Spanish Drivers?

In the old days, the only inconvenience caused by Spanish drivers in Portugal was their flooding the roads during holiday periods and forming caravans in the middle lane on the motorway. But recently they are found overtaking aggressively on the right, double parking, driving excessively fast in urban areas, just like the locals!

Could it be that the quality of Spanish driving is plunging? More likely is that Chico Esperto Português has discovered that cars are cheaper in Spain and it's precisely that type of clever dick that likes to drive badly, encouraged by the authorities' difficulty in tracing the car to send it a ticket. Of course, he also has to manage to avoid being caught with the car in the country for more than six months, but what are the chances of that? I've heard that in the Alentejo the traffic police are alert to this loophole, but I can't see it happening in Lisbon.

Perhaps nuestros hermanos should think twice before selling to the Tugas - their reputation is at stake...

Bored

What to do when nothing inspires you? There are so many possible distractions, most of which arrived at Christmas - films to watch, books to read, games to play. And so many chores that are on the procrastination list. Even golf is uninspiring on a course waterlogged from so much rain.

At least the busy season at work is coming to an end and the days are getting lighter. Chin up! Things can only get better...

Accident & Emergency

What's the difference between private and public healthcare? As I understood it up to today, with private healthcare you're paying for a more timely and better presented service. Some private hospitals even offer an emergency walk-in-off-the-street service, which must surely be better than braving the conditions in Portuguese public hospitals.

That's what I thought until I took my wife to CUF Infante Santo this afternoon, in a state where her dizzy spells had reached the point where she could no longer stand, barely sit. I got her a wheelchair, checked her in and sat with her for an hour and a half in the waiting room without being seen. Everyone who was there when we arrived had been seen and had left. There were the queue jumpers, the "emergency consultations by appointment" slipped in front of us, and the usual State excuse: "One of the doctors didn't come in, so we only have one"! So what the hell was I paying for? We would have been better off at our local health centre!

The staff were shocked when we gave up and left. After all that time the dizziness had worn off. They even came after us into the car park: "The doctor will see you now". I don't suppose the 90€ emergency fee that they lost made any difference to them. After all, we were the strange ones, running away like that. I suppose I should have complained earlier, but it shouldn't be necessary.

It looks like José de Mello Saúde needs some competition, and then some doctors who take some pride in customer service, to set them apart from the public hospitals. You certainly won't find me setting foot there again.