Friday, February 06, 2009

DANGEROUS DYKES

I vowed last night I would go swimming today no matter what. I didn't go really early and left here at about 8.15am. There was a little flurry of snow but the road outside was fine to drive on so off I went.

As I was driving to the pool, my car suddenly started slip sliding away. I very nearly ended up in the dyke. I think it was luck not driving skill that helped me stay on the road and straighten up. My heart pounded and my hands shook. I have no idea why the car did that. The road was clean and I was doing under 30mph, much less actually as I was slowing to turn a corner.

The area around here is all reclaimed land. A thousand or so years ago the Dutch came here an taught the people how to build dykes. So many of our roads run long the top of them, with deep water filled dykes either side. Unfortunately a lot of drivers are careless, drive to fast, and end up in the dykes. Some drown. Not so long ago a mother and her children perished in a dyke.

When I got to the pool it was raining lightly. Once I was in the water, I felt such relief to be back in the water. I do so love to swim. In the water I feel at home and I hurt much less and am completely mobile. I have always enjoyed swimming, long before I got sick, it's just now it is even more important to me.

When I left the pool, it was white out. I drove home, the long way, on straighter and main roads, thru a blizzard at no more than 30mph, sometimes less. The amount of idiots that drove faster and whose cars had no lights! The most treacherous bit for me was getting out of the car and into the house without falling.

I have telephoned John at work and suggested he leave as soon as he can because otherwise he will be spending the weekend on his own in London.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love to drive in the snow and I'm good at it - not crazy or stupid! It's always the OTHER person I'm worried about. People seem to think that, if they have all wheel or 4 wheel drive, they're safe. If the road's are slippery enough, it doesn't matter how many wheel's drive you have. No traction is NO TRACTION!

I hope John makes it home.

knitwych said...

I'm glad you made it to and from the pool safely. Driving in snow can be dicey, especially if it's not something you do frequently. Don't you just love the morons who drive like maniacs, light-less, in inclement weather? I sometimes think it should be legal to just ram them right off the road!

Yarnhog said...

Your title cracked me up. (Is that only American slang, or does it mean the same thing in the UK?)

I hate driving in the snow, or even the rain. I'm a good driver, but I grew up where it never snows and rarely rains, so I just don't have a feel for it. And I, too, worry incessantly about other drivers. People are so distracted by their cell phones, snacks, passengers, GPS, etc. that most of them can't drive even without the addition of bad weather. Ugh.

Nan said...

This post was SO not what I thought it was going to be about from the title. But I'm glad that you arrived and returned safely.

Unusual weather makes even our most familiar routes dangerous. And, when there is the risk of others drivers, it just becomes more so.

FuguesStateKnits said...

HAHA - I was thinking the same thing Yarnhog was, LOL!
However, it is a frightening thing to realize one has been granted a reprieve from the Grim Reaper - and the idiots on the road are indeed, legion! Especially rotten are the 4WD and SUV drivers who think that 4WD gives them superpowers or eliminates the other drivers on the road!
So glad you got to swim, so glad you got home safely and I'm hoping John did, too, so the two of you can enjoy a nice warm evening INSIDE:)!!

Unknown said...

Obviously, dyke doesn’t mean the same thing in your country. Here, it is not nice. The unintentional pun gave me a laugh, though.

Unknown said...

Obviously, dyke doesn’t mean the same thing in your country. Here, it is not nice. The unintentional pun gave me a laugh, though.

Unknown said...

Obviously, dyke doesn’t mean the same thing in your country. Here, it is not nice. It unintentional pun gave me a laugh, though.

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