Traffic

I won't talk about work on here normally, but today's blood-boiling experience was all about not working so I guess it's fair game. I was supposed to be flying into Lyon, France, for a short meeting with a customer before flying straight back. Fine. Only problem was that the only direct flights that fit were from London Heathrow. Bugger. 04:30 and I'm driving down with plenty of time to park up, get frisked and await the 07:55 flight that I'm already checked-in for. I'm taking it easy - an uncharacteristic 65 on cruise - no point in driving like a fucking loony in light traffic, in the dark, in sub-zero temps with plenty of time. I only got as far as junction 15 on the M1 before it all went pear shaped. A car and lorry had aquainted themselves a bit too closely causing the M1 southbound to be closed. The diversion was already backed up to crawling pace and before long all of my contingency time was blown. To cap it all, the M1 closure turned out to be the first of several including various stretches of the M40, the M11 and part of the M25 car-park and other London bound routes. Suffice to say I missed the flight. I can imagine the French customer giving a gallic shrug & c'est la vie - but I was fucking livid! From the traffic news reports through the morning I expect that there were many thousands of thoroughly pissed off motorists. The infrastructure over here is fucking woeful - better, reliable and cheaper railways would eliminate half the shite we have to put up with. Privatisation of British Rail - a living testiment to the failure of the Major-lead government. Even evil-bitch Thatcher left the rail network largely intact - although she was probably too busy dissolving everything else and never got around to it. It was also the first failing of Blair and his cronies as they oversaw the completion of the final aspects of privatisation. The return route was slightly less fraught as the M40 northbound was peaceful in the main - still stationary on the other carriageway. My temper was further moderated by 3 Red Kites flying over and several close Buzzards sitting on roadside posts. On returning to Leicester I was in need of some relief (not that sort), so I headed to Groby Pool and Swithland Res. for an hour (more on that later) before spending the rest of the day working from home tired and with a thumping headache. Glad I don't commute anymore or drive for a living.