Christmas is Over

Christmas is Over … or traffic part 927

Ok, first off, I’d like to thank those fine friends that saw fit to involve me in their New Year’s celebration by calling to share in a somewhat massacred rendition of Rolf Harris’ Court of King Caractacus. It was probably one of the highlights of my new year. And of course, had I known there was a tiny little mute switch on the headset that I was using with skype (one that somehow had been switched to mute

I worked through the Christmas period this year in an effort to preserve some leave and be able to travel whilst we’re living over here on the other side of the world.

One of the nice things about having done that was that the commute to and from work was a breeze. I could leave later than normal and get to work earlier than normal and there were no traffic jams to be concerned about.

Monday of this week was the return to work for many people and so I knew that I wouldn’t quite get the same blissful drive that I’d been enjoying. Having said that, any sane person would have left a little earlier. But Monday is also usually a day of light traffic, so I didn’t panic, thinking that Tuesday would be the day when I’d really have to get moving early.

And to some extent I was right, because I got to the bottom of the hill and onto the highway without too many dramas. It was after that that the fun began, because for a long long time, we never really managed to get over about 20km/hour. I passed a car pulled up facing into the traffic on the verge and from the slide marks on the road, it clearly wasn’t an intentional move.

About half way to work as I drove along I was checking the mirror only to find the whole world quietly skewing. It was an unreal sensation to see the world start to turn in the wing mirror, but fortunately, being at low speed, I was able to look forward and steer out of trouble before it was more than just a minor correction. Which was better than at least one other person managed that morning as I passed another car in the ditch.

Yes, we’ve reached that point in time when driving in a straight line is no guarantee that you’ll stay on the road.

They call it black ice, even though it’s actually clear. A clear sheet of ice through which you see the road surface, but of course is as slippery as, well ice. This morning on the way to work it was again prevalent and as I eased my foot on the accelerator to keep pace with the traffic (moving up from all of 50km/hr) the back end started to go. There’s nothing much you can do other than stop accelerating and steer where you want to go. Made it safe to work which is always a nice result.

If nothing else, it keeps you alert. The first time I encountered it was back before Christmas. I was driving along at about 70km/hr (even the rednecks in their trucks seem smart enough to slow down in poor road conditions – though they’re never entirely successful. I was driving in a straight line, somewhat bored, listening to the radio, probably more relaxed than I needed to be when the back end suddenly shifted sideways. I was perfectly awake for the rest of the drive!