I spent another day doing a C.P.R course before heading home in the rain. Kwinana Freeway is fast becoming a deadly travel option. Two nine a.m smashes were still burning in my memory while travelling home in the afternoon. A half hour drive actually takes two hours on the freeway. Perth drivers often have a road-manners reluctance so changing lanes often has a horrible sense of Russian Roulette. A hot, purple car dove slightly ahead of me to my left. Although I was in the right lane, my speed was around 45 km an hour most of the time. I glanced at the very cute purple sedan and three minutes later, with a few hundred other vehicles, found myself merging into one lane to drive around a freeway smash. A not so cute but badly crumpled purple vehicle lay adjacent to the concrete barriers, facing the oncoming traffic while a second, terribly mangled vehicle took up another lane. Trucks with flashing "Slow down" signs with diversion lights and police vehicles blocked all lanes except one. What could have been a nightmare in logistics became an exercise in courtesy…for a change. Almost miraculously , every driver tonight managed to "slow down" and allow other drivers into their single lane; not a single rude sign was made out of a window; every driver kept their car at a respectful snail's pace and I didn't feel sweaty apprehension moving over to the left.
Keep in mind that this was an opportunity for any doctor or nurse to offer assistance; families could allow their children to be exposed to the perils of driving while it was an opportunity for roadside volunteers to offer a friendly gesture. Next to the safety cones, in a yellow waterproof suit, a handsome but obviously annoyed young man stood directing concerned traffic and calling out…"Go Faster" with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. No-one cared that they were driving slowly at that moment…they were just relieved that they were not driving past bodies and carnage. The only thing I saw when I looked at him was not a demi - hero but someone who hadn't seen a purple car tonight. The drive home is about getting home safely, not about dying to get home.
