Poorly Car

Well that was fun!

The Builder went out this morning, dug the Vixen out, tied her back together with string, checked that the engine was working and made sure that the front wheel wasn’t rubbing against the crumpled bumper. All was well.

I, in the meantime, was inside in the warm, toasting crumpets.

Later, I drove into work. Very, very slowly. It had started raining, after quite a significant fall of snow last evening, so there was rainwater, slush, snow and meltwater all over the place. The car was making a very strange noise when I went over the speed humps, but it was hard to tell whether it was the wheel rubbing on the bumper, the roads misbehaving, the snow on the roof cracking or just the car thawing out after several days sat in frost, ice and snow. I drove more slowly and kept listening. Only one lane was clear of snow on the A61. It was worse when I got into Sheffield. Abbey Lane was ungritted and covered in sludge, slush and meltwater. Not fun! Actually that’s not true. It was rather fun. I was worried about the strange noise the car made going over bumps but otherwise I quite enjoyed driving through all of that to get here. I had left earlier than I usually do on a Saturday, when there is very little traffic, so there was no hurry and I could take my time. Slow and leisurely.

Arrived and reported in to The Builder. Tried to ring the insurance company to see what was happening about the car. After all, I can’t drive a car that is held together with string indefinitely. What if the string breaks? No joy. Kept getting cut off in the queue. Passed it all back to The Builder to sort out and went to turn on the printers and photocopiers.

Next thing I knew, I had someone on the phone from Drive Assist wanting my licence number. It seems that the insurance company doesn’t rate driving cars that are making strange noises and are held together with string very highly. What if the string should break? We are, apparently, getting a courtesy car from the other chap’s insurance company. It appears that he had told them all about it and (I believe) things are in train. Don’t know how long we’ve got the hire car for, though. I believe that they are delivering the car to The Sidings. All I have to do is get The Vixen safely back home again -- without the string breaking or the wheel falling off!!

Mind you, it’s no wonder there were so many minor (and a few not so minor) accidents over the last couple of days. I realise that 4 or so inches of snow isn’t a huge lot, but there’s still no reason to drive like maniacs. Most of us were driving nice and slowly but there have been some who have been dashing about like demented chooks. Not only is it dangerous, but it splashes water about like nobody’s business.

Later: Hmm. Thought it was all going remarkably smoothly. It seems that the car hire people don’t have a free car and can’t get one to us until Tuesday and that it will be all right, driving a car making strange noises and tied together with string. The Builder has sicked the insurance people onto them. I await the outcome with interest. I’ll keep you posted :-)

Sunday: Got home last evening and found the rhinoceros, who usually sits on the Vixen's dashboard, recuperating on the radiator. I think it must have been dislodged when the car collided into the VIxen and, unnoticed by us, fallen out when I opened the passenger door to get the insurance details out. The Builder found it lying in the snow in the gutter when he came back from the supermarket in the van. I hadn't noticed its absence in the car, being preoccupied with the hazardous driving conditions and the strange noise. It's dry now and sitting on my hat, waiting for the car to be fixed so it can resume car guarding duties.

So far there is no sign of the hire car. I decided on my way home last night that I actually didn’t much care for driving a car along a country highway in the dark while it was tied up with string and making a strange noise. The Builder and I took it round the block this morning before I came to work, and it was still making the strange noise and people who were out walking their dogs kept looking at us. I have a horrible feeling that the noise may be caused by a damaged suspension :-S We have parked the car, and parked it will stay until somebody comes and takes it away to mend it. The Builder brought me in to work in the van! I hope the hire company comes up with a car soon. It’s not entirely efficient getting The Builder to chauffeur me all about the place.

There is very little snow left, now, at least in and around Chesterfield. There is more in Sheffield but nothing like it was. A short, sharp snow event, followed by a very rapid thaw. The country is threatened with floods now!!!!!