Is it me or is Hull just one giant roadwork?
An adventure in self-sufficiency with
IT was supposed to be a straightforward day with a simple agenda. Get booster jab, have a business meeting over coffee, shop and return home. Alas, nothing ever goes to plan.
Having to be in Hull by 8.20am, we allowed ourselves an hour to get into the centre. Usually a 20-minute commute, we factored in “rush hour” but immediately got stuck in the Kingswood traffic, tailgating back in all directions.
Then stuck on Beverley Road, we felt as if we were in an episode of Squid Game. Mrs Coffee was balancing her hot drink precariously on the dashboard while Mr Impatient tapped his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel. To my left, Ms Mobile thought it was okay to make a Tik Tok video and the school kids on the bus …well, let’s not talk about it.
The clock ticked relentlessly. My fellow travellers ranged from nose picker and Mr Shout who had a conversation so loud I know his most intimate details.
Finally shuffling forward, we reached Spring Bank junction where a small miracle occurred – cars disappeared and the lights went to green!
At Princes Quay, the vaccination centre, we parked in an empty car park before rushing to Booster HQ. Returning to the pay station (broken as usual) we then spent ten minutes looking for a way to pay. Finally obtaining the “you may go now” message, we shot into the quiet streets and turned towards the Ice Arena. Disaster!
You can’t go straight on or turn right. It was like entering the twilight zone. We had to drive down Hedon Road, past the prison, before we could turn back. Then every left turn was closed, and our journey continued down Hessle Road to the Smith and Nephew roundabout before eventually finding a way to Kingston Retail Park.
It was like being trapped in a bizarre science fiction movie … an endless journey with the destination in sight but no way in.
Meanwhile, numerous signs told me I was going to have to wait until 2025 to escape the madness.
Although late again, the meeting went well. Taking advantage of my location, I did some shopping before, armed with my new internal map, I managed returned to Beverley Road, saw my mother (sorting out her technical issues involving phones and front doors) before heading towards home.
Is it me or is Hull one giant roadwork? Does each journey take at least an hour?
Every street, road and main route looks like cone central (wish I had shares in that company), every roundabout reduced to one lane with speed restrictions slowing down the ever-growing population of cars to a halt and diversion signs which make no sense.
I found myself praying that inventors and scientists would hurry up producing flying cars and personal transportation devices.
Perhaps, using my Star Trek style transporter I could actually arrive at my destination. Maybe, I would actually be on time and not arrive like a stressed, sweaty ball.