23 February 2010

Another Car Drama

Like the softie I am, I said I would work for a friend of mine while she was on leave for a couple of weeks.  This was in the city where I used to work for a group of doctors.

So, I got myself up bright and early, drove off merrily on my way and all went well until I hit the highway.  From there to the city, it was nose to tail for about 30 km.  I eventually made it into the CBD, thinking I wasn't too late for work...and my car died...in the middle of three lanes...in peak hour traffic. 

I rang my boss (or ex boss...whatever) and told him what had happened, then rang for roadside assistance (Thank God for RACQ!).  Peter, my boss, arrived first, tinkered around and said he thought it was the battery.  The Traffic Response Unit guy arrived and agreed but added he thought it could also be the alternator.  

I had the car towed to a service station where they said I could safely leave it, went to work and phoned my mechanic.  He also thought it was the alternator and said he'd be out tomorrow at 10.30 am, bless him.


I rang RACQ and arranged for the car to be trucked home (and a lift for me).  None of this cost me anything, by the way, as I'm a member.  For those who don't live in Australia, RACQ is an organisation drivers join in case of break downs.  Most countries have them in one form or another.


So, tomorrow I'll find out the damage...to my bank account.  Methinks it could be a tad expensive.


What amazed me were the people who blew their car horns, yelled at me and give me the finger.  I had my hazard warning lights on yet one woman pulled up behind me and kept sounding her horn.  I really felt like getting out and telling her, "Yes, I am doing this deliberately to totally p**s you off!"

I've decided that cars are expensive items...especially after last weeks little escapade as well.  I think I'll get a horse...

16 comments:

Peter said...

Define Tad!!!!!!

Hootin Anni said...

Third time is a charm...the first two attempts to comment didn't 'take'.

So...as I was saying before, they weren't giving you the 'finger'...they were saluting your bravery for staying in the congested traffic.

PS...love Peter's comment.

Jack K. said...

What a bummer, having a breakdown in the middle of the freeway.

Good for RACQ being there for you. It was also quite nice for Peter, your boss, to come to your rescue. Nice guy. But, then, you are a nice person who deserves to be treated that way.

What you give is what you get.

Carole Burant said...

Don't you know it's Murphy's Law that if you're going to break down, it's going to happen on a very busy highway! lol We have CAA here in Canada and I just recently became a member. I can now feel more safe when I'm traveling, knowing that if I ever break down or get in an accident, I can call them and they'll take care of everything. Isn't it amazing how some people can be such idiots as to honk or give the finger to those who are broken down...sheesh! Glad you're ok though! xoxo

Andree said...

whew you've had the luck, huh. I'm glad you weren't hurt. And if anybody can explain behavior that you observed and suffered, they''d make a million bucks explaining it to the rest of the world.

But you are safe and sound!

Mountain Mama said...

That would be a very unnerving experience. It would be bad enough to break down on a quiet country road but in heavy three lane traffic it would be horrifying. You certainly handled it well and I hope you earn enough money from this temp. job to cover repairs.

Walker said...

Horses mow the lawn and fertilize it after ;)
I hope it doesn't cost you much.

RennyBA's Terella said...

oooohhh what an accident, but how can people be so rude?

Bring you're horse with to the Oslo Blog Gathering: So romantic to ride into the long summer nights you know :-)

Sorry I haven't been around lately: Work overload and busy watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver :-)

TorAa said...

What a maredream,
I would not have a clue od an idea what to do.
Happy we have Cell Phones these days.

See you in August?

Lee said...

Forget the horse, as well, Robyn! They too cost money to run and keep!

Best solution - stay at home, or have someone else ferry you about!

What a pain for you! So frustrating. And the actions of others certainly does leave a lot to be desired. The world has been overtaken by impatience and lack of empathy.

Hope everything gets back to normal for you soon...at little cost!

Peter...a "tad" is this much!

Tinsie said...

What a nightmare! I hope the car costs less than you think to fix.

Angelo said...

what a hassle, I hope it's not going to cost you an arm and a leg to get it fixed. I'm not so sure if a horse would be any easier to maintain though. Although I heard in Texas if you keep a horse on your property it lowers your taxes, maybe it's similar in Australia hehe? Good luck Robyn!

Margaret Cloud said...

There is nothing worst than car trouble especially in traffic. People sure can be rude, no call for it. Hope the damage was not to costly.

Anonymous said...

Oh god some people are not just considerate. Well that's part of traffic nightmares whether we like or not.

TorAa said...

People are crazy, right, riding on their Horn, like this when people have problems with their Cars.
I ponder, how they will act when it happens to them....

I think you might buy a scooter;)

Liz Hinds said...

Oh no! Didn't anyone get out and help push you to the side?

There's an advert on television (it must sound like I'm always watching tv!) with people walking along on pavements as if they're driving and experiencing road rage! I can't actually remember what the advert is for (!) but it's an interesting thought: if we behaved in person as we do in cars on times ...