I will no doubt be shot down in flames, having been thrown to the lions and then set on fire for what I am about to write next but... I'm beginning to wish the ruddy recession had never ended.
Why? Because since our beloved economy turned the corner and everything has now officially begun to look all nice and fluffy again financially, more and more people are buying and driving around in their cars than ever before - because why else are there SO MANY CARS ON OUR ROADS NOWADAYS?
I mean what the heck has happened to traffic congestion during the 12 months since the recession was declared over?
Why does the western half of the M25 grind to a halt pretty much every time I use it nowadays, seemingly no matter what time of day it is. And why do all journeys now seem to take twice as long as they did just a couple of years ago?
Why? Because the recession ended.
Suddenly, and collectively, we have become less worried about losing our jobs, and more worried about what the neighbours might think, what with that eight-year-old Ford Focus cluttering up the drive. So collectively we have all gone out and bought more cars, each of which is making our roads feel more crowded, and our lives – certainly while trying to get anywhere on those roads – more stressful.
To get anywhere by road nowadays takes far longer than it did in the depth of the recession, which means it has become a far less efficient way of travelling, ironically. And so the merry-go-round goes round. Until it will all come grinding to a halt once again when the next recession kicks off.
And when it does, if all else fails, remember to remember but one thing; remember to relish those empty roads when they appear again. Because it won't be long before the next recession ends, and then the M25 and all the other major roads in the UK will once again begin feel like the road around the Arc de Triomphe on a Friday night.
Don't say I didn't tell you so.
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