The Roadwork’s on the M8 have been causing traffic chaos for over four years now. It looks like what began as a four week detail has turned into a job for life. Soutie wants links and I’ll give him links. Hear, Hear and here.
At night at least one part of the motorway is closed and long diversions are in place. To my independent eye there doesn’t seem to be a lot of work going on. There are a lot of yellow jacketed guys hanging about and maybe one guy digging. Steamrollers stand idle, not even idling. Passing motorists are not too happy when they see this and rancour is not uncommon.
A few times a week I have to shuttle up and down to Renfrewshire. My son’s fiancé lives there and he hasn’t got a license so I am the delegated chauffeur. As detours galore are sure to be in place even placid “old” me feels a bit resentful of the languid atmosphere emitting from the slothful workers at the side of the road. However, I have not yelled obscenities or splattered the idle workforce with brown sauce on passing as other enraged drivers have done.
The overhead motorway signs have a few useful slogans on them. Check Your Fuel; don’t take drugs and drive, Consider Car Sharing. All good and well even if a bit patronising. The other night I saw a new one. Don’t abuse the Road Workers. Well I’ll be a JCB. The thin skinned good for nothing- except placing cones- layabouts have grassed on us, I mean them.
(Photography is not my forte. Especially when changing the CD, reading the Financial Times and opening the sun roof simultaneously)
Possibly, prosecutions could be in the air for abusive drivers. With this in mind and fearful of hidden cameras on the M8 I have been a bit more relaxed in my attitude toward the hard working labourers. Last night the M8 was down to one lane and traffic was crawling at 1 MPH. You could see the whites of the road workers eyes. I was so close I shook hands with some of the workforce. Hanging out the side window I politely appreciated their efforts.
“Guys you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a straighter line of cones in my life.”
Boadicea's Chariot 
Did you happen to be eating a sandwich at the same time JW? if so I hope you didn’t drop it on your trousers when you were clicking the camera 🙂 Good shot all the same.
I wish I’d been the one to manufacture the first traffic cone. Thanks for the giggle JW.
Hello Val,
I’m struggling with the links and photos at the moment. If you double-click the photo you can just about see the “Respect Roadworkers” sign. I’m not as Flash A-Ah with a camera as your good self. 🙂
Time for Fives, which when considering the oppostion, I am quite good at.
Bye for now.
The road was never like that when the Romans used it to visit the Picts!
Well done with the links (even as your title suggests two of them do indeed go nowhere ;))
¿ Sp∀ƎH פNIʞ˥∀┴
Couldn’t you put him on the train?
Or coach? 😉
I notice you say he hasn’t a licence….
does that mean he had one and was careless with it, or that he’s never learned to drive?
I remember before I learned to drive visiting Boston (Lincs) from Oxfordshire was an 8 hour journey door to door, involving bus, train and someone to pick me up from the station. My Dad didn’t offer.
Thanks for the maintenance job on the links, Bearsy. I ran out of time earlier and was going to try and fix them now, for posterity’s sake. Cheers!
Pseu- While checking the law book, apparently, chauffering is included in the leisure department so trains and coaches are void. He had some lessons last year and has started some more recently. Although, I dread what the insurance for him will be, if he passes his test.
Scary isn’t it?
not sure my eldest actually wants to learn at the mo, so I may be in the chauffeuring role myself…