An overseas national hockey player (and later national coach) was an eminent, distinguished, highly successful QC by day, in the legal profession, but when it came to a hockey match, he seemed to change dramatically when he stepped onto the pitch and when the whistle went for the start of the game. This friendly, calm, intelligent gentleman began questioning the umpire from the first whistle and taunting the opposition from the first tackle and berating his teammates from the first mistake. Then when the match was over, in the bar, he was the genial, generous, gregarious companion again. When he crossed the line, he was different and dangerous.
Many people speak of the “white line fever” which is triggered when a player crosses the sideline onto the pitch. Some will view it as a psychological state where sportsmen suddenly become “intensely focused, sometimes aggressive, and fully immersed in the competition” with an injection of adrenaline. When rivalry, especially, is confronted on a pitch (as in passionate local derby matches), all clarity of mind and tactical preparation goes off the scale as soon as the player steps over that white line. The battle plan becomes all out war. Now the sportsmen are in the arena, in the cage. Gentle, intelligent, responsible people very often change as they step over that line; discipline disappears, behaviour plummets, common sense is consumed.
White lines seem to have a similar effect on car drivers, in that often, when they cross a solid white line in the middle of the road, they become a totally different dangerous driver. That solid white line which, like on a sports pitch, is defining where it is best to be, is like a red rag to a bull — a target to be hit, a challenge to be taken, an instruction to be ignored. The driver knows better — or just changes character. Common sense says one thing (obey) but competitive instinct says another (defy). Crossing that line is dangerous.
However, when we travel round the country, we will find some solid white lines painted a long way from a corner and at other times right at the corner — inconsistent in places and even, it has to be said, non-existent in other places. At times, there is a clear distance, with a clear view ahead, yet a solid white line stands out, indicating there is danger in overtaking, when in truth there is none whatsoever. At other times, there is no white line when there should be. It only makes the whole experience frustrating and futile and will lead to another adrenaline rush and an aggressive streak. If there are white lines, they need to be sensible. Crossing that white line is dangerous.
Of course, sometimes we need further common sense when we are driving, in this country especially. When a poorly maintained, totally unroadworthy lorry crawls along at less than twenty kilometres an hour on a hill where there is a white line, it would be easy for most cars to overtake comfortably and without any danger, even if a car came in the opposite direction. And in fact, if cars do not overtake, when they could easily, purely because there is a white line in place, then a long, long queue forms which only gives irritated drivers the white line fever and they take greater risks. It would be less dangerous to cross that white line.
That therefore highlights the whole difference between the letter of the law (or the line) and the spirit of the law – and which is the better? The lines or laws are there for good reason but often the spirit behind them has far greater reason. If someone can easily and safely overtake without any risk, then why do we punish them for doing so? Why do we hold people back by a simple white line, when the penalty should be for the vehicle that is not roadworthy? It is simply a matter of training people to be responsible.
Let us now therefore draw a line in the sand and say “Enough! No more!” Let us not punish responsible drivers in powerful, well-serviced cars for overtaking when it is clearly possible to do so without any danger – and, as importantly, may responsible Heads in professional, well-serviced schools be allowed to cross that line and go faster, safer, leaving the way freer for those who are not so fast to follow at the appropriate time. Let us follow the spirit of the lines and the law, not simply the letter, when it comes to education. If not, we may experience white line fever. It is a fine line.