Walking the Tightrope: Bank Holidays
"No one likes me in a traffic jam,'' says Sally Codman. "I don't even like myself...'' And that is why she stays close to home on Bank Holidays.
When it comes to Bank Holidays, especially those rare weekends like the one last month when it was not raining cats and dogs, I normally resist the temptation to go out for the day - a 'life rule' that makes me very unpopular with the rest of the family.
Why? I hear you all thinking, is she really such a grumpy old woman? Well I have to admit I can be under certain circumstances. Circumstances that include standing in queues for ages to purchase extortionately overpriced drinks/ food etc. or, even worse, sitting in traffic jams.
No one likes me in a traffic jam. I don't even like myself. I fidget, fiddle, moan and complain and that's just for starters. I have been known to progress to ranting and wandering about the hard shoulder trying to discover whats causing any delay.
My excuse for this awful carry-on is that I get 'a bit claustrophobic' in crowds - the family ignore this and accuse me of being a control freak.
Whatever the reason, I'm willing to make detours miles out of the way to avoid being stuck in a jam. My behaviour is generally so appalling if we are held up (much worse than the kids) that we've more or less reached an unwritten house rule that we avoid traffic snarl-ups whenever possible, which usually means Bank Holidays are spent close to home.
