Low Bridge
If you drive a large vehicle and come across a sign warning of a low bridge and displaying a maximum height less than that of your method of transportation, what do you do? Most would say they turn around and go an alternative route, but it appears that, in Swindon at least, the solution is just to carry on going and hope you will get though.
The problem with this attitude is that they haven’t yet invented a lorry that can defy the laws of physics and this morning, on my way down the hill from Old Town as I journeyed to work, one truck driver found this out to his, and every other motorist’s cost.
As I approached the railway bridge I noticed the queue for the lights was a long one, even for the morning rush hour. After sitting stationary for over 5 minutes and realising that I might very well be late for work, I nudged out slightly into the middle of the road in the hope I might get a look at what the problem was. I saw to my horror that a lorry was stuck fast underneath the bridge and that while the odd car was getting past every time there was a break in the traffic flow on the other side of the road, I had very little chance of getting through before 10 O’Clock.
As luck would have it I had with me my trusty map of Swindon and using this and a neat bit of u-turning I went the long way round and came out not too far from the bridge but on the other side. Needless to say the truck was still stuck and the queue of traffic was now tailing back probably as far as the centre of Old Town.
I arrived into work a little after 9:15am. I guess there is a lot more to be said for leaving some contingency time than I thought, even if I do only have a 5 minute long journey to work.
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