The Scowl

I have to drive to Bradford everyday for my work, a total of about 12 miles, which doesn't sound much but 7 of those miles are on the busiest stretch of motorway in the North, junctions 24 to 27 of the M62. The other 5 miles are inner city driving. You very rarely get up to 40mph on the motorway, and although the speed limit on the city roads is 30mph, you'll only ever get that fast on Christmas Day at 3 am. Usual speed is between 0 and a terrifying 10mph.

So I laughed at a story I heard on the Terry Wogan show this morning, when I was crawling along the A6177 in Bradford at a dizzy 5 mph, trailing a skip-wagon. A guy in similar circumstances to me, travelling into work, same speed, different city, been doing the same route for years, noticed a white van at the side of the road in the distance. When he got closer, he saw that it was a Traffic Policeman pointing a radar gun at the oncoming vehicles. The speed limit on the road was 40mph, but the traffic was stopping and starting, and couldn't have got up 5mph never mind 40mph. When the guy got alongside the copper, he waved to him and gave him a big smile.

All he got back was a scowl!

Mustn't have had any customers that morning.