Drive Time

First of all i would like to draw your and everyone elses attention to the new petrol tax headed our way. Lucky us.

Driving for some is either fun, frightening or a chore. You either do it because you enjoy it, because you have to or because if you didn't you would spend even more time in traffic. Viewing it from the chewing gum ridden seats of one public transport vehicle or another. That is of course presuming said vehicle actually turns up in the first place. A few people I know choose not to drive mainly because they have realised the truth.... they aren't any good at it and would be a hazard and a danger to other road users. I admire their candour.

Unlike other road users with whom I regard as enemies (don't we all) I am usually pretty easy going but have a bit of a 'patience breakdown' when people start exhibiting symptoms like these:


The Speed Freak: Actually the opposite of the fast moving-suped-up-corsa-driving 19 year old you would expect. These types actually adhere to the speed limit as tenaciously as a pious man attends mass in 15th century Rome. This is mainly annoying when coming out of a 60 mph area and into a built up 30 mph area. As the speed freak will ensure they are already doing 30 well in advance of the streetlight addled, signposted area. Then usually end up doing 27 anyway... Just to be safe.

The Lane Changer: Usually associated with what used to be termed 'BMW drivers' now spreading to the general populous. Those who in short fits of pre-emptive psychic visions are convinced one lane of a traffic jam will move quicker than another and will continually 'swap lanes' in a typical 'grass is greener' fashion all the way through Streatham, Brixton or other similar highly congested area. The lane changer will rarely use their indicators instead will presume you also possess advanced psychic powers and are watching their every move because they are clearly smarter drivers than you and must be doing something so clever that you should allow them in and then follow them, because they are right. Instead do your utmost to be patient and try and get ahead of them so you can demonstrate how an indicator works by cutting them up and timing the traffic lights as such so you leave them stranded there next time they change.

The Tailgater: Quite obviously insecure and probably not hugged enough as a child the tailgater, having detachment issues finds it necessary to examine your rear bumper as close as is humanly possible. While at the same time remaining in a low gear to enable them to stop quicker, lest your slow down and accelerate quicker so they can be close once again.

The Rich Tosser: This label applies to anyone, whether it be in a new Jaguar, a BMW X5 or some other spangly new fangled contraption. Of course this isn't a general rule as some people who buy these cars do it because they like them and it represents the ultimate evolution of machine (personal to them) as a 'driving experience'..... the rest of them are 'tossers'. Notice how most have absolutely no clue how to drive their ostentatious money flaunting machine and less of an inkling of how wide said vehicle is. British roads, as we all know, were not built at the time of the automobile and with space at a premium haven't really got much wider in the later years. People who spend that much money on a car should at least know how to drive the damn thing instead of just sitting behind a parked car on the side of the road waiting for oncoming traffic to let them by. Even though you could get a John Deere tractor through the gap that's ahead of them.


To be honest, it's us fools who live in the south-east that are the main culprits for driving idiocy. I'm originally from 'up north' and as such my parents have brought me up in a down to earth friendly geordie kind of way.

Try it for yourself sometime, simply get in your car when you've got time off and drive up to Scotland. After you pass Preston on the west or Newcastle on the right things start to slow down. Except for white van men (that's understood though, they have a reputation to uphold) it's almost as if people are using their cars for enjoyment, a real Sunday drive attitude everyday of the week. I don't understand why we have all got ourselves in a god-awful rush. Life is pretty long and would be a lot sweeter if things were left to grow organically, deadlines weren't so unrealistic and people planted roses and helped them grow, not just stop by to smell them once in a while.

So slow down, not only would it increase your chances of not becoming a statistic. You would arrive to work only slightly less cross because the traffic my friend..... Will always be with you.