Road rage

I have been silent for the past 48 hours, perhaps because I have been busy rushing about on wheels. I borrowed V’s car to transport children to and from their school concerts and suddenly the world was much faster again. It was so convenient. And yet… How was it Coco and I were only just in time for school this morning? Surely we should have been there a good five or ten minutes earlier? No. My inherent inability to time anything, combined with infuriating traffic meant that we were running late. And it was stressful. 

True, it is no picnic when Coco and I are hurrying up the road on foot and in the rain, but at least I am not cursing the slowness of vehicles in front of me. Why is it that when the lights turn green, other cars are so slow to get into gear and move off, so that only two or three get through the lights before they change? If I’m at the front I am off and away. I mean, it is just so inconsiderate, Don’t these people know there are cars behind…And therein lies a good reason for my having a break from driving a car. Get me behind a wheel and my temper does not improve. Add to that the stress of cars that tailgate (had one of those this evening), the problem of parking, the fear of prangs (more so when one is driving a friend’s car), the cost of prangs (last year I was charged almost £300 by a garage for a couple of inches of paintwork that I scraped off someone else’s car - by accident of course) and stalling at the traffic lights and driving is really a bit of a health hazard.

Think I am neurotic? I don’t think I am alone. According to the New England Journal of Medicine (October 21, 2004), via Chris Balish (I can’t afford to download the actual paper at the moment) sitting in traffic nearly triples the risk of suffering a heart attack a short while later. Of course, before you all start worrying and your blood pressure shoots up at this statement, the risk is pretty slim to start with. Nevertheless, sitting in traffic (breathing in fumes as pollution inside the car is worse than outside) is clearly not doing us the world of good.

But having the car today was so useful. Lexy, Ted and I didn’t have to walk home from the concert in the dark, lugging large viola cases. I gave my friend’s grandson a lift to school after he had missed the bus this morning. And if I hadn’t already chucked them, I could have taken all those Tetra paks down to the recycling spot.

Did the pros outweigh the cons? I will have to think on that.

Incidentally, I rather liked this sentiment that I found on the website www.spike.com - "Road rage is part of human nature. If you spend enough time every day in your car, inevitably some jackass will pull a stunt that just defies all logic and regard for the motorists around them. Once you’ve experienced this enough times, you’re bound to lose it sooner or later. So when you end up going off the deep end, you might as well have a kickass soundtrack to compliment the fury." The writer (who apparently did not "represent the opinions of Spike TV or its affiliates", in case someone sued I guess), then listed a choice of ten songs. It reminded me of another disadvantage to not driving. I can't try out new CDs so easily. I must get round to doing a new walking playlist for my iPod. But somehow, Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers won't sound as good on foot.