Jam

Introduction

This is based on experiences I had driving on the M62 when I worked for Yorkshire Water in Bradford, and lived in Leyland. I always drove, but the journey was quite scary, but the views were great, except when we got hit by heavy snow.

The music is "Traffic Jam"by Eric Donaldson

Jam

This is a journey I make every day, I leave home at 6:30 am after making up the fire for my family to make sure they are warm enough. At five pm I leave and drive home, the journey normally takes around an hour, if I manage to miss the traffic, but on a three-lane major motorway, unfortunately, that is usually unlikely.

The snow had come down so heavily that you couldn't see the lane markings and the cars were getting too close and slowing down. I changed down the gears and all the windows were freezing up, I made the mistake of trying to use the screen wipe and the windscreen wipers started to just scrape ice.

Then red lights came on and the car in front stopped, as did all the other cars. The temperature was dropping like a stone, my breath was visible as I breathed out, but the air was like freezing daggers when I breathed in.

The snow was coming down more heavily and was pressed against all the windows. I had to get out, but the snow and the closeness of the other vehicles meant that I couldn't open any doors.

I thought maybe get out through the hatchback, but that was frozen shut and weighed down with snow.

I kept the engine running to keep the heater going, but I was now worried about what would happen if the petrol ran out, I had meant to fill up when I got to Bradford, and he fuel gauge had dropped into the red.

I checked my mobile phone but there was no signal.

I was being buried alive under snow and was going to freeze to death. This was an Edgar Allen Poe scenario, maybe it would be called "The Frozen Driver" trapped in a hatchback coffin on a snowbound motorway.

So I wait

Getting Colder

I know how long I will last.

I can't move

I can't get out.

The engine just stopped.

The petrol is gone.

The heater is finished.

The car lights are off.

I can't see anything outside.

The white snow and ice are crushed against the windows.

All of a sudden the windscreen shatters and the snow fills the front of the car. The same happens with the hatchback window.

This is it.

This is my tomb.

I am freezing to death an dthere is no escape ........