I was shocked at being found guilty but this was overshadowed by the magistrates' serious contemplation of a jail sentence. My lawyer went pale; heaven knows what colour I went. I was bewildered when I got out of the court room. Their summing up was along the lines: 'Don't come here and drive like that on our roads.' I'll take the first three words as sensible advice.

Still, the law's the law, and is nothing if not unpredictable. I could rant on about conspiracy theories involving government attempts to force people onto public transport by taking away their licences but I won't. Equally, it would be churlish to collectively criticise the Welsh and say that their countryside isn't so beautiful as to make up for their xenophobia and awful pubs.

I have been struggling to compile a list of benefits from the situation, and have concluded that there is a surprising up-side to not having a car. Not the obvious financial/parking ticket kind, but more in what effect it has on your life. I'm lucky to live in London where at least there is a public transport system which, if more people bought deodorant, could be an acceptable way of getting around. A car can make your life very predictable, even with the freedoms it brings; without one, every journey becomes an obstacle, requiring planning and organisation. I've discovered I quite like waiting for things, not a luxury I usually allow myself.

After a year, who knows how I'll feel about cars as transport? If the public transport thing works, I hope I'll view driving more as a recreational activity. I haven't seen many magazines about 'the dull, repetitiveness of driving', and if the roads weren't so clogged with people getting from A to B, driving would be more enjoyable.

To all you licence holders I say remember that this serious legislation can be applied to what might appear to you to be a pretty innocuous incident. It depends on where you are, and how lucky you're feeling. Whatever, get a good lawyer.

(Evo VI for sale, one careless owner...)