Road Safety Week in the Alpes-Maritimes.
When I’m angry I’m not a pretty sight: my face swells and turns crimson and I gibber….it’s pathetic so I don’t do it very often. This morning, however….
Picture this: it’s 7.45am and there’s a fairish amount of traffic on the road me included, most doing the school run by the looks of it. I’m tucked in behind an old Peugeot 205, with a woman driver and a child in the front seat and we’re all happily tootling along respecting the speed limit…. then the 205 stops in front of me….and slowly wobbles left across the road into a side turning.
No indication, not even a wave: “sorry about that my indicator’s not working”.
Now I'm not a total stranger to this kind of behaviour so I don’t drive all cosy-cosy up to the car in front. I stopped, no problem. The guy behind, though, was a touch more sociable so when I braked he almost cannoned into my boot while his passenger, a child not wearing a seat belt (of course it’s against the law), banged her head on the windscreen. Then as a man we all sat on our horns for a minute which sorted out all that freeflowing adrenaline.
And the driver of the Peugeot 205? It’s difficult to indicate or steer when your mobile phone’s in one hand and you’ve got a cigarette in the other....
I guess she can’t have caught the news about it being road safety week.
Dear God above…..
10 comments:
Well, I'm glad to find that America isn't the only place with extremely bad drivers. :) I'm also glad you didn't get hit; that would've made your day go downhill pretty quick, I'd say.
I used to observe horrifying road behavior daily driving to work on the N88 to Rodez. Now it's only about once a week or even less. I still see things that make me cringe, and fear for my daughters when they will learn to drive, but in general I think things are getting better.
Some people will never learn. Shameful, especially with children in tow.
What upsets the most is seeing kids without seatbelts. Evertime I keep thinking that if you don't cause an accident youself, others might! Is it not better to have the seatbelt on... the usual "better safe than sorry" ??!
Yesterday I almost got run over in a crosswalk by the...police municipale. He was talking on his cell phone while driving, what a great example he was setting! The way he was laughing on the phone led me to believe it was probably a personal call, too, not business.
So where's the lavender? I'm glad you figured out how to change the color, but I would suggest saving your template program somewhere in case you ever have a problem. I wish I had, I screwed up one blog template so bad I had to start over.
Dear Amber,
Sorry to leave a reply to your comment on my blog here, but I tried to email you a reply directly & it bounced back!
Thank you for the kind message. I had not considered hypnotherapy, but will definitely look in to that ... I really hope to avoid having a fourth surgery ... but, I started filling out the pre-operative paperwork (just in case). I worry that I'm giving up, or maybe I'm just being realistic, having been through this before? Clearly, I'm conflicted!
I'm really enjoying your blog! I've been a bit of a francophile since my early teenage years (which, at 40 now, seem a long time ago!) My husband and I went to Paris three years ago, but didn't venture too far from the city. I do hope, in future travels, that we explore more of the country. How long have you been living there?
Thanks again for the note, my dear!
Much peace and love to you,
Deborah
hello Angela, I'm doing as you said, not simply reading and running, but leaving a message. I liked your little story. Even the everyday things have a certain amount of humor and I always appreciate a good story :)
have a fantastic weekend...do something for just you :)
sending warmth
xo Darlene
ahhh ... I generally don't regret having gotten rid of my car and living a real "road safety" week, year, decade .... Sometimes, though, this is difficult, live during the trip to Barcelona that I discuss on my blog -- http://cyberfrance.blogspot.com.
I can't imagine driving where you live during the summer -- the whole Riviera becomes a traffic jam!
Angela
I've emailed you twice but messages are being returned - address unknown. Please will you write again - perhaps you have a second email address?
jilly@pensionmilou.com
http://life-with-dogs.blogspot.com/
ah...life on the roads of France. When we lived there we didn't have a car, but just being pietons was adventure enough! However, I do have to claim bragging rights--Mauritanian drivers win! Here, if there's a long line at the red light, why should you wait? You are important. Just drive up into oncoming traffic and cut in front of the line, creating a totally unnecessary traffic jam. If someone questions you, yell at them--it's prob their fault anyway!
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