Blog M2

Very early this morning I sent my partner off on a drive to France, in our venerable R11 Renault, but not before discovering that the recently filled fuel tank, brand new, was leaking from a connector hose between the filler and the tank; when I´d replaced the tank, I´d felt it was wise to replace the tubes and other rubber components, but I kept all the old bits, so I had the original, dated, 1986 connector hose, but the official spare part, not dated, failed in a depressingly short time. I don´t know what your opinion of the motor trade is, but years ago I worked in that business, and I never had a good impression from then on, of the calibre of people thusly employed.... I have just had a call from my lady, out on the motorway system of Austria, five hours into her journey, reporting the alternator light showing bright red in her view. She is close to an Audi garage, and I have just instructed her on the likely time her car has before it fails electrically, and coached her on a suitable approach to the garage for assistance, or preferably, a direction to a nearish friendly auto wrecker who´ll have a suitable alternator to keep her on the road at not too much expense...... I´ll complete this when I get her next call. Which just came in; the Audi garage
couldn´t/wouldn´t help, so she´s nursed the car to Liezen, but the garages are at lunch.... it´s here or nothing, as she can´t move without a whole lot of help.....mind you; a proactive bloke with an auto breakers yard could have her on her way in 20 minutes....  No, the big garage, full of sixteen year olds in training only has a `new bits´ solution, so she´s attempting to get another 5kms to the next garage. Driving across Europe has certain budget limitations.... We do it more than most people, even in a convoy with all our belongings overloading us; a real adventure, and we´ve made it each time. I find the expressway trips in the latest Volvo to be exceedingly boring, with dangerous distractions from the multi level aircon control adjustments, the balance on the 12 speaker soundsystem, and the autopilot saying ´turn left immediately´...... you know the technological crap we are somehow being swamped with.... so, while some of you will be saying `serves her right, in an old car´, we´ll plump for an oldie anyday. And stand the hassles of sourcing older parts, but in zero degrees on an Austrian stretch, I´m fretting for my lady finding that friendly garage man.... Now her third call, totally in tears; all the pricks on earth gravitate to a young woman in distress; they´ve sent her on a wild goose chase for nothing; they don´t know of a wrecker/breaker, or any person helpful; the cost estimates mount, and these shit-for-brains are the same people who fix your new car; the motor trade is a mounting tragedy; buy new; the pathetic bleat of a pathetic industry; I wish the pox on them all. If you drive France-Slovenia, as we do, you´ll see ten times more shiny new cars broken down than older models. There´s a reality check for you; throw money at that one if you fancy, but I won´t line their pockets. I´ve just heard she´s found the wrecker who is now persuading a suitable alternator into place as darkness descends; poor soul, she´s got 600 more kms before France, and its a long lonely road.... Maman phoned just now to say she´d got a text from our valiant voyager; Munich was on the horizon, and she was only €40 lighter for the service by the wrecking yard, and an invitation to come by again, so that is all good, and the Kms are zipping by again. The exception proves the rule, and yeah, we found the nice guy once again, after some effort; Nuff said.