Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The one with the traffic policeman...

Always a risky moment when you ask competition entrants, live on air, what it is they're doing, or what they do for a living. DIY is a favourite, then there's driving, either for pleasure or business, working at home (computers) working at the office (computers and earphones)a surprising number of farmers on tractors, people on building sites, housework, cooking (there's always soup; the TM show is listened to by soup makers, and I'm proud of that.

There are one or two listeners in Very Important And Public Jobs whose identities can't be revealed on air (sorry for being enigmatic). And then there are folk who are obviously a wee bit embarrassed at revealing what it is they actually do, for loads of reasons. Our Scenes of Crime Officer never writes, never phones these days...

Anyway, good to have a traffic policeman who's game for a go at Word Up and interested in the tales I was telling about the outer islands of Shetland (Unst and Yell, notably) where, because of an amendment to the Road Traffic act by the late Jo Grimond MP, you can drive a car without an MOT and, if you have a provisional licence, unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

When I used to hang out in Yell, back in the 80s, it truly was like the Dukes of Hazzard. All sorts of disreputable motors being hammered about the place, everyone with CB radios so they could send the sole policeman on wild goose chases, large amounts of drink being taken, and driven under the influence of. Very little evidence of hotpants, though.

I'm sure it's not like that nowadays...

...indeed, I hear hotpants are making something of a comeback this summer.

3 comments:

Ross Vernal said...

Yes. And it can only be a good thing! Especially the denim ones.

Oily Muggie said...

Lordy lordy... memories of being in 1st year, feeling very grown-up at a church hall dance with my long hair, royal blue cord hotpants, powder blue frilly shirt and American Tan tights...

Anonymous said...

Hotpants... wedgie... nuff said.

Apparently this DoH stuff goes on in northern Sweden too.