The hazards of travel

Two rather different news reports made me think about the dangers of ordinary, everyday travel.

The first comes from Sweden, where a woman discovered that having ‘the runs’ was not sufficient excuse for a high-speed run.

A woman from southern Sweden has lost her bid to have a speeding fine overturned on the grounds that she was suffering from diarrhea at the time of the offence.

The 49-year-old woman from Trelleborg explained to the local district court that she was experiencing stomach problems when she was pulled over for driving 86 kilometres per hour in a 70 km/h zone.

But the court ruled that a case of the runs did not equate to a need for speed.

A situation can only be classed as an emergency if somebody’s life is in danger or if a driver hits the gas in an attempt to prevent a serious crime.

As the woman’s desire to get home to her toilet did not fit into either category, the court ordered her to pay the speeding fine.

I have to admit to real sympathy for the lady, having been caught in just such a dilemma myself on a couple of occasions. Fortunately, no cops were around to issue a speeding ticket!

The second report is from Pakistan.

The word overcrowding doesn’t quite do it.

Hanging from doors, sitting on the roof and clinging to buffers, rails and handles, hundreds of pilgrims somehow managed to find a space aboard this train in Pakistan.

Commuters in Britain might grumble about packed carriages and late arrivals, but for these passengers just finding a perch on the groaning train was enough.

And yet, judging by their smiles and waves, the battle for space was a pretty good-natured affair.

The crowds were returning home at the end of the three-day Sunni Muslim festival in the ancient city of Multan.

I couldn’t help thinking that if one of those poor riders on top of the train became afflicted with the same ‘runs’ as the Swedish driver (known in that part of the world, I understand, as the ‘Taleban Two-step’), he’d have a lot less chance of getting to a convenient toilet in time! I imagine he – and those in his immediate vicinity – would have an interesting journey!

Peter