:: Driving me Crazy... ::

:: Tuesday, September 03, 2002 ::

I was right. My trip did generate something to write about.

It's a long time since I was last genuinely scared in a car but last night on the M42, just after the speed camera on the northbound section in the 50mph roadworks, I had my heart in my mouth. I was travelling at the limit. In my rear-view was a truck bearing down on me at what looked like 70mph. I honestly thought he was going to just drive straight over the top of me, maybe didn't even know I was there. After all, it's a pretty low car and there was nobody ahead of me. Maybe the driver thought he was on a clear road. This thing can't have been more than a foot off my rear bumper for about 15 seconds (so obviously he DID know I was there, otherwise I'd be writing from a hospital or a morgue). I admit I got nervous and accelerated to 60, just to get some distance. That gave the truck driver enough of a gap in the middle lane to cut up another car and get past mine.

I know I said I wouldn't post registration numbers but if I could remember it, I'd make an exception for this one. The driver is a dangerous lunatic in posession of a lethal weapon.

My thanks to the driver of the red Peugeot that had just been cut up; he pulled alongside, asked if I was OK, and made some disparaging gestures in the direction of the truck driver. All with hand-signals and lip-reading. Impressive stuff.
:: Gary 3.9.02 [+] ::
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