Confusion Reigns

There’s something about wet weather that drives people crazy.

Or rather I should say- in wet weather, people drive crazy.

The experts suggest we slow the speed down by about 10kph during precipitation. And leave a little more space in between you and the vehicle in front, to allow for sliding when stopping.

Yeah, right.

I’m beginning to think it wouldn’t hurt if the experts proposed that some drivers leave the car at home altogether on rainy days! It’d certainly make life a whole lot safer for the rest of us road users- if not a little less interesting.

OK, so in some parts of the country this drought has lasted a long time. But surely even those living in the driest areas have had a chance to maneuver a motor vehicle under grey skies. One would think not, given the examples of not-so-precision driving witnessed during periods of precipitation.

Even the roadside assist guys will tell you there’s a lot more call outs for dings, bangs, and bingles…not to mention flat batteries as people turn their lights on then forget to turn them off again once they reach their destination. Well, duh.

Seriously, if you want to catch idiots in action, just add water.

I don't know about you, but I’ve seen cars fishtailing round corners, some sliding into parked cars or fences, stopping on the wrong side of the red light, even swerving onto the other side of the road to avoid puddles, for goodness sake (it’s not like your car isn’t getting wet already)!

And just last week my Beloved narrowly missed becoming a hood ornament for some bloke driving with his high beams on in the mist (and apparently still couldn’t see where he was going)!

Oh and hands up who else has seen people totally forget basic road rules like how to give way at intersections when it rains?

Yep, they either cut someone else off in a bid to beat traffic, or sit so long it’s as if they want the road clear from here to Hobart before they venture out. I got caught behind some lady in a 4 wheel drive for almost 10 minutes yesterday while she waited for a gap in the traffic that a semi trailer could’ve fit through! I felt like going up and tapping on her window to see if she was having trouble finding first gear…but I didn’t think she’d appreciate my roadside assistance.

But the strangest episode of wet weather weirdness behind the wheel I’ve ever witnessed was when a woman backed out of her spot in the car park at the local shops, totally misjudged the size of her car in relation to the size of the car park, and ripped off her entire front bumper and half the driver side panel as well. It was a brand new 4WD too. Then she stood there doing the 'dance of the damaged car' until I could no longer see her in my rearview mirror. (You know the one- jump out of the car, race to the front, clap your hands over your mouth then on either side of your head, shake it all about a few times, and pace back and forth as you try to decide what to do next.)

At the risk of sounding sexist (as I am a female driver too), I could only hope that she has an understanding husband, or a good panel beater, or even better- both. And hope that she catches a bus next time it rains.

Yep, there’s just something about the wet weather that causes stupidity to flood the population at large. And with more cloudy days on the way according to the forecast, the footpath is perhaps the safest place to be.

Because, to paraphrase Eliza Doolittle: it’s plain that rain washes brains down the drain.

Jx
©2009

Life's an adventure...?

Seems I've got a theme going here, and the last couple of days tie in nicely. The difference between being a kid and being an adult, I mean.

As much as I don't like to use those words- my son is sick. He has Juvenile Arthritis, has had since he was but a wee bub. It sure adds a rollercoaster dimension to the whole family life thing.

Long story short-ish: he had to have his tonsils/adenoids out due to repeated infection due to being immunosuppressed due to JIA. He had to go off most of his medications prior to the surgery to reduce post-operative risks. As expected, he flared up in a number of joints. His right wrist has not recovered. But at least he can walk again! Yay!

So, after weeks of being unable to care for himself as best a 6 y.o. can (eating, dressing, even toileting) and after many 'phone calls trying to get someone to look at him again (including a bum-steer by a GP who admitted she didn't know anything about juvenile arthritis and sent him for an x-ray suspecting another fracture) we were called by the Paed Rheumy to get to Sydney as quick as we could. (Normally, just an hour and half's trip south.)

Now the fun part really begins!

I had to leave work (casual, because I can't do fulltime due to the extent of care needed) dash home, get the kids ready, and 'convince' them to go. My Beloved didn't come because he was on night shift and needed sleep. We head down the ol' F3 freeway and en route hear of a fatal truck accident blocking the other side of the road. My son's first words were "I bet he's someone's daddy." (My hubby drives trucks.) Such wisdom in one so young.

Anyway, half an hour ahead of the emergency appointment and just 19.7 km (according to my trusty TomTom) from our destination, my car loses power and I do some precision driving to weave through the traffic to get it to the verge- nowhere near an emergency phone, and barely enough room alongside the rockface to pull over (scary stuff).

The kids are wondering why I've stopped there, but are still content at that stage to watch their DVD player (thank God for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®).

After waiting nearly an hour for a tow truck, we got the rudest, most chauvinistic (and I'm sorry to say this: the ugliest) driver in the known universe. I won't go into all the details here, but I'm sure ladies would appreciate comments like "Shouldn'a done a trip with no fuel in the car" (that wasn't the problem actually) and "You can wear the ticket if ya get one", and the ever-so-thoughtful "What's wrong with your kid?" I can only say, I'm sure the man's mother loves him.

After being told my son's got to go back into hospital again, :-( we wait another half hour for the roadside assistance guy to get the car started again. Thankfully, he was lovely!

OK, so now it's late, getting dark, starting to rain, the F3 northbound is still blocked for hours, and I have a dodgy car. We arrange emergency accommodation and make the trip home 24 hours after we left, in heavy traffic, in the rain, driving very cautiously in case the car breaks down again.

So for the kids: what an adventure- they got a ride in a tow truck, got plenty of DVD time, got snake lollies from the doctor and funky new toothbrushes from the hospital, slept in 'motel' beds, AND had Maccas not only for dinner but for breakfast too!! Awesome!!!

The grown-up, on the other hand, needed an aspirin and a nice lie down.

Jx
©2009