No fun

Following my Cumbrian break, the biggest shock to the system on returning to work this week wasn't the sudden chill of Autumn. It was the seemingly sudden and dramatic increase in traffic. On several of my commutes, at both ends of the day, I was queuing in places I have only ever queued in previous winters when harsh conditions, fog or accidents were the culprit. This week it was just as if someone turned a traffic tap on.

It baffles me, mass behaviour. It wasn't the schools going back and fewer people being on holiday because that happened a month ago and the traffic level rose accordingly. This week it was just as if thousands of extra people suddenly decided to drive on my routes. Even the usual Wednesday lull (don't ask me why, but there is a pattern - Tuesdays are worst & Wednesdays are best) never happened.

This scene was around quarter to seven in the evening. Even in Winter you can usually do a steady 30 - 50mph all the way at that time. Not tonight.

And don't even get me started on the bloody mornings of traffc hell I endured this week.

Yes, I know ... I moan about the traffic when I am the traffic ...