The Joy of ...

... radio.

You know me by now, I can't resist a catchy title.

Radio.  LOVE it!!  We have, 4 radios downstairs, 1 in the study, 1 in the living room, 1 in the dining room and 1 in the kitchen.  We have, 5 radios upstairs, 1 in the bathroom, 2 (!) in our room, 1 in Phoebe's room and now, 1 in Tom's room.  We don't have a radio in the spare/guest (currently lodger's room), nor the garage, nor downstairs toilet.  OMG.  We have 9 radios in this house.

I only just realised we have 2 radios in our room.  The digital radio has clock/radio feature and wakes us up.  Great so long as we remember to turn volume to acceptable level before going to bed...  otherwise argh!  I'm now listening to the 2nd radio which is incorporated into a rather funky light/iPod dock/clock, but doesn't feature alarm.

I don't do iPod/MP3 as have never been of that persuasion... Back in the 1980s I had a walkman (or cheap equivalent) and didn't use it.  Or rather when I did the battery had drained away so was consequently of no use.  Even then I found the headphone thing a nuisance, and didn't like not having the sounds of life going on around me when I was out and about.  It's like taking a sense away and exposing yourself to danger.  I'm constantly surprised that so many people wander around with things stuck in their ears today, or worse, cycle/skateboard/inline or roller-skate with them on/in as well.  It's like they've no sense of self-preservation and are wilfully putting themselves in harms way.

I feel the same about mobile phones - they seem to be used in a very selfish/isolating way and people seem incapable of ignoring them when they ring and have to answer them at inappropriate moments (life used to be much quieter before them, and much simpler as well).  More of the 'me me me', 'now now now' generation.  I find this especially irritating when seen in the hands of a car driver, whilst driving the car.  And how ever are you going to get a chance to report it?

Here's what happened last spring, (for those who've heard the story before, please scroll down to the picture at the bottom!) when I was taking the children on the school run one morning....  The bridge over the railway was being repaired and had had 1-way traffic control for about 3 of a 6 week repair period.  Tedious.  Anyhoo, we approached the temporary traffic light and were 3rd in the queue, immediately behind a 'learner' scooter driver.  The lights had just turned to red as we approached, so I put on my handbrake to wait, and observed the scooter.  Nice.  New.  Lady/girl driver.  Why girl? - her helmet graphics were white and pink squiggles, and her long blond hair trailed out of the back of it.  She had a large leather jacket (good), jeans, and the ubiquetous (how do you spell that??) 'Ugg' boots. (impractical for bike riding to my mind...bad).  And then I noticed that she'd something in her left hand, and appeared to be wiggling her thumb over it repeatedly, and nodding her head up and down.  She was t-e-x-t-i-n-g!

OK.  Not ideal.  The traffic light went green.  The traffic pulled off.  She pulled out and rode one-handedly for a good 350-400m negotiating the traffic cones, the bends in the road, and the up and down of the bridge, all the whilst nodding her head up and down and continuing to send the bleeping text message!!!!  I was livid!  I instructed my daughter to get pen and paper and we got her licence plate number.  When we got to school I wrote down everything I had observed, the time of the incident, the place and direction of travel, the description of the driver - who was driving on 'L' plates - and then on my return home I popped into the police station and reported it.  They were happy with my report as I'd furnished them with a lot of detail (I'd had time to observe whilst sitting at the lights...).

Interestingly, they take reports of incidents like this and use them to build up a profile of the vehicle/driver.  If they spot a pattern of behaviour, and then have more independent witnesses report it, or if a police officer observes it, then they can take action.  They said they would send a report that morning to local officers in patrol cars, and if they spotted her they would give her a 'severe talking to'.  Job done.

A little later that week I observed the same scooter/driver sending a text.  This time however, she'd pulled over to the side of the road, in a safe place, and had her indicator flashing.  Methinks a 'severe talking to' had been administered....

Hard frost at Lockinge fishing lakes (Private Members Only!) Jan 2012.

Oops!  After all that ranting, I didn't even tell you why I love radio so much...  More on that next time then.

Have a good week!  Keep it sweet.  Kat  :)