We had plans for this week with our Canadian visitor. Plans involving driving and transport. Plans that, predated my eye afliction . Plans that are ruled out for that and assorted other reasons, until a good friend steps in offering to do the Edinburgh run , to collect the one party with some mobility issues.
As he’s leaving early, and taking his spacious, reliable, estate two of us go with him for the “jolly” and further time to catch up…
We were about 3 miles from our destination, when the screeching began.
Eventually we pulled into a supermarket car park (close to our goal, but as we say – no banana).
Competeing theories over the seriousness and cause meant some searching under the car.
This was not without issue:
Driver (bad back and leg) and least automotive knowledge (“It’s a car”)
Canadian visitor (bad hip and deaf) -what screeching?, could get down but not back up again.
Me (One eye- the wrong eye of course) – I can stick head under and look, but what I can see is strictly limited.
Due to the excessive delay in available vehicle recovery, we are asked to ..(and I kid not) .. drive round the car park while holding a mobile phone out the window in the hope that a mechanic could remotely diagnose the issue – if we could get the screeching to repeat. (” no that was just the brakes… no that was some people getting out of the way…no that was one of us thinking we were going to crash… there! that was the sound…..you didn’t hear it….take her round again,,,,,”)
In the end, a local garage was able to provide reassurance that we could proceed (slowly) for the time being (car back to the dealership next day!).
This allowed us to collect our less mobile companion, and into the Edinburgh rush hour, the Glasgow rush hour , and the Paisley rush hour.
The in-vehicle discussion gave us plenty opportunity to highlight several less serious aflictions/disabilities/defects/special powers among the group, so that by arrival at Paisley we could agregate about 1.5 “fully operational people ” between all of us (and 60% of a car).
Old age, as they say, does not come alone, and I think (as I squint at the page) that there is some comfort in that.
“All for one….. and about 25% each”
Next week on IaDL – I have to pour oil down the dipstick pipe while the engine is on???? (with one eye)
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 