Madrid Teacher

I visited many places in the UK this summer as part of my interest in my family tree. My father did the driving as I am afraid I have become acustomed to drving in Spain and tend to find that every unmarked junction in the UK causes massive palpatations in my chest not remembering which way to turn. I was shocked by the amount of speed cameras in the roads. At the V festival in Chelmsford they had placed a very crafty one , the road drops from 50 to 30 and then a speed camera is situated just at the corner, out ancestors must have been guarding us because the camera didn´t flash. This journey made me change my mind on the usefulness of these cameras. Before I felt a pang of happiness when they had been smashed (see the roads near Jabalquinto in Jaen for series of smashed velocidad monitors), however I now see their usefulness and the DGT should place more of them. The road deaths this summer highlight the urgency of this. I have little sympathy for the lunatics driving like arseholes but for every innocent death on the road there are dozens of families who have to live with the aftermath.

I thought the points system on the licences would have an impact but obviously not, so speed cameras with large fines might tone down the number of fatalities. Some of my friends argue that people wouldn´t pay the fines or take any notice, but this does not need to be the case, I am sure that the government using technology can capture the money from bank accounts.

I used to find driving a pleasurable experience, but to be honest I find I am beginning to dread driving. My swearing in Spanish reaches new highs when driving on the motorway or around Madrid.

Labels: driving