The worst day ever as a car owner!

ceebeeby

Who would ever have thought being a car owner could be quite so traumatic!!

We own 3 cars as a family - 2 fairly newish ones and an old heap given to us which we were hanging on to for 12 months to do a trade in for the kids.

DH's car failed its MOT spectacularly earlier on today! Locked up in the MOT garage, waiting for parts to arrive - perhaps on Monday!

Heap of a car, leant to BiL - who filled it with unleaded ... it's a diesel. Not to worry I thought, we have breakdown cover - he says he's also bashed a wheel, and the wheel is in another garage 40 miles away which needs collected by someone .... he doesn't have any money to pay for it (honestly this is all true). Thought, oh well, will go and sort it out tomorrow.

Okay 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

So tonight, I'm driving home from work (hospital) - 2:30 in the morning - I live 30 miles away from work through some remote country side. The outside temp is showing 2 degrees outside, and it's sleeting. I'm dreaming of my warm, cosy bed. Suddenly, smoke starts belting out from underneath the bonnet. Can't phone DH to come and get me (no car!). Can't phone breakdown (stupidly didn't have details with me .... actually I did, but long and irrelevant story). The smoke got heavier, so I thought, I'd better phone police to let them know I was there, but emergency services said better to go through to Fire Brigade!! They told me to get out of the car (makes sense), so there's me, standing in the freezing rain, pitch black, fields and trees around, smoke billowing around me just about peein my pants (yes I was bursting!) desperately trying not to cry (I'm such a big girls blouse!!). Fire Brigade absolute super stars arrived. Said it was mechanical something or another - and hugely kindly (as lone female out in the open, at least a mile away from nearest house) ran me the couple of miles home. I cannot thank them enough, and once I calm down will definitely be taking them some home baking in!

Phoned breakdown when I eventually got home, but they can't go out, because I'm now not with the car! And can't get back to the car, as I haven't got a car - and I'm now seriously close to hyperthermia (have had it 5 times in past), so can't go back out in the rain to walk back to the car, even if I had the nerve to do it! And DH has gone to bed in disgust and dismay at the whole thing!

How could we go from 3 cars to none in the space of less than 24 hours! In years to come, this will be funny - but at 03:40 in the morning, still shivering - I'm a bit traumatised, worried and soon to be exceptionally skint, humour is failing me!

Solutions, advice and donations gratefully received!!

CHR15

You wait years for a breakdown..... then three come along at once!!

ailuro2

Surely one of the kids has a bike you can use to cycle the two miles to the car.

Make sure your mobile is charged up, wrap up warm, remember to wear a high vis vest and a helmet for the bike - the way your weekend started you don't want to tempt fate.;)

Anihilator

Why the !!!! did you call out the fire brigade?

bap98189

Anihilator wrote: »

Why the !!!! did you call out the fire brigade?

Because the OP thought her car was on fire.

Wig

Anihilator wrote: »

Why the !!!! did you call out the fire brigade?

OP, you need to ignore this poster he is our local board !!!! head.

Anihilator

bap98189 wrote: »

Because the OP thought her car was on fire.

No she never.

She knew fine it was smoke as result of a mechanical fault.

I wonder how she would feel if a short distance 2 children burned to death whilst she got a lift home:rolleyes:

stumpjumper

ceebeeby wrote: »

How could we go from 3 cars to none in the space of less than 24 hours! In years to come, this will be funny - but at 03:40 in the morning, still shivering - I'm a bit traumatised, worried and soon to be exceptionally skint, humour is failing me!

Solutions, advice and donations gratefully received!!

Don't worry - these things come in 3s.

And with our two cars, we've always found they breakdown in sympathy with each other! :rolleyes:

gilbert_and_sullivan

You made the classic mistake...lending a car to someone else, it usually ends in tears.

You've had a serious MOT failure and a potentially nasty breakdown in the space of a couple of days...i would be looking at getting someone more competent to service your cars in the future.

...and get your BiL to fetch the wheel HE damaged as well (by bus if needs be) might make him more careful in future with your goods...and get him to drain out the car HE misfuelled and put it right while he's about it.

I have great sympathy with you personally mind..being alone in the early hours on a filthy night is no fun...and yes the fire brigade boys and girls will appreciate some home baked goodies, and decent men will always help a lady in distress despite miserable people complaining about it above.
I'd go so far as to say that a gentleman regards it as his duty to help a lone lady under such circumstances...we havent all signed up to the hell of the new world order yet.

fto

Maybe you should have the cars serviced more regually..........
If a fairly newish car goes for a mot, it usually passes or needs minor repairs, if its been regually serviced.This may also be the cause of the smoke in your other car, perhaps a broken drive belt.

The_Banker_5

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