Just completed a 160-mile return trip to the South Coast to collect an aged r for the festivities. Steady rain and lots of standing water but only one patch that needed the full crawl-through-on-the-crown method, and that was five miles from home.
But there were two other holdups, both caused by broken-down vehicles. One was a Renault Scénic, the other a Range Rover. You could have knocked me down with - well, would probably have taken something large and heavy.
Oh, and two other breakdowns, which had at least managed to get out of the way. Both Vauxhalls.
Merry Christmas.
}:---)
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Two breakdowns I saw recently - Renault Megane with a confused looking owner, eventually was set on fire after a week sitting in a layby, so I guess they didnt want it back ( who can blame them ) and a Vectra on the A6.
Tinny old Daihatsus - zero :-)
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Yesterday: M9 between Champany and Philpstoun junctions, about 600yds along the eastbound carriageway - car as far up the nearside embankment as possible without doing a "Duke's of Hazard" take-off manoeuvre.
No other sign of cars involved so presumably overcooked down the Champany on-ramp, a bit of fish-tailing, and exit stage left.
Ultime Driving Machine of course.
Coupe.
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Ultimate something-or-other involved clearly Lygonos !
Huge queue to get out of "our" Sainsburys car park this morning. Otherwise immobile Vectra being trailered away by the AA...
I once broke down at 5.00 PM in central Edinburgh on Christmas Eve. I was in a then newish 1988 BMW 3 series which had snapped its cambelt and done something vital to its innards. I was visiting relatives at North Berwick for Christmas and we had that day driven from Somerset where we then lived and had stopped at Jenners dept store to get the final bits we needed. We still had another 25 or so miles to go and the car was full of presents etc so public transport wasn't really an option.
We were parked on Waverley Bridge for those who know the area which was not a majorly useful place to be stranded.
You try getting a hire car delivered at 5.30 on a Christmas Eve...
We couldn't of course and all the city centre car hire offices were closing. I had a bit of a desperation fuelled brainwave and took a cab to Edinburgh airport where just one car hire desk had just one car left. It was a hideousw duck egg blue base model Escort 1.3 but as far as I was concerned it was a thing of the greatest beauty...
Took 3 weeks to get Beemer back.
:-(
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>> Two breakdowns I saw recently - Renault Megane with a confused looking owner, eventually was
>> set on fire after a week sitting in a layby, so I guess they didnt
>> want it back ( who can blame them ) and a Vectra on the A6.
>>
>> Tinny old Daihatsus - zero :-)
And what is the proportion of Tinny Old Daihatsus on the road compared to Renaults or Vauxhalls? Zero point what was that?
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At the risk of being a pub bore, I post not for the first time what happened to my Belgian hack buddy in his ultimate driving machine, then a 320 usually cruised at 110mph or a bit more on the motorway: accelerated past Charles de Gaulle airport after being baulked, got some sort of terminal uneven wheelspin, spun three times hitting both barriers and rolled once or twice (his memory of the event was understandably a little vague on the number of rolls) and came to rest on his own hard shoulder the right way up but facing the wrong way in what had suddenly become an ex-Beemer...
He said that a summer's worth of waste fuel under a takeoff corridor from the airport had been whipped into a superb French mayonnaise by the autumn rain. I was glad he wasn't hurt because he's a very fine fellow and not a bad driver in a Belgian sort of way...
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Mon 24 Dec 12 at 17:02
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Combination of dodgy rear tyres and a lead footed driver probably. I tried to "persuade" the 3 into a little bit of fun the other night, all I had was dampened revs as the software kicked in to stop me making and ass of myself...
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The tyres wouldn't have been knackered although the driving would certainly have been heavy footed. But this did happen some years ago, before traction control.
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Yeah, that 1988/89 320 I referred to was a pig on the slippy stuff. I once managed to "park" it, with no damage miraculously, on the crest of a hump back bridge ( there's a thing eh ? ) on the Somerset levels. There was black ice that morning in mild mitigation. It ended up with both the front and rear bumpers almost touching the opposite bridge parapets. A cigarette paper couldn't have been slipped between them.
Come to think, I might treat myself to a cigarette or perhaps a cigar tomorrow. Under control now...
:-)
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>> Yeah, that 1988/89 320 I referred to was a pig on the slippy stuff.
Yep. E30's required some finesse with that semi trailing arm set up, nowhere near as assured as the Z axle in the later E36's. Good fun though, as long as you know what you're doing. I'm sure you did Humph :)
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One aquired a certain respect for its limitations...
:-)
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>> Come to think, I might treat myself to a cigarette or perhaps a cigar tomorrow.
>> Under control now...
>>
>> :-)
>>
Welcome back to the fold, Humph. There aren't many of us left with all this living forever obsession.
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Mon 24 Dec 12 at 18:50
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Haven't actually done it yet RR. But, BIL will have some. He's rather more unreconstructed than me...Tempted, if I thought it wouldn't hook me again...
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>> Haven't actually done it yet RR. But, BIL will have some. He's rather more unreconstructed
>> than me...Tempted, if I thought it wouldn't hook me again...
>>
It will, it will.
I gave up for nearly two years a couple of decades back. I took one off somebody to be sociable...
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I've given up at least five times. Never stayed off for longer than a couple of months: stressful moment, someone passes you a joint at a party or funeral and there you are, a slave to the demon weed once more. Nicotine chewing gum is the best non-smoking substitute but will help your teeth to fall out and doesn't suit false ones. Snuff doesn't really work too well and is messy although it gives a sharp tobacco jolt.
From up to 60 a day untipped when I worked for the tobacco industry and got them free, I am down to 10 now but only on a good day. I freely admit that I am totally lacking in backbone or basic prudence and am an addict. I am rational but this sort of thing isn't. At least I am not a kamikaze drunk like my mother's father, and I have the good fortune to dislike opiates except when medically administered and fear, since having to get a heart pacemaker, violent stimulants. But tobacco is bad, bad stuff. I can feel that it is and always could.
You might get away with a single Havana stogie Humph but I have to say I wouldn't want a decent cat like you to grab a quick snout even when stressed. Don't.
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>>Tempted, if I thought it wouldn't hook me again...
I gave up about 8 years ago. If I had one cigarette now I would smoke a pack before I went to bed. It would start me again instantly.
My sister, on the other hand, can smoke about 3 cigarettes a year despite giving up a serious habit about the same time I did. One of the many reasons she annoys me.
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I can have a cigar when and if i like, even a fag if I wanted and not be hooked again
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>> I can have a cigar when and if i like, even a fag if I wanted and not be hooked again
Is it iron willpower, or is it an entirely justifiable dislike of tobacco? People I know who have given up usually do display iron willpower, but it takes the form of never having another. Perhaps in a way yours is more iron than theirs.
No doubt I will manage to give up myself eventually. Probably when it's too late to do any good, if it isn't already.
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Have you tried something like these:
www.skycig.co.uk/
I've bought some and use them on a regular basis rather than sparking up and then throwing away. Gets me through the day and has halved my consumption of the 'real' thing.
Different flavours which are interesting.
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My firm sells those things so I thought I'd try them.
Didn't do it for me at all.
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>> Have you tried something like these:
>>
>> www.skycig.co.uk/
If I want to look like a tit I dont need to spend money doing it.
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>>If I want to look like a tit I dont need to spend money doing it.
There's a fact. Happy Christmas loser.
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Which car did you take WdB ? The Göteborg or Stuttgart taxi ?
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>>Stuttgart taxi ?...
Doesn't really qualify now does it? Thought they had to replace them when they got, sort of, well, old, like?
:-))
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 24 Dec 12 at 21:28
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You telling me it's the Panamera now ? Or have Porsche got a truck load of Cayennes they need to offload ?
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P.S. still lots of E class in Germany for sale with BIG% discounts available. Taxi drivers are quite happy...
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Stereotypes: truth or coincidence? - Stuu
