Road Signs and Fog

Fog, Road Signs and Four Star Hotels

Well today Monday the 21st (this will not be posted till the next day). I had the dubious pleasure of travelling from my native Cornwall up to the ungodly city of Birmingham. Just about 250 miles, most of it on the country’s motorway system. The reason for this trip, I have to attend a user group for the data base system that I am the administrator for.

Now I look forward to these occasional trips away from home, they give me a chance to recharge my batteries and talk to like minded individuals.

So to the title of this little piece, Fog, Road Signs and Four Star Hotels.

Why do we have these very expensive signs on the motorway saying FOG when the weather is so bad that you can hardly see them?  

The weather was so atrocious that the lunatic who was driving me had to keep both hands on the steering wheel for at least part of the journey. Unfortunately not for the entire journey, my nerves will never be the same again. Tact did not work nor did my usual version of tact, nor did saying put your hands back on the FUC!ING Wheel. So I just suffered (don’t laugh).

How can people drive at such speeds in dense fog? Impossible to see more than a few hundred yards and the traffic was moving along at a steady 80 MPH, not that it worried my driver he overtook the lot of them. HEY COME ON FOLKS THE NATIONAL SPEED LIMIT IN THE UK IS 70 MPH.     

Still we have arrived safe and in my case reasonably sound, went to reception to book in (four star hotel, so not a dump) what happens? No booking, no rooms, we had been booked in by the hotel for tomorrow. Now the receptionist started to argue until I told her that I had made the booking myself. After a visit to the manager things were sorted and the keys were handed over.

Now I know things have moved on in the world, but foolish that I am I looked around for the porter to carry my bags along to my room. That illusion was soon shattered, no such thing as a porter any more. Not that I minded, I have always found that if I let anyone else carry my computer equipment they treat it as though it’s a solid block of steel and bash and knock it to hell and gone.

Even worst was to come. After unpacking my bag and checking out the toiletries in the bathroom (I had been instructed by the wife to bring them home with me). I thought great it’s a nice room. I will log on and download my emails. Big mistake. No wireless signal. A telephone call through to reception confirmed my worst fears. This supposedly modern hotel does not have any wireless systems installed. But not to be beat I had packed my blue tooth toggle. So that in an emergency I could use my mobile telephone to log on.

Bugger it no signal. Back to the receptionist who now very kindly told me that if I had the correct lead I could use the data socket on the telephone in my room. Yep you guessed it. Who had not brought the lead? Almost everything else but not the modem lead. Hence you will not be reading this till tomorrow, if you are very unlucky.