Driving Examiners And Police Cars.

A model driver.

On the whole I am rather apt at keeping to the speed limits around our village and others. A slow fifty is fine for me and my foot automatically lifts of the gas pedal when village signs are in sight...imagine living next to a busy road and hearing cars squealing past all day long? Never mind the on the spot traffic fine when caught.

A morning's visit to Rechnitz was in store and on the last kilometer or so, a police car was suddenly behind me. Well, not after me but you know, behind me. It's as if someone had told me to sit up straighter, look more often in all the mirrors in between keeping an eye on the speedometer and of course a beady eye on the police van following me. There were cars behind them and even they didn't dare overtake them, which normally they would have done.

I am not sure but it wouldn't surprise me if all Austrian police cars are outfitted with an on board computer and that being the case, that they had already put my number plate through the machine. Why wouldn't they? I would if I was a police officer...outstanding fines etc. No, we don't have any.

A few kilometers seemed to take for ages and when I got into Rechnitz, still with them behind me and driving with exaggerated care, I wondered if they would pull me over for a routine licence check...not everything is thankfully about me! Just before I found a parking space they turned off and were gone the same way they'd appeared. Quick and unexpected.

Biggi