Ok, this is only tenuously related to education, but I have a strong need to share a car story with you! (Apologies for the randomness!)
My car is was (sadly now deceased) 13 years old. For some time the following had not worked: heating, air conditioning and hazard warning lights. A couple of months ago, one of the windows (passenger side) just disappeared into the door panel. My darling husband said, don’t worry, super repairman is here! He did indeed sort a permanent fix. He took off the door panel, pulled up the window and shoved a piece of wood underneath, so it could NEVER EVER fall down again! (In the winter, an ice box and in summer, a sauna! Great!) In the process of the super repair, he broke the door handle and the central locking system! Did he think that maybe I might need to know this when parking in the middle of town to run errands with all my precious ‘stuff’ strewn stored neatly in my car? No, such facts are obviously unimportant! Ok, I thought, worst case scenario, I never have to grocery shop again – yay!
Could it get any worse? Could my little blue baby survive any more trauma?
I had arranged to meet the school custodian one morning to get into my classroom. I was running slightly late and managed to get caught behind a learner driver. I spied a short-cut through some farmland and thought (smugly) – this will save me some time – and promptly got stuck behind a herd of cows! This is when I first noticed a burning smell, but didn’t see anything untoward. I drove on (oblivious to danger) when suddenly a red flashing light appeared on my dashboard – screaming STOP!! I rang my husband (hands free, of course) and asked what this might be. Now he is screaming STOP at me! I was very close to school, so decided to drive on. I reached the car park, switched off the ignition and noticed the burning smell again! It was only as I was unloading my ‘stuff’ for my classroom, that I finally noticed smoke belching from the engine!! Now I understood the dashboard’s (and husband’s) urgency! I ran to find the custodian (as much as one can with a bad back) and he discovered I had not one drop of oil in the car! My dear hubs arrived, fed the thirsty beast and all was well.
Julie Stowe says
A beaut story. I too am a car neglecter. It is not a purposeful thing at all. It just happens. Is it wrong to think that all you have to do is put in petrol? Honestly…bring on the car that only needs fuel and I would be a happy lady. Glad you didn't actually end up with a fire though!!
Julie 🙂
Mrs Stowe's Kinder Cottage
Wendy Kayne says
Hi Julie – your comment made me laugh! I am so with you – I can just about manage the petrol bit – haha! 🙂
Rigoberto Axelson says
“…ALWAYS maintain your car or LEARN to maintain it.” – I totally agree with that! This is one of the biggest responsibilities of a car owner that should be never overlooked. If you want your car to last longer than it should, you must take care of it properly. Do regular maintenance as much as possible. It can save you a thousand bucks if you do that. Also, a well-maintained car means that it is safer to drive.
Rigoberto Axelson @ BrandonDodgeOnBroadWay