Talking to a friend. We had planned to meet. “I got the day off work wrong,” he said. “Next week. Sorry.” I reminded him that I am, officially, the Most Disorganised Person in East Anglia and so say “Pfft” if not “Pshaw” to such small misremembers.
Furthermore, his car is in for repair. The garage has lent him a car. It is a Banger. Ooh, actually Banger sounds quite fun. No, it is an old and decrepit banger. A jalopy.
“No power steering” he said. “It’s a fight round every roundabout.” I sympathised. “It was only four years ago that I first got power steering” I said (I don’t do new cars and that). “A year ago, I didn’t have climate control. Alarming how quickly that seems normal.” “The only climate control I have is the window,” he lamented. “And that sticks.”
Look, darling heart, if you really want sympathy, don’t make me laugh like that. Hope the car is back in fighting trim soon. xx(x)
Ain’t that the truth! Our Saturn (R.I.P Feb 2005) didn’t have power steering, either. We borrowed my FIL’s station wagon (with more ameninties) for a cross-country trip once, and when we retrieved our car, I had achy shoulders for a week.
Are we becoming Decadent and Effete, Imperatrix?
When you said banger I envisioned something like the OscarMeyer Weinermobile.
Poor man, imagine no GPS either and he may have to relate to…gasp…. using a paper map!
NOOOOO!!
Could this be the end of 21st Century civilisation as we know it? Huh? could it?
Oh my – power steering, air-conditioning, GPS…what am I missing out on?
I think you’d all faint in my little car.
Darling, it’s probably just like my husband’s, but tidier. My chum and I both buy second-hand cars (only buy a new car if you actually enjoy tearing up fifty pound notes and throwing them away) so we’re well out of date with innovations. We are, however, also quite old and appreciate a little comfort. Remember, you are young and flexible and can take it.
I don’t have GPS, by the way. Not yet, at any rate. I drive so few places that I hardly need it.
cars are just what takes you from here to there. that’s it.
but a friend of mine, a friend with that money some have, bought a fancy one lately, the seats heat up. and cool down.
and yet people do not have enough food to eat.
Old? You? Bwah ha ha ha…excuses excuses…;)
I quite enjoy tearing up £50 notes, its a real stress reliever!
I recently changed from a big new swanky “executive” car (it went to the nanny) to a tiny little itzy bitzy car with no power stearing. Its a real heartbreaker to move back to such elderly technology! I have been officially cautioned by LL to stop complaining about it…
Jen, once I had a car where the seat heated up. I was bewildered for some time that my bum got warm just as I reached the village bypass. I thought the car was faulty.
Wendz, nearly old enough to be your mummy. And you’re not too big to spank – though not by me, ew!
Boy, you have the kudos of having a highly environmentally friendly Smart car and of having lent the BMW to your nanny. Classy all round, that. However, even I don’t need power steering on a Smart car. If one is in my way, I just pick it up and shove it into the nearest tree.
Jen again, of course you are right. Could you possibly send the guilt to people who feed the luxury car market and not to me, who simply loves my 2nd-hand Air Con? I really do think of a car as an A to B thing, but I’ve had crappy cars for years (it was the husband who had the new BMWs, the Lotuses and suchlike) and comfort, if not swank, matters to me now. Not to the Sage, who likes his crappy car. Really, he takes pleasure in grubby discomfort.
I should make it clear, it was pre-me that the Sage had nice cars. Once I reached the age of 25 and wasn’t too expensive to insure, he sold his BMW and bought a Morris Minor.
I love Morris Minors. But it has been downhill all the way, for him, since then.
I’ll shut up now.
Oh carry on – you’re on top form. I am guffawing my way out of this comments box.
Oi! I will send a Hard Stare all the way to France.