PLEASANT INTERACTION
On my way to Liverpool doing 80 on the M6. Nightmare. I like driving for about 40 minutes, then I absolutely hate it. I couldn’t tell you anything about the metal guts of a car, how it works, what a piston is for, all of that. No clue. It doesn’t interest me. Horsepower, miles per gallon, diesel injection… all sounds foreign to me.
And yet, I do love cars. Older cars mostly. I like their vibe, the shape, what it meant to have it to someone back when it was new. I go “oooof!” when I see the hard edges of a BM E30. I would love to be able to buy an old model Porsche Targa in black pearl. I want a 00s plate Defender with the metal Robot Wars type shield bolted to the bonnet. I wanna hit corners fast in a MkII VW Golf. The one with 16V imprinted in the centre of the steering wheel, whatever that means.
The freedom to drive off away from any scenario is worth its weight in gold to me. To do that in style? Incredible. I don’t have the dough to be doing all that though. Not yet. Maybe never. Even if I did, everything would break down because I can barely even change my oil.
As it stands, I drive a heavily used ‘15 plate Mitsubishi. Not even nearly fun to drive. I’m pushing along the M6 fast lane when a guy to my left is desperate to get in. He’s driving a big heavy blue SUV by some carmaker I’ve never heard of. It’s beyond ugly. All soft edges. The sort of car a Wall-E Axiom Human would drive.
The traffic is mounting and everyone is pretending not to see him. The junction is coming up. Fuck it, I get into a position where I can let him through. I step on the brakes a bit and flash my lights. Go on. More than enough space. Bro zips fast into the gap in front of me. I notice his hazards flash. That’s a “thanks mate” in motorway world.
I put my thumb up and flash my lights hoping he sees. You’re welcome. No idea who this guy is of course, but for some reason it makes me smile that we just did the equivalent of nod-at-me-I-nod-at-you at high speed on the motorway. Everyone who didn’t let him in is having a considerably worse day than us.
The guy in the blue SUV charges ahead and for some reason pulls back into the lane he was getting out of. Maybe Google Maps tried to sabotage him for a moment. Wouldn’t be the first time. Within a minute or so we end up side by side. Instinctually, I look left at the driver. He’s an older fella losing hair and clearly stressed at the road. He suddenly turns to look at me. He puts his thumb up. I put my thumb up. We nod at each other and look away. Lovely. See you later mate. Hope you make it to wherever you’re headed.