seamus and laura celebrating in Croke park

Yesterday, on the way to Croke Park, we discovered that O’Connell Street was just crawling with Gardai. There were more Gardai than demonstrators I think. The demonstrators were quite frankly, pathetic in their numbers! Shell to Sea isn’t something that people care about that much evidentally.

The very brave Sinn Fein demonstrators who like to cover their faces weren’t out in very large numbers either, certainly, not large enough to dissuade 80,000 plus rugby supporters from going to see the match. The atmosphere was relaxed and jovial, with jokes being cracked as ever between the English and Irish supporters.

In Croke Park itself, there were the same checks that had been in place for the French match, although, within the ground itself there were a lot more gardai present. There seemed to be more gardai than there were stewards at one stage.

I’m curious to know what all the naysayers who were trying to make mountains out of molehills about “God save the Queen” are thinking today? I’d be very surprised if they don’t think now that is was great that England came to Croke Park and got one of the worst trouncings in their history. That for the first time in the history of the six nations, they conceded more than forty points. Surely the have taken some pleasure in that. At the same time, are they wondering how they are so out of touch with reality? The simple reality is, everyone in Croke Park has heard God Save the Queen before and aren’t too bothered about it. If people are still gracious enough to stay silent for the penalty kicker, why would they not stay silent for an anthem. This is Ireland where rugby match attendees are grown ups. Let the sport do the talking.

Did it ever do the talking!

Following on yesterday’s adventures, I think I should get one of these. (see the film below).

Or would that be selling my soul to the four wheel drive devil? Still, I have a few years to consider the reasons/lack of reasons to go for a monster. Higher up would perhaps mean more protection. For your head. The possibility that it could have been an four wheel drive off-roader with a bull bar on the front yesterday is a factor to consider. You have to fight fire with fire! I mean, a four wheel drive off-roader with a bull bar impacting a few centimeters from your head is a scary thought. Hysteria! It could have been a four wheel drive off-roader, so I need a four wheel drive off-roader.

I do like the name though. Tiguan.

I wonder do alot of the four wheel drive off-roader drivers drive them because they have all been in accidents. This is my fantastic new theory on four wheel drive off-roaders. (or, SUVs). People who were in accidents drive them! We all need protection! So, I look forward to when EVERYONE drives a four wheel drive off-roader. Then, we will all need something bigger again. What’ll it be then?

This is what happens when you experience a small side impact. You imagine all sorts of other vehicles impacting you from the side. Bigger vehicles. With bull bars. Trucks. Fire engines! The fire engines are coming, maybe I should get one of those. Tanks! I’ve been on the Salisbury Plain, I know there are tanks there! I need a four wheel drive off roader for when I am on the Salisbury Plain and a tank comes to get me. Side on.

Watching a car coming straight out of a side street.

Your driving instructor in your one driving lesson before your driving test which you passed first go told you, “Always check side streets, because you never know when someone will shoot out of one even though there is a stop sign.”

Written at the top of the side street in big white letters is the word STOP and there is also a white line indicating the stop line.

Thinking “Wait. Surely he sees me. He must be turning left.”
Thinking “no, not turning left, coming straight for me.”
Thinking “Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttt he is going to hit me!” is scary.

car driving straight into the drivers side of another car noise. side impact for me. (what does that sound like?)

Thinking, “Wait, what just happened, how is there impact on both sides?” is scary.

So is getting out of your car to find the following:
- your hubcap on the pavement,
- your wheel covered in weird white shit, like paint dust. it’s the wheel on the opposite side to the side of impact.
- your drivers door and rear passenger on the drivers side door dented. badly dented. and scratched. dismay at the state of the doors.

Looking up at the car that hit you, you see yet more scary things.

- the person who just drove into you is now attempting to reverse back off the street down the lane from whence he came

“Wait! Stop!” you scream and gesticulate the stop sign (picture the authoritative hand gesture. flat palm.) S-T-O-P!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait! You can’t move your car UNTIL the guards get here.”

Person gesticulates to you, but you can’t hear them.

“You can’t move!” you say again. Or shout. Not sure.

Watch person in car maybe admit they should not move. Maybe they are thinking that they can’t move/ run away/ deny this happened. So they get out.

“We’re blocking the traffic.”
“It can wait, the guards are around the corner. You can’t move your car. There isn’t much traffic.”

You fetch your mobile phone from your handbag and dial 11850 and ask for the Garda station number. You do this back on your side of the road near your car whilst keeping an eye on the person who attempted to move his car.

Whilst on the phone, you note noisy neighbour talking to man who drove into you. You assume it is a neighbour because they are talking to each other in a friendly manner and this is a small friendly village. It might be the wild wild west when it comes to the crazy drivers around the place, but it is a friendly village.

Feel isolated on the street as man and neighbour with beady eyes talk and look in your direction. On the street, feeling isolated, feeling the pressure from the two truck drivers delayed as their path is blocked. The truck drivers are out of their trucks though. Are they asking us to move? He cannot move his car. I cannot move my car you repeat to yourself.

Guards arrive in about two minutes. Long two minutes

The guards assess the situation. One guard speaks to me, the the other to the other person. They take details, make notes. Ask in concerned voice whether you are alright.

Eventually the guard who spoke to the other driver comes to you and tells you that they have admitted liability.

I like the guards. They are your friends when nothing is your fault.

Is this an unlucky trend though? This happened me before. Why do people drive into me? Do they think they are on bumpers?