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Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:17 pm
by JPB
:shock: Wow! That's amazing. I never knew that about good old Caractacus Pott! :scared:

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:21 am
by Dick
Everyday is a school day.. well it was until we all got sent into quarantine..

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 424801323/

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:41 am
by JPB
Quarantine is such an ugly word,which is why our dear government calls it isolation. Hmm, yeah, that's loads better, although not worth as many points on a scrabble board.

Ironically, in view of the concessions introduced for those of us whose MOT expires after the thirtieth of this month, the motor trade is still alive in these parts, my mate's garage is still doing tests for those who need them in these last few days and is complying with the rules by having just the one person doing the work, the customer parks up outside and puts the car keys through the letterbox, then the guy comes out and cleans the interior of the car to make sure that it's not full of germs (a free, extremely thorough valet by any other name), then takes it inside, performs the necessary work, then drives it out, parks it and places the key in a safe place which is disclosed to the customer by text to their phone. The customer then comes in, either paying by paypal or shoving the cash through the door - which may be the weak link in this otherwise entirely sensible approach - and drives away, a copy of the certificate being sent by email rather than risking having to touch a piece of paper.

Punters whose tests run out before the thirtieth are being given priority, very fair given that a supermarket run involves anything up to a sixty+ mile round trip given the sparsely populated area, and those like my daily driver, whose test expires on the 14th of April, will have the exemption granted though naturally, as is the case with age exempted older motors too, we must still keep our vehicles roadworthy. I had been for a new pair of front tyres (I know, but understeer is far worse and besides, the rears on the bB last for ages and are still on 6mm after some 52000KM..) last week and because the ATS branch that's Black Circles' fitting partner was four staff members down because of the virus' impact on just one member of the crew, I had to cancel my test, which had been booked at the import specialist place where every one of its 4 UK MOTs to date had been carried out with nothing more than an advisory a couple of years ago for a slightly baggy ARB drop link bush. So thank you, government, for the concession. I'm fully expecting to be stopped at least once by the polises every time I go out - quite right too as many selfish sorts still seem to think that sensible precautions don't apply to them. Such people should feel suitably embarrassed when a member of NHS staff is standing over their hospital bed, telling them that they'll be fine and can go home, virus free and able to shop without fear of spreading anything to anyone.
:evil:

Roll on June the sixteenth, it'll soon enough be here for those of us who are into middle age and ordinarily spend our time moaning about how short the summer is when you're the wrong side of fifty! :lol:

By the other side of this, my van's interior should be almost habitable, the house should be sparkly clean, even in the garage and behind the cooker and I may even change the beds, even though it's not Christmas yet.

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 5:24 pm
by GHT
JPB wrote:
Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:41 am
Quarantine is such an ugly word,which is why our dear government calls it isolation. Hmm, yeah, that's loads better, although not worth as many points on a scrabble board.
Quarantine? Isolation? What scrotum filled nonsense, (my polite way of saying b*ll*x) we are banged up under house arrest. There is a view that all this might prompt a baby boom, if so, will the generation become to be known as the quaran-teenies?

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 6:03 pm
by suffolkpete
Of course things could go the other way and cause a divorce boom

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:55 am
by Dick
For me ive finally finished pointing the cottage, a job started 10 years ago, some of the windows have been painted and i washed my pickup for the first time in 18 months... and last night I went mad and started rubbing the paint down on the tipper bed and hopefully I can give it a coat of paint today.. it won't be pretty but at least it will be rust free.... :D

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:38 am
by Dick

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:48 am
by JPB
Dick wrote:
Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:55 am
....i washed my pickup for the first time in 18 months...
You washed a commercial vehicle? :shock: That's just perverse! :lol:

I went to an AsDa fuel outlet yesterday afternoon to fill the bB's tanks. No queue, petrol only £1.06 per litre, but no LPG left so I only have about 800 miles (a month's worth during "normal" circumstances so no worries there) of petrol and a huge, empty gas bottle that I daren't remove in case the Blu Tack damages the carpet in the spare wheel well when I lift [the bottle] out.

Of course I'm kidding about the Blu tack, there is no carpet under the rear floor!
:scared:

;)

Hmm, that's an interesting vehicle there mate. But I'd prefer the black cab in its original, unmodified form please. :lol:

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:12 pm
by GHT
JPB wrote:
Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:48 am
I went to an AsDa fuel outlet yesterday afternoon to fill the bB's tanks. No queue, petrol only £1.06 per litre, but no LPG left so I only have about 800 miles (a month's worth during "normal" circumstances so no worries there) of petrol
A report in the paper tells of a garage in Birmingham selling petrol a fraction under a pound per litre, whilst nearby Frankley Services on the M5, are 40p dearer. If we still sold in gallons, ten of your finest would be £24.40 more at Frankley. Fuel companies rubbed their hands together when we went metric. Imagine a price difference at the pump of £1.80.

Of course you wash commercial vehicles, white van man has some reputation you know. Filthy shitty van man just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Re: breakdown truck

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:32 pm
by Dick
When I lived in Blighty i always used to keep my van/car/lorry/tractor clean.. as i spent most of my day in them it made sense.. i always made 10 minutes to have a tidy.. when my boss sold one of the tractors in my care he got an extra £2500 as the cab showed it had at least one careful driver, for my efforts i recieved a bonus of f##k all.. since I moved to France and kids came along my vehicle's can be cleared out with a shovel ...