Navigating

Inspired by a facebook post from 1 November 2009 following our return from a half term holiday in West Wales.

Quote of the holiday from Fester "We must be going the right way because if we were heading towards Tenby the sea would be on the other side"

He navigates I drive.

We have surprisingly few rows about navigation.

Loads about other things including comments along the lines of "your could get a bus through there" from the provisional holding motor-biker.

Then there were the sudden shrieks of “Left left left” as we were almost past the appropriate junction, giving me barely enough time to mirror, signal, manoeuvre.

He also has a horrible habit of falling asleep as we approach important junctions.  

Leading me to say icily between gritted teeth “Which way?”

Then there’s the “Which lane should I be in?”

“You’re in the right lane”

“I know I’m in the right lane but is it the correct lane?”

“I said you’re in the right lane”

“Just tell me which effing lane I should be in.  There’s three of the bastards.  Should it be left, right or middle?”

And of course the ever helpful “Follow that car/van.”

Then there’s the issue of maps.

The scale is always wrong.

You wouldn’t think he’d been using OS and other maps for study and work since he was about nine.

Either that or he’s forgotten the appropriate map.

Or if he has the correct one he’s got it (or the Guardian) spread open so that it’s impossible to use the passenger side mirror.  Something one really needs to do when one finds oneself, a little later that one would like, needing to move into the inside lane from the right hand one.

It's not unusual for us to go around a roundabout two or three times. 

Another famous remark was coming home the picturesque route from Flamborough

"Oh Suchandsuch Hall!  That's not where it's supposed to be."

When we eventually found Stockton-on-Tees all the traffic was being diverted to the bridge, causing gridlock.

Thunderthighs said quietly "It's a long way home isn't it" - he was about 6.