A Mini Adventure
Jan. 29th, 2005 02:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brrmSometimes, random choices result in the strangest things.
I decided earlier this evening (OK, at about quarter to midnight) that I felt like a blast in the Alfa. So off I went.
As I was driving down a section of the ring-road, I passed a red mini (original sort), with an L plate on it, and two rather baffled looking people beside it. The dual carriageway at this point has no hard shoulder of any sort, so I stopped at the next roundabout, checked and found I had a rope in the boot. I blasted back up the other carriageway to the next roundabout, U-turned, and pulled over in front of the mini. It turned out the driver (learner) had slammed on the brakes, and now the car wouldn't start, producing instead a rather feeble 'click'. Thinking that lane 1 of the ring road probably wasn't the best place to start playing mechanic, I tied the rope around a chassis leg after a little fumbling (minis not being equipped with towing eyes, and not feeling that ripping their bumper off would make me terribly popular).
After towing the little mini gently to the next turnoff, we began investigation. After giving the starter solenoid an experimental 'tap' with my wheelbrace, the next plan of action was the handy set of jumper leads my Alfa had inherited from my parents' first golf (1984-late '90s).
Sure enough, the mini sprang to life. My good deed for the night done, they thanked me, and we drove off into the night. A brief automotive encounter - the reason I gave for stopping was that my 'other car' was a Morris Minor, so I felt I should lend a hand to a fellow classic car owner. I miss my Minor, and want a go in a Mini more than ever.
One thing I found lacking, though, was a torch. Need to put one of those in the Alfa.
I decided earlier this evening (OK, at about quarter to midnight) that I felt like a blast in the Alfa. So off I went.
As I was driving down a section of the ring-road, I passed a red mini (original sort), with an L plate on it, and two rather baffled looking people beside it. The dual carriageway at this point has no hard shoulder of any sort, so I stopped at the next roundabout, checked and found I had a rope in the boot. I blasted back up the other carriageway to the next roundabout, U-turned, and pulled over in front of the mini. It turned out the driver (learner) had slammed on the brakes, and now the car wouldn't start, producing instead a rather feeble 'click'. Thinking that lane 1 of the ring road probably wasn't the best place to start playing mechanic, I tied the rope around a chassis leg after a little fumbling (minis not being equipped with towing eyes, and not feeling that ripping their bumper off would make me terribly popular).
After towing the little mini gently to the next turnoff, we began investigation. After giving the starter solenoid an experimental 'tap' with my wheelbrace, the next plan of action was the handy set of jumper leads my Alfa had inherited from my parents' first golf (1984-late '90s).
Sure enough, the mini sprang to life. My good deed for the night done, they thanked me, and we drove off into the night. A brief automotive encounter - the reason I gave for stopping was that my 'other car' was a Morris Minor, so I felt I should lend a hand to a fellow classic car owner. I miss my Minor, and want a go in a Mini more than ever.
One thing I found lacking, though, was a torch. Need to put one of those in the Alfa.
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My flashlight's from Taiwan
Date: 2005-01-29 02:14 pm (UTC)