KEN ASHLEY

KEN ASHLEY

A  TRIBUTE TO A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING

I am part of a social group of foreign nationals living in and around Pedralba, a pueblo in the Campo north-west of LLiria, Valencia, Spain. We are a group that is always keen to integrate within the Spanish community, and to a large degree we have achieved that as evidenced by the number of Spanish nationals impacted as well.

We are all living in the third stage of our lives that is made all the more pleasant in that we get to enjoy the sunshine and the life that is available to us in this part of Spain. However, we are perfectly aware that from time to time we have to draw strength to say goodbye when it is time for one of us to pass. We are now having to draw deep to pay our respect and to express our love for a stalwart who has added so much to our daily lives.

Ken Ashley, a retired fireman, after spending a life in service to others has continued to do that while in retirement. Our Ken was a big man, both in stature and in personality. He lived a responsible life and he was generally thought of as the go-to guy when something needed to get done.

He was possessed of a pleasing singing voice, and together with his guitar he was always there when we needed cheering up. One of the contributions the English language group made to the pueblo was to stage two concerts a year; one at Christmas and one during the summer. The choir was originally led by Nigel, our president at the time and when it became necessary for him to step down Ken took up the baton and did a splendid job.

He could often be seen going walkabout with his friend, Megan, an extraordinary dog while wearing his trademark extra large cowboy hat. He was the very image of health and strength and the one person we thought would live forever. However, on Thursday, 29^th March he arose from bed and commented to his wife, Heather that he really didn’t feel all that well, and with one gasp he fell down between the bed and the wall, and he was gone.

I like to think that Ken had things to do, people to see, places to go in his next life. I am a staunch believer that what we call death is not the end, but rather simply the moment when we discard our existing body that no longer works as well as it did to exchange it for another new body to start the process all over again. He will think it’s all new, just as he has done every time before when he has lived and “died.” That is possible because our bodies do not have a soul, but rather it is our soul that has a body.

So, Ken, I thank you for everything you did to contribute to my life, and that was much, and I join with everybody else in our group in saluting you for being the wonderful key figure you have been. I have only ever known you to be pleasant and courteous, and I carry with me your mantra: “Hey man, what’s your plan?”

People may ask me how many years did you spend among us in total and I would have to say I have no idea of what your age might have been. My impression is that you were, and will be, “Forever Young!”

KEN ASHLEY, we shall never forget you!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

The Rat that ate the Car

Rats are such pests. When one is known to be on the loose in the house men are known to wreck the house in trying to catch it. Certainly they are more than enough of a problem in the house but they can also be a real nuisance outdoors as well.

For a couple of years we had rats outside the house. We also have two cats that only once in a long while will bring us the remains of a rat to indicate they occasionally earn their keep. Then there is Max, our dog who is short in legs but long and sharp as a mouser. He is always on patrol and has brought down several of them.

This year is a bad year for rats. A couple of years ago I opened my bonnet to discover evidence that a rat had taken up residence in the engine compartment of the car. I was then parking under a tree so presumably the rats came down from the tree and got up into the engine where it was warm. I’m saying that was a rat but it could have been a squirrel as there were shells from nuts.

Later that same year my wife had her car put through general maintenance followed later by about six weeks by the ITV examination. When they opened the bonnet a lot of shells came pouring out from the false cover in the bonnet indicating there were critters there, or they had been there. Amazing!

However, this year we have learned about a neighbour who had parked his car in one place for some time as he was using his second car. When he came to start up the first one it would not start. He opened the bonnet and was thunderstruck by the sight that was before him.

A rodent of some sort had bitten through cables and hoses in places that he could see, and later at the garage it transpired that it had been all around the engine destroying everything that was rubber based. It appeared to have been dining out on this particular car for some time. At the garage it is a great curiosity as they have never known anything like this.

I don’t know what the final bill will be, I certainly wouldn’t want it. So, the take away from this story is: The instruction to check your engine takes on added meaning. It would be a wise thing to do indeed!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

The Importance of the Desguace

The Spanish system for dealing with vehicles that have served faithfully for many years is to have it taken in by one of the many Desgauces around the country. A desgauce is the equivalent of an English wrecker’s yard where your car is written off the records as a registered vehicle on the road.

In order to have your car accepted for write off in the official records and to be crushed it has to have been registered under Spanish plates with all its outstanding debts for road tax paid, and it should not have any other liens against it.

You may be able to negotiate a fee from the desgauce as they will break your car down into the sum of its functioning parts for re-sale to other customers who are continuing to drive their models. Once a car comes to a point where it is no longer economically viable it is taken off the roads but its parts can help others to continue in existence.

The problem for some car owners is that they have imported cars into Spain but they didn’t change the plates within the specified period of time. After a certain lapse of time the car will be driven without having the benefit of an annual  certification as to its roadworthiness. That is to say if the car is on foreign plates it needs to have a current M.O.T in the country of its origin.

It is noted that some such cars do go through the Spanish ITV but the value of that is doubtful. It should be borne in mind that the ITV is a business and does not turn away a client.

Secondly, if the car is here in Spain but is still registered as a vehicle that is currently on the road in say, England it will be in violation of not having an up to date M.O.T. That car cannot be broken up in a Desgauce and it can no longer be driven on the road in England, a fact that will be noted when crossing the border into the country.

Brexit is bound to make matters only worse, although in what ways we don’t yet know, but it is highly unlikely to be good.

Finally, the car is a high insurance risk because there will be many things wrong with its documentation that is likely to affect any claim made for any damage caused by it. Also, because of the lack of a proper certification as to its roadworthiness, in the event the other car is the offending party the blame may revert to your car as perhaps it should not have been on the road in the first place.  

It would seem to be a good idea to look into conforming your car’s status with regards to its proper registration here in Spain. The sooner the better!

Copyright (c) 2018
Eugene Carmichael

Another fine mess

 Headline News:

“30 - Vehicle Highway pile-up!”

How does this happen?  If it happens where weather plays a major role the rest of the blame goes to human error. Always, during winter conditions driving become slick and dangerous and visibility closes in requiring all motorists to take the foot off the accelerator and slow down.

I know you have a long way to go and you think you need to arrive at your destination in time for lunch, but when fog has closed in visibility to such an extent that you really should only be driving no faster than you can see that means if you do not you will surely have a crash.

All over the world people go through the same old problem and almost always the first crash is caused by the person who does slow down only to be slammed into by the lunatic who came from behind as though it were a bright and sunny day.

Stupidity of this sort just makes me dizzy. It cannot be understood because it’s just too off the chart. Many years ago I was driving in Montreal on my way to the airport when I found myself in traffic surrounded by people who were all overtaking me. Just then I saw the sign for a motel and I pulled in and found they did have a vacancy. I got out of that car and missed my flight because I was sure I was not going to make it to the airport.

The next day driving conditions were better but the roads were not, but at least we could all see one another for a decent distance. At least I did make it to the airport finally and bought another ticket.

Imagine you are the one driving along being considerate and at a speed which is sensible when along comes a Kamikaze and slams into you pushing you into the car in front. Your car is now much shorter than it was and everybody in your car is injured. Then the car behind the one that struck you is rear-ended by another pushing the one behind you into you again.

Once the chain reaction begins I have no idea how it stops. The amazing thing is that only 30 vehicles were involved in this recent disaster. It’s not uncommon for several hundred vehicles to be factored in with death and injuries mounting by the minute. My remedy for avoiding this sort of scenario is when driving into a white-out situation I take the first off ramp and find someplace to wait it out.

If only I could count on each of you and you could count on me, but alas, that doesn’t happen. Survive the winter by avoiding driving in extreme conditions, and if that’s not possible then at least slow down and encourage all around you to do the same.

The life you save just might be yours!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Driving and living with ice and snow

Not everyone can live close to the Mediterrean coast away from the areas that attract heavy snow and ice accumulation. I do and I’m so glad. I have lived in places such as Toronto and Montreal, Canada; and London, England. I come from a country where no drop of snow has ever touched the earth, and if it ever does a lot of people will faint.

However, that is not to say that the locals don’t behave as though it were snowing what with the fashion scene. What a hoot! Life where winter seriously visits requires a major combative wardrobe to push against the cold, and a shovel to dig yourself out of the house plus to find the car.

Like everybody else in my region I have been complaining about how cold it is but life is a dream for us by comparison. When we leave the house, even if it’s raining there’s no problem other than to dress warmly. Meanwhile, where my son lives his apartment is on the third floor with the bedroom backing onto the hillside.

Normally there is a lovely view up the mountain but now there is nothing to be seen as the snow level covers the window. Meanwhile, to get out of the apartment block a pathway has been dug and has to be kept clear otherwise all the residents will be blocked in.

He lives within walking distance of his work, and while it would be nice to drive to avoid the slush and icy sidewalks it would be such a hassle to dig the car out, if he can find it under all that snow.

For us observers the look of snow may be a delightful sight but we don’t have to shovel it. In Canada I got all the experience I could ever want in doing that. In fact the downtown areas have all moved underground as life above ground is just too damn difficult.

We deliberately chose the area in which we live specifically for the purpose of avoiding all that hassle. We were assured that it hadn’t snowed in Valencia for ages. We were safe. So what happened the first winter? It snowed! People went crazy with delight as though they had never seen snow before.

What was our reaction? Shit!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

The Madman in the 4X4

When I came to Spain in the year 2000 every other driver was a madman. The behaviour was such that they were killing themselves right, left and centre. The road death toll was appalling and these were all termed "accidents." No they were not, and in fact many were murders/suicides, which is what happens when someone who is perhaps drunk or crazy on drugs drives with an absence of any shred of responsibility and runs into another vehicle, killing its occupants and himself.

The authorities were galvanised into action, first by tackling drunken driving. Frequent alcohol breath tests have become the norm and that was added to by the introduction of the Points system. Basically, if you lose all your points for any reason you lose your permit and realistically you will never get it back.

It is astonishing the difference that made on driver behaviour and the roads have been free of the recklessness that was so common in those days. However over the past month I have witnessed two incidents that fit the old style conduct.

One occurred in a moderately sized town with roads too narrow and too full of traffic. The idiot in the 4X4 flashed past the line of traffic I was in, going as fast as he could. He was stopped by traffic in the next block but impatiently as he could he whipped around them only to be stopped again at the following block,where this time he was held in place. He could not move.

He ran the risk of crashing into a vehicle turning into the lane in which he was illegally speeding, and worse there were many pedestrians about for him to have killed. Sometimes a person really does have an emergency that requires they get to their destination as quickly as possible. However, he was not headed in the direction of the medical clinic or hospital so if he did have such an emergency we have no hint what it may have been.

The second incident was even more alarming to me because this was the second time the same thing has happened , and at the same spot. This involved a car travelling fast overtaking myself and the car in front on a straight stretch of road that was uphill leading to the crest beyond which it was impossible to know if something was about to crest the hill.

Had something been there he would have crashed full head-on, hopefully killing himself but unfortunately he most likely would have carried those in the other car with him.

I can only assume that these are young boy racers who were not around in the earlier days to learn their lessons. I can only say that if you are one of these and you kill yourself, that lovely girlfriend of yours will end up in the arms of another man, and there is someone waiting to take your job and to move into your apartment..

Your death will not be a total loss and the roads will have become a little more safe. So go right ahead and Have a Nice Day!

Copyright (c) 2018
Eugene Carmichael

Doctors and Nurses Know!

My wife and I were visiting a friend in hospital, and as we walked along the corridor to his room we found ourselves looking in the direction of every door that was open, as you do. You wonder at every drama that is being played out in those rooms where family or friends are visiting the person who is the patient. What are they suffering from and what might be their prognosis?

It is one thing to have been brought into hospital because of some ailment that has developed such as the flu but it is quite something else to be there because one minute you were perfectly fine and the next you were involved in a road crash because of someone’s carelessness, or worse your own.

We read the statistics that note a certain number of people were killed on the roads last year and that x-number were injured requiring hospital care. What does that mean?

In my country the head of emergency hospital care in the only hospital is also the chairman of the Road Safety Council so there’s no fooling him. He knows how many people were injured from road accidents, the extent of their injuries and the degree to which they recovered; and he even knows the cause, including alcohol and recreational drugs. He is constantly urging motorists, especially motorcycle riders to slow down and to stop drinking and riding less they do both permanently.

He has heard grown men cry like babies calling out Mama! He has seen them faint at the mere sight of a needle. He has had to remove limbs when that might well have been avoided had common sense prevailed.

Doctors and nurses are special people who have to deal with humanity when we are at our lowest and most feeble point. It is a career choice that is entirely emotional yet they must control their feelings and be able to leave their work at the office. When they have to work with people who are in tremendous pain that could have so easily been avoided it must be difficult for everyone involved.

Each and every one of us can do our part by conducting ourselves so that we don’t become an unnecessary patient. Making our way back to good health will be bad enough but having to lie there and undergo awful pain while realising we did it deliberately would be just too much.

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

Accidents?

Did you ever wonder about  so-called accidents happen?

In perfectly good driving conditions during daylight hours two vehicles will collide. Before that happened in that exact same spot vehicles moving in opposite directions will have passed each other in the millions over the years, but along come these two, and Bam! Why did they do that and what did they do or fail to do?

It’s clear that after the passage of so many other vehicles they did something different that led to them crashing into one another, otherwise they would have glided on past each other as everyone else has done since time began. The realisation of that is quite something.

We are now considering the anatomy of an accident and the foregone conclusion is that it was not an accident at all. There are very few true accidents to happen on the roads. If I have a cold it’s very likely that I will sneeze while driving. When I sneeze I try not to close my eyes but inevitably I close my eyes. So, if I insist on driving with a cold and I sneeze and run into oncoming traffic that will not be an accident. It would be an unintended consequence of driving with a cold. It would be a crash and the law will hold me liable. However the world cannot stop because of a cold. Right?

If an animal that is a wild thing should suddenly dart into the road startling me and causing me to swerve around it because I would rather not run over it, and in the process of doing so I turn my car upside down without injuring or causing damage to property other than my car, technically this is a genuine accident that has occurred and I should logically not be charged with an offence.

I most likely will be charged with even something like a failure to drive with due care and attention. Well hey, the police have to make a living too and I will have caused a bit of bother to someone.

The worst case of something happening that would have been avoided if it were my choice is the consequences of falling asleep at the wheel. This is a tricky one and the cause of so many deaths on the road.

We are advised to stop regularly to rest on long journeys, at least every two hours. Perhaps we did  that in the first two hours, and now we need to stop sooner because as the day wears on we get more tired and we don’t recuperate sufficiently. The problem now is that we can’t find a proper rest area and we keep going until we find a place, but before we get there our eyes close just for a split second and that’s all it took. We never get to open them again.

Don’t sweat the police, your punishment this time will be stronger than anything the law has in mind.

That’s life!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

The Survivors

The way the New Year should start is on a positive note. The Costa Levante News has done just that in their report on deaths on Valencia’s network of roadways between 8pm New Year’s Eve and 8am New Year’s Day. This is perhaps the period of highest risk when the roads are potentially full with drivers who have been celebrating in the traditional manner with cava and heavy meals in welcoming in the New Year.

Town Councils and governments are doing their part to try and keep us safe from ourselves. Common sense seems to go out the window when everybody is in such high spirits. The free and extended public transport provided helps to cut the risk down tremendously, if only members of the public take advantage. The other thing we can do is to appoint a responsible member of the family as the designated driver who has the responsibility to avoid alcohol or drugs so that we have a good chance of surviving the night.

It was reported that only three people failed to live out the first day of 2018. That is so sad but, as a trend the number of people who fall into this category is growing less by the year. That is super positive.

From the time I began to notice the statistics regarding deaths on Spain’s roads the number of people killed while simply trying to get from A to B was horribly unacceptable. Much had to do with driving while under the influence as many people were virtually drunk all the time. They just could not get the message that if you continue to do this you will die. Then came in the points system and somehow that message struck home. If you were caught driving while drunk you would lose all your points and effectively you would never drive again.

Since then the carnage has lessened every year although apparently this year overall there appears to have been a 4% rise. However, the news from Valencia is that for the first time less than 100 people have lost their lives during the entire year. Well, the number is 99 but I will take it, especially when at one time it was 300.

We can all take pride and pleasure in these positive figures because it means we are all driving with safety in mind which means that the life I save maybe yours. We should congratulate ourselves with a pat on our own backs, and it would be a good thing to keep up the good work.

Here’s looking ahead to 2019 at this time and a much improved report. Happy Driving everyone!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

A Christmas Career

CHRISTMAS 2017 has been and gone, as has Twelfth Night, also known in Spain as Dia de Los Reyes Magos. In many countries around the world December 25^th is celebrated as the day of the birthday of Jesus. As such it is a Holy Day that is marked by the giving of gifts between those who follow the Christian faith.

The problem with that is the true meaning of Christmas is often forgotten in the commercialising of the season.  However, for children it can be a magical time, especially for the very young who are encouraged to believe in Santa Claus who, as the story goes will reward the child if they have been “good.”

There are many people who fill the role of Santa in making appearances leading up to the Big Day. These roles involve giving of yourself to the children, but as anyone who has dressed up in the costume will tell you what you receive from the children is far more rewarding. In fact it is priceless!

This year I was invited to take the role of Santa, or as he is known here in Spain,” Papa Noel.” In doing so I made history by being the first black man in Spain to play the part. I thought the children would complain that I wasn’t the “true” Santa because I wasn’t the exact image, but no, not even one person objected. There was only one very confused child who asked me if I was one of the Three Kings known as Balthazar. I didn’t know whether she was asking me because she remembered me from having played the role of Balthazar the previous January, or just because I was a black man.

In the event it went extremely well and all the organisers were relieved that the experiment was successful. The Santa concept is not an established Spanish costume, but it is becoming an integral part of the Christmas season. The children have figured out that they stand to receive presents on Christmas Day as well as La Dia de los Reyes Magos.

I had hardly settled down from that good feeling when the invitation came through to reprise my role as Balthazar. I was delighted! Little did I know how long a day it would turn out to be. The routine involves riding in the float and waving to all and sundry. Once we reach our destination we alight and take up a position on the stage where we receive the children to whom we give gifts.

All throughout the night the adults are referring to you as “Su Majestad”, your majesty, and everyone pays respectful deference to you. That I could easily get used to! You appear in a trillion snapshots. The town in which I appeared was Rocafort with approximately 7,000 residents. It seemed to me that 6,000 were children.

This year the process of the gift giving was much better organised and the time passed quickly. I thought that was it, but no, that was just the beginning because they added an element. Certain families had asked that the Three Kings come and visit their houses as a surprise to their children. For the next two hours we were in and out of about a dozen houses leaving in our trail a string of stunned and very happy children who will never forget.

So, it seems that I have a new career based around the happiest time of year. I cannot describe my feelings throughout both the Santa Claus and the Balthazar experiences because the human vocabulary has yet to invent those words. Suffice it to say that during the events I was alert and truly happy and privileged to grow weary, but when they were over I slept better than at any other time.

So, Happy New Year to you all! May you experience good health, prosperity and happiness!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

2017 - What a Wacky year that was!

2017 has been the wackiest year that any of us have ever seen.  In The United States they started the year by trying a new style of politics; in England the risky choice of Brexit moved a few steps forward, and in Spain certain citizens thought they had the right to break up the country into which they were born. The entire year appeared to be one extended version of April’s Fool’s Day.

Among the many things that happened, the top two for scope and outrageousness were the plight of the Rohingya people of Myanmar, previously known as Burma, and the other was the Grenfell Tower obscenity.

The Rohingya are a minority Muslim group who have lived for a very long time in the Rakine State of Myanmar.   They have endured persecution from the Myanmar/Burmese and the Buddhists monks apparently simply because they are who they are. I assumed that they must have done something pretty horrible to draw down upon them such hatred. They seem to be innocent of anything in particular to make people hate them so.

However, after suffering unwarranted abuse a core group of young Rohingya men formed together to push back. Evidently that was all the government was waiting for as they have launched into this group of people with such ferocity and intensity as to be determined to cleanse the country of them altogether.

They say they are fighting against terrorists. What terrorists? Are they speaking about the babies, young children and women whose deaths they are responsible for through the assaults by the military?

So far it has been reported that more than 650,000 Rohingya have been forced to run for their lives into Bangladesh, and in the process more than 6.500 have perished, including about 1,200 babies and young children.   They are the modern Jews in Hitler’s Germany, persecuted simply for being who they are.

Meanwhile Myanmar assures me that if I choose to come and visit their country I will have a wonderful time. I don’t think so! In fact I do not want anything at all to do with this miserable country.

The Grenfell Tower terror is currently sub-judice as there will likely be charges flowing from that awful disaster. As a human tragedy it is in a class of its own. The manner in which those who were killed died was about as bad as it gets, especially as it has been reported that residents warned against just such a probability.  When I first saw the blaze I had to turn away, it was more than I could process.

In third place is the currently unfolding drama of the Hashtag MeToo campaign against rich, famous and powerful men who are accused of sexually touching, harassing and even raping women as though it were their right.

The first big shock of this type was Bill Cosby, a man who I practically worshipped as a comedian who conducted himself in public with great dignity, and in the process raised the bar of what the general public; (read white America) should think of his people. His was a cataclysmic fall but I bet he is much relieved now having been joined by such a long list of luminaries.

Incidentally, the world used to presume your innocence until you were found guilty in a court of law. Not anymore! No sooner is the accusation made than action is taken against the accused. This is how everybody who was anybody is being treated. I feel I should pay some really hard to believe women to accuse me so that I can be somebody. Not!

As usual I shall not celebrate the coming of the New Year because I cannot know what it will bring. The year now closing very nearly killed me: I wouldn’t say that was something worth celebrating; however the fact that I have survived is definitely worth making a fuss over.

So, to each and everyone I extend my very best wishes to you for 2018. My hope is that the year will treat you and your families well, bringing first and foremost the very best of health, and prosperity!

A cautious Happy New Year!

Copyright © 2017-

Eugene Carmichael           

Who will celebrate Christmas Day and New Year's Day?

My fellow drivers, I'm sorry to say this but some of us will not celebrate Christmas Day nor New Year's Day because we will be dead!

I know, I know that's a very sober thing to say but it will turn out to be true. This is the festival season and what do we do when festivals come around? We lose touch with reality and we end up killing ourselves and each other. We have done this ever  since the motor vehicle came on the scene. Some years are better than others but in one form or another the carnage has continued.

I was being driven by a person recently who broke every rule there ever was. I was certain my life was about to end, and to make matters worse at the end of that journey we had to turn around and return to our point of departure. That was a little too much excitement for my blood.

Nowhere is it written that we have to lose our lives just because the country is having a fiesta. That is not what fiestas are for. Ideally they bring families together to enjoy themselves and afterwards to return safely home. For the past thirty years I have been the designated driver, the one with the responsibility to get my family home safely. That has meant that I have had to avoid drinking alcohol, and in the process I rarely do take a drink. Even then it will only be one small one in the comfort of my home when I know I will not have to get in the car and drive.

I'm not saying I'm better than anyone else, just that I'm still alive and a lot of people who failed to observe this rule of not driving after having impaired one's judgement are dead. That's the difference.

I really do want to wish for each and everyone of you a Happy Holiday spent with your families. By family I mean your biologic family or the group you hang out with who are like family to you. By making this wish I want it to come true. It's not an idle wish to which I simply pay lip service.

If you'll drive with care and caution; stay sober and away from drugs that diminish your judgement so that you are always alert you will be helping to make my sincere hope and dream of these final few days of the year free from death on the road.

That would be the best Christmas present that anyone could give me.

Happy Holidays everyone!  We will talk about 2018 when it gets here.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Something Big and Bad always happens.....

It's that time of year in the run up to Christmas when something always happens that is  huge in volume and that impacts a lot of people. On Friday the 13th, right on time for those of us who think this is a bad luck day,  a lorry with a huge trailer jacknifed and flipped across the whole of the South bound lane of the A-7 just past the turnoff to the CV-35 which takes traffic into Valencia city.

As I write this I have not determined the full extent of the crash. It's difficult to see how no-one lost their life as it was such a disaster that would have involved other vehicles.  For one thing other South bound traffic came to a halt and stood still for hours. How far back the tail would have gone is any body's guess.

I first encountered the tailback as I was travelling North, making myself a note to avoid the A-7 on my return. I then promptly forgot that advice to myself, so it's no surprise that on my return I made the turn that took me straight into the thick of it. This was three hours later. I couldn't believe I did that. There was nothing else for it but to sit there and simmer for about thirty-minutes. Then, to my great surprise and delight there was movement, albeit very slow, but we were moving.

For my unmindfullness a journey from one entrance to the next exit that normally takes five minutes took close to an hour. It's just as well I'm a retired person when there is no hurry left in my life.

When that type of incident takes place that's when we come to realise how many trucks daily use the roads. When they all come to a stop it is an amazing sight.

Something Big and Bad, I can only hope that no one lost their life but that seems improbable.

Safe Holiday driving everyone!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

A Driver's Worst Nightmare

England has been trying out the Average Speed Zone check for some time and evidently it is working. The problem with stationary cameras is that their presence is announced and predictably drivers slow while passing them and then speed up again. However, the cameras are worth their salt because it is amazing how many drivers completely ignore them, so if they work they must issue an amazing number of  fines.

Spain has now decided to install this type of speed check which is a righteous pain in the ass for drivers. Firstly you have to know that you have entered into such a zone which could include more that one speed limit, in which case you have to be a mathematician to work out what your time within the zone has to be to work out what your maximum average speed can be to remain legal.

At the end of the zone that  the cameras are located they are not so easy to spot. By then your picture has been taken and you have either passed or you will be sent an invitation to contribute to the General Fund for the privilege of learning more about the average speed zone.

What is worse is that having missed the end of the zone you continue to drive at the legal limit as you try to avoid a fine. Other drivers will become quickly annoyed with you as they speed up to overtake your slow moving vehicle. They will have no idea of what it is that you are doing. Some may guess that you are driving at the limit but they will never work out why.

In overtaking they of course increase their speed but that may not be a bad thing as you will be sanctioned for being one kilometre over or 49 kph in excess. Go for it!

I have written about this development before but the way I have seen the setup work is by two mobile recording stations. Now they are fixing these station in place so it would appear that they are here to stay. People who regularly drive these routes will get to know where the entrance / exits are to the zone and they will learn to behave themselves accordingly. Tourists will pay the penalty as usual. The police have got to make a living too.

There is one way in which we all can beat these tricks and that is to always abide by the speed limits.

Really?  Really!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichaek

Self Driving Cars

I realize that to successfully bring the world into a safer era of driving by making the driver the car itself is a long way off. The technology will have to be complicated to the extent of blocking the sick bastards who would like nothing better than hacking cars and making them slam into one another as another form of terror.

By removing the responsibility from we irresponsible humans and placing it upon the machine that would not willingly drink and drive, or get tired and simply fall asleep while moving at 150 kilometres an hour would save so many lives that the world population would take a sharp turn upwards.

We need not worry however, as men will find some other way to kill each other. We don't really need an excuse as we see by the horrid things that evil men do today.

I know a lot of people actually enjoy driving and they want to drive any old fashion that suits them. The roadways is one place where we must trust each other to correctly carry out our own individual responsibilities. If we don't people will die, or become so injured they will wish they were dead.

Just think of the many infractions that would cease to generate fines: failure to stop where indicated. No more exceeding the speed limit. Let's face it, most so-called accidents involve an excess of speed. It may not be by much but a reduction of speed is always better than an excess.

Negligence is a big one these days as people insist on focusing on their mobiles rather than the road ahead. The phone rings and it must be responded to immediately. Well, no is doesn't! Mankind was not made to be contactable every second of the day or night.

Negligence and carelessness go together of course. There are those people who have a passenger and seek to converse with them as though they are at home sitting on the sofa. Well, we are not at home, we are in charge of a deadly missile that is solely under our control and everyone around us is relying on us to pay attention!

The list goes on and on to outline the improvements that could come if we can simply take control away from humans. I really do wish the technicians all the very best in their endeavours. I am so sick of my fellow man who threatens me every time I go on the road. Of course they feel the same way about me.

We have met the enemy and it is us!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Maintenance Day!

Sunday is the day for that special weekend lunch, and for maintaining our vehicles, whether that be a motorbike, truck or car. If I say that maintenance is important I'm sure no one would choose to disagree. So why does it not get done?

During the week we pass all those people who chose to watch television on Sunday rather than topping up the anti-freeze in the motor, or for ensuring the oil level is what it should be. If we don't do those two simple things we can be sure that problems will follow. They will be problems we could have so easily avoided.

When was the last time you checked your power steering fluid, or the fluid in your brake reservoir? The reason I ask is that I have done my maintenance for today but I didn't check those things. I should because the last thing I want to have happen is that  the level for the brakes is too low when I need to stop. In an emergency!

I think that women must be the worst offenders when it comes to not maintaining the car. It is women who are so defiant pertaining to the fuel gauge. They seem to think that they will not be dictated to by a little needle. We men pull in for fuel when the needle is resting at the halfway mark. I certainly have to do that as it lies so much. I will fill up only to see it is registering again at the half empty mark by the time I get home. My car is thirsty but I usually fill up about 20 kilometres from home, and if the needle were correct that would be ridiculous.

So, just a reminder, as though you really needed one. Pay attention to the maintenance of your vehicle. You really do not need the problems that you will have if you don't.

Happy motoring always!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Motorway Call Boxes

I was driving the motorway yesterday, Sunday 19th November when I passed a particular stretch of road along which must have been six cars that had broken down and were awaiting the arrival of the grua. They were well spaced over several kilometres but not one had stopped next to a call box. That, of course is Sod's Law, but it got me to wondering whether anyone uses the boxes anymore.

In their heyday it was the only option you had which almost surely meant a walk in the wind and rain, at night of perhaps half a kilometre there and another half back to the car. For a woman driver on her own that must have been terribly harrowing. Then came the mobile phone which meant she need not  even get out of the car in order to call for help.

The call boxes are still there but they have become so irrevalent to me that I had stopped noticing them. It was only because of the sight of so many broken down cars that I thought about it. I think that if you did put through a call I presume the surprised person at the other end would be a police officer. At one time there would have been people available to speak with you in your own language, but I seriously wonder if that would still apply.

I have to confess to a problem that arose that has nothing to do with the call boxes but a problem that is a plague to drivers everywhere. That is the tiredness that accumulates especially when driving the monotonous highway. First you feel yourself starting to lose focus and you know you should stop to rest but the breakdown lane is not intended for that reason. It is not a good idea to stay in the car while awaiting help because someone may slam into your stopped vehicle because they fell asleep.

So, you strain to stay in focus but in doing that you may succeed in hypnotizing yourself, which is just as bad. Should you close your eyes just once that's all that is needed to bring your life to an end, and likely several other's lives as well.

I think the solution to this very serious problem is to pre-plan rest stops that will include time and a suitable place to nap. That means some place off the main road in an area where you will be safe to put your head down and to dream happy dreams.

Happy alert motoring!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Race Time at Ricardo Tormo Again!

Every November this time of month I write something of the goings on at the race track in Cheste. After all Cheste is the pueblo next to Pedralba, my home port which draws people from all over Europe. The seating capacity is only 120,000 yet we have heard as many as 200,000 people may be in the vicinity. I don't know as I have not been anywhere near the event.

I once made the mistake of trying to pass through there in order to get home because that is my usual route when travelling from down South. Big mistake indeed! The bikes were like bees or mosquitoes. They were absolutely everywhere and buzzing just like the insects. The few police on duty were as frustrated as I was.

Today there are almost 2,000 police on duty because its anybody's guess as to how many motorcycles are concentrated in that one small location. When the boys and girls get together like this they lose their collective minds and do all manner of stupid things. One year a dare devil while showing off just how stupid he could be managed to actually kill his pillion passenger who was also his girlfriend.

I hope there will not be any such incidents this year but the temptation to try and standout in the crowd will be great.

For those who don't know The Ricardo Tormo circuit is located off the A-3 motorway which runs between Madrid and Valencia. The circuit can be seen from the highway and during the events of this Saturday and Sunday, given that the stadium is sold out it must be quite a distraction to passing motorists.

It is an anti-clockwise track with 14 turns and a total length of just over 4 kilometres. The straight stretch that runs past the VIP and Press seating, and which also serves as the starting stretch and the boxes at ground level is 876 metres. The track has served as a practise ground for F-1 although it is hard on the drivers as they usually race clockwise. apparently racing anti-clockwise for them makes problems with their necks.

The other reason why I am unable to ignore them is because in spite of the fact that I am sitting more than 20 kilometres from where the racing is taking place I can hear them. What life must be like for the people who live in Cheste these few days I cannot imagine. The noise both from on the track and off must be insufferable. For one thing most of the visitors camp under canvas or in motorhomes as there is just not enough hotel accommodation. What they do for shower facilities I don't know.

This is a young person's dream which you can only do while you are young and indestructible. There was a time when I would have been there in all my glory being just as excited and no doubt, just as  silly. That's what youth is for and I can't argue with that.

Ricardo Tormo was once Spain's twice celebrated moto racing world champion. He started his career in 1973 and won 19 of the 62 races he competed in. He raced 50cc and 125cc bikes throughout Europe bringing home the cup for Spain and in the process gaining enormous respect from the community. Valencia bestowed one of its highest awards upon him in 1994. By then he had not raced since 1984 when he crashed and irreparably damaged his led.

He suffered from leukemia which sadly, at the age of 46 took his life on December 27, 1998. When the circuit at  Cheste opened in 1999 it was unanimously agreed that it would proudly carry the name of Valencia's most illustrious native son.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Observing the Speed Limit

A fine that is suffered for speeding is like a tuition payment. It's something paid to learn a lesson. However, as drivers we seldom learn our lesson for long. Perhaps it has something to do with others who overtake us while we are trying to be good to such an extent that we find ourselves being sucked along with the flow.

Now and then we encounter a speed policeman who is a stickler for observing the law to the letter of the law and one kilometre over the limit will be cause for sanction. It can also happen because the officer is not given any discretion, so where the limit is 120, the fine will be 100 euros if you are clocked doing 121, or (up to) 150. You won't lose points if you stay within this bracket, so go for it.

Obviously it's much better to stay under 120 and avoid the problem altogether, but in for 1 or in for 39 will be the same thing.

In most cases where a crash or someone has been knocked down the element of speed will be involved; usually too much speed. That includes those stretches of roadway where speed needs to be reduced. Where road works are taking place it is the responsibility of the driver to take extra care not to hit the workmen who are busy. Therefore, where the limitation is only 30 that is for a very good reason.

It could be said that with people working in the area the driver who powers through at 50 kilometres is committing a far more serious offense because of the likelihood of injuring someone. However, he will suffer the same punishment as the driver on the motorway where traffic is scarce, and who is travelling at 150.

I am good at driving at the higher limits and staying within the set limit. I have found that the optimum speed to travel long distances is 100kph. That speed lets me stay relaxed and is best for fuel use. When I increase to 120 the wind resistance against the car works the engine to such a greater extent that fuel use increases beyond the 20% speed increase and I become tense.

Where I have problems is with those signs that require a reduction in speed. The signs seem to be somebody's idea of a joke. They are placed so close together that in order to slow down from one to the other we have to practically stand on the brakes.

The police don't help matters either by being there with their radar to record your speed because if we are slowing from 100 to 40 we can not be moving any faster than forty when we reach the sign.

The big change in the law now means that we may be penalised for being only one kilometre over the limit. Previously discretion played a part but apparently, not any more.

So, fellow drivers we must be vigilant and assume the radar is just up ahead or around every corner. We are usually such soft targets we have to start pushing back but that means becoming more observant of the rules.

Practise makes perfect!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

The cost of fuel

There was a time in Spain when we had very little choice as to what price to pay for gas or diesel. We only had the opportunity to get excited when the dollar weakened against the euro, thereby driving down the price in euros. Perhaps we got a break if we shopped at Carrefour and spent enough on groceries or whatever so as to get a discount coupon.

Then one service station opened offering gas and diesel at ten cents below the market price. Some people rushed in and filled up but the rest of us held back. The word on the street was that what you got at the lower cost was fuel that was less refined and even dirty. We had visions of breaking down in the middle of nowhere with clogged fuel lines and all sorts of other problems. When there were no rumours of that happening the rest of us went for it.

I have been using the lower cost option for a couple of years and in spite of having a service station at the turn to my estate I am trying to think of a good reason why I should willingly pay the higher cost that they impose. I drive a Jag so in the course of a year we go through an awful lot of litres, and at ten cents a litre in savings it adds up to a significant amount.

This is a farming community and the loss of our service station would be a disaster for them as they need it for farm machinery, but I don't. I get my petrol from one of the many stations that have now sprung up as low cost and my car seems perfectly happy. If those guys can sell me lower cost fuel and include certain incentives to keep me coming back, such as free car wash, soft drinks, and air fresheners, why are the others unable to do the same?

I first assumed that they were stuck with contracts but it has been about three years since the introduction of the lower cost so surely it is about time. Meanwhile I appreciate the discount I get because fuel is my biggest expense, especially as at one time we had four cars in our family plus the use of a fifth people carrier.

I think I will not question matters too intensely. It works so no need to fix it!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Causing Death on the Road

Many years ago I helped my best buddy celebrate his birthday at a bar where we drank Pernod. The year before we had visited Paris and had met a couple of French girls who insisted we learnt how to drink this peculiar beverage. In remembrance of that great time we had we started with a normal quantity of the stuff in our glasses, and by the end of the night we had bought the whole bottle and possibly we had drunk it all.

Finally we were told we had to leave because it was about 4am and they wanted to close, so I decided to take the bottle with me. We then made our way to our  respective cars and we "drove" home. I use the term loosely because I don't remember a thing about the journey, so it was more a case of the car driving itself and we ended up in my yard where the motor stalled because it was in the wrong gear.
I simply fell asleep in the car, but later I was awakened as I was terribly uncomfortable as my face was red hot. It turned out to be the heat of the sunlight directly on me, so I went into the house and collapsed on the bed.

I awoke at 5pm, holding a bottle of ketchup, which I thought was the Pernod. My mouth was super dry and my head was pounding like a wrecking ball. I asked God to please let me live; I promised not to ever drink so much ever again, which tends to mean until the next time. At some point while feeling sorry for myself my thoughts turned to the previous night, and in particular I wondered how I got home.

The thought first came to me as a flash and I immediately banished it from my mind. "Did I kill anyone last night?" It would not stay banished and eventually I had to get up and go and inspect the car. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done and it sobered me up better than anything else I could have done.

I approached the car slowly and reluctantly. As I made my way around the car there was no evidence to suggest that I had struck anybody or anything. I deeply exhaled and I vowed there and then that I would never allow myself to become drunk again if I had to drive, and I never have. That was 55 years ago.

Today I don't even take one drink of an alcohol based drink if I have to drive, but going back 55 years ago, what if I had killed someone in the state I was in? The problem is that no.one deliberately sets out to get drunk and to go and kill a stranger with their car, but one drink says it's fine to have another, and two drinks and who knows when to stop. However, the person we kill remains dead for a long time and the family have a life sentence.

Now, in the U.K. the government have announced that a person who is deemed to be a killer driver will face the possibility of a life sentence in jail. Had I killed someone back then and had been given a life sentence would I have regarded that as a fair punishment?

I probably would not have on the grounds that it was not my intention to inflict that outcome on another person, and that I was suffering from diminished responsibility as the alcohol had taken over my senses. That was the truth, but the person would be just as dead and the family would grieve because of my actions.

So, what can be done? At the back end we now know that should we drink and drive and cause the ultimate we will go to jail and rot there. Therefore, there should be a strong educational program to say this is the way it is so just don't do it.

As the Department of Vehicles are so fond of saying; "You have been warned!"

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Roadside Services

I suppose it's common sense but when we are enroute along a major motorway those services available to us by simply turning off the highway to a conveniently located commercial area will be priced at a premium. After all, we are almost a captive group. We need food and drink, together with a little rest and all those other impulse items that catch our eyes are must-haves.

A classic example concerns lunch. I had an experience where I could have pulled off the road and drove only a couple of kilometres to a small town where a full course lunch consisting of a salad, a starter, (usually as substantial as the main course), a main course, dessert. and a beverage, which might include wine or beer, all for 8.00 euros.

Along the highway I had lunch that comprised a plate of spare ribs with potatoes and a soft drink. Price: 14.95 euros. Had I continued along for another three kilometres I could have had the cheaper, and better option.

I suppose we can make some allowances for those locations that are remote as they have to haul their supplies some distance away from the main centres but in this case there was only three kilometres difference. Clearly this was just highway robbery.

We will also pay top price for our fuel. Across the country prices vary but along the highway there is only one price and that's the most expensive.

Finally, another good reason to make the effort to drive a little farther off the main highway is that often robbers hang around the parking lots to prey on the traveller. While the occupants of the car are in the restaurant the car is being hit by thieves, whereas in the small town that is not likely to happen. You would still take precautions to keep it as safe as possible.

Just a thought, especially for those of us who might be familiar with the areas. However, some of us have more money than concern for economy, in which case the merchants are waiting for you.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Brexit and the British registered car

There are a couple of people who I note have been living here in Spain for years and they are still driving their cars with British plates. That means the cars have not been tested for road worthiness for years, and even if they were submitted to the ITV I don't think such a certificate has any validity.

It should be borne in mind that the ultimate test we have to pass is the one when we are making a claim on our policy that will eventually cost the insurance company lots of money. First question will be: Is the insured car in compliance with all relevant rules and regulations in the relevant country?

Second question: Is the driver authorised and of an appropriate age and in possession of all relevant documentation?

We have a contract with our insurer in which we must do our part and they must do theirs. If we fail in any way, such as to have our car tested by ITV before the expiry date of our present certificate and to correct any defects, that is a reason for denial of claim.
If we fail to do anything necessary to comply with Spanish driving regulations, including the taking of a health test when due to determine our fitness to drive, this will be a reason for denial of claim. There are many people from Britain living here in Spain who cannot be bothered to exchange their British license for a Spanish permit. The British permit does not require periodic health checks, and that's fine for driving in England, but the Spanish permit does require it.

From time to time the Spanish police crack down on cars with British plates and impound them while the situation is corrected. I have seen them visiting garages where work is being done and detaining cars. What a surprise to the car owners.

With Brexit many things will change and one of those things will be that British registered cars on Spanish roads will only be allowed to be driven by bona-fide visitors. We can only presume that visitors from Britain will need a visa and a special permit for your car. Therefore, to British residents driving on British licenses and with British plates the time to act is now. You would be well advised to take steps now to regularize the situation.

Meanwhile you may continue to get away with driving outside the regulations but if you are the cause of an expensive accident you may be personally called upon to pay the piper, and that's something worth thinking about!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Roadside Conference

I was driving along a two-way B road when I turned a corner and saw ahead of me a massive collection of cars and trucks pulled over along the side as though there was some kind of roadside conference. I first looked for the results of a crash, but there was none, however, in the midst of all those vehicles there was one Guardia Civil car and two motorcycles. Apparently all those civilians had inadvertently driven into a police speed trap. That was a Conference of Speeders.

There are a lot more of those events taking place where you drive past the entrance and the time you take to exit the distance equals your speed. Don't you just feel like you've been punked if going too fast?

I agree that there have to be rules of the road and they must be obeyed otherwise there will be even more deaths and injuries than at present. In order to ensure compliance the police will be checking from time to time, of that we can be certain. We should therefore always drive as though the police are driving right behind us.

If we ever want a definition of stress that would be it. To be followed by a marked police car, as I was along this very route which is 13 kilometers, and have them follow me the entire distance is not only stressful, but it brought to mind every rule in the book. I even indicated when making certain turns, although I had to kind of search for the correct stick to make the turn signal. I found it after trying the windshield wiper.

The problem is that drivers have always been thought of as easy targets. The government needs more money they send their officers out to get it from the driving community. They call it a charge to remind us to obey the speed limits or to buckle up, or any other thing they can impose a fine upon us, but it can get to be a very fine line between making money, taxing us, and enforcing the law.

In the old days of transport by horse there was always the highwayman to be worried about. He was the one who suddenly appeared in front of us declaring, Stand and Deliver! This is a lot like that.

There is a way that we can defeat their strategy and that is by sticking to the speed limit at all times. I'm not suggesting I will do that, but it's something to consider.

As I drove along there was a straightaway ahead of me and a car was overtaking another as they both headed along the test stretch. It will be bad enough if you were travelling at 90 in a 80 kilometre zone, but if you speed up to overtake that will only make things worse even though you slowed after passing the slowpoke.

Be careful out there! The Highwayman awaits.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Summer's Gone - Part Two

In my previous blog on this subject I noted how sad I get at this time of year because the best part of the year is fading fast as it gives way to cold weather. This weekend we are getting a little taste of what's to come.

However, we also got a bit of good news to relieve the dread as we have early figures relating to the road deaths statistics for the Summer. We are told that in the Community of Valencia the number of people who died this year has fallen by 50%. Last year 34 people lost their lives which resulted in thirty-four families in grief, which possibly might mean for the rest of those people's lives. This year, while even one person lost to death on the road is one too many, we lost 17 fewer people which resulted in 17 fewer funerals and 17 families that were not affected negatively and unnecessarily.

We see life sometimes very strangely. When a person decides to end his life through suicide and he leaves us a note saying why, we get sad and a little angry. We say that what that person did was selfish and uncaring for his family. We are left with a stigma for the rest of all time because our loved one hung himself, or shot or drowned or cut himself to bleed out. Very sad

However, take that same individual who dies in a hospital as a result of lung cancer that is directly tied to his 30 cigarettes-a-day smoking habit and there's no stigma associated with that.

Perhaps he drove his car quite regularly while under the influence of drink or drugs and this time he ran into a wall or a tree that wouldn't get out of his way and he died. Both of these examples are suicides, they are perfectly good methods of ending one's life, the only difference is we don't leave a note, so therefore no stigma.

I noticed a package of cigarettes that says, "Smoking Kills" with a picture of a young woman who had just spit up blood. I am absolutely amazed that anyone would buy a product with such a warning on the cover.

Driving while under the influence of anything that will impair our judgement is an attempt to commit suicide, and it is also an attempt at murder. We don't even care who we kill, just as long as we have that drink or hit of drugs. That makes the person at fault deeply flawed.

The good news continued that loss of life throughout the country during the Summer dropped from last year's 253 to 226. Very encouraging!

Let's all try our best to make this year's annual numbers decrease by a meaningful amount. It's too late for zero deaths but there's still time to make an impressionable decrease over last year, but it's not too late to aim for zero for 2018.

We can do it, Yes we Can!

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

Summer's Gone

I always think that this is the saddest time of the year. It has been a long, very hot Summer here in Spain with record numbers of visitors from other countries. Terrorists have driven many people to our shores and more Spaniards have stayed home to take their leisure in the mountains or along the beaches, so Spain has had a very good year indeed.

The thing that has blotted the picture was the attack along Las Ramblas in Barcelona which was totally senseless. Sixteen people dead for no reason and people from 34 countries impacted to prove what? Spain as a country cannot take an arbitrary action of simply throwing out all Muslims but individual Spanish patience is well frayed. It seems to me to be down to the Muslim community itself to control its bad apples less they all have to pay the price.

There is always a bad side to a wonderful Summer and that is so many people died on the road just getting from one place to the other. I'm convinced this is not necessary. In so many cases the cause can be put down to just plain stupidity or irresponsibility. If you are the driver when you arrive at your destination with your car filled with your family, you do not join in the fun by drinking alcohol or taking drugs. You are the one charged with the responsibility of getting everyone back home safely. That's your job! Your family are depending on you and no one else can do that for you.

We often hear of the statistics that note how many died and how many were injured. If only there were some way in which the lives of those people who were left behind could be documented so that the pain and the effects of the death of the one who died could be shared by the community as a whole.

We see the flowers that are left by the roadside to mark the spot where someone died. Many years ago I regularly passed a spot in Torreviejo where I noticed that the flowers were constantly changed for fresh ones, so I tried to meet the person who was changing them. I finally did meet the lady who turned out to be the victim's mother. He was a young boy who lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into the wall. It was a single vehicle crash that led to his death. No mother should ever have to bury her son, especially under such circumstances.

For her life stopped for both of them at the same time. She was obliged to continue to be animated and to go through the motions of living but in reality she was as dead as her son. The only thing she lived for was to bring her son flowers and to communicate with him. She didn't take the flowers to his grave because that was not where his soul was; his soul was where she thought he left it, right there on that bend in the road.

I am aware of one of those people who contribute to the injured statistics. In many ways those who die from their collisions are the lucky ones. Those who suffer life altering injuries bear much heavier burdens. Some are life sentences, as in the case of young men who ride fast and crash and who are left paralysed for life.

There is a man who crashed into a car, or perhaps it was the other way round, but he is left in a body brace where he will remain for at least two or three years. I think I would have preferred to have simply died and have done with it. What he is left with can hardly be called life, although his family would disagree.

We will wait for the grim news yet again while at the same time giving thanks that those of us who are alive and uninjured made it through another season of enjoyment.

Be careful out there.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

A Good News Tale beyond the Operating Room

I have been away from my word processor for a while to allow me time to get through an emergency major medical operation, the need for which I discovered by accident. I described the build-up to this situation in my blog of the 8^th of July, 2017 which I titled “My most important blog to date.” That was a cautionary tale that highlighted the fact that the body is always under potential attack from the silent killers, and our mission, if we choose to accept it is to be aware and ever vigilant to spot the attackers and to deal with the threat aggressively.

In my case I was feeling just fine, in fact I was congratulating myself for being in such good condition for a man of 77 years. I have prescriptions for both reading and long distance glasses but in general I get through each day without resorting to the use of either. I am modestly overweight but I am fully independent in getting around. I eat moderately, sleep well and visit the toilet regularly, so what could go wrong?


The first week in June a low level pain developed in the right side of my abdomen but after taking Pilatus exercise the pain became intense. I backed off Pilatus and the pain went quiet, but then later in the month it came back with a vengeance to the extent I thought I needed to go to emergency as it might have been my appendix. Before leaving the house I made a stop in the toilet where I discharged the most amazing amount of gas. The pain mostly went away immediately, so no, it was not my appendix.

The pain continued as a kind of background noise so I decided to ask my GP to diagnose what was driving it. By the time I got in to see him the pain had left me entirely, but I persisted in trying to determine what that was all about.

My doctor sent me to have my blood, urine, and crucially my faeces analysed and the report came back that I had blood in my faeces. That was a problem that required the intervention of a specialist who referred me for a colonoscopy; and discovered that for approximately the past five years I have been growing a cluster of polyps within my colon that now posed the threat of blockage and cancer. The hospital was adamant that it had to be removed immediately, and on the 27^th July, three weeks to the day I underwent surgery.

This was the first time for me for such a major procedure. I have had surgery before for a bunion correction and a broken leg, but nothing like this. All went well including the part where I came out from under the anaesthesia and endured the aches and pains of recovery. The surgeon was well practised and is highly regarded and the professional staff of the hospital maintained an eye to detail.

The main point I want to make is that as stoic and accepting of the protocols as I was the one source of great comfort to me was the presence of my wife in my room. Even if she was simply observing to know that she was there for me, in spite of the fact that the staff managed to make me feel human made all the difference. For me that was priceless and it is the principal point I hope you will take away. When a family member finds themselves in hospital they can feel alone and confused, but a family member who is there who simply brought in a good measure of love helps the healing process go so much better.

The other point is that certain medical authorities are conducting a campaign wherein they send around letters urging that you send in a sample of your poo for testing. In spite of the unpleasantness of this if you simply refuse on that basis you may be signing your own death warrant. 

Presumably you would rather not do that.

Copyright © 2017

Eugene Carmichael

Keeping on Trucking

Without trucks the world would come to a grinding halt. This is also true of various other segments of the transportation community, but for the moment I want to focus on the trucking industry.

I was idly watching some YouTube videos about trucking around the world which made me happy and relieved that I live in Spain. The worst complaint I have about trucking traffic in Spain is that when they are travelling in convoy they stick much too close together, sometimes nose -to-tail. This creates a wall of trucks that makes it impossible for other traffic to get off the motorway, as well as to get on.

It is also illegal for good reason. When vehicles travel too close there is not enough time for the following driver to react to whatever the driver ahead is doing. That is why there are minimum prescribed distances that must be adhered to in order to contribute to safe driving.

When this is observed there should be a coordinated police action to stop the entire convoy and to issue fines and a loss of points to all drivers as what they are doing has huge potential negative consequences. Also, the drivers know better.

I have to say that I have the utmost respect for the driving abilities of the drivers who pull considerable loads along Spain's roads. To drive along the motorways is one thing but they often turn onto roads that barely accommodate two cars travelling in opposite directions. There are many times when things get held up for considerable periods of time as two giants try and pass one another along these narrow slips of roadway, but there are only rare disastrous crashes. The record in third world countries is just the opposite.

To give people trucks and a driving permit is an exercise in suicide encouragement in those countries. The things they do with their trucks, or try to do is enough to make my skin crawl. The standard recipe seems to be that first overload the trucks in an insecure manner, then add as many people on top of the payload, and then you head off down the road at far too fast a speed. It does help to restrict the population growth in certain countries.

In India a person dies every four minutes from road crashes. Also, in India there are liquor shops spaced every one minute along highways. In 201,5 147,000 people died from highway incidents.

On our own roads we would all do well to give truck traffic the respect it deserves. By that I mean we should do ourselves a favour by driving defensively. It would help to be aware that these machines take longer to get up to speed, but they are also more difficult to stop. It would not be wise to position your own car so as to cause a truck to come to an emergency stop. He may not be successful and should you stand in the way you will pay the price.

It would also be wise to give them turning space, including a wide berth for the trailer. Some awful video footage I watched showed the trailer as it fishtailed and swung around the cab and smashed into the camera platform which was a car or other truck. In one very sad case a car that was full with people had stopped at a red light. A truck had stopped alongside but it had braked sharply which caused its trailer that was full with bricks to roll over on to the car. It's hard to see how anyone in that car would have survived.

Truck traffic is with us everyday and it is essential to our way of life. Truckers have the responsibility to drive with care and caution, and absolutely sober and drug-free, which goes without saying. We have to do our part as well and long may we exist together.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael

The Conflagration

A great fire broke out this week in my region about twenty kilometres away from where I live. That was much too close because this was a tire dump that went up in flames producing thick, black toxic smoke. Luck was in for us as the smoke blew off to the West but it sure as hell was a nightmare for everyone living under its fallout.

The problem is that today's tyres are so well made to meet stringent standards for safety and security that when the thread wears down and the tyre has to be disposed of the question becomes, "How?"

All around the world this universal problem has experts scratching their heads, and in the meantime the tyres go to holding dumps and they accumulate. Here in Spain we are having horrendous high temperatures in the cities and the mountain tops, but in these dumps where there could be millions of tyres the heat that builds must be truly hellish. Its no surprise that from time to time spontaneous combustion will occur and that will be the start of something that is almost impossible to stop.

Apparently some place in Wales had stored 10 million tyres and a fire broke out that burnt continuously for 15 years. For this reason the dump owner cannot set his own fires, but apart from the hellish nature of fighting to control such an outbreak fire is probably his best friend. The stockpile will be reduced in volume but the cost to the environment is unacceptable.

Re-Threading was thought at one time to be the solution and while the industry continues to do rethreads these are dangerous in countries with high speed highways. Trucks especially use them but I constantly come across threads that come off, which is not good for the vehicle that lost it; for following vehicles they can cause accidents as they become an obstacle that can cause a car to go out of control.

Clearly something new is required to replace the wheel in its present form. Manufacturers have been concentrating on developing new and super efficient, secure tyres to serve heavier and faster vehicles, but that still leaves the by-product when the tyre wears out.

I'm not suggesting I have any ideas, this is not my area of expertise, and I'm certain experts are researching the issue. As drivers we change our tyres as and when necessary and think no more of the matter. Every now and again we are reminded that the problem has not gone away. When one of these dumps goes up in flames a lot of people are affected.

An illegal tyre dump near Madrid it appears was set afire by arsonists which resulted in 9,000 people being evacuated. That's the type of impact a fire like this can have because of the toxicity of the burn off. A normal forest fire is bad enough and Spain is having more than enough of those, but to turn a horror into a genuine nightmare a tyre fire will do.

Copyright (c) 2017
Eugene Carmichael