Let Dirty Cars Lie

is Borders New Saw #52

One my way back from picking up the overpriced Guardian from Nairns, I met my regular 8.45 bloke of passage-Scotsman reader, on his way to pick it up. He was talking to a guy leaning heavily on two sticks. When the latter had struggled off, I was told that he was lucky to be alive. Vehicle accident apparently. No not the victim of a some wild eyed boy racer; he had been persuaded that his car parked outside his block needed a clean (any car which has been more than 800 yards from Duns especially in the Hutton direction, needs a clean after wet weather.I.e most days)This involved carrying a bucket of water down twenty stone steps to a yard. He tripped on the first one and fell down the rest banging his head on most of them on his way down. Badly cracked nut, two broken legs and severe concussion. But alive.

I suspect if you look at the small print on your personal accident insurance you will find under the list of non coverable activities-just before skiing:

'Car washing' and quite right too.

And anyhow as indicated above keeping you car clean in the Borders is as open ended and interminable as painting the Forth Bridge. Any road which goes anywhere near a farm, and of course they all do, has a built in skim of instant mud-just take a bit of rain and four revolving tyres and its off to the car wash again. Muggins

(The guy in the image (thank you Lauren of Flickr)-no not the damaged Dinger-does not seem too put out about the prospect of cleaning his car. Perhaps it is not his. But it has obviously been along the B6461. Quite recently)

Labels: Borders Roads, Mud on Roads, washing cars

  ¶ 10:59 AM (0) comments

  Hippo Seen on B6461 may not be too fanciful in view of a late traffic flash:


Following from our roving traffic correspondent Ms Hogg:


Rhoda has asked drivers to take care of local roads because of the detritus left by harvesters and tractors. The stretch by the former Whitsome Hill Farm is very nasty this morning. This caused no end of squealing brakes in the early morning hours.


Indeed being wet and harvest coming in is the combination which produces muddy roads in these here parts. Currently the B6437 is mud alley with the fuzz being involved by a bloggee in persuading the Council people to put on their (mud) coloured wellies and get scraping.

I had never realised, until being on the Hutton and Paxton Community Council in my tossed salad days that farmers had a legal responsibility for clearing mud after them-punishable claimed one, by fines up to £10,000-not that any local would ever (dare)shop a farmer-and in consequence one or two of them were extremely dilatory about getting rid of the muck leaking from their farm yards or their fields. One farm not unadjacent to the B6461 was the biggest offender. No names no lawyer's letter

This is born out by the National Farmer's Union as you can read here

(The image, I am unreliably informed, may be of a couple having had a mud bath on the B6461 asking around about who had nicked their clothes)

Labels: farmers, Hippos in Berwickshire, Mud, Mud on Roads, NFU

  ¶ 10:19 AM (2) comments