In On Time
Posted: Mon 23 June, 2008 Filed under: Driving, Travel, Weirdness 6 Comments »I forgot to post (due to spending time sorting out and cleaning up the PC I’ve been given for this assignment, so it now runs slightly quicker than the average tortoise) but I got in to the new contract on-time.
Not, however, for want of trying on the part of other road users. It just seems to have been one of those days where simple tasks like merging or changing lanes became a bit of a challenge for people, which led to one part of the journey taking nearly half an hour longer than it should have done.
The prime example of this was the section of the A11 that goes from dual-carriageway to single just after a roundabout. For some reason this morning it was block-full of bell-ends who couldn’t merge lanes. The queue went for a mile, then round the roundabout (exceptionally dodgy) and into the lane merge section. Once you’d got through that, it was plain sailing the rest of the way through the single-carriageway section, and the delay was just caused by fuckwit bastards who couldn’t cope with merging lanes. Unsurprisingly, the word “cunt” sprang forth from my lips on a couple of occasions.
The A14 and M11 were no better – on both, the outside lane came to emergency stops a couple of times for no good reason except people being incapable of the necessary multi-tasking required for a) indicating and b) changing lane.
But all told, I’d timed it so that the journey got me in to the office for 9:02am. Which wasn’t bad, considering the state of the driving that was going on around me…
Joining the Carriageway
Posted: Thu 5 June, 2008 Filed under: Driving 2 Comments »This is another of those posts I’ve been mentally churning over for a while.
On my commute to the most recent contract, there’s a point where you join the A47 directly off a roundabout. The slip road is dual-carriageway (allbeit without a marked centre-line, but you can definitely get two cars abreast up it) and when you get to the main dual-carriageway the access channel is remarkably short, usually resulting in multiple vehicles trying to get on at once.
With doing this piece of road every day, I’ve ended up knowing what will happen, and cutting across the chevronned area to get on to the main dual carriageway. So far as I can tell, in this instance it’s actually OK to do that – because the white lines either side of the chevrons are dashes, rather than a solid line.
According to the Highway Code,
- If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so
- If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency
©Crown copyright
So according to that first point, I’m OK to use the area – it’s safe to do so, and actually makes things safer for other people joining the carriageway from the same sliproad.
But would you do it?
Travelling (Day Two)
Posted: Sat 31 May, 2008 Filed under: Domestic, Driving, Travel Leave a comment »So after yesterday’s 360+ mile drive from Norfolk to Wales, we’re now on Day Two – the two hour ferry crossing from Wales to Rosslare on a vomit-comet ship, and then the further 180ish miles over to County Kerry.
By the time we get there, my arse should be just about moulded to the shape of the seat in the Mondeo.
I just hope it’ll be worth it. I’m sure it will – but right now, well, let’s just hope.
All Fixed – Additional
Posted: Tue 27 May, 2008 Filed under: Driving Leave a comment »So yes, all was well on the first drive of any note since getting everything done on the car.
A piss-poor day (Rain all the way) but the drive was fine. It even seems to have now sorted out the minor judder that was happening at about 60mph – always a bonus.
There’ll be at least another 200 miles added on in the next couple of days before we go off on our cross-country and cross-Irish-Sea jaunt, which should at least make sure everything’s bedded in OK for the journey.
So now I just need to find some time in which to pack and make sure I’ve got everything I/we need for the week…
All Fixed
Posted: Sun 25 May, 2008 Filed under: Domestic, Driving 1 Comment »The car was finally sorted on Friday, and I collected it Friday evening.
It also needed two new tyres, which got done yesterday along with getting the tracking sorted at the same time.
All told, the car’s cost me about £1,000 in the last week – although admittedly £550ish of that was down to me having hit the deer, and the repairs from that. So it could have been worse, but well – I could’ve done without those extra costs, as you can imagine.
But still, at least we know everything is sorted now for when we drive to Ireland on Friday/Saturday this week, which is quite reassuring.
Ongoing
Posted: Fri 23 May, 2008 Filed under: Customer Services, Driving 3 Comments »Well, yesterday’s trip to the body shop didn’t go so well.
In fact, from what I could tell, they did fuck all. The Ford garage had to go over and collect the car, in order to get it serviced – and that went fine. They then took it back to the bodyshop (next door) for the work to finish and for me to collect it at half five.
Only when I got there at half five, suddenly it had become a two-day job. I’m not sure how – the guy who gave us the estimate definitely said it would be able to be done in one day, and when I booked it in nothing was said about it being two day’s work – but there it was. Two days, not one.
Oh, I could take it home, and they’d book it in for the work to be finished another day. Only when they got the car out for me to collect, the old bumper and wheel arch were still there, and it certainly looked (to my admittedly non-bodyshop eyes) like absolutely fuck-all had been done. At which point I went slightly orbital. The reason it was in yesterday was so that everything happened before we go off next Friday to Ireland. Also, it meant that the bodyshop hadn’t had to find me a courtesy car for the day, as I’d organised one from the Ford place. They’d done fuck all, and it was now a two-day job instead of one. In short, they were taking the piss.
So the car’s still in the bodyshop, and they’re supposed to be doing the work today. And I’ve been lumbered with a shitty Toyota Yaris as a courtesy car. It’s an utter heap of crap – I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole usually – but there we go, at least it means I’m OK for getting to and from work today. (and, of course, getting home last night)
I’ll be in there again at half five tonight, seeing what they try to over-charge me for this now. Should be fun.
In The Garage
Posted: Thu 22 May, 2008 Filed under: Animals, Driving, Travel Leave a comment »So today, the car’s getting (yet more) work done on it.
Firstly (actually secondly if we look at the order of work, but well) it’s time for the annual service. I’ve just hit the 80,000 mile mark, so that’s pretty much spot on for getting it booked in and sorted. Besides, I’m happier to have it serviced before we add on another couple of thousand miles taking it to and from Ireland in June.
Secondly (Yeah, firstly in order of work. Blah Blah.) I need to get some bodywork done on the thing, haven’t clattered another deer a couple of weeks ago. Stupid thing had a clear road for a couple of miles in front of me, then my car and the one that was tailgating me, then another couple of miles of clear road. So when did it decide to run out from the nearside? Just as I came up to it, of course. Stupid fucking creature.
So it bounced under the front bumper, and up into the front wheel-arch, dislodging various things and smacking the crap out of the front bumper. Result? The car needs new front bumper, new wheel-arch liner, some pipework readjusting (turns out the air-con cylinder is also on that side of the car) and about £600 of work on it. Bugger.
Still, it could’ve been much worse. If the deer had been much bigger it would’ve done far more damage. If it had hit dead-centre, it would’ve done far more damage. Of course, if the cretinous thing had waited twenty seconds, it would’ve had a clear road and wouldn’t be dead. That’s Darwinism for you.
But anyway, it means the car’s in a couple of garages (fortuitously one right next to the other) for the day, which means I’m in a courtesy car. And what’ve they given me, bearing in mind I’m 6’4ish and built like a brick shithouse? A fucking Ford Fiesta, of course. In which I’ll be doing my normal commute to and from work. Should be good for a few comedy moments, if nothing else…