JAGUAR! What a Brand.

The car in which to be mistaken for a celebrity!

I promised to look into the Jaguar brand with the objective of finding out how many models have been manufactured down through the years because the problem is that, while some people grow tired of their cars and consign them to the undergrowth, others come behind them and rebuild the cars to their former glory. Consequently, trying to keep up with the Jaguar line is hard work because there is probably a representative from all the models still functioning today.

As best I can tell, there have been sixty-six models created, and these are spread between saloons, company executive types, concept models, and racing and the competition range. Jaguar loves to use an alphabet soup of car descriptions, so trying to keep track of what is what becomes a full time occupation.

For instance, the first Jag that I owned was the car shown above, which is the XK 120. For the longest time I thought it was an XJ 120. There is no such thing. This car was manufactured during 1948 to 1954, and is a classic in today's market. Updated models appeared during 1954 to 1957 as the XK 140, then from 1957 to 1960 there was the XK 150. These were concept sports models.

There were a number of saloons with the insignia of Mark V to Mark X over the period 1948 to 1966, but this line was competition with Rolls Royce, and beyond the grasp of ordinary plebes like myself. Then the XJ6 models appeared, which for the ordinary person was the definitive Jaguar of its time. It regularly made an appearance with royals in the back seat, or at film premieres.

Jaguar recognized that it had a winner on its hands and has stayed with the XJ series from their introduction in 1968 to the present. However, being Jaguar, there have been many variations on this theme including the 6, 8, and 12 cylinder engines. My six-cylinder swallows more than enough fuel, so I wouldn't even like to start up the 12-cylinder.

As a concept car, perhaps the most successful model of all time was, and remains the E-Type. This is a two-seater car that women found made their panties inexplicably roll down. I have to admit that it is a lovely car, but it just doesn't do a thing for me. In spite of its stylish lines and sporty motif it has often been used for racing. I don't think I would place mine in the scrum with all those others where it might get scratched.

Finally, leave it to James Bond to recognize a top of the line car in "Skyfall" as they use the latest model XF saloon. Again, this is one super car, both to look at, and I'm sure also to drive, although I have not had that pleasure. As I am 73 years of age,if I had the money this is the Jag that I am supposed to want. I would not have this car if you gave it to me, because to begin with it should come complete with its own driver. I must admit that I do not enjoy driving as I once did, but I am not ready to give up the controls just yet. Even if I were behind the wheel, the car just feels as though it were made for someone older than I am, but that's probably because I only feel aged 55.

It feels nice to have a Jag parked in my garage that I take out once in a long while. It has to be sunny and I have to be in the mood. There are two of us who own Jaguars in my little town. He has an S-type that he purchased as new, because he can actually afford to own a Jag, and I have my XJ6 Sovereign that I bought from someone at NATO who said it had been used to transport VIPs, and that no-one, not even the mechanic had got into that car with dirty shoes.

What else can I say?

Copyright (c) 2012  Eugene Carmichael  

There is Nothing quite like a Jaguar!

A Jaguar XK120

I am a Jaguar Enthusiast, so naturally I am a member of The Jaguar Enthusiast Club. I really do not know whether other brands bring out the love in the same way that Jaguar does. I own a Volvo, and a Seat, and I owned a Chrysler, but none of those brands had anything going for them as does the Jaguar.

I do believe that MGB have a strong following where members get together for racing and touring, but even that does not stand up to the passion that Jaguars drive in their members. I consider myself out on the periphy of the club, both geographically and psychologically, mainly because I am not located near to the Spanish club. However, back in England, and even here in Spain where our club is quite young, the pride that members take in their cars frightens me.

They do the usual sorts of things by getting together for runs and lunch, but perhaps the thing about Jaguar is that there are so many different types and classes of the name. For instance, the E-Type was one of the most popular models, but I personally never got a feel for it. During the height of its popularity, to have been seen in an E-Type with the top down was the bee's knees. Even today, among the classics it stands very proud, except that it still doesn't appeal to me.

Back in the U.K., I owned an XJ120 convertible, British Racing Green, which is the two-seater model with a long front end. This is the car in which I was mistaken to be Lenny Henry. It was a wonderful car that made me feel as though I was a Somebody. When I returned to Bermuda I had to sell it for a mere pittance, but anyone you still has one in fairly good condition can ask something reasonably substantial.

The trouble with Jaguar is that there are so many models in circulation it is really a confusing thing to be able to keep oneself  fully informed. As an example, the model I own is an XJ6, 3.2 litre Sovereign, and that is possibly the exact same thing as a Daimler. The XJ series were made in the 6, 8 and 12 cyclinder models. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to own a 12-cyclinder model with today's petrol prices.

I think it might be interesting to make a study of just how many models there are under the Jaguar heading. I will do that and return in the near future with my findings. Meanwhile, I must admit that being the only black man in Spain to drive a Jaguar is a lot of fun. Whenever I drive up I am greeted with an expletive, which just gives me the giggles.

Come on guys, its just a car!

Copyright (c)  2012  Eugene Carmichael

Dopey Things people do while driving!

There is nothing quite as riveting as two very nice boobs.

But, with these coming your way, you really have to concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing!

I have seen this before, (not the above), but the other day a man passed me driving with a cigarette stuck between two fingers of the hand that was holding the steering wheel. This is a very common thing to do among smokers, and I know many of you will question me with a, so what? It just seems like a risky thing because if you have a sudden turn to make the cigarette will probably go flying, right in your lap. I know it looks cool, but anything to do with cigarettes while driving is, well, frankly dopey.

Take the example of the man who was lighting his cigarette from the car's lighter. You have to divert your gaze for at least a couple of seconds, otherwise you light your nose. During those precious seconds the man was headed for a head-on collision with me, on a corner. Another coat of paint between us and we would not have made it. I was not amused!

I drove behind a young guy who was so preoccupied with his hair that he was constantly looking in the mirror while tossing it this way and that.

I got hit from behind because a family car allowed their small daughter to roam around without being strapped in. I had come to a stop when the mother driver realised, and slammed on her brakes. Needless to say the little girl was slammed into the windscreen, which must have been really glued in well. Fortunately, it resulted in just a little bump to me because my car is automatic and my foot came off the brake pedal and off I went.

It amazes me the things that people do that will lead to the hospital, or worse, but yet they do these things quite deliberately. Things like read a book with one hand, and smoke with the other while driving at speed. Even on a straight road you still need to maintain control. I don't even like to look at the radio while changing channels. I agree that driving long distances along straight roads is uber boring, but you really are taking your life in your hands, or rather her hands or mouth, to choose that time to play sex games. If it all goes wrong it will end in tears, lots of tears.

The worst are the ones who are sex exhibitionists who do it for the show. Some time ago, while driving along a two lane highway in the same direction, a car pulled alongside me and matched my speed. The lady passenger had her top off revealing two wonderful breasts, and the male driver was massaging them and looking over at me. I must admit it gave me a woody, but how the hell is anybody supposed to concentrate with all that going on?

Copyright (c) 2012  Eugene Carmichael

On Motoring with a Right Hand Drive Car in Spain

The Steering wheel is on the Right-Hand side.
How big a problem is that in Europe?

This is a subject that we tend to take for granted, but in reality it can be a life or death experience with no error for mistakes.

I own both forms of cars, and sometimes I change from one to the other in the same day. To complicate matters, the Jag, with the steering wheel on the right side, is an automatic. When I drive the Jag, apart from the fact that it is my classic car, which means I drive it as though it were made of eggshells, I am always on high alert.

Frankly, none of us who drive along National roads, or any road with two-way traffic, should overtake the vehicle in front for silly reasons, such as he is moving too slow. The big crashes almost always occur along such stretches as it places two opposing vehicles in the same lane. A head-on collision will most likely produce death. Why that doesn't seem to cross the minds of people who do such things, I really don't know.

When the steering wheel is on the right-hand side, to overtake is considered a suicidal move. I normally hold back and accept the speed of the vehicle in front of me, the exception being if it is a tractor. In such cases I can only make the move if we are making a right hand turn that exposes the whole of the road ahead to reveal that there is nothing coming my way.

This is an example of what can go wrong if the driver decides to poke himself out into the oncoming lane without knowing for sure that nothing is coming his way: One such driver was stuck in a lane of traffic that had stopped. He had his wife sitting in the front passenger seat, and behind her was a visitor from England. Suddenly, the driver pulled out and was hit by a bus carrying school children.  The man's wife and visitor were both killed instantly. His car was slammed and turned around, and the bus was pulled to the left and drove one of the cars in the lane through the barrier and down an embankment, whereupon the bus fell on the car.

The driver of the car was killed, and his pregant girlfriend was seriously injured. On board the bus, one student, who was sitting in the back seat, was propelled the length of the bus and out through the windscreen. She had to be taken by air ambulance to hospital. Several of the other children were also injured, which in turn set off panic by a mass of parents and family members. 

What would be the appropriate form of punishment for such a person? (It's not good enough to assume that what he did must haunt him everyday!)

There are a number of other things that range between being dangerous and a nuisance. Dangerous is misjudging where you have the car placed, especially when you are accustomed to personally being near to oncoming  traffic. Secondly, toll booths are a real pain, and added to that is the fact that the car is an automatic, and if I forget and try to change gears I would move the lever from "drive" to "neutral", if it would move while I'm in motion, and from there to REVERSE. I don't know whether there is a safety control mechanism, but I am not going to experiement.

Other than these sorts of things, motoring with a car with the steering wheel on the right is a perfectly normal thing to do. However, it does make you the odd man out, but, when the car is a Jag, people can understand why I might not have wanted to leave it behind in England.

Between you and me, I actually purchased it here in Spain, but that's our secret!

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael

Driven Away Again!

A perfect vision of Hell of Earth!

When you are running from this, you need something reliable and powerful under the bonnet.

It seems these days that I am offline more than I am on because of technical problems. I'm beginning to think that I really must need a new computer. This one has given really good service, however, I think it will last forever, when in fact I'm told I should replace it every two years, more or less.

So, if anyone really wants to give me a present for Christmas, you now know what I would like.

On my "formenseyesonly" blog I tell the harrowing story of our escape from a hellish death by fire, by only three minutes. I invite you, dear reader, to take a peek, if you ever wondered what that might be like.

One thing that does present a difficult decision, if you ever had to make it, in an emergency such as we have endured, would be which car or motorcycle to leave to the flames. In our case, with only minutes to spare we had three drivers for three cars, but our two motorcycles had to stay. One was burnt to a crisp, but fortunately it was the correct one, a scooter made in China that has given us so many problems that I only used it for very short journeys at slow speed. That was a fitting end to that problem, but our Honda 125, Verdadero, a lovely and sprightly bike, came through with flying colours.

There were some wonderful stories of pets that survived without the help of their masters. Our cat was no where to be seen when we left. When we came back, she was the first thing we saw. She was making a hell of a racket, as though to say, where you been? I'm hungry! She used to be snow white, but these days she is a lovely grey.

I hope we have got to the bottom of my technical problems so that I can go back to my weekly blogs. I do apologize for being absent, and look forward in making my usual Sunday contributions.

Copyright (c) 2012  Eugene Carmichael

Driving me Crazy!

It's Summer Time, but unlike it has been for such a long time. I'm sure it has been as hot as we are experiencing it here in Spain before, but even for me, a confirmed hot weather fan, when the temperature goes over forty celisus, we know we are in trouble.

When you sweat just because you are moving your mouth, it's time to find an airconditioned anything and don't move. Between the hours of 11 am and 7pm, I think the heat must be  actually deadly. Animals and the elderly should be inside. Several years ago one of my dogs died because the heat gave him sunstroke.

I have an elderly neighbour who I am worried about. She stays indoors all day, but they do not have airconditioning. She tells me she is finding it difficult to simply breathe, both day and night when sleeping is near impossible.

My car airconditioner chose this year to breakdown. Normally I don't worry about it, but this year, driving along with the windows down is like letting fire in the car. I have taken to doing nothing at all during the daylight hours. My day begins at 6pm when I start with watering the plants. Any other work leaves me soaked to my skin, so following anything energetic is a welcome shower. However, even then I must have a fan in the bathroom to cool me down when I step out of the shower, otherwise I will sweat as though I were still under the water.

It's peculiar to actually wish for a cloudy day, and some rain. I am reminded though to be very careful what I wish for. My wish might come true way beyond my expectations.

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene  Carmichael

Rototom Reggae SunSplash!

BIG UP YOUSELF MON!

ROTOTOM REGGAE SUNSPLASH!

As I write this, about 25,000 people, many being French and Italian, are really enjoying themselves at this year's Reggae Festival in Benicassim, so what could I possibly find to complain about? Well, plenty, actually, although in the spirit of Jah-Love Rasta Mon, my complaints are already sounding in my head more like simple comments.

The problem was that I had never attended a mega-concert in Benicassim before, and had only driven through the town, so I didn't know the lay of the land. I had read of people who had attended events at SunBeach and Harmony Beach, so that is where I assumed the concerts take place. I drove into the town, expecting large signs pointing the way to the concert grounds. Nothing!

I arrived on the 15th, the day before the event because I really wasn't sure that I wanted to be a part of the first day's crowd on the 16th. I'm not at all good with masses of people, but on the 15th there was going to be some free music. I thought this would have been rehearsal-type things going on, so I drove the two hours from my house and accidentally parked very near to where I should have been for what would be on offer.

I decided that I had better pay a visit to the Tourist Info office. I followed the signs, but the trouble is that while you are in your car you will likely drive past that office without even seeing it because of the need to watch the traffic. Finally, I asked a policeman who pointed me in the right direction,but he said that he thought they might have been closed due to the public holiday.

Shit! I got back in my car and went to find the beach venues, expecting to see major staging. I drove round and around, and finally found the beach road and added myself to the congestion along that route, but couldn't find anywhere that looked like a major event was in preparation. That was not surprising  as what takes place along the beaches is recorded music and games and live radio shows. So where the hell is this mega concert supposed to take place?

I drove back up into the city centre and parked the car in the original car park, and set out on foot, this time I accidentally came upon the Tourist Info office. It was open! Oh joy, now I could at least get some proper information and a friggin map.  The major concert site, although in Benicassim, is in reality across the N-340 on the inland side, and so far removed from where people actually live that it might as well be in the next county. It is across the road from Aquarama. But still I'm wondering, where is the bloody entrance? Still no great big sign directing newcomers to the parking lot.

Well, I figured at least let me get on the other side of the N-340, that would be a start. So, I'm now driving in the direction towards Valencia, and I'm not getting any help, when my thoughts turn towards just keep going. In two hours I'll be back home. Suddenly I find myself in a line of stopped cars that appear to be going into the Repsol gas station. Well, I did need fuel, so I stayed in line, only to find that this was the line of cars entering the parking lot for the concert. Bloody hell!

So far, I had encountered absolutely no organisation at all. I don't know if the FIB concerts are as badly organised. They take place on the same site, and the thing is that these people have been doing these concerts for so long they could be forgiven for not realising that not everybody knows exactly where everything is.

I get parked and realise I have to stand in line to get my arm band to permit me entrance. So, I stand in the appropriate line, and after a very long, patience draining wait, I get to the ticket window and announce that I am a retired person and am there to receive my free entrance arm band. The young girl took my passport and started entering info in her computer, and the more she tried the more confused she became. Her supervisor came over and looked at my data, then she asked whether my age was accredited? Only by my passport, my driver's license and my Residencia, all of which they had.

The young guy standing next to me said he thought that what they were really saying was that they didn't believeI was still up at that hour of the night. Do you mean that they can't believe that I'm still vertically up?  Much laughter! Seems I was the only retired person, and at 73 I didn't seem to be that old, and why would I have wanted to attend a reggae concert that runs all through the night anyway?

Finally the supervisor went and found an armband that stated "Over 65" and invited me to come every night, with their compliments. But on that night, there would not be anything taking place in the main stage area. For the free taster concert I had to go back over the N-340 into the town where the concert was happening. So, I tried to get out of the car park. The buggers didn't even have a SALIDA sign up, so I made several wrong turns.  By this time these people were really playing with me head, Mon!

When I got back in the centre of the city the car park where I had previously parked twice was jammed. I drove around and around, and while looking for some place on a back street I turned into a street and drove to the top of the hill and found a vacant spot in a strange area, but what the hell, I could finally get rid of the car. I walked to the Plaza de la Constitución and enjoyed the concert in motion until midniht at which time it came to an end. However, at one time I was standing near to the stage under an area with a roof, and the smell of marijuana smoke was so powerful it was giving me a contact high. There were also several children there and something was definately wrong with them as well. I started to feel dizzy; I had a headache, and I was hungry, so I went and had something to eat, then thought about either having a sleep in my car, or starting the long drive home.

I went to retrieve my car, only to realise I had parked in the parking lot of the Ayuntamiento, apparently in the mayor's place. Forget sleeping in the car! I headed home at 1:30am, knowing that no matter how tired I was I had to stay alert. Hint: it worked out O.K., but in spite of wearing my armband until Saturday night, I never actually went back to Rototom.

Perhaps next year!

RASTAFARI !

Copyright (c) 2012    Eugene Carmichael  

London Olympic style Traffic Headache

A Road not for Driving

I freely admit that I am writing this from afar, but at the best of times traffic in London is a real pain. I know this from having lived in the city, so I am using my imagination to compound the problems people usually have on a daily basis to get around, and add to that all the many visitors to the city for the Games.

The first thing we have to understand is that the Olympics is a business, one that jealously guards its trademark and products. The games have drawn so many people to England, and of course this is very good for most merchants who operate businesses for consumers. Restaurants, lodgings, transport, souvenier sellers, etc, however, if it says London 2012 or Olympics you will have paid very big bucks for the right to sell your goods.

This may all be very well, but if you live and or work in London, or anywhere near where events are taking place, I imagine your life may have been turned upside down, and possibly you may be wishing for tonight's closing ceremony. We have been concentrating so much on all the positive things that are derived from these Games, but on the other side of the coin there will naturally be the need to make accommodation by those who find themselves in the middle of things.

However, it is really good to see that the East End of London has got itself a fabulous makeover. Apart from transport by bus and private car, if you are a little crazy, its good to see the use of the river, and zip lines and  ariel lines to get people to the games as alternatives. Personally, for me these games have generated far too many people in one place. I am not good with crowds, so it has been better for me to watch the whole thing on television. I imagine that I have been missing the live ambience  of being in the stadiums, but I can live with that.

For all the bother of being there and getting there and back, I think that the games have been wonderful and I will look forward to the games in Brazil. I'm sure you will also!

Copyright (c)  2012    Eugene Carmichael

Back on the Road Again!

Me, back at work!

I must apologise for having been off-line for so many weeks. As a result of a blogger revamp my blogs were available to me in read-only mode, so I could not access them to add any new information. Now, at long last I have access again and I can also tell you that a part of the problem was that I have been away on a road trip holiday throughout northern Spain. For over two weeks I didn't open my computer, in spite of the fact that I carried my laptop with me. My wife made good use of it, but I really do believe that man is wired to need downtime when you completely change your routine.

Could you do that? Would it be possible to deliberately avoid all the toys that have become a part of our everyday lives?  It is difficult the first few days, but then I decided to also turn off my mobiles, and with that I could feel a sense of freedom coming over me. I do not live a life that is full of stress as I am a retired person. However, we do accumulate a degree of stress within our routines, and just the change is as good as a rest.

We did a road trip loop of southern Spain before, and this time we did the north western region, starting with the north of Madrid. In this area we visited The Royal Monastery of Escorial which is a Monastery established by Royal Decree. The monks were supposed to pray for the monarchy, and it is the final resting place of Spain's Kings and Queens, and lesser royals. There is a place reserved for the present Royal family as well.

Nearby, there is located "La Valle de los Caidas" or The Valley of the Fallen. This is a magnificent monument to the former dictator of Spain, General Franco. All the publicity suggests that it represents the fallen on both sides of Spain's Civil War, however, there are only two names that are displayed there, those of General Franco and the founder of the Falangist party. That said, it is worth a visit because it is Spain's history and the monument itself cannot really be described. You have to see it for itself. I will say that parts of it is in decline from neglect as it is a very controversial site.

I don't intend to give you a blow-by-blow description of where we went, but Spain is such a varied and diverse place. Each town or city has its own character so that a visit does add to one's knowledge and experience. For instance my wife did say that we were going to drive all the way to the city of Ávila to see a wall. I thought how interesting could a wall be? There were plenty right around us. The city of Ávila is completely walled in and we were able to walk around the city along the ramparts of the wall to view the city from above.

I can now say that I have done The Great Wall of Ávila so I can scratch The Great Wall of China from my bucket list. I wasn't looking forward to that anyway.

Finally, I must recommend a visit to El Monasterio de la Piedras that is located in southern Zaragoza. This is located in a zone that resembles a mini Grand Canyon. All around the area is dry and arid, but once you enter the canyon you are in a place that is graced by waterfalls and lakes and immense greenery. It is a wonderful park that should not exist in that location, but it does and the visitor is overwhelmed by the beauty.

It is also a place of extreme difficulty for men because everywhere you go there is the sound of falling water. The moment we step into the shower we want to pee, and we do, so walking around this place calls for frequent pit stops.

It is great to be back at my computer expressing my thoughts and feelings. However, I wouldn't blame you if you simply tought that I had died.

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene Carmichael

Great Expectations

I am from the very small islands of Bermuda. I look like I might have arrived here in Spain as though I first travelled across the Sahara Desert, and then across the Mediterranean by motorboat. This has been the cause of some problems for me. Not many, but enough to give me some idea of what those who do come via this route must suffer. That’s another story for another time.

On a number of occasions I have been processed through police document checkpoints as a motorist. It’s also fair to say that at other times I have been given a pass, when other people have been stopped. When the police are doing a random stop and check I expect to have to stop, but the simple notation on my windscreen often is enough to suggest that I have at least had my car passed by ITV. This is important because in the United States, it seems as though the police are chosen because of their stupid quotient.

The stories are legend of well dressed, law abiding black men who have been pulled over to the side of the road and put through the grind, when they are doctors and lawyers who are highly successful. Although these facts are obvious to the police, it seems that they do these things just to denigrate their victims. So, it is important to reflect that Spanish police have an entirely different attitude. It is my experience that authority here is very professional.

However, that does not entirely exclude the police from having great expectations when they do pull me over. It may simply be my imagination, but it seems to me that as I drive into the collecting area there is a sense that they have got the Big one. This is an immigrant, so it follows that something will not be right in his documentation. Call the grua. (Tow truck)


My last encounter was on a Friday night. They were stationed at the entrance to my estate. As I pulled up they requested to see my driver’s license. They took that and called the details through to verify that my license, that is Spanish was a true document. Many people pay extortionate amounts of money for forgeries. In such a  moment of truth as this, these are of no value at all if they are Spanish.

Next, I was asked to open my boot to give them a look inside. The reason for this is twofold. On Fridays and Saturdays the police are on special lookout for people who have been out drinking and driving. The other purpose is to see just what I might be carrying. I have the right to question them for a justification, but if I don’t have anything to hide other than a messy boot, I simply let them have a look to satisfy their idle curiosity, and to show them that I was not staggering about.

With that, we exchanged a few pleasantries, and they didn’t even ask to see my car’s documentation. (That was all in order as well.) I was given an apology for any trouble that I experienced, which was no trouble at all, and I was on my way home.

However, their sense of disappointment was so palpable that I could feel it. I have had this sense on other occasions because they are so sure that I was an “immigrant” and not likely to be completely covered. At least they are learning not to judge a book by its cover.

One more thing: Just imagine had I been drinking and was over the limit, and that I made it that close to home?

Copyright © 2012  Eugene Carmichael

Ride a Bike!

Riding a bike in the old days.

I recently heard some interesting, and surprising statistics that held that in spite of the vulnerability of bikes in traffic, the fact is that most fatal collisions involve cars. Even  motorcycle crashes likely involve riders going at inappropriate speeds. The sound of some bike getting up to speed is really wonderful, but the sound of the same bike crashing is not so nice.

Pedal cycling is another experience again. There are organized cycle clubs who go for very long rides, and they seem to be very aware of the need to ride in single file. Given the vast numbers of such riders, the number of incidents where riders are injured or killed in collisions with cars is quite low.

Now, Valencia City is awash with cycles as a way to get around the town. The city is fairly flat and to be able to pick up a bike from here and drop it off at another point in the city makes a lot of sense. To ride is also something that you do for your own health, while at the same time you do something for the environment.

People like myself who are committed to drive can still see the point of taking a bike. They have been doing the same thing in Holland and China for many, many years with very good results. So, in spite of the fact that I am too old to go with this new trend, I celebrate the spirit of those who do.

If we can do anything to benefit the environment, we should. In my case I make every trip by car serve more than one purpose.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael 

The Lady in her Wheelchair

Life in a wheelchair. This should not happen if it can be avoided!

For about seven years I have noticed a very beautiful lady making her way around the town in her wheelchair. She is always alone. At times she will enter a shop if it is possible for the wheelchair, and she conducts herself quietly and with dignity. What, I wondered, was her story?

Finally, I noticed that she was sitting at a table at a bar having a quiet cup of coffee, so I got up my nerve and spoke to her and asked if I could join her. She was somewhat taken aback by having a black man addressing her and asking to sit at her table. It was probably because she was so stuck for words that she nodded her head in the right way to note agreement, although she may have meant the opposite.

Thus began a conversation that took place more than a year ago, that so captivated me and moved me to the core, that I have simply held it within myself, and thought about it over and over again.

She is a married woman with children, who is sentenced to a wheelchair for the rest of her life because of a young man who drove his car at top speed while drunk.  Her husband recovered completely from his injuries, but she, and the boy driver are confined to wheelchairs until they die. Lately, we have been seeing groups of young people getting together for drinking parties where the idea is to simply get legless. The problem arises when many of these same people get in their cars to drive some place else.

It is such people to whom I am directing my comments.

First, I must confess, with eternal shame, that I have driven my car while under the influence of alcohol. I can only say that I was very lucky not to have caused anyone any harm, or even death. But, that was sheergood luck, because there was absolutely nothing that I did to avoid such an incident.

Many years later, my wife and I came within a hare's breath of ending up as victims of a driver who was reckless. That may have been Karma saying, "what goes around, comes around."

The lady told me of her suffering and described what a typical day is like for her. She admits that she very rarely has a conversation with people because she has a reputation for being stand-offish, simply because she is still learning to live with her life sentence. People passing our table looked on in great curiousity because they never saw her in the company of anyone simply chatting. That she was doing so in the company of a black man was of real interest.

I have seen her several times since when she is always on the move. We speak pleasently and have a very short chat, but the memories come flooding back to remind me that she needs help with everything. She only has her mobility and independence when she is in her motorized chair. She does have something of a life with her husband and her children, but always shared from her chair. All because a young driver had the very bad luck to slam into she and her husband while he was deliberately out of control.

At least the young man is experienceing something similar to her own agony, but I sensed that is very cold comfort. So, I appeal to my readers to think responsibily before operating a vehicle. Tell yourself that you must be free from any influence that will diminish your capabilities. Wait until you arrive home to have a drink. This is as much for your benefit as the general public's.

You know that this advice is good! You know that I am right in what I say! I'm sure you have no quarrel with it, but when you are under pressure with your friends the test will come. The interesting thing is that since I have been disavowing alcohol if I have to drive, not one person has lately tried to convince me to do otherwise. Bartenders say they don't blame me; my wife encourages me, and my friends will not give me a drink if I ask for it. They key is to not drink and drive. If you end up drinking, simply sleep it off in a hotel, or even in the car. Do whatever it takes to avoid starting up your car.

I don't have anybody's injuries or death on my concience, and I thank God that is so, because if it were otherwise, I simply don't know how I could cope. One more thing: the lady is only 45 years of age. The young man is even younger.

Copyright (c)   2012   Eugene Carmichael 

For Whom the Toll Bills

No one is happy to enter through these portals

I drove to Barcelona a very long time ago, and because I encountered so many Toll roads I swore I would never do that again, To me, the authorities had taken the place of the highwayman robber to relieve the traveller of his money.  It seemed that every minor district was determined to extract their little bit of tax. Subsequently, I have always taken the train, except the last trip we took, we went by car because I was assured that if I stuck to the N-roads I would avoid all tolls.

As it happened, we decided to take the AP-7, and to accept the toll until we got to Tarrogona. The charge was 23.95 euros to that point. We then went on the N-340 until Barcelona, and we turned off to get to Alella, where we were hit by a toll of 35 cents each way. We drove all the way back to Valencia using only the national roads, and so never had another toll.

However, people who have to use the roads in the Catalan and Valencia regions every day have had enough. As fed up as I am of being nickel and dimed to death on the toll roads, it never occurred to me to mount any kind of protest. I am ever so polite while handing over my money, but now there is a group who are not having it any more. On certain selected times they will mount a no-payment protest that works like this: You enter a toll road and take the ticket that opens the barrier, but at the exit you simply tell the money taker that you are not going to pay. He/she stares at you and you stare back. They then come around and take down your plate number, while the cars that are forming a long line behind blow their horns. The operator then gives you a green light and you are free to go.

They say that you will receive a fine in the post, but you might decide not to pay it. This is where things get a little grey. The operator will have asked to see you driver's ID, but you will have refused to show it, so whether it was you driving the car or not cannot be proved, unless they start taking your pictures.

I believe that it was the construction company that laid the road who provided the funding for it, and in exchange it is they who have the concession to receive the toll charges  for a specific period of time to recoup their investment. However, I also thought that funding for road maintenance and new road construction was in-built into the price of fuel, but I may be wrong.

As drivers, we know that the roads that we use have to be paid for. What we are asking is for a system that is fair to those who have to be compensated while at the same time not being overly oppressive to us.

Is that too much to ask for?

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael

The Big Drive Photo Gallery

I now know what I will be working for!

OooooooooooH! Dat vas nice!

This is mine! No, mother, it's mine!

Damn!   That was good!!!!!!!!!

Here are some more pictures that capture the spirit of the day.  The looks on their faces says it all.

 Hope you enjoy!

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene Carmichael

A Fabulous Sunday Drive

Here she goes!

Today, Sunday 13th May, 2012 was a day for a very special drive for my wife, Lorna, and our son, Nathaniel. For what I am assured was a sum of money very well spent, they each took a drive in a Ferrari 360 Spider, and a Porsche 911 Carrera.  The day could not have been more perfect, and they were both looking forward to the event.  They signed up with HCC Sports Car Madrid, who was actually located in Barcelona, and who came down to Valencia to take out the excited drivers.

My wife set off in the Ferrari, with the top down, and my son was in the Porsche, although they left with my son in the lead. It was thought that she would slow him down, but she gave a good accounting of herself. She refused to be intimidated by the big Leaping Horse. Good on her! Midway through their forty kilometre journey they traded places, so she came back in the Porsche.

The Ferrari 360 Spider has a 400 bhp V8 engine, that is mid-mounted, and can get you from standing still to 60 in 4.5 seconds. That is some serious G-forces. It has a six speed gearbox and can cruise around 300 km/h, though she didn't test that out as they drove along normal roads. The original cost of the car was $162,000, but if you can afford that you won't be too daunted by the 11 miles per gallon you get on the highway.

The Porsche is a name that has such cache that it is almost like saying "Private Property". Most of we normal mortals will never get to sit in a Porsche or a Ferrari, let alone to be the one to actually push the starter button and release the clutch. My son, the male model looked as though he was on a job with his flash sunglasses. That car, which is very light on its feet can take you from sitting still to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Better be sure you are on a straightaway the length of an airfield, as you are good to liftoff. The top speed is the same as the Ferrari, at 300 km/h. This means that both of these cars are Formula One worthy.

Interestingly, both cars feature a dancing horse as its logo, or part of the logo. This is because of the affiliation with the city of Stuttgart, Germany, and its Coat of Arms.

There was also a third car available. A bright yellow Lamborghini just sitting there waiting for me to step into it. The problem is that at my age and weight, once I stepped into it, that would be followed by the great drama of trying to extract me from it.

I think I will lose some weight before giving it a try. Meanwhile, I will have to be satisfied with driving my own Jaguar.

Visit http://www.hccsportscars.com/

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene Carmichael

Lessons Learned

My Black Beauty

I have written in this column about my experiences with Spain's police. I have said that I regard the police here as some of the most professional in the world. I have had no really serious encounters with any of the branches, mostly things like document checks, for which anyone might be stopped. In contrast to the police in the United States of America, who seem to take a great delight in stopping to harrass black successful men, here I have been treated with respect, and I have given respect.

It hasn't been the fact that I have been stopped, it has been all about what happens when I am stopped. I am a black man in Spain, and working against me is the image that so many people have of blacks arriving in small boats without documents or money. Therefore, it seems out of place that a black man could go about his business in peace and confidence. It has taken a learning curve to realise that some of us arrived by airplane, fully documented, as retired independent people.

My latest experience happened as I drove up to a document checkpoint. An officer walked across to my left hand side, from where he would address me, and waited until I arrived at the stop sign at the crossroad. He took one look at me, sitting on the right side; one look at the sticker on my windshield, and then he looked up at the sky as though to say the following: "I know that you are the only black man in Spain who drives a Jaguar XK6 Sovereign with the steering wheel on the right side; we all know that. I know that you are here legally, and that all your documentation is in order. We all know that! I also know that you are not a drug dealer, but in fact you are a retired person who, among other things were a member of The Police Advisory Board in your country, and as well, you were one of three members of The Permanent Police Tribunal, that dealth with matters of Police pay and conditions of service. We all know that because we asked the police in Bermuda to tell us about you.

I am not going to embarrass myself by getting excited that I may have a major arrest here, because that is not going to happen, as it has never happened. So, you are free to go about your business in peace."

Wonderful! It is just wonderful to live in a country and not be one of the usual suspects. That is not to say that I had problems in Bermuda, nor that the police in Bermuda are anything less than professional, because they do a heroic job, especially in these modern times of policing.

It is good to know that I have become known, but, of course that also means I must behave myself!

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael 

Our Beautiful Trashy Roads

Wanted: Green Drivers

Once in a precious while I get to be the passenger. It is such a joy when someone else does the driving, although as the passenger you always think your driver is crazy. However, as the passenger you get to look around you and you notice things that you just don't see when you are concentrating on traffic conditions. This is as it should be, so I get a treat when I can let my attention wander all around.

Recently my wife and I went for a fairly long drive to Barcelona and back to Valencia, and we took turns at the wheel. It was then that I noticed the dark side of Spanish resident's customs by throwing so much trash out of the windows of vehicles. If you look along the sides of the roads and in the grass and underbrush you will find bottles of every description, cans, enough plastic to cover the earth, metal, parts of garden furniture (?), half eaten bocadillos, plastic food containers, car parts, like bumpers where there had been an accident; plastic gloves, big and small plastic water bottles, which probably make up the major percentage of trash, and all sorts of other small items, including baby's diapers. You wouldn't want to get hit by one of those flying at you.

I have worked on roadside cleaning crews and found all of the above, as well as used condoms, lipstick, mobile phones, and a Gps system. If I had one I would throw it away as well, but not out of the window of my car. Along secondary country roads I have seen whole bags of household trash just dumped where it should not be; and old mattresses.

I was talking to a friend about this and he said that at least its a job for someone to clean up the trash. I suppose that's true, but what is really needed is respect for the environment. I was bought up on an island that sold itself to visitors as a tourist destination. We were encouraged to treat visitors to our island in the same way as though they were visiting our own homes. We kept a pleasant attitude, and we kept our country clean. Even now I put my pieces of paper and wrappers in my pocket and transfer them to the trash when I get home. I once followed another person's example by simply dropping a chocolate wrapper on the ground at the car racing circuit, and I felt so guilty I vowed I would not do that again.

We have only one world to live in, and our own environment is our own responsibility. If we make it dirty and clustered with garbage we can expect others to do the same thing. Should we lead by example by sorting our waste, and picking up after ourselves, we can expect others to do the same thing.

May I suggest that we equip our cars with a small garbage bag to place our waste in, and at the end of our journey we can then simply clean the car out, transferring the waste in the bag into the garbage can. That is a simple, feel good custom to follow. I know this to be true because it is my custom, and I feel very good to have a clean conscience about it.

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene Carmichael

Big Brother is Watching Us

A view from an overhead camera with a strong zoom lens

Be careful!

We have seen on television scenes from inside some cars that reveal what the driver was doing in addition to watching the road. We have seen people eating sandwiches, drinking beer, talking on their mobiles, trying to make sense of their GPS system, and we have even seen driver and passenger playing sexually with one another on the highway. I always wondered why the people didn't hear or see the helicopter, when it occurred to me that the images were from overhead cameras, not helicopters.

You are probably saying, oh! oh!, because we just don't think about the fact that those monitoring cameras are there and they see, and can follow the action in your car. That puts everything into a different context and will make a lot of us go, "Oh my Gawd!"

A small thing, but most of us commit the offence of not having both hands on the wheel other then when we are changing gears. The most frequent offence, Im sure is talking on the telephone. A call comes in, we look around us to see if the police are anywhere near us, and we pick up the phone, completely forgetting about the cameras. The DGT makes no effort to cover up their existance. Each pole with a camera has a yellow sticker with a picture of the camera at the height of a person. Alternate cameras focus on the front of the car, and others the back  of the car.

This is just a heads up to remind you that Big Brother is always watching us, and don't forget about the cameras up above, as well as those on the ground tracking our speed. Meanwhile, congratulations drivers for watching your speeds and saving ourselves a mountain of money as tickets for speeding have fallen by 50%.

Copyright (c) 2012    Eugene Carmichael

Mysteries of the Motorway

Road crashes. Stranger than Fiction

While travelling along the Autopista between Valencia and Barcelona we came upon one of those complete mysteries that happen from time to time. How they happen is beyond my ability to comprehend, and you may want to agree.

We encountered a car in the right-hand lane that had tipped forward just a few minutes before we came on the scene. It was a one-car crash, and the car was resting on its bonnet and the forward part of its roof. There were four people standing along the road waving all sorts of garments to get upcoming vehicles to slow down. We could only hope that meant that everybody was out of the car. No emergency vehicles had yet arrived, so those involved , and one or two cars that had pulled over to the side after the site were trying to manage the scene.

It seemed to me that the car had suddenly stopped so short that the backend flipped over its head and it landed they way it was resting. I'm sure there is a better and more rational explanation, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out.

Be careful when driving, its a jungle out there full of mysteries!

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael  

Politicians!

3-2-1 We have lift off!

I am now convinced that the world would be so much better off without politicians. These are the people whom we elected because somebody had to be chosen to do the job, but once we let them loose they seem to be only capable of making our lives worse than before.

A perfect case in point is that here in Spain a proposal is now on the table to raise the speed limit of the autovia and the autopista from 120kph. At the highest point in Spain's recorded death toll history on the highways, more than seven thousand people lost their lives in one single year.  From the time the points system was introduced the yearly death toll has been steadily dropping to below 1,500, which is still far too many. Complicit in just about all highway crashes is an element of too much speed, so it was a very good idea when the government lowered the limit to 110 kph. They said it was to lessen to need for fuel, but less fuel bought meant less tax revenue.

The thinking was that the government would claw back lost revenue in fines for speeding, but motorists frustrated that plan by driving slower, buying less fuel, and avoiding fines by driving within the limit. The government quickly changed its mind and the 120 kph was reinstated.

So now, they are talking about increasing the limit, presumably to 130 kph, just at the time when fuel prices have risen to the highest point at the pump that they have ever been. Perhaps its just me. I am searching for the logic in all this where there is no sensible logic at all. An increase in the speed limit, where a lot of people drive over the limit anyway, means an even faster movement of vehicles, and that will surely lead to an uptick in the number of crashes, and the death toll will most likely rise.

What the hell is wrong with these people? Is there a problem with a declining death rate? Are the people of Spain, for whom there is a declining inventory of jobs, to be culled to make our joblessness statistics look better?  Don't laugh, stranger thinking than that has come out of the Cortes.

Personally, I choose to ignore that lot and make my own rules. I drive at 100 kph whether the limit is 110, 120, or 130. I get to where I'm going in one hour, or part thereof, and as long as some nutcase doesn't slam into me, I promise not to slam into them, because I will have everything under control.

Amen!

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael

NATIONAL ROADS: DANGEREOUS BY DESIGN!

Be careful!

Spain's National Roads are those roads that served as major highways before the coming of the autovia and the autopista that now carry the major share of through traffic. The national roads now connect the many villages, and the two other types of roads are by-pass highways. National roads carry two-way traffic without a central barrier, except the centre painted line, and that's the problem.

When driving a long distance the driver can see for himself how the danger multiplies and the risk grows . Firstly, there are sections where the layout of the road is just plain confusing. While passing through El Campello in Alicante province along the N-332, it is very difficult to understand what the designer had in mind, so, if it's confusing to a moving driver, it is also helping to promote a crash.

Secondly, there are the drivers themselves, the ones who are a menace to society. They seem to have the idea that they are cool, and super good drivers. So they speed, overtake, zip in and out, and disappear in a cloud of smoke leaving a long line of drivers who have been shocked by his actions, and nearly driven into each other by his distractions.

These roads are toll-free, and that attracts a lot of traffic that is trying to keep costs down. As a result the opportunity to overtake safely is very much diminished, but that is no obstacle to the foolhardy. The result of that is there are so many head-on collisions in which dead people are hauled away to the morgue. It is all too common that innocent people lose their lives to a maniac in this manner. When I see people driving without responsibility I can only hope that there is a tree waiting for them, and only them to take them off the road.

Spain's death toll-rate is falling because so many of the lunatics have killed themselves, which is a good thing, but unfortunately they took other people with them.

Another contributing factor to head-on collisions is the fact that for many drivers they will have to make a left turn across incoming traffic in order to get to their destination. There is a lack of roundabouts that otherwise would encourage the driver to carry-on to one to make the turn that puts them on the other side and then to make their turn off the road from the right-hand lane. Making a left turn across the incoming lane is a very tricky operation. First you make certain that the traffic behind is not about to overtake you, then you check that there is nothing in the left lane before making the turn. What often goes wrong is that the driver does not check several times to make sure that the lane is clear, and in particular, that he fails to look for motorcycles. If you are looking for  cars and trucks you may completely miss the motorcycle.

National roads are certainly much more interesting, although much slower where the top speeds are 80kph. As modernisation takes place there are some stretches where the legal limit is now 120 kph which does make them more efficient in getting to your destination.

A special word of caution is appropriate about speed cameras and the many sections where it is necessary to reduce speed. I have come to agree with the reduce speed sections and generally make an effort to comply, because such zones do represent heightened areas of risk. I'm concerned about the speed cameras of course, but more importantly I would rather not crash into anyone. Instead I prefer to  do my part to make using the road as safe as possible. Whenever I pass a crash site the thought passes my mind that thousands drive pass that very position without incident, so why couldn't those two have done the same?

Yes, national roads are dangerous by design because of a variety of issues, but we drivers can help to reduce the danger by using common sense. There is no substitute for common sense which came free, and there is no restriction on when and how much we can use it.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael 

Radar Speed Traps

Don't Speed: Big Brother is Watching!

I fully accept that it is absolutely necessary to regulate the speed of the motoring public because there will always be those people who have shit where their brains were supposed to be, and they make it difficult and dangerous for everyone else. My question concerns the placing of speed cameras, and whether they are fair or foul?

The first thing you notice is that in spite of the signs that state that speed is being checked by radar, there are those people who plough on regardless at very high speeds. If the camera is doing its job they must be issuing speeding tickets by the millions. When I am on the road, I am such a slow poke that everybody passes me by anyway, but when I approach a radar warning sign I do check my speed and adjust accordingly. Usually the signs are placed where it is necessary to reduce from the maximum, but I have been noticing the following:

Radar machines placed along entry lanes onto the motorway that also serve as exit lanes. As such there will be a lower speed limit for exiting vehicles, but that will also govern entering vehicles.

Radar machines placed along stretches that allow 120 kph, but the machine is placed just before a sign that demands you slow down to 100. When you pass the machine you might be doing 120, but when you reach the 100kph sign you must be travelling at no more than 100. The distance between the two is too short to safely slow down. I think you are still within picture range.

Radar machines are faced to only be able to take a picture of the back end of the car, but who was driving? This can be a real problem when the family car is used by more than one driver, particularly because points can be lost from one's license. In France the camera faces the on-coming car.

Along stretches of road where there are several lanes, what if the speeding car is in the far left lane, or in the middle lane, but there are cars in every lane? Does the camera record the speed of the fastest car only?

You can record your own observations, and I am sure you will find a whole lot of situations that bring into question the integrity of whomever was responsible for placing the bloody things where they are.

Drive carefully, and at a reasonable speed.

Copyright (c)  2012   Eugene Carmichael



Celebration Time in Valencia

No place for machines!  Waiting for the Mascletá.

I am going to make this short and to the point. We are celebrating not one, but two major festivals that overlap one another, The festival of La Magdelena in Castellón de la Plana, and Las Fallas in Valencia City and the surrounding towns. the area is heaving with people who have travelled in to join the multitudes already here.

My one word of advice is to leave your car and bike as far away from the centre of activities. My other is a wish that you fully enjoy the celebrations that chase away Winter and usher in Springtime. For the time being we are forgetting our problems and its on with the show.

Enjoy!

Copyright (c) 2012  Eugene Carmichael

Gasoline and Diesal

We have come a long way from the days when only truckers and farm machinery used diesal. The diesal family car was a clunky thing that was also noisy as hell. Now, manufacturers are turning out diesal cars that are super quiet, and they start with the turn of the key. I know without doubt that my wife's diesal Seat runs much, much farther on a litre of diesal than my volvo does on a litre of gasoline, but how much farther I can't say without doing a test. Bit it is significant.

Diesal, by its very nature is cheaper to produce, and the cost at the pump is also lower than standard non-leaded gasoline. However, when some governments get involved and place crippling taxes on diesal, it can actually be more costly at the pump. For now, diesal is more economical here in Spain.

So why, in the name of all that's sensible, does an examination at ITV for a diesal car cost euros 65:00, and euros 51:00 for a gasoline powered seven seater?

I recall the time when diesal was promoted as a more friendly fuel, and new buyers were encouraged to take home a diesal. Buyers did that, and now we find that in some countries you pay more for the fuel and more for the annual examination.

I would suggest we not waste even a minute trying to understand the logic of that. There is no logic. Yes, they are a bunch of people with excrement for brains, but they are the government.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael

Motorcycle Trouble

A very roadworthy Honda Goldwing

March the First is the beginning of Valencia's month for Las Fallas. Everyday at 2pm there is a massive firework display in the central square outside of City Hall that is attended by thousands. They are there for the noise because during the day there are no beautiful coloured explosions. If you have never attended a Mascleta it is really something to experience. It doesn't last long, about five to seven minutes, but it is the most violent five to seven minutes you could ever hope to be involved in. Even serving soldiers have said that it puts real live fire in the battle arena in the shade.

Las Fallas culminates with monuments that are planted in the streets on the 15th, and they remain until the 19th, when they are simplly set on fire. Many of these monuments cost the equivalent of building a house.

The First of March is also traditionally the start of the Valencia police campaign to focus on motorcycles. There are check points set up exclusively for this purpose in various parts of the community to examine motorcycles with a fine tooth comb. Recently, the law has made motorcycles subject to the annual roadworthy examination, but not everybody has got into the swing of it. If you are found to be operating your bike without having renewed your bike's certificate you are fined euros 500, and depending on the state of the bike, it may be taken into the impound centre.

Strictly speaking, every vehicle that does not have a current certificate should be pulled off the road because no-one can know whether it is roadworthy, and if it is the cause of an accident chances are that the insurers may not want to pay out.

So, while everybody else will be having a fun time with fireworks, making as much noise as they can, you are reminded to attend to your bike's papers. 

Ride safely, Ride well, and wear a reflective jacket to be seen to be safe.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael

Driving Spain's EMT

Spain's EMT Bus-Right on Time!

They are so numerous that they are invisible. I'm talking about Spain's city buses, red in colour, very comfortable, and they squeeze in the most impossible spaces. For the passengers the sight of something big and red is welcomed. The system apparently works extremely well and is sent by God himself to deliver those who need to get from A to B within the city.

Here in Valencia the buses were the last thing for me to master. Moving into a new location is always confusing, and for me buses simply appeared from parts unknown, and they went onto places mysterious. However, there are clues to help the passenger. Each bus has a number, and they have two names, one shows the bus starting point and the other it's destination. I'm sure that if I look I will find that there is a complete route map for every bus. I have never made that search, instead I find the bus I need by observing which ones pass by the place I am, and deciding next time I will come by the number 49 bus, instead of making life so difficult.

Being the driver of such buses seems to assure him of continuous employment. They seem to made their work appear stress-free, but I'm certain that nothing could be farther from the truth. Firstly, they have bus lanes at their disposal, but bloody drivers of all sorts of vehicles insist on parking in their lanes, "just for a minute." I am under the impression that each bus carries a video camera and recorder that is turned over to the police who send out tickets to such offending vehicles for illegal parking.

The driver has to collect the fares, which is the easy part, then comes the hard part of navigating a very large vehicle through city traffic without crashing into anything, and without having to make sudden stops that would result in throwing his passengers around. He does all that while maintaining a courteous attitude and staying on schedule.

In my own country I have known some really great people who drove the bus, people who got joy from their routine by interacting with the passengers, even to the extent of stopping at people's homes or gates for them. For me, I would have to be one of those drivers, because otherwise the humdrum of crisscrossing the city day after day would drive me crazy.

I am a very infrequent passenger on Valencia's buses but I don't take the driver for granted because it is easy to see the stress that he copes with on behalf of we passengers. I for one appreciate it, and deem the bus drivers of Valencia as our unsung heroes.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael 

A World Upside Down

Stay Right side Up. The view is better

The past week I was driving along a straight and level road with two lanes in the same direction, when I came upon a car in the left lane that flipped and lay on its roof.  An ambulance was there, several police cars, and a tow truck. There was loads of glass in the road, but the driver and his passengers, if any were nowhere to be seen. The emergency personnel all seemed to be scratching their heads in trying to figure out how he managed to flip his car on an uncluttered street.

My question would be: "Why?"  Why did he flip his car? Many years ago while driving over in the vicinity of Torreviejo I came across a bridge and found a car that was flipped on its side with driver and passenger still inside and buckled in. I was the first person on the scene.  My first action was to  release them from their seat harness, which was very tricky, and to haul them out of the car.

I asked the driver what happened, and he said he didn't know. That he had been talking to his girlfriend and the next he knew was that the car was on its side. Since then I have conducted a little experiment with flipped vehicles. Most contained one or more passengers, and very few had only the drivers. My theory is that a failure to take due care and attention to the job at hand is the cause because of the distraction of talking to the person beside you.

Here's an experiment that you can conduct for yourself; preferably it should be off-road and in a field. While staring straight ahead turn your head to the right and focus on what happens to the hand that holds the steering wheel. The tendency is for the hand to follow the head, so that the driver who turns to look at his front seat passenger automatically drives the car into the ditch if he is not careful.

A driver alone who lights a cigarette experiences the same motion and ends up driving into trouble. Remember, your car will do what you tell it to, so be careful!

However, having said all that does not explain what happened in the story at the top of the page, because the car was on its roof in the left hand lane, with no suggestion that it was ever in the right side. So, how the hell do you flip your car when there is nothing around to trip you up?  I compare that to walking along and stumbling, but when you look around to see what tripped you up, there is nothing.  Very strange !!!

Copyright (c)  2012  Eugene  Carmichael

A St. Valentine's Day Fable

Once upon a time there was a man who fell deeply in love, not with a person, but with an inanimate object. He loved the object as dearly as he could ever love a person, and he pampered, and cared for the object with all his might.

That certainly sounds like a fable, but the reality is that men all over the world are guilty of having such love affairs with a variety of objects. There are those who love their fishing tackle; golf clubs; gardening tools; but I think that there are none so rabid about the objects of our love as car and motorcycle aficionados.

I am a member of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, a worldwide grouping of mostly, grown men, who go "ooh!" and "aah!" over the sight of a Jaguar model, especially if it is standing shiny and bright in the midday sun. Very occasionally I find myself admitting that our enthusiasm is over the top, but then I revert to form and go back to being a silly youngster about my ride.

In our club there are periodic meetings where we bring our much prized possessions to meet others of a like persuasion. We show our model off, and even if it is exactly like one hundred others there at the time, I don't think there is any jealousy. It's not like showing off our women, which we do as well, and we may even get a little envious on that subject, but with the cars we discuss problems and where to get parts, and even make deals to swap with one another. That is the cars, not the wives.

Why this should be something that interests predominently males is really quite beyond me. After all, women are free to buy Jaguars, and do so, but they just don't get the bug to swagger and show off something that anyone with the money can acquire. Women, however are smart enough to support their men in our infantile pursuit of pleasure of this sort. If the car is the other woman, at least she is one that the wife can control.

A reminder to all of my fellow Jaguar petrolheads that for St. Valentine's Day the order is, celebrate your wife first and your Jag takes second place. Now, repeat after me, "Wife first, Jag second!"  Bear that in mind and you should have a pleasent week. Get it wrong, and I wouldn't want to trade places with you.

Copyright (c) 2012   Eugene Carmichael