MisterMMM.com: anecdotes from the road

April 6

There we were, working our way through Normanton, going up Clarence Road, following a White Van Driver.

He had driven across one of the small crossroads at the bottom end of the road at some speed. I guess he could see over the roofs of the cars, where we could see next to nothing being that much lower.

Anyway, we followed him down the road, with cars parked on both sides, and plenty of cars coming the opposite way. This van driver then proceeded to completely block the flow of traffic by not waiting for people to get into spaces, not going into any himself, and starting to push harder and harder. We spent a good five minutes watching him attempt to push a whole queue of other drivers backward. Then followed by another attempt. And another!

We followed at a safe distance but made sure we always had a space to nip into.

Of course, after the oncoming cars had passed us, we slowly rolled to our next escape space, keeping well back from the van. He was at the next blockage that he'd created.

I remember once eating a hot chilli and feeling it go through my system, continuing, then stopping in a single spot and burning. The relief when it moved on, and the heat and fury as it finally completed its journey. It was like watching this van driver. He was revving his engine, hooting his horn. He was even out of his van shouting at people!

Then I took my driver round the route again and did it properly and it took us a couple of minutes to get through instead of the 15 following the chilli van driver.

What gets to me, is that he was in such a rush, that he slowed himself down to stationary!