Allow me to recommend (to those who can be bothered) a short and pithy work by the French anthropologist Marc Auge (should be an acute accent on the e), called Non-Lieux, available in translation as Non-Places (Verso).
Motorways are a prime example of non-place, along with e.g. supermarkets, airports and refugee camps...
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From the article..."David Lawrence, who is equipped with a PhD on motorway service areas"
That line has made my afternoon!
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"David Lawrence, who is equipped with a PhD on motorway service areas"
I would bet any sum anyone cares to mention that Mr Lawrence - a fairly engaging whippersnapper surely, in the modern academic mould? - has a well-thumbed copy of Non-Places in his bookshelves...
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I suppose I have spent far too much of my working life on motorways to feel romantic about them or to be thrilled at the prospect of using one.
British motorways are for the most part irritating now, with the possible exception of the M6/M74 north of Preston and up through the Lakes and into Scotland where by dint of some interesting geography and usually relatively light traffic the experience can be pleasant enough.
French motorways are among the more pleasing, German ones are overrated in the main and Italian ones, while often including dramatic scenery, can be a bit scary until you get used to them.
All of them though, are infinitely preferable to me than sitting behind the same desk everyday or worse, having to attend meetings and being obliged listen to some person with an ego, a powerpoint presentation, a marker pen and a flipchart...........
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German ones are overrated in the main and Italian ones, while often including dramatic scenery, can be a bit scary until you get used to them.
German motorway driving is much like ours - plenty of wallies pulling into the overtaking lane in front of you and then AAARGH! immediately slowing down, that sort of thing, just like here - but some drivers on the unlimited Autobahns are utterly terrifying because genuinely dangerous. I have banged on about this before. Italian ones I don't mind. Italian traffic is fluid, perhaps sometimes a bit more fluid than we are used to, but quite manageable. Show a hint of brio now and then and you will fit in.
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Agree with Humph.
M6 ...get past Burton in Kendal and it's a delight most times of the day.
Even better, visiting friends in Appleby I come off and go through Milnthorpe and use the A6 to Shap no rush, no traffic after Kendal but I'm never in a hurry. Always time to stop and have a cuppa somewhere.
Ted
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All of them though are infinitely preferable to me than sitting behind the same desk everyday
I spend some time behind a desk and some time on motorways and I agree. Except...
or worse having to attend meetings and being obliged listen to some person with an ego a powerpoint presentation a marker pen and a flipchart...........
...having to attend exactly that sort of meeting is mainly what I use motorways for.
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I like the little heart thing Mapmaker. Clever. Do you just type in that wee code thing ?
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 31/10/2008 at 22:08
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>I like the little heart thing Mapmaker.
If you have a numeric keypad you can enter it using the ALT key sequence (Google "Alt character codes").
If you are using a laptop without a numeric pad cut and paste from the Character Map utility (assuming you are using Windows).
Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Character Map.
Kevin...
Edited by Kevin on 02/11/2008 at 23:18
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I was quite chuffed with it too, Humph. Or, for duffers: go to Word, choose Insert/Symbol and scroll down until you find the right symbol.
Copy and Paste.
(You think I'd know that 9829 is the number for a heart???)
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