Joykill and ride

[Martin Cassini]

Isn’t it a thing of beauty to see the individuals of a species interacting spontaneously? A kindle of cats, a murmuration of starlings, a colony of bats, a passell of possum, a scatter of skateboarders, a relish of road-users negotiating movement without the "help" of traffic controls. Are traffic managers blind to the beauty of natural flow? Certainly they seem bent on forcing us, like unforgiving parents, to submit to their will. Instinctively I resist that joykill, especially when it goes against my better nature and judgement. It’s one reason I cycle in London. If an officer stops me as I filter instead of obey red, I engage him in discussion. So far they end up agreeing with me or suddenly remembering an urgent assignment.