And, when he is finally booked by the police for something ridiculous and loses his license, he will ask with great indignation: "Why Me?"


Copyright (c) 2014    Eugene Carmichael

An Unhappy Statistic!

No one can do these two things efficiently at the same time!


Deaths on the road have been steadily declining since the introduction of the points system. A significant 223 fewer people lost their lives in 2013 compared with 2012. That was 223 fewer funerals; 223 fewer families who did not have to cope with such tragedies. In fact, overall, Spain is doing really well when compared with the rest of Europe.

The death toll on Spanish roads per milliom population stands at 36, compared to 52 for other European countries as an average. In my view this problem is totally controllable. Nowhere is it written that when we get in or on our vehicles we have to die. If we all drove soberly and without allowing any other thing to impair our judgement, we will all complete our round trips safely, as most of us do everyday. That still means that we have to be vigilant where there is bad road design that encourages crashes. We still have to maintain our vehicles in good running condition, and we have to avoid driving when we are not fully capable.

Almost half of all road deaths are caused by alcohol or drug consummation, but on a bright note I am becoming aware that there seems to be a growing number of people who choose not to drink if they have to drive. We simply value our license and our cars, and we are also realizing that we don't have to drink to have a good time.

However, we have reached the midway point for 2014 and the number of highway deaths are ahead of last year. We are now in the midst of holiday road trips, so this is worrying. There are changes proposed that when implemented may have a negative effect. We will just have to see how things develop, but any increase in deaths while driving will come as a major disappointment.

Drive safely!  The life you save may be your own.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

Using a 4X4 for what it was designed for.

Sunset from the Top of the World: Photo by Lorna Carmichael


My son's first car is a Nissan 4X4. It is older than he is, and it's as tough as a fighting bull. We learnt to drive off-road over terrain we thought was impossible. We did that because he has a  love of the mountains. In fact, he is in training to become a certified mountain guide. For a young lad who was born in a country, Bermuda, that does have hills, but no mountains, this is a quantum leap forward from anything he would have done had he remained in Bermuda.

He invited his Mom and myself to see the sunset from the top of a mountain range. Naturally we agreed, and so we set off toward the evening. Along the way we found ourselves alongside many shiny 4X4's that would never go anywhere near a real mountain road. Such roads are not paved, are full of potholes, many with water in them, which means mud. Many people buy big 4X4's to make the school run. The best thing I can say about that is that they do provide good defense against other traffic, but otherwise they have no intention of going seriously off-road. 

On the run up to the top of the Sierra Calderona we switched to 4X4 mode, and the car rode over rocks and roots and big ruts with absolute ease. My son has made this run several times so he has his favourite spots where we closed all the windows for a run through the mudbaths. Of course, as occupants of the car we got thrown around a bit. You had to hold on tight, but finally we came to one of the many lookout points.

The view is truly breathtaking. From that point all Valencia city can be seen, as well as north along the coast and far south. Then, as promised, we took in this spectacular sunset across the top of our world. There are many people who were born in this region, who have lived all their lives in this region, and have never seen this sight. For us it was a real privilege.

It seems that there is a seperate and really special group of car owners who form a club of  adventurists who have found out how diverse Spain really is. That only becomes apparent once you get off the beaten track.

To discover the real Spain you may have to trek through the mud; to cross over a river or two; and to get high in the mountains, high above the crowd where the select group spend their time. Once in a while I get to see a 4X4 with a snorkel that is covered in mud, and I have to ask myself; I wonder where he's been? I bet he has some interesting stories to tell.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

A bad week for close calls!

We have to take extra care when these are around.

This week, ending July 5th, 2014, has been one of extreme weather, including heavy hail in the north of Spain, and heavy rain everywhere else. Life had to go on regardless under sometimes very trying conditions. At times like those our normal lack of concentration tends to become non-existant, leading to all sorts of encounters. For some reason I seem to have been in all the wrong places at all the wong times. Yet, nothing actually happened to me, however, I was observer to more than I cared to see.

There was the cyclist who merrily rode his bike into the side of the car ahead of me. The cars were turning from a major road, during which we had to cross over the sidewalk. Cyclists and pedestrians were required to Give Way to the turning traffic. The pedestrians had no problem with this,  but the cyclist was in a world of his own. Fortunately he was not moving quickly and did no damage to himself or the car. I'm so glad he didn't hit my Jag. I think I would have been cool, or at least I hoped I would have.

Same day, I was driving along the lane next to the bus lane in the city while the rain was coming down by the bucketfull. Up ahead the road turned to the left, but with a branch off to the right, which is where I needed to go. On my right was the lane for buses and taxis, meaning I had to cross over their lane. Although I was indicating a right turn the buses gave no quarter, they simply thundered on past, leaving me stopped in my lane while all other traffic carried on past. When the bus lane was clear I made my right turn. A very dangerous piece of road, engineered and designed to promote crashes.

We tend to think that road designers actually know what they are doing. Sometimes, perhaps.

Incident number three: Picture in your mind's eye two parallell secondary roads that lead into a major road on the edge of a city. I was stopped for traffic while waiting to enter secondary road one which was on my left, when a car emerged from secondary road two, indicating a right turn onto the major road. A pizza man on his scooter at the stop sign on secondary road one, saw the right turn signal of the car, that had not cancelled itself,  and misinterpreted it to mean  that the car would turn into the road the pizza man was on. So, he just moved off to cross the road, but to his horror the car continued straight for the scooter. Pizza Man screamed Stop!! I screamed Oh No! The driver stood on his brakes narrowly avoiding slamming into the scooter, and thereby avoiding some scraped paintwork on my Jag. Whew!

There were a couple other incidents where bikers passed me on the inside and continued on ahead zigzagging between the cars, or prematurely pulling out into traffic risking a broadside.

The week is now over, the sun is back, and my Jag is safe and sound in the garage. The irony of everything is that when there is such bad weather I would not even consider taking the Jag out. However, my internal fan system is out of commission on my everyday use Volvo at present. The moral of the story is that a car is a car, and it is to be used in all manner of weather. I have been treating my Jag as thought it is a little kitten, rather than a bg cat. I usually wash it before putting it in the garage, and then I cover it, including absorbing sponge where it might get knocked as I move around the garage.

Mother Nature has a way of bringing us to our senses!

Stay focused and aware of cyclists, and motorcyclists at all times. It would help if they wore reflective vests to help us drivers to spot them.

"Be Seen to be Safe!"

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Mobile phone use while driving can kill!

There is a motorcycle in this picture

This is a strip of pictures that is making the rounds of the Internet with the intention of making people aware that using mobile phones while driving is such a distraction that all manner of incidents might arise.

This car is specially placed on show to drive home the point of what can happen.

The car was being driven by a young woman. She was stopped at a side street while at the same time having a conversation on her mobile. In the car with her was a passenger. She moved out into the traffic without noticing the motorcycle coming at her at 85 mph. The cycle slammed into the side of the car, and is still inside the car, where the driver also ended up.

All three people were instantly killed!

Personally, I have trained myself to sometimes just let the dammed phone ring. The things that people interrupt to answer the phone immediately is amazing. We will tell the person to whom we are speaking to wait while we answer the phone. We will interrupt our meal, and we will even interrupt the act of sex. How riduclous is that?

Mankind is not wired to always be instantly contactable. Just the fact that the phone is able to ring generates a certain amount of stress. So, these are my recommendations: (a) when the phone rings while driving, either make a mental note to answer when you get to your destination, or find a safe place off the road where you can turn off the engine, (to save yourself a fine) and then answer or return the missed call.

(b) while in conversation with another person and the phone rings, just let it ring. You can return the call when it's convenient; (c) avoid the practise I see so many people engaging in, and that is sitting down at a restaurant table and whipping out your phone, or, just as bad, using your phone to text while at the movies, and, if you even might engage in any kind of lovemaking, turn the phones off, or you may find the whole thing is a turn off.

I know no-one will heed my advice, but there, I've said it.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

A Driver-Less future awaits?

I told you So!

Sorry about that. However, twenty-five years ago I celebrated my 50th birthday by writing a full page article for a newspaper that covered the first fifty years of my life.  In hindsight it was an interesting thing to do because over that first fifty years there were monmentous things that had happened, including the start of World War Two and the Franco dictatorship here in Spain in the year of my birth. I feel a little arkward about that connection, but I really had nothing to do with either event.

Without doubt, the greatest thing to have happened during the first fifty years was the coming  of the computer and the digital age. That changed everything in a bloodless coup that continues to this day, and will affect life far into the future. I ended my essay by making a few predictions about the future, one of which was that the day was coming when we would no longer have to actually drive our cars. That was based on the fact that there were so many lives being lost on the roads, usually because somebody failed to do what they should have, or did something that they should not, that something had to be done to take the responsibility out of the hands of humans. In other words, humans were the principal problem, or so I thought.

Google has taken up that challenge and have advanced the science to such a degree that laws are being passed in anticipation of the day when it will all be so common place not to do the driving ourselves. However, at the time I made the prediction it did cross my mind to wonder just how could that possibly work in reality. I can imagine programming one's car to drive us between our homes and our place of work, or to other principal destinations. In real life that's not how we live. Now, I get in my car, and sometimes even I have no real idea of where I will go. Now I have the flexibility of changing my mind on a moment's notice, and driving to the exact location.

I think that perhaps the easy part of engineering a self drive car, especially one without steering wheel, may already have been done. Now how do we continue to move about with the degree of freedom we have become accostumed to?

Congratulations to Google, of all people for their advance in this field. I do wonder why it is Google rather than an auto manufacturer that is leading the way. Could it be that auto manufacturers know all too well about recalls for faults that in some cases have led to deaths, even though the vehicle was under the control of a human. I can see an experience that will go well, just so long as nothing will fail in the operating system. Assuming they got it right to begin with, we all know that as machines age they being to crash, just like my computer does when it has a mind to. But to have my machine crash while it's on my table is one thing.

We are taking another quantum step into a very brave new world. Who knows what awaits us?


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

Trains and buses and seatbelts

I do love trains

A reader of The Costa Blanca News wrote a letter to the editor which resonated with me. He complains that at great expense trains and tracks are equipped to allow for travel at speeds up to 300 kph, but in all that preparation an obvious part of the safety precautions for the passenger has been overlooked. That being seatbelts.

In April and May I rode the AVE from Valencia to Madrid roundtrip. I thoroughly enjoyed riding the train and marvelled at how the trip has been reduced from more than three hours to just one hour and a half. Older Spanish residents can tell you they remember the time when getting between Valencia and Madrid was as much of an effort as getting to a country across the Atlantic is today.

When so much is made of the importance of safety belts in airplanes and cars we have to wonder why trains, especially the fast trains are not fitted with them. Older buses don't have them and the Metro is not fitted with them, so from the passenger's perspective it is very much a case of mixed messages.

Do seat belts save lives? Absolutely they do. We are all learning to stay buckled up while in the air. If you have ever experienced a sudden drop while flying, anyone who is not securely buckled in gets slammed against the ceiling, only to get slammed to the floor when the plane stablises. When on a bus that crashes into something, all the people keep going. That does not end well at all. In cars we step in and automatically buckle up. Anyone without his done up and the driver gets fined. I have delayed moving forward until my reluctant passenger has buckled up.

Lady Diana gave her life in proving the point that seat belts are important and that they must be used. We have certainly had as many examples as we need of what happens when there are no restraints, the most recent being the high speed train crash in Santiago de Compestela.

The question that troubles me concerning why there are no seatbelts on the AVE trains is: when travelling at 300 kph is surviability even possible, with or without seatbelts?

Maybe the answer is no, which is why they simply haven't bothered.

Life is all about risks!


Copyright (c)  2014   Eugene Carmichael

Summertime driving.

What is it about this type of driving that is so compelling?



Summertime and driving go hand in hand to the extent that those people who don't own a car feel the urge. To pack the car with, of all things, children and tons of stuff and head out for a road trip is an annual ritual that is sacred. Here in Spain there are times when authorities specially prepare for what constitutes the great escape from the cities, followed by the great return.

What bothers me is that during these times the death rate on the roads spikes upwards, but it need not be so. It's true that a great many more vehicles are concentrated on the roads within a short span of time, however, if drivers were to increase their own vigilance and use common sense crashes would simply not occur.

For instance, when taking road trips in the past there have been stretches of road when I was driving that offered spectaculr scenery. I am yet to see it because as the driver I had to keep my eyes on the road and to drive very carefully. I could not allow myself to be distracted by anything. The consequence of that is that we are home safely, as are all the other people whom we passed going in the opposite direction. Each of we drivers upheld our individual responsibilities, but the net result is that all of our passengers enjoyed the drive and the scenery. We drivers will have to go back as passengers to see what all the raving was about.

The other thing about summer driving is to put the top down if we have a convertible. This is a strange concept, one that looks great, but if you drive a convertible you will know that it is a hot, and sometimes uncomfortable experiance. The windscreen keeps the wind  from directly cooling you down while the lack of a top has the full power of the sun raising your temperature. And then, there is the rain. The surest way to bring the rain is by lowering the top of the car.

But still, after all's said and done, Summertime is best and it raises our spirits like nothing else. So, here's wishing everyone safe driving and a most enjoyable time in the great outdoors. Just leave alcohol alone if you have to drive.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

A Big Bubble Building!

Brand new cars awaiting buyers

When car manufacturers roll new cars off the assembly line the cars are placed in large lots awaiting orders and shipment to dealers. That is perfectly normal. However, it is  May, 2014, and more and more parking lots like the one above are appearing in far too many places, full of unsold stock. This is not are pretty sight and it feels uncomfortably like another bubble that is building towards bursting.

At what point do manufacturers say, enough already!

Without quoting the statistics, it's very easy to see that manufacturing of cars and trucks and busses is very big business. In the United States the combined group of employees who provide seperate parts and who turn out the final product is so huge, that whenever the order goes out to shut down the assembly line the impact is negatively felt throughout every corner of the American economy. This is an industry that is too huge and too important to fail.

However, it is indeed failing. The economic crash of 2008  that reverberated around the world is still with us. The United States, through the help of the Federal Reserve has made a strong comeback. Or, has it? Housing starts are indeed up, and the great middle class are back to spending the country back to good health. But, there are all these unsold cars, and the inventory keeps expanding everyday.

I can see this with my own eyes,  right here in Valencia, Spain. I would like to think that there is a large turnover  in the parking zones for new vehicles, rather than the very same ones. The numbers seem to be getting larger, not that I am actually counting them over at the Cheste grounds, but I don't have a good feeling about this.

The problem is that people like myself, retired and afraid for my pension cannot just go out and buy a new car every year, or for that matter, at all. I am being served by my  faithful 1995 Volvo. I frankly love this car, but a brand new Volvo would be nice too. Perhaps I could donate my old faithful to a new immigrant who is trying to get a step up. There are also several other model cars that I fancy. It would be nice to have a Jeep Patriot,  the new Jaguar to stand side by side with my classic Sovereign; and of course, a Mercedes S Class.

I would love to make that my contribution to the motor industry, but were I to have so many cars we would need a big new house to stable them. (We haven't gone through my wife's dream list as yet, or my son's.) I'm sure this kind of contribution to the building industry would be appreciated, but the trouble is that we have built so many houses, I fear we don't need to build another for the next 20 years.

As we say here in Spain, falta dinero! I know what I could do with the money, now all I need is the money. I am patiently waiting for my Big win to happen on the lottery. When that happens there are a lot of people who should be sitting down.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

P.S. Today is Day 79 and flight MH370 is still missing. Is anyone looking for it in NorthWestern Australia?

For the avoidance of All Doubt

This week, a driver reported that law enforcement officers pulled him over while driving and charged him with using his mobile phone while moving.He protested his innocence that he had neither made or received a call, and that the phone's log could prove it. The officers were adamant and he suffered a fine of 100 euros with the loss of three points from his license.

Police officers are only human, and as such they might indeed think they saw something such as illegal use of a mobile. What can we do as drivers to counter this possibility?

My suggestion is that we place our mobile phones in the luggage compartment of the car. If you are a woman, or a man with a man bag, and if you place the bag in the luggage compartment there can be no doubt that you could have used the mobile phone while driving. There would also be the added security that no thief could reach into the car to snatch the bag.

However, when placing the bag into the boot take careful note if there are people close to the car, because you will close the boot and walk forward leaving the contents vulnerable. If it is momentarily safe, then once in the car, lock all the doors.

The same advice is offered regarding alcohol that has been opened. It should be carried in the boot so that there can be no doubt that anybody in the car had been drinking while the car was in motion.

I agree that this is an extreme measure and a nuisance, but if it saves you a fine and the loss of points from your license I think you might agree that it will be worth the effort.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

The New traffic Laws are now effective! Beware!

The Comandments of the Road Code

I have saved this change in the law till last because I think it is the most contentious. It is the law that states that in a collision between a motorist and a wild animal, unless there has been authorised activity to corral or hunt animals in a specific area in the very recent past, the fault shall be deemed that of the motorist.

I have always believed that a collision with a wild animal is the only real accident that occurs. If the animal is the responsibility of some person, a collision means that the animal has escaped the control of its master. A wild animal has no controller, and has even escaped the animal control fence that runs along the side of most highways.

The State can place warning signs in areas where animal activity has ben noted so that motorists can be aware, but if it happens it will be sudden and most likely unavoidable. Personally, I have been very lucky in that all my encounters with animals have resulted in narrow avoidence. Keep in mind that conventional wisdom advises that we not swerve to avoid colliding with an animal as that places in danger those people in other cars, as well as your own passengers and yourself.

This is a law that potentially makes a culprit of a motorist when said motorist can have no real control to avoid running into an animal that takes it into its head to bolt out into the roadway. In my opinion this is completely unfair to the motorist.

There is no point in my saying that we should take care.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Would you have a Mercedes to drive at 35 kph Max?

This is The Bermuda Highway

When American visitors first visit the island the first thing that they notice is that Bermuda drives  on the left. The second thing they notice is that they never ever find the main highway. Nothing like what they left in the United States. Most people think their king-sized mattress is wider than Bermuda's roads. The continuous middle unbroken line is the same throughout the system. Overtaking in never legally sanctioned.

So, why on earth would you buy a top performing car such as a Mercedes or BMW? You wouldn't do so for any practical reason, because it is highly unlikely that you will ever reach fifth gear. Not only are the roads very narrow, they are also congested. The island is controlled by a law that allows only one car per household. However, when Bermuda's economy was raging people bought their own homes just so they could have their own cars. Now, Bermuda has too many homes and too many cars.

Government tried to discourage the high-end cars by applying an import tax of 110% of the landed value of these cars. Clearly you would have to have more money than you knew what to do with to buy these cars. The fact is that many people who want to show off are doing just that.

The most popular car on the island has become the American Jeep, especially the Jeep Patriot right hand drive.  I personally like this particular model and I think I would have this car if I lived there.

Add to the tiny roads and the massive traffic buildup the fact that Bermuda has a fleet of buses that are driven by the most expert drivers, as well as trucks delivering cargo containers to and from ships. The chaos is incredible and calls for totally sober drivers who are focused.

Oh! Did I mention the tourists on their mopeds who are anything but focused?

Happy motoring folks! Small wonder the maximum speed limit is 35 kph.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

New Laws - Continued

Caution! New Laws Ahead

One of the things I observed when I first came to Spain was that many men went through every day pissed out of their minds. It started with coffee at breakfast that was embellished with brandy, and that was followed up with a litre of beer at eleven that went with a bocadillo. Then, if the guy was a construction worker he would go back up on the scaffolding and fall off, and then wonder what happened. At lunch time you could drink a full bottle of wine if you wanted, because wine cost less than coca cola. During the later afternoon a short coffee with a good shot of whisky would be just fine. Then at night there would be more alcohol, but in the meantime he drove to work and then back home, and whereever else he had to go.

It was so common I thought it would never change, but change it has, and along with the change of habits has come a huge drop in deaths on the road. Now to push a little harder the incentives to not drink and drive just increased by 100%. The punishment for drinking and then getting on your bike or in your car just went from 500 euros to 1000 euros for a first offense, if you didn't actually kill yourself. Then, if you were so silly to do it again the cost goes to 2,000 euros. Don't even think about a third offense. The same thing goes for the druggies who prefer to take their poison directly in their veins.

When I saw how people were making an effort to sober up I concluded that I would simply not touch a drop of alcohol if there is even a possibility that I may have to drive because these roads are crazy enough as it is. How do I feel about the crackdown?  Frankly, considering how much trouble a drunk driver could cause innocent people, I say if the new punishments serve to save just one family from misery, then so be it. That includes myself should I lose my mind and drink and drive.

A funny side to the new regs is that pedal cyclists are no longer subject to keeping their speed up to a minimum of 50% of the maximum. Many roads that cyclists use carry a maximum limit of 80, so can you just see a poor cyclist struggling on an uphill stretch to keep it up to 40 kilometroes. It's enough to give you a heart attack.

Finally, the parliament is seriously considering increasing the limit along some stretces from 120 to 130 klms, but that really means that people  who regularly drive at 130 can now drive at 150. I see this as a sort of reward for being disciplined and obeying the regs, to let off a little steam. If it doesn't lead to an increase in the death rate on the road, then all will be well.

Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see.


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

How do you make a Boeing 777-200ER Disappear?

By paying attention to the smallest detail.

When I first heard that MH370 had gone off course and its identifying systems had been shut down I muttered to myself, "Oh Shit!" Al Qaeda up to its nefarious tricks again. However, I have held this theory to myself as I have watched developments spellbound for almost one full month. The more I see the more I am convinced that we are watching the execution of a well crafted and supported plan that has been a long time in the making and preparation.

If we accept that all we think we know of the plane's movements were caused by deliberate human action with a purpose, then we can expect that the plane has not crashed into the Indian Ocean, except through an accident, but is rather safely parked somewhere in North Western Australia under a false mountain, and the passengers and crew are the guests of their abductors awaiting the other shoe to fall.

This may sound far- fetched, but if Disney can make whole sets of buildings and mountains of fake material, so can Al Qaeda. There is the Great Sandy Desert in the North West of Australia, and Australia is bigger than all of Europe with a whole lot of unoccupied space, so its just a matter of having got the plane down without it being noticed.

Al Qaeda promised that something was going to happen, and they would have the ego to outdo their 9/11 "masterpiece."  The modus operandi is the same. With 9/11 they first flew one plane into tower one, and when they had the world's attention they flew the second plane into the other tower.

MH370 has completely dropped off the face of the earth for almost one full month and the greatest mystery of all time has consumed the world. It is topic A  around the world which mimmicks the crash into the first tower. Now, while everybody is paying attention we can expect something new to happen, perhaps on April 8th, being the one month anniversary of the disappearance.

So far an intensive sea search has been taking place involving a massive assortment of men and equipment at a staggering cost, but it all reminds me of the great magicians who make gigantic objects appear and disappear before our eyes through the use of misdirection. While the search has been taking place at sea they could have had time to cover their tracks on land.

Some people have suggested that the terrorists may have stolen the plane for a future attack. Why not steal a cargo plane? Because if people are stolen as well that involves a great many families and we can all empathise with them. That's the human factor.

What would be the point of this if a terrorist action? Other than theatre there doesn't have to be a real point. The attacks on 9/11 demanded no money or release of prisoners. It was simply Show Business, that demonstrated what Al Qaeda was capable of.

So, stand by and keep vigilant on April 8th, two days from today for Breaking News!

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael 

The Wonderful World of YouTube

A Great place to go To!

YouTube is either a really wonderful world into which we can retreat and spend a great adventure, or it might be this huge maze into which we go to totally lose ourselves for hours on end. A friend sent me a Chris Harris video review about the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe R, 550 hp sports car. The video runs for fifteen minutes and is a delight to watch because the car is wonderful. However, the fifteen minutes I took to watch the video was only the beginning of a full afternoon of going from one video to another. It's an addicition once you get started, as I'm sure is not news to anyone.

A full choice of topics was displayed that got my attention, and held it for hours. So, of course I am going to list some of the videos so you too can get hooked. At least you have my warning that you will absolutely enjoy these videos, including some that will make you laugh uncontrollably. But hey, go for it!

-Best of Car Fail Compilations
-Top Funny Fails
-The luckiest people Compilations
-Women Drivers-How to destroy a car in seconds
-Insane woman driver-Police pursuit in the United States
-Police pursuit of stolen Tank in San Diego

If you go for these six videos you should allow an entire afternoon because you will be still watching, and possibly laughing or holding your breath well into the night.

Enjoy!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

Drivers beware! Here comes another Ten Commandments.

Moses with the famous Ten Commendments

The Spanish Parliament has given a first reading to a raft of new laws of the road, and I hear you say, "Groan..Oh No!" That is because we motorists instinctively know that we're not going to like the new rules. We know this is just another way of reaching into our pockets while perhaps including some common sense measures to keep us out of the hospital.

I will not try and treat all of the new measures in one sitting as it will help us to understand each law if we try and go behind what is written to gain a better understanding. So, over the coming weeks we will select a few and place them in focus.

Perhaps my favourite new measure (not) is that the police will be able to fine a vehicle without having to bother to stop it and give the driver a ticket. I can see situations in which this may be desirable, such as a passing motorist on the mobile phone, or even speeding if taking chase will place others in danger There are also a large number of numbskull drivers who deliberately run red lights, some from a stopped position. However, what concerns me is that there is so much inefficiency within the bureaucracy that even if you take the time to go to Trafico and report your change of address they might still go on sending trafic tickets to your old address for years. That way, a ticket that goes unpaid turns into a kind of bond which attracts interest in the government's favour. When it finally comes to your attention you find that the tickets is worth more than your house. That could never be anybody's else's fault other than the owner of the car. Could it?

There will be a change that will affect pedal cyclists that will require only riders up to the age of sixteen to wear helmets. Originally the thinking was that all cyclists be required to wear them, however, adults, who should have more intelligence, objected that to have to wear a helmet would disturb their hairstyle, and that it just isn't necessary because they are never travelling that fast. This was a very vocal group that made more noise about it than was appropriate, so I suppose authorities threw their hands in the air and concluded that if the restriction is only applied to children who are not legally able to make the decision for themselves, than the adults will just have to learn for themselves that when you come off a pedal cycle and land on your head and go to hospital, the first thing they do there is cut your hair off to try and treat your injury.

The hope is that the rider's head will be hard enough to substitute for a helmet. Should children be found riding without a helmet, even those children who left home wearing one at their parent's insistence, their parents will be fined 200 euros. Bet that will be taken out of the inheritance.

Speaking of children, none will be allowed to ride in the front passenger seat if their height doesn't measure at least 1.35 metres, unless the back seat if full of children, or if the car doesn't have a back seat.

This seems to be a safety regulation to keep children from possibly losing their lives. It has never been a good idea to place young children or babies in the front passenger seat as in the case of a frontal collision it is doubtful whether a child could survive. So, why the exclusions? Well, the exclusions will save the driver from receiving a ticket and fine, but then he can proceed and go straight to the crash site. What is needed here is better planning. Generally  parents can avoid putting children at this level of risk through cooperation of car sharing. If you have a Porsche two seater you normally won't have kids, or you will use the Volvo, so forget the exclusions. Let's not take the chance with our children's lives and limbs. All we need to avoid doing that is common sense.

More of the New Commandments at a later date.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

You don't want your make and model car on this list!

Honda Accord 1994-One of Honda's most popular models is twenty years old.

This car was one of Honda's most popular which retains its ownership satisfaction even after twenty years. People just don't want to give them up, and it continues to be a smart design. If it were a song it would be a Gold album, but all of those things are also its problems.

Insurance companies keep all sorts of statistics, and unfortunately the 1994 Honda Accord was the car most stolen during 2010 in The United States, and probably elsewhere as well.. Why? Because getting replacement parts from dealers is becoming difficult as this car has now outlived its projected lifespan. But, try telling that to proud and happy owners who want to keep it running, especially as the world economy is still in crisis. To make matters worse, this was a car that was manufactured before vehicle security became sophisticated, so it is easy to get into without damaging the car itself.

So, the black market responds by stealing this model in droves, stripping them down to the bone and the parts end up with legitimate secondhand parts dealers.

An internet article says that an A/C compressor sells for about $350 with no guarantee how long it might work. A part for the ABS braking system could set you back about $450, all to keep your car running until it too is stolen. However, the same article suggests that by simply locking the steering wheel with a club may encourage the thief to look for another car without the secondary lock.

The rest of the list of Most Stolen was as follows:
No. 2 The 1995 Honda Civic. (Again, Honda at the top for the wrong reasons.)
No. 3 The 1991 Toyota Camry
No. 4 The 1999 Chevy Full Size Pickup
No. 5 The 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
No. 6 Dodge Ram 2000
No. 7 Dodge (again) 2000 Caravan
No. 8 Acura 1994 Integra
No. 9 The Big 2000 Ford Explorer
No. 10 The 1999 Ford Tauras

I had a Chrysler Voyager seven-seater that was stolen, and it broke my heart because I loved that car. I was telling a Spanish friend that I had my car stolen, and he replied, Why? Why what? Why did you have your car stolen? Were you trying to get the insurance money? You could go to jail for that!

Some things just don't translate well at all, do they?

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael  

Why don't we slow down?

Multi-vehicle pile ups. We should avoid this happening.

Every winter brings several reports of massive pile ups, sometimes of more than one hundred vehicles. I live in a warm-ish part of the country so the only weather inspired conditions that might lead to massive pile ups is torrential rain. However, I always have to wonder whether extreme weather conditons makes drivers lose our minds.

I have driven in some conditions that scared me to death, but I always slow down, but that in itself can be a cause of  perhaps the first crash in a series. My first exposure was in Toronto during a blizzard. I was so unnerved I pulled off the road at the first motel I came to and fortunately they had a room available where I stayed until the weather cleared.

The problem was that other drivers carried on as though it were a bright and clear day. That fact was that you really couldn't see where you were going, they were just hoping all would be well. I guess their thinking was that they had a long way to go to get to their destination, so they had to keep up their speed. Then, of course, inevitably, they crash into the pileup and fail to get to their destination for days, if at all.

People who live in areas where ice and snow and flooding are normal hazards should also know when to venture out onto the roads, and when not to, and if they have to do so, they will know that if the roads are icy you will slip and slide. It simply doesn't make sense to put your car and other people at risk. YouTube has several videos of cars that slip down some really steep hills. What were the drivers doing there in the first place?

I'm not going to spend too much time dwelling on this topic because the solution to avoiding being part of massive car pile ups is obvious. Time to use common sense and stay out of trouble.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

A Bright and Sun Shiny Day!

Time to take to the Road!

If it's a Sunday, and sunny and dry and warm, it's like a shot of adrenaline to all we petrol heads. It's time to bring our classic and much beloved cars and motorcycles out from beyond their covers, and to rouse them from their long winter's sleep and hit the road.

A day of really good weather is a call from the heart to get up, and to get out and play. Our spirits are sent soaring, if we have a convertible we put the top down, and for this day we are going to live it to the full. Suddenly, country restaurants that have had very quiet Sunday lunches over the winter are overcome with trade. Life has begun anew as we bask in the glorious rays of the sun, our best friend.

It'sgreat to shake off our blue funk and to smile towards one another. The first signs that Spring may be just around the corner are so hopeful. Even when winter truly sets in we know that with a little patience it will soon be Spring. However, I do admit that for me that may be easy to say, because I have not experienced what so many people have had to deal with concerning the conveyor belt of storms and flooding and such disasters. This time it was your turn, but I know that it will be my turn in the not too distant future. All I have to do is wait for it.

If you could have enjoyed this wonderful day, Sunday, February 23rd, 2014, then I certainly hope you did. It was one for the history books.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

The loss of a beloved car is a death in the Family

A really sad sight.

On my other blog, "Formenseyesonly," I addressed extreme weather as the new normal. Of course people have to worry about the loss of the home, injuries to the person, possible sickness that might follow a severe storm, and even loss of life arising as a result of the trauma. When viewing scenes of mass destruction there will always be destroyed cars in the mix, however for most the loss of a car hardly even registers. Unless you are a petrol head who has a passion for a finely made vehicle.

When times are normal and we have the time to develop interests, many people choose to invest their focus in their cars or motorcycles. I belong to the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, a group of owners who should treat their wives or husbands as well as they do their cars. Sometimes I think we go way overboard in our passion. I own a Jag Sovereign that was manufactured in 1995, but looks and runs as though it just came out of the showroom. How can this be? For one thing, I drive it very rarely, only on sunny days, and I clean it before returning it to the garage, where I then cover it, including padding where it might be touched or something rested upon it. See what I mean about over the top?

However, even I think that some of my fellow members are really over the top with the type of care and loving attention they vest in their machines.

Now comes the conveyor-belt storms of recent times and rising floods. Do you stay to try and protect your house, or do you take your precious car and flee the area? Perhaps you do the latter, and like so many people the water on the roads overwhelms the car which becomes totally immersed, and it drowns, as though it were a living relative. How do you deal with that?

It's bad enough to have to cope with the loss of the family car and the lack of transport that follows, but something that has had your total focus is enough to drive a person to drink.

I have often wondered what happens to all those cars after the storm. It is no coincidence that the For Sale listing increases, and of course, many cars that have been salvaged from the water will be available for sale. Where only fresh water saturated the car it may be possible to return the car to use, but if salt water submerged the car I would not be interested. Salt is a major killer of cars. On my island, just normal usage where salt spray gets just about everywhere, I have had cars that rusted away from the engine.

So, let us spare a thought for those who loved their cars and motorcycles and lost them to the storms. For such people that must be like adding salt to a gaping wound.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

Imagine my Surprise!

Every day there is a race taking place somewhere on the planet.

I live in a very sleepy town called Pedralba. There are about 800 people in the town itself, and nothing ever happens here of any great interest, or so I thought. In fact, at least once a year a 10K race, called the Carrera Popular Parque Natural is launched from the main street of Calle Colon in Pedralba. What I didn't realise was that this race draws people from all over the Valencian community. I was not aware because I live outside the town limits in the hills, the suburbs, if you will, and I have never bothered to come into town on this day.

This year I decided to see what happens on race day. Firstly, If you live within the town limits, between certain hours you are not allowed to use your vehicle. If you need to go somewhere you will have to move early. Everyone else can only park our cars and bikes on the outskirts. I parked in a farmer's field that had been flattened, but the dirt was very red. Thankfully, it didn't rain, but when the event was done I had to take my car directly to the carwash.

As I walked down into the town, runners who had arrived by car were running downhill, but others were running up hill. As I entered the town proper there were people running one way across town, while others were running in the opposite direction. In fact, choose any street and people were running one way or the other. To confuse things further, a police car, complete with screaming siren, that became even more agitated on corners seemed to be heading some runners, while others completely ignored  it.

As I got to the main road through the town I had to pinch myself because I had never seen so many people in Pedrabla. My estimate, including the townsfolk, is there were between three and four thousand people taking up every available bit of space. I try and imagine the reaction of the farmers, except I suspect they were all out in their fields.

There were runners from places far away, including Chinese, Brazilian, and Eastern Europe, etc, including one black guy and one black woman.

I discovered that there was a principal race that began at 11am. this was the 10K. There were about 1500 people for this event. It was interesting to note that the first runner passed under the starting arch promptly at 11am, and the last one crossed at 11:09.58. Almost 10 minutes to fully start the race.

The day was wonderful, being sunny with a light crisp wind. Not too bad to stand and wait for the runners to return to the end, but absolutely perfect to run in. The first person to cross the finish line did so at 11:34:33, and the last person finished at 13:15:34. She received a really terrific round of applause because she was a really largely built person, so it must have taken tremendous determination to complete the loop.

It was so exciting for me to see my town come so alive, and a whole lot more exciting to have been there than to simply read my account. However, my pride in my little town of Pedralba has grown tremendously. Normally most people don't have a clue where it is located. I always say that it is so remote that it doesn't even have a Chinese 5 and 10 shop. However, I suspect that the Chinese runners would have noticed that. I think we can expect a Chinese Bazar any day now.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael