On The Bridge.

I do a bit of casual work in the city of Chichester.
It's about 6 miles of easy flat cycling from where I live.
On the approach Chichester I use an elevated walk way over the busy A27 as it bypasses the city.
I like to pause mid-point on the bridge and watch the traffic go by.
There's a roundabout just past the bridge and the air is filled with the scent of cooked brake-shoes.
I get the feeling some of the passing drivers are a little nervous when they spot me high above them.
Maybe they wonder If I'm about to jump or maybe they worry I'm going to throw something at them.
Have no fear motorists I'm just looking.

Whist watching the traffic flow the other day I began to wonder if all the journeys going on below me were necessary.
I should make it clear that I'm not an eco-mentalist, being of the opinion that the planet will take care of it's self you human beings on the other hand seem to be in grave danger of running out of road.
I wondered how many of the people in the cars had left a computer and a telephone behind at home to drive several miles in appalling traffic to sit a desk with a computer and a telephone on it.
I wondered how much their cars had depreciated by since they got out of bed this morning.
I wondered how much the repayments, tax, insurance, breakdown cover, servicing, parking and petrol would cost them today.
I wondered how many hours they would have to work before they'd paid for all those things.
I wondered if slavery still existed.
There's no doubt I'm naive.
Who but the naive would consider questioning this status quo, this vision of normal human behaviour?

Later that same day I parked my bike in the arse of a naked Emperor who was wandering about in the middle of the road.