Friday comes around again and it is time to go home for the weekend. Over the past years and particularly when the kids were younger we would go to a theme park, Flamingo Land and Alton Towers to name just a couple and whilst I like most rides there is one that I have not really considered and those are the roller coasters, I think to myself why would I want to be strapped into a little vehicle and hurtled around at breakneck speed, thrown from side to side all in the name of fun. However every so often I take a taxi ride (you can see where I’m going with this can’t you) and basically in some countries you strap yourself into a vehicle and get thrown around all in the name of travelling to a destination. The difference is that at Alton Towers and Flamingo Land the roller coasters are tested for safety to the absolute limit, no risk or chance is left undone. Whilst in a taxi you are literally in the hands of the gods or the taxi driver. Today’s journey was no different to the others I had taken this week and had no less near misses. It is normal to have at least one emergency stop per journey and today’s came as the driver decided that the 40 tonne lorry that was signalling to come into our lane wouldn’t do it and so decided to overtake. HE DID! Bloody hell was my internal scream, externally I just secreted about half a tonne of sweat and completely negated the point of having a shower when I got up this morning. However I am glad that I went to the toilet as I wouldn’t have had to go when I got to the airport.
Whilst on the journey the taxi driver did not consider the erratic lane changing as enough fun and decided to hold a telephone conversation, whilst holding the phone with his shoulder and gesticulating with both hands off the wheel.
I prayed today. I asked the lord god to make the stupid driver get his hands back on the wheel and stop deciding that the other lane was going on average half a mile an hour faster than ours and keep swapping . I wonder if your suppose to give a tip to a roller coaster operator when you get off the ride. So for all those thrill seekers, don’t tell me you do roller coasters for the rush as there is none in your safe little car, try going to a foreign country and just ride the taxis. They are cheaper than Alton Towers and you have real danger not just made up stuff like the theme parks offer.
Finally on the taxi ride, the funniest part was that he apologised for not having a receipt in English, only Lithuanian. He actually apologised, but not for hurtling me around the back of a car, or coming within three inches of being crushed by a articulated lorry or arguing with some guy on the phone as he (I would like to say Drove) rammed his way around Vilnius.
The flight home was quite uneventful, if you don’t count the hailstorm that delayed the plane for an hour but at least it meant we didn’t get the cheesy fan fare when we landed late on one of Europe’s most on time airline.
Now for some weekend time.
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