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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2017/dec/23/driving-home-for-christmas-traffic-officers
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| Driving home for Christmas may take a while, but we traffic officers will get you there | Driving home for Christmas may take a while, but we traffic officers will get you there |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| There’s nothing quite like getting into a car stacked with presents, putting on your best festive jumper, and cranking up the Chris Rea as you venture out on to the motorway to drive home for Christmas. | There’s nothing quite like getting into a car stacked with presents, putting on your best festive jumper, and cranking up the Chris Rea as you venture out on to the motorway to drive home for Christmas. |
| There’s also nothing worse than finding yourself, as the song goes, “top to toe in tailbacks, with red lights all around”. If you do find yourself on our motorways this Christmas, spare a thought for the people who will be giving up their Christmas to make sure you get home safely to enjoy yours. | There’s also nothing worse than finding yourself, as the song goes, “top to toe in tailbacks, with red lights all around”. If you do find yourself on our motorways this Christmas, spare a thought for the people who will be giving up their Christmas to make sure you get home safely to enjoy yours. |
| Highways England traffic officers like me, along with our control room operators, contractors and colleagues in the emergency services, will be working 24 hours a day over the Christmas period, doing our best to keep the country’s motorways moving. | Highways England traffic officers like me, along with our control room operators, contractors and colleagues in the emergency services, will be working 24 hours a day over the Christmas period, doing our best to keep the country’s motorways moving. |
| Laugh away, Jeremy Clarkson, but we 'traffic wombles' play a vital role | Laugh away, Jeremy Clarkson, but we 'traffic wombles' play a vital role |
| We will be out there in all weather: clearing debris, towing broken-down cars – and even, if necessary, closing roads (and no, we don’t do it for fun). We will be the ones overseeing that lane closure that looks completely unnecessary, but is in fact protecting you from a road soaked in diesel. | We will be out there in all weather: clearing debris, towing broken-down cars – and even, if necessary, closing roads (and no, we don’t do it for fun). We will be the ones overseeing that lane closure that looks completely unnecessary, but is in fact protecting you from a road soaked in diesel. |
| It feels especially festive when we’re standing there in the freezing cold and people shout “Merry Christmas” at us as they pass and give us a cheery wave to say thank you. At least that’s what I choose to think they are doing. | It feels especially festive when we’re standing there in the freezing cold and people shout “Merry Christmas” at us as they pass and give us a cheery wave to say thank you. At least that’s what I choose to think they are doing. |
| It’s not just cars full of presents and excited children that we help to get home safely. If you’re like me and prefer to avoid the high street over Christmas, online shopping is the answer to all your woes. But as Amazon don’t yet have a sleigh-and-chimney-based delivery system (although it’s probably only a matter of time), all your carefully (and not so carefully) chosen presents will rely on our motorways to make it to you in time for Christmas. | It’s not just cars full of presents and excited children that we help to get home safely. If you’re like me and prefer to avoid the high street over Christmas, online shopping is the answer to all your woes. But as Amazon don’t yet have a sleigh-and-chimney-based delivery system (although it’s probably only a matter of time), all your carefully (and not so carefully) chosen presents will rely on our motorways to make it to you in time for Christmas. |
| When you unwrap your presents, just take a second to think about the traffic officer who might have had to put an overturned car back on itswheels, stop the traffic to remove a wheelbarrow from the centre lane, or even wrestle a sheep out of the road so that those presents could make it under your tree. | When you unwrap your presents, just take a second to think about the traffic officer who might have had to put an overturned car back on itswheels, stop the traffic to remove a wheelbarrow from the centre lane, or even wrestle a sheep out of the road so that those presents could make it under your tree. |
| All these things have happened, even the sheep. Although I did not wrestle it myself, we were around to help control the traffic while the farmer turned up and did. I’m hoping for a reindeer this year. | All these things have happened, even the sheep. Although I did not wrestle it myself, we were around to help control the traffic while the farmer turned up and did. I’m hoping for a reindeer this year. |
| If the worst does happen and you do get stuck in a queue, know that we will always be doing our best to get you moving again. We are probably at the front of the traffic, lying in a puddle, trying to get a car ready for towing or attempting to drag a sofa to the hard shoulder. I know it can seem like we close things for no reason and stop traffic unnecessarily, but we don’t. Everything we do, we do to make sure you (and we) get home safely. | If the worst does happen and you do get stuck in a queue, know that we will always be doing our best to get you moving again. We are probably at the front of the traffic, lying in a puddle, trying to get a car ready for towing or attempting to drag a sofa to the hard shoulder. I know it can seem like we close things for no reason and stop traffic unnecessarily, but we don’t. Everything we do, we do to make sure you (and we) get home safely. |
| One of the most important tools we have are those sparkly red Xs that appear above the lane on certain motorways, such as the M25. They might look like Christmas lights, but they’re not. That lane is closed, and passing underneath could cost you points and a fine. There could be a broken-down car stuck in that lane, there could be an accident; there could be a lorry tyre, or a pedestrian. | One of the most important tools we have are those sparkly red Xs that appear above the lane on certain motorways, such as the M25. They might look like Christmas lights, but they’re not. That lane is closed, and passing underneath could cost you points and a fine. There could be a broken-down car stuck in that lane, there could be an accident; there could be a lorry tyre, or a pedestrian. |
| I love being a police officer at Christmas - despite the fights, vomit and urine | I love being a police officer at Christmas - despite the fights, vomit and urine |
| There could be one of our vehicles trying to help someone. You might be thinking that passing underneath will get you home to the fire and a glass of mulled wine more quickly, but it won’t. It could mean that you or someone else doesn’t make it home at all. | There could be one of our vehicles trying to help someone. You might be thinking that passing underneath will get you home to the fire and a glass of mulled wine more quickly, but it won’t. It could mean that you or someone else doesn’t make it home at all. |
| When you arrive home this Christmas, still humming along to Chris Rea and wondering if you remembered to pack that jigsaw puzzle for you great aunt, take a second to think of the people who helped to get you there. If there’s one thing being a traffic officer has taught me, it’s to always be grateful for arriving home, however long it takes. | When you arrive home this Christmas, still humming along to Chris Rea and wondering if you remembered to pack that jigsaw puzzle for you great aunt, take a second to think of the people who helped to get you there. If there’s one thing being a traffic officer has taught me, it’s to always be grateful for arriving home, however long it takes. |
| • Catherine Dent is a Highways England traffic officer | • Catherine Dent is a Highways England traffic officer |
| This series aims to give a voice to the staff behind the public services that are hit by mounting cuts and rising demand, and so often denigrated by the press, politicians and public. If you would like to write an article for the series, contact kirstie.brewer@theguardian.com | This series aims to give a voice to the staff behind the public services that are hit by mounting cuts and rising demand, and so often denigrated by the press, politicians and public. If you would like to write an article for the series, contact kirstie.brewer@theguardian.com |
| Talk to us on Twitter via @Guardianpublic and sign up for your free weekly Guardian Public Leaders newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Thursday. | Talk to us on Twitter via @Guardianpublic and sign up for your free weekly Guardian Public Leaders newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Thursday. |
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