‘MPG’ = “Middle-Class Paranoid Guy”

These are the previous ones that I’ve documented:

August: Tracked & Mapped
July: Exeunt stage-right, pursued by a bear
March: Middle-Class Paranoia

Today, it is:

‘MPG’ = “Middle-Class Paranoid Gal”

For me, ‘Mapping’ is a process of:

1. Survey & collect info
2. Order the survey info on paper
3. Use JOSM to transfer into OSM

I have found it very easy to get confused when back at my desk as to exactly where I was at particular points when surveying, so I make a habit of photographing every street-sign. That gives me continual, solid reference points as to my location throughout the survey.

Yesterday I was mapping Welbeck Avenue in Gedling. The Welbeck houses at one end of the street are semi-detached houses which lie at an angle across the corner; one house is numbered on one street, whilst the other is numbered on the other street. It’s a confusing practice which is common locally.

I was at the Westdale Lane end of the street, and was getting myself clear as to the reference of each of the houses in the corner. I then took a photo of the Welbeck street-sign (see bottom). As I completed that, our female MPG burst out of her car and started shouting at me. It was difficult to decipher what she wanted, but it seemed to be on the lines of “what do you think you are doing?”. Calmly, I explained that I was taking a photo of the street-sign & turned the smartphone around so that she could see the screen (I hadn’t yet saved it). She grabbed hold of it & pulled it out of my hand!

There was a short tussle as I grabbed it back. She then started hitting me. I informed her that if she did that again then I would deck her. She hustled away into her house (I think to telephone the police).

Her son had arrived by this point. He was looking very sheepish (a tall lad, but probably only ~16 years). I explained to him what I’d been doing, and that was the end of that incident as he followed after his mother, trying to calm her down. Meanwhile, I continued up the street, mapping the other houses. Essentially, it took the rest of that street before I was back to my normal, unruffled self (I hate confrontation).

This is the photo that she took exception to & began hitting me for (everyone’s a critic):–