The Build up
Every thursday i have to do a 250 mile drive from where i live to Birmingham to get therapy. Ive been doing this for 2 years now. As some will know previous to falling ill i developed a fear of driving on motorways and as a result had to be driven to therapy by my father.
Over the past 4 months i have been driving more and more on my own. A couple of weeks ago i told my dad that i no longer needed him to drive me as i now felt ok driving on the motorway alone. (i love driving)
I arrived in therapy on Thursday morning a mess. Wednesday had seen the onset of a bad bout of anxiety. Im not sure why i got it but it was bad and snowballing. Perhaps the thought of my interview had set it off? Therapy was pretty much a wipeout. Not much said by me albeit i did leave a little calmer. My last words being to the therapist that im not going to do the motorway route because im too anxious..........................
The Motorway
As i drove i felt calmer and calmer so i decided that i would get onto the M6 and if i felt bad i would leave when i got to the M69 and take the scenic route. BAD MOVE!
I had been on for about 5 minutes or so and i saw a police car parked at the side of the road. Next thing i know its behind me, then infront of me and then its flashing and ordering me off the motorway. I parked in the hard-shoulder and the copper walked up and opened the passenger door. He said my car showed as having no tax even tho there was a valid disc in the window. He said they would sort it out in the service station and i was to follow them.
As soon as i turned into the car park i nearly died. There were at leasty 50 officers and other people in high vis jackets. Lanes made for cars and inflatable tents. TV cameras and officers with video.
I was suprisingly calm when i unwound the window. The officer said my disc was not showing properly on the cumputer and they needed to check it out. Next minute a copper with a stick asked if he could swab my hands and steering wheel for drugs. I agreed with no hessitation and sat there. Next minute im being asked to get out of the car and told i failed the drug test. I remember just staring in amazement and saying "WHAT?".
Next thing im told im in some sort of detention and im emptying pockets and taking my boots off. Around me other cars were being searched, people being carried away and cars being towed off by recovery trucks. A TV crew were filming aswell.
They asked me where i had been and i told them. I heard somethig mentioned about dogs and someone saying "yes do it". Next thing they are taking the car apart and a very waggy sniffer dog is scouring the inside and outside.
I was just frozen stiff. One copper laughed at me because apparently they told me to relax and i could let my hands free but i was just standing there rigid with my hands out >.<. The guy holding me was really nice thank god. talked to me bout depression and his experience with it. He kept me calm. I was then taken intothe changing room and intimately searched. Thankfully the rubber glove was not used!
They said they couldnt trace the tax. I nearly burst into tears. I told them ive paid it. They went off again. The search proved negative of course. I was told i was no longer under detention and handed a stop and search card.
I was still rigid. they said they still couldnt trace the tax. ALL this lastd for an hour. EVERYONE was looking at me. It was awful.
Finally an officer came upto me, shook my hand and apologised for the wait and confusion. They had registered the tax and all was well apparently. By now i was chatting to the copper looking after me about cakes, Harley Davidsons and whatever else came along.
His final word was dont go near drugs.
I drove off. for some reason i was really calm but paraniod at the same time. I was convinced i was being followed and filmed all the way home. I was in shock for the rest of the day.
It seems the test they did was a new ION traker test. It traces minute amounts of class A and B drugs in the system. It can detect marajuana days after smoking it.
The previous night i had stayed at friends. They are heavy smokers. I didnt partake as i was feeling so crap. I was playing with a Cd case i knew they had snorted some coke from.
It seems passive inhilation and handling the Cd case was enough to fail the test.
Not the best preparation for the interview but albeit it was awful and scared me to death; i am still going to drive on the motorways.
Im still a bit shaken. I hope to god i can manage the drive next week!
Operation Utah
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