M is for Motors

Today’s post is a little self-indulgent. I bought a new (used) car.

 

I owned a Ford Ka from about 2008/9 onwards. Brilliant little motor. Economical to run, parts were easily obtained and it was utterly reliable.

Last August it failed the MOT. The underside was badly corroded. I blamed myself. Dave, the lad who does my maintenance, had been pestering me to have it undersealed and I kept putting it off. Trouble is I live 1,000 feet above sea level and the heavy snow of three bad winters in succession took its toll.

It wasn’t a major problem. A couple of hundred quid’s worth of welding would have seen it right and back on the road. At the same time, however, Dave mentioned a slight leak on the powers steering. Nothing to worry about.

Two days later, the power steering went completely and it needed a new rack. Even second hand they were coming in at £200 and then there was the cost of fitting. What with the welding on the underside, I was looking at a bill of about £600, and this was on car worth no more than £800. So I scrapped it and bought a Kia Rio from another mate.

That lasted less than eight weeks. A problem in the gearbox took it off the road (where it still remains). I got my money back and we decided we would try do without a car. Both the missus and I are retired, we have senior’s bus passes. It couldn’t be too big an issue, could it?

Well it was. The bus company had abolished free travel until after 9:30 in the morning, which meant paying the full fare of £3.10 when I had early doctor’s appointments. Where they get the brass balls to charge over three pounds for a three mile journey, I do not know, but that’s probably indicative of the years I’ve spent not using public transport.

At the same time, they allegedly carried out a survey of passengers in an effort to improve service, and as a consequence reduced the number of buses running on our local route. Personally, I’d love to meet the dipsticks who voted for this absurd idea, and without being cynical (not much) it can be seen as a cost-cutting exercise. It calls to mind the statement of a bus driver of my acquaintance who once told me the job would be “all right if we didn’t have to deal with the passengers,” an idea so profound that I felt it should be extended to other areas, like the NHS, where the biggest problem is not funding, but all these sick people (like me) making demands upon it.

All up then, by last weekend, I’d had enough of public transport and I bought another Ford Ka. It’s in better fettle than the last one, but sounds just as sweet. Climbing into it yesterday was just like coming home.

We’re mobile again.