SUMMER has long been the time of year when driving niceties fly straight out of the near side window.
The roads are full normally of Madrileños driving their Mercedes at five miles an hour and no indicators while they try to decide whether to go left or right before sticking it in the scenery.
This year we have been spared the usual chaotic carnival of car confusion that is the annual pilgrimage of Moroccans from northern Europe making their trip to the motherland.
We have, however, seen Marbella’s roads clogged with Audis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis all being driven with outstanding levels of ineptitude by characters that seem to have stepped off the set of a bad rap video.
As a driver who sometimes suffers from what you can euphemistically call the ‘red mist’, the problem is that any display of road rage or waving of fingers at the aforementioned drivers can quickly escalate into something from an outtake from ‘Mad Max’.
And then there are the cyclists who, inspired by the ‘Vuelta’, Spain’s annual cycle race, saddle up and take to my particular tranche of tarmac.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again. If I want to see a man’s sweaty arse in Lycra gyrating in front of me, I know several clubs in Soho .
In the midst of the motoring mayhem, I spotted this decaled Daewoo Matiz, which raised a wry smile as I slugged my way past San P.
The fact that there were even more stickers on the interior made it even better!
Best to stay cool, stay calm, put some Chill Out on the stereo and just remember that summer will soon be over.