In a hurry.

It is a little after 6:00 am on a weekday autumn morning. It is still dark, rain is falling, and the motorway appears glassy beneath the lights.

Heavy-duty trucks from 7.5 tonners to 18-wheelers mainly fill the first two lanes. Cars and vans occupy the middle and outer lanes. Nipping in and out of gaps barely wider than the vehicle itself, causing some drivers to brake sharply to let the darting car in. No worries, everyone is doing it. It’s normal, pal, part of driving today. Some thank those who let them in; others don’t.

Continuing down the road to the left filters vehicles to join the motorway, weaving in and moving out. Signs above and ahead flash 40, showing caution is required. Suddenly, the queue appears sooner than expected, brakes applied to slow down. This has happened many times before, with long tyre tracks left on the tar by panicked drivers as evidence.

Then there are drivers in a hurry. They come up close and flash their headlights. Move! Can’t you see I’m in a hurry? Luckily, they don’t have to brake, or they would be later still. An opening appears, and off they race. The car in front continues at normal speed and travels a different route. Five minutes later, the cars meet again. Side by side. No advantage gained.

Sometimes slow is fast, and hurrying doesn’t get you to your destination faster but gets your stress levels higher quicker.