Next week, on Tuesday, I’ll be off on yet another holiday. Now, before you all start with comments like…
“Hey, you have more holidays than the morning DJ I listen to on the radio”
… yeah, yeah – I know! :) It’ll mean that I’ll probably be off-line for 10 whole days. I’m going to try and either rig something up to ensure you’re all kept up-to-date or try and get some internet access while I’m away. I doubt however that I’ll be able to get a connection this time though, so don’t be alarmed if there’s no reply to emails or fewer updates to the site.
You may also notice a few extra tweaks too, like some new domain-names resolving here like CoolPocketPC.co.uk and CoolPhoneEdition.com. This is the start of a new branch of this site. Yes, we love Windows Smartphones but I think we really need to start doing something for the Pocket PC Phone Edition community out there. This .. this is the next big thing for me and it’ll be developing over the next few months..
Now, to get back to the regular blog… One thing that’s been getting on my tits this week. As a regular motorway user, I’ve been seeing a lot of these “Highways Agency” jeep things on the M6 recently. They particularly get on my tits because they appeared pretty instantly about a year ago and you can always see them going up and down lane 1 of the M6 at EXACTLY 70mph (113KPH), which is the motorway speed limit here in the UK. Let’s be honest. None of us do 70MPH on the motorway do we ? YEah, yeah – I can hear you lot – I hear about 50 people going “No, I never do more than 70” ….
RUBBISH! You’re talking arse!
Here’s one of these Highways Agency vehicles above. They look InCreDIbLy similar to regular Motorway Police Patrol Range Rover / Land Rover dooberies…
Above is the real thing, but when you’re approaching one (as everybody does, because 99% of all other motorway traffic is doing the usual 80-85mph (129Kph-137Kph) and will approach one at some point, it looks like a Police vehicle. The only clues you have are the black squares on the body (instead of dark blue), a small sign on the bumper saying, “Highways Agency” and some slightly different flashing lights on the top which aren’t on of course. Sometimes you will get the odd person realising that they’re NOT a police vehicle and will positively fly past the vehicle at around 95mph. Whilst that’s quite funny to watch (but totally illegal, ill advised and not recommended by us), it’s interesting to note something….
Where have all the Police gone?
These Highways Agency vehicles go up and down the motorways and monitor the traffic and attend any accidents or breakdowns. However, you’re most likely to see them sitting behind a broken-down vehicle on the hard shoulder (breakdown lane) with a few carefully-placed cones. Since they’ve started doing this there appears to be less and less police vehicles.. which is a bit worrying. Most of the traffic-police now appear to have been replaced by the millions of speed cameras we have on our roads. Are the police motorway patrols being replaced by these guys in similar vehicles with cones ?
I have no idea where I was going with that bit of rambling.. however it’s late now and I need some kip! :)
Meanwhile, in Sweden…