Breakdown

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I've experienced my first real car breakdown. It's not something I would in anyway wish to experience again as it was quite disturbing. Having your car start behaving erratically while you are driving it about 7 miles from home in the pouring rain is really no picnic. I hoped that I could make it back home and then call the mechanic but no such luck.

Stopped and put on my hazard lights when I could go no further and called my friendly mechanic who very kindly said he'd come out and tow the car to his garage after dropping me off at home. However I would have to wait at least 20 minutes before he could do so. By this time the police had pulled up wanting to know what I was doing stopped in the middle of the road. I explained the situation and they couldn't have been pleasanter. After some discussion they pushed the car, while I steered it, into a safe lay-by off the road. On the whole I think that motorists often get a bad deal from the police but on this occasion they couldn't have been more helpful or pleasant. That's a comforting thought in these times of increased public surveillance and administrative abuse of power. They're not all always out to get you and can sometimes be really kind!