Jazzman goes talkabout

I was leisurely driving back from work today in the evening sun, furtively glancing at my petrol gauge and negotiating omnipresent roadworks that dot the roadscape of London like deserted beaver settlements waiting to be demolish. The 'low fuel' warning light has been blinking all day and being a creature of habit I was determined to limp to my usual garage on the Old Street. I had a replacement car for the week as my regular drive was having a nose job as a consequence of my brief tango with the No 143 outside Westminster Abbey some weeks back. Earlier today, a motorcylist gave my the finger! This was in reply to me flashing him - with my headlamps. He was after all driving the wrong way down the road and coming straight at me.

So I wasmildly amused to see, as I drove down Old St, and well dressed young lady effing and blinding at another well dressed young lady on the pavement. Pavement Rage, was a phrase that instantly popped into my head. What could have possibly being the cause off all this rage. I mean how do two people walking in the opposite direction on the pavement sudden get into a state where they are shouting at each other at half past five on a warm wednesday evening. It is simply not the sort of thing I couln't imagine myself getting into. I don't even do road rage.

A few weeks back when I had my bumper riped of by an impatient bus drive who insisted on sharing my lane, barely a word passed between us. I muttered to myself 'If you really must' as I sat in the car and watched a big red double deck bus try to make my car more aerodynamic. We both parked up, took each others details down, I gave him my business card and the only words uttered were;

Me; What is your name?
He: Tony Blair (well not really but you get my drift)

I checked his ID and that was it. No theartrics, no 'what the fuck were you trying to do'....nothing. Admittedly, I did suspect that his grasp of the English Language being somewhat limited may have had something to do with the abscence of any angry words. That, and also the fact that very few people would really want to get into that sort of thing with a six foot four black guy in the middle of London. Even one wearing a suit.