Of Checking Your Mirror and Over Your Shoulder

I was nicked yesterday for driving whilst on my mobile. I was on the road to Derry/Londonderry when boredom struck and I thought I'd call a friend for no other reason than it would break the monotony of the long drive. I had checked the rear view mirror but saw no sign of the long arm of the law in hot pursuit.

The police were very polite and professional about it as they dished out my fixed penalty of 3 points together with a £60 fine. They asked me what I did for a living. I didn't want them to live off the fact for weeks on end back at the station that they'd nicked a lawyer in a sports car. So I told them I was a hairdresser.

Derry/Londonderry always amazes me. Everyone you speak to is either related to the person you're talking about or at least knows them. You can tell whenever a Derry person is about to tell you something confidential because they look over their shoulder first to see if there's anyone who's in earshot. If there is, there's a good chance they'll know who you're talking about and that your highly confidential conversation will soon be all round town.