Life in the Slow Lane
"Just In Time" is a supply concept. In the good old days, stores used to keep ample supplies of stock so, for example, if you desired a radiator cap for a 1974 Ford Granada Ghia 2.8, chances were you could trot along to your local spares shop of your choice and purchased said item. However, keeping stock and judging what peiople would like to buy is expensive, so that is why when you wish to purchase, say, a bottom hose for a 2001 Peugeot 307 GLX 1.6L, you will be greated with the reply "It will be in tommorrow". What does this mean for the casual reader of this column? Why am I 'banging on' about this? Well at this time of year, i.e. approaching xmas, consumer demand is high and there is only one way which your stock of artificial 5ft xmas trees is going to be transported from huge warehouse in Milton Keynes, to the distribution depot just off the M3....thats right.. hefty big juggernauts. Multiply this by say... 10,000 and it goes someway to explaining why it now takes 15 mins to get onto the M20 at J6 Westbound t 7am in the morning and another 20mins to queue onto the M26.
Journey Time: 1.3 plays of "I Am Sam" soundtrack CD.

Obscene Grime Squad
"HONK IF YOU SMELL OF WEE!" inscribed on the back of a medium sized white removal type truck, on the northern summit approach of the A229.