Lemonade from lemons
Last week we had a long journey by car - 600 miles from Gatwick to Inverness. Early on in the trip, a pothole jumped out from the road and bit a back wheel. Unbeknown to us, it broke a very expensive alloy wheel.
We were halfway between London and Manchester when a warning came up on the dashboard telling me we had a flat. I was forced to change the wheel for the 'space-saver' kept in the trunk.
At the time we thought it was a puncture and so organised for a new tyre to be fitted in Glasgow, but dread grew as the new tyre deflated. It became clear when we looked, that the wheel had been badly cracked. And so we continued on the 'space-saver' for the rest of the journey to Inverness and then back again after the weekend to Gatwick.
Now, if you have never used a space-saver wheel, you may be unaware that it has a speed limit of 50mph with big yellow warning signs all over it saying not to exceed this limit (or else I think the universe might end).
So we sat in the left hand lane. The journey south, which normally takes 12 hours door-to-door, this time took 22 hours over two days. Everybody on wheels with an engine overtook us.
But here is the thing; our car has cruise control with 'pilot assist', it darn near drives itself. I didn't have to think about when to pull out to overtake, workout what everyone else was doing, constantly checking in the mirrors, signalling left, right and centre. Where people spent hours fuming in queues, we hardly seemed to slow down.
I got out after the slowest journey I've been on for many years, relaxed and stress free.
And even better; 600 miles normally uses one and a half tanks of diesel, this time it used two thirds of a tank, which at today's rates, represents a saving of almost £100.
The wheel has now been replaced and normal driving behaviour has been restored - but I know that there is a better life out there, I just wish I could take it.
Anyone else suffered from the state of the roads? What's it like in other countries? Do you have unmarked potholes the size of paddling pools on major roads where you live?
Get a dolphin and enjoy more time getting your space around your pool ready for the party!