There are three things that friends and family should never discuss. Politics and religion are the most obvious. Never before has a rift opened up as fast than the last time my Uncle talked about how his relgious beliefs shaped his political ones, breaking both rules at the same time. (Of course this doesn't apply to when you're sitting around the Christmas Dinner table - feel free to discuss both at that time, especially if alcohol is involved) The other thing is anything to do with cars. When it comes to driving everyone has an absolutely water-tight reason why they do what they do.

"So why did you undertake and nearly cause an accident?"
"Well you should read the Highway Code, it says you can undertake when you're in a queue"
"He was going at 65mph!"
"Yeah well this is a motorway - that's slow!!!!!"

One of the offshoots of this is parking. As you are all aware, it is everybody's God given right to be able to park anywhere they want, no matter how dangerous and how illegal it is. And a row over this has been simmering in our block of flats for ages.

Sign Guy, the self appointed head of the resident's committee, has been patrolling the car park leaving little notes on people's cars when they are not parked in the right spot. He has invested in an automated CCTV scanner like those used in Texaco and it alerts him when a number plate enters the compound that isn't in his database. He then dispatches his minion to go and deal with them by writing them a stern note.

But even he was outdone by someone who posted a plan of the site through every resident's door, which was personalised with your own car parking spot highlighted and an accompanying letter explaining how important it is that you all park in your own designated spot and that visitors are left to go fish.

I get the feeling that this is the not the beginning of the end but more likely the end of the beginning.