Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: DoctorBeaver on 30/07/2007 04:23:02
-
We left home this morning to go to Kent (about 160 miles) to take Sandra's brother home & brat #3 back to its owner. We got about 40 miles down the motorway & a tyre went flat on us. We were in Sandra's car and she'd used her spare the other day to replace a tyre that was looking a bit Telly Savalas. So there we were with a sulky teenager & 3 brats stuck without a spare tyre.
Sandra's got breakdown cover with her insurance so we phoned the company and they duly arranged for a recovery vehicle to take us to a tyre & exhaust centre. It only took 45 minutes to arrive so we were quite pleased.
British members will understand the next bit. Allegedly you can't get quicker than the fitters we went to for a new tyre. It's not true! We waited 2 hours before they even took our car into the workshop. By the time we left we were over 3 hours behind schedule. Plus 1 of the brats had wet himself.
We got to Kent, threw brat #3 at rightful owner and headed off to drop Sandra's sulky teenage brother. When we arrived at the block of flats where he lives he realised he didn't have the key to the security door. He tried ringing the bell to his flat but dad must have been asleep. We rang the bell, phoned him and sent texts before, eventually, dad pressed the button to unlock the door.
The last part of our trip was to deliver brats #1 & #2 to Sandra's mother in Margate (about half hour's drive from sulky teenage brother's place). Sandra's mum had recently moved - which was damned inconsiderate of her as Sandra had not yet been to the new house & wasn't sure where it was. Mum's directions turned out to be a load of cods. We didn't so much get lost as get caught up in Margate's wonderful 1-way system. Oh how I hate those things! We knew roughly where the harridan's house is - and even passed the no-entry end of her road on 1 occasion - but couldn't get to the house. Eventually, after driving through most of Margate's backstreets, we arrived.
Brats #1 & #2 were delivered, we collected Sandra's youngest sister (10 years old) who is coming to stay with us for 2 weeks in exchange for the brats.
We were about half hour into the journey back when the dashboard lights went out. That in itself isn't too much of a problem so we soldiered on, trying to estimate our speed as we were unable to see the speedo. But a while later Sandra said that a lot of cars coming up behind her were flashing their lights at her. We found a lay-by and stopped. Oh deep joy - no rear lights!
"A-ha!", thinks I, "Mayhap tis a fuse"
So, out of the glovebox comes the owner's handbook. Guess what. No fuse for the rear lights. While we were at it we checked the dashboard fuse and it was fine. So, fuses not the problem.
Yours truly opens the boot & checks the wiring to the lights. All OK.
Now, at this point a few unsavoury, and most unbeaverlike, words were creeping into my mind. There we were, 120 miles from home in the dark with no rear lights. As the vast majority of our journey home would be on motorways (so very few gear changes) I suggested that maybe Sandra could drive with her left foot resting on the brake pedal just enough to light the rear brake lights but not enough to apply the brakes. She tried it but had to give up due to cramp setting in as her foot was at an awkward angle.
We knew there was a service area 20 miles ahead so we decided to risk driving that far, then park up & wait for dawn. We arrived there at 11pm and went in for a hot drink. Wouldn't you just know it - big signs saying "Parking restricted to 2 hours". To stay more than 2 hours we would have to pay £10 or risk being clamped and incurring a £250 release fee.
I was inclined to stay and beat a hasty retreat if anyone carrying something even vaguely like a wheel clamp got within 100 yds of the car; but Sandra didn't want to take the chance.
The upshot was that we waited for 2 hours (until 1am) so the traffic would be less and drove the rest of the way home - about a 2-hour drive - with no rear lights. Somehow we managed it without further mishap and arrived home just before 3am.
Now I'm overtired & can't get to sleep. For some reason I don't want to get out of bed tomorrow!
[:(!] [:(!] [:(!]
-
WOW!!! Sounds like a horrible day.
It actually makes my horrible day yesterday look a little better. Glad you all made it home safe and somewhat sound.
-
Ditto That rest well tomorrow too!
-
i must be the only one who had an almost good weekend. with the exception of the fish thing, but that just happened
-
I am glad you did too!
-
Eth, that sounds like the sort of day that would make Francis of Assisi kick cats.
I have a partial solution though. If you get a SatNav thingy (eg one that sounds like jungle drums, or Mr Stoppard's first name repeated) not only will it mean that you only need the address of the house, but it also tells you your speed. Now I realise with the history that you have shared with us that this may not be that important, but at least you'l bee able to say "No, it was 153, not 152 mph.....". It won't be able to help with other matters, such as flat tyre, rear lamps, wet trousers, but will help with the location of petrol stations, purveyors of said tyres and also of marketers of dry trousers.
Plus, it's a nifty gadget!
-
Oh, and that part of Kent is probably not the nicest part, so you have my sympathies! I was born in Royal Tonbridge Wells - much nicer!
-
Eth, that sounds like the sort of day that would make Francis of Assisi kick cats.
I have a partial solution though. If you get a SatNav thingy (eg one that sounds like jungle drums, or Mr Stoppard's first name repeated) not only will it mean that you only need the address of the house, but it also tells you your speed. Now I realise with the history that you have shared with us that this may not be that important, but at least you'l bee able to say "No, it was 153, not 152 mph.....". It won't be able to help with other matters, such as flat tyre, rear lamps, wet trousers, but will help with the location of petrol stations, purveyors of said tyres and also of marketers of dry trousers.
Plus, it's a nifty gadget!
We went in Sandra's car, not mine.
-
You can use them in any car - they're not fixed.....
-
You can use them in any car - they're not fixed.....
I know; but Sandra's car is a beat-up old 1.4 Orion that's worth about £200. No point fitting SatNav.
-
Oh, and that part of Kent is probably not the nicest part, so you have my sympathies! I was born in Royal Tonbridge Wells - much nicer!
You don't have to sympathise with me, I'm from Hampshire.
Our stops yesterday were Maidstone, Canterbury & Margate.
-
I used to live in Headcorn and Staplehurst. Maidstone at the time, was a carbunkle on the face of mid-Kent.
-
I used to live in Headcorn and Staplehurst. Maidstone at the time, was a carbunkle on the face of mid-Kent.
It still is. Kent is a beautiful county but spoilt by the towns. I find the Medway towns particularly unpleasant. And as for the Medway itself - no self-respecting beaver would consider even swimming in it, never mind building a dam on it!
-
If you go back, I would recommend nipping across the county border and going to Rye and Winchelsea beach. Rye is a lovely historical Cinque port, and Winchelsea has some great rock pools, cliffs and beaches when the tide is out.
-
If you go back, I would recommend nipping across the county border and going to Rye and Winchelsea beach. Rye is a lovely historical Cinque port, and Winchelsea has some great rock pools, cliffs and beaches when the tide is out.
I've been to Rye. And Deal. And lots of other places in that area.
-
Doc !!...I understand you offer a babysitting service !.....can I book you in for the year 2008 ?...there's only four of them !...thanks.....Oh...and can I drop them off early ?...say.....tomorrow....?....
...oh....not wishing to appear cheeky but I understand you enjoy driving so...can you collect instead ?
Thanks.
-
LOL good idea!
-
Doc !!...I understand you offer a babysitting service !.....can I book you in for the year 2008 ?...there's only four of them !...thanks.....Oh...and can I drop them off early ?...say.....tomorrow....?....
...oh....not wishing to appear cheeky but I understand you enjoy driving so...can you collect instead ?
Thanks.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fshooting1%2F7.gif&hash=0bf9bbfb8860ecb4eb4f7d8935037447)
-
POOR NEILY... Dissenigrated just like that... Blown away!....awwwwww!
-
Hmmmmmm.....does that mean Doc will be over in the morning or afternoon ?
Hugs the Doc.....shmishes him also !!
-
LOL LOL!
-
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fhugging%2F6.gif&hash=2c7969293b776ce58efb12aa528085f8)
-
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsigns11%2F13.gif&hash=f292d99e87d35719b0c24e26bc86d268)
-
:) :)