Tariq Ali - middle of the road?

Whilst listening to Tariq Ali on Desert Island Discs yesterday, I recalled that I had once saved his life. Well, when I say “saved his life” I mean I braked very hard one evening to avoid knocking down a tracksuited figure who, on turning to acknowledge me with a guilty grin, revealed himself to be none other than the aforementioned 1960s lefty hero. Strangely, not long afterwards I was involved in a very similar incident—this time it was the actor Barry Foster with his hands on the bonnet and a terrified look in his eyes. On mentioning this coincidence to friends, it seemed that Barry Foster (sadly no longer with us) was universally loved but, shockingly, the response from some quarters was that, in Tariq’s case, I shouldn’t have bothered to brake.

This has led me to wonder how many other London drivers have similarly held the fates of the famous (and infamous) beneath the soles of their right feet. For whom, should you happen to catch them in the glare of your headlights, would you keep your foot on the gas?