Editorial: Raindrops welcome in the Bay

The farmers would have been buoyed by the sight and sound of steadily falling rain during the mid to latter stages of the week.

The word "drought" had been drying their spirits. Now there is a dampness across the landscape and that, despite the season of growth being in hibernation, means things will start to green up a little.

I daresay the steady falls have also led to a few more divisive remarks about the creation of a certain dam.

Some may argue that with rain like this we don't need one while others will say there is however nowhere to store it and it will all run away. So indeed, the farmers and horticulturists would have been delighted to hear the steady pitter-patter of rain upon the roof, but another slice of the workforce would not.

The police, particularly those on the traffic front, will have woken to the sound of rain and I daresay sighed and muttered "uh-oh".

For they know there will be work to be done.

After long dry spells which mean long dry roads, the addition of water and plenty of it can spell trouble.

Almost without exception the police officers I have spoken to through the years declare that there will be prangs because almost without exception there will be people who figure that driving is driving, wet or dry.

"Drive to the conditions" is a simple and effective term but it must have something magical about it because a look of people can't recognise it.

On the way to work on a splashy day yesterday I slowed for the lights and indicated and edged into my lane, and as I slowed the lights went green so I put on a bit of drive...and watched stunned as a red car hammered past beside me.

Rain should speed up only one thing, and that is growth.

Not motor vehicles.