davidgillon | So I drove into the car park and burst out laughing...

I've needed to get my hair cut for several weeks now, but I've been singularly ineffectual about managing it. Mostly because by the time I get myself organised to leave the house, they'll be on the point of shutting. (It's not that I'm <i>that</i> ineffective at organising myself, more that my day is shifted about 5 or 6 hours later than everyone else's at the moment)

But Friday I actually managed to get over to Rochester in just about sufficient time, only to realise I didn't have enough money on me. So I headed over to the cash machine, but first I had to deal with the ramp out of the carpark. Despite it being a council car park, this pretty definitely doesn't meet Annex M of the Building Regs, it's too steep and should have at least two landings for that rise. OTOH it's over 100m shorter than going out of the other exit. I was in the eBay chair, and it turns out it's still too tippy on slopes, especially this one. I managed to get about 90% of the way up, but my arms were giving out, and no landings, so I had to grab the handrail to hold myself in place while I got the chair's brakes on one at a time. On the plus side, it proved I set the brakes right when I reconfigured it if they can hold me on that slope. On the negative, getting the brakes off again, without careering backwards down the slope took some doing - I really needed three hands if not five (handrail, 2xbrake, 2xwheel) and I had two little old ladies asking if I needed help before I managed to get myself moving again.

But eventually I triumphed and headed off to the other end of the High Street to get some cash, and then back to the barbers, only as I arrived outside I bumped into one of my old colleagues, Jason, who I haven't seen since Evil Aerospace gave us both the push. He was also headed in for a haircut. Only one problem (well, two if you count me having to head 20m in the wrong direction to find a kerb cut), when we got inside there were three barbers, three guys getting cuts, three guys in front of us in the queue, and only 25 minutes 'til they shut. I hung around to catch up with Jason, but bailed once it was clear there was no chance of getting a cut, while he stayed on the off-chance they might fit him in.

So I headed over again today, only rather earlier, and as I drove into the car park I burst out laughing as Jason walked out in front of me. "I bailed not long after you," he admitted, and headed off barbers-ward. I followed him once I'd parked (going the long way around), and this time instead of three barbers and a queue, there were four of them, one cutting Jason, and three not doing anything. I was driving out of the carpark on my way home barely 25 minutes after arriving.

Moral of the story, don't try to get your hair cut on a Friday ;)