STREET SODA

The next time you find yourself stuck waiting at traffic lights you might like to amuse yourself by taking a look at the central reservation. You will be amazed at what you find there.

Obviously there's the expected litter, bottles, cans, cigarette packets and so on but there's usually a few surprises. Recently I spotted a deflated football for instance. Now who is playing football in the middle of a main road I ask myself? I also saw a ladies handbag. What is that about? There are often items of clothing to be seen and there is always a single shoe - have you noticed that?

A friend of mine works as a Traffic control officer. He loves his job even though he frequently encounters gory scenes at accident sites. It is also part of their job to clear litter from the wayside if it might be a danger.

It was he who told me about 'Spanish Tizer'. In case you are not familiar with this phenomenon, let me explain. 'Tizer' is a well known brand of fizzy orange drink. Apparently, foreign lorry drivers carry empty plastic bottles in their cabs to pee in if they get taken short with no toilet around. They then lob the full bottle out of the window onto the verge where it resembles a discarded bottle of Tizer.

Now I'm sure that it isn't only our Iberian cousins who do this so instead of Spanish Tizer I am naming it 'Street Soda'. Either way - don't ever drink it - you've been warned!