Miles and miles
My car went onto 45,000 miles this morning - not bad considering it's only 13 months old. Although it's probably fair to say that 5,000 of those miles have been done by B since passing his test 10 days ago ("Just going for a drive...")
I have just calculated that since working here, I have travelled well over a quarter of a million miles up and down the M6, spent around 6,000 hours sitting in my car, and filled up with nearly 9,000 gallons of petrol.
This morning was a good example of a typically horrible journey to work. I joined the M6 at J18 at 5.25am. It was pitch black, pouring with rain and nose to tail with lorries. Just getting onto the motorway is dicing with death. I could see the overhead gantry flashing a warning in the distance. This Driver Information System appeared with much fanfare about two years ago, and usually has such vital displays as "Don't Drive Tired", "Make Time for a Break" and "Spray - Slow Down". It's not always easy to read the last one through the spray though. I've never seen "Rita from Rochdale Will You Marry Me", but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. However, this morning it was grimly advising that the motorway was shut at Junction 33. Not a problem for me since I leave at Junction 32, hooray. I aquaplaned happily onwards.
Thelwall Viaduct reopened four weeks ago, having been shut since October 2001. This is a double-edged sword, as it simply means that the Highways Agency is now able to start all the other roadworks that have been put on hold for the last three years. Already, I have two lots of narrow lanes and cones on my journey to work, with at least four other yellow signs at various locations brightly advising me that Road Works Start Here on 7th March, Long Delays Expected. I'm hoping that the delays will be to the start of the roadworks, so they don't start till after I've gone.
I thought I might video my journey to work one morning. Then, if I ever forget how the journey was, I will be able to relive the experience whenever I like. But somehow, I can't imagine that I'll be in any hurry to clock up 75 virtual miles on the M6 - even from 6,000 miles away.
I have just calculated that since working here, I have travelled well over a quarter of a million miles up and down the M6, spent around 6,000 hours sitting in my car, and filled up with nearly 9,000 gallons of petrol.
This morning was a good example of a typically horrible journey to work. I joined the M6 at J18 at 5.25am. It was pitch black, pouring with rain and nose to tail with lorries. Just getting onto the motorway is dicing with death. I could see the overhead gantry flashing a warning in the distance. This Driver Information System appeared with much fanfare about two years ago, and usually has such vital displays as "Don't Drive Tired", "Make Time for a Break" and "Spray - Slow Down". It's not always easy to read the last one through the spray though. I've never seen "Rita from Rochdale Will You Marry Me", but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. However, this morning it was grimly advising that the motorway was shut at Junction 33. Not a problem for me since I leave at Junction 32, hooray. I aquaplaned happily onwards.
Thelwall Viaduct reopened four weeks ago, having been shut since October 2001. This is a double-edged sword, as it simply means that the Highways Agency is now able to start all the other roadworks that have been put on hold for the last three years. Already, I have two lots of narrow lanes and cones on my journey to work, with at least four other yellow signs at various locations brightly advising me that Road Works Start Here on 7th March, Long Delays Expected. I'm hoping that the delays will be to the start of the roadworks, so they don't start till after I've gone.
I thought I might video my journey to work one morning. Then, if I ever forget how the journey was, I will be able to relive the experience whenever I like. But somehow, I can't imagine that I'll be in any hurry to clock up 75 virtual miles on the M6 - even from 6,000 miles away.
posted by Linda at 12:40 PM
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