Saying that I'm looking at getting a new car and I've settled on a Cupra Ateca. It does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, which is utterly ridiculous for a mid range SUV .
Google search saved me $250Can. yesterday. Was out grocery shopping (small list), parked in their lot about 1/2 mile away from home (walking stick with me - recent hip replacement, so walking any distance v. difficult). Bloody auto transmission SUV floor gearshift lever siezed up in "park" slot. Couldn't shift it a millimeter. (excuse N.A. bad pun !) Staggered back inside the supermarket to call for a tow truck to get me back home (I don't carry a phone). Tried 2 gas stations/garages within 5 mins drive of shop lot and my home. # 1 wouldn't come (backlog of customers already), #2 told the supermarket guy they'd charge $250 !!! Must be hundreds of seized-up gear-shift levers this time of year I thought! Shift to Plan B. (bloody N.A. pun again!) Supermarket guy kindly called me a cab - took 25 mins to arrive. Driver got pissed off when I struggled to get the shopping bags out the boot to transfer. Couldn't leave them 'cos I had milk, ice-cream and other perishables, which would not last in the noon heat, and I had no idea how long (once I got home) it would take to arrange a tow. I had a $20 note in my wallet so, in frustration with the miserable cabby, said I'd give it to him for the 3 min ride home. At least he helped get the bags to my front door when home, but almost hit 2 vehicles en route as he was scanning something on his phone - which was lying on his front passenger seat. By now I'm a quivering nervous wreck. Ok, where's my car manual? No details in the said bloody thick book about "How to free an immovable shift lever !!! WTF, might as well try google . Vehicle model, age, brief description of problem. Boom - about a dozen you-tube videos on the topic. Randomly picked the shortest - 5 mins duration - half of which was advertising some car showroom in Connecticut or somewhere else in the States. Solution: Start engine. Keep foot hard down on brake. Take a very narrow-headed flat style screwdriver, lever the small plastic cap off the (almost invisible) hole on the top face of the gearbox shift housing area, press screwdriver down into the hole and move lever to either "drive" position or "reverse" position depending on need. Additional precaution: Use handbrake if ultra cautious, or parked on slope - high probability. Thank goodness lad next door works at home. Quick call to Ken. Very obligingly bailed me out yet again. Readily drove me back to the parking lot. Job done - car back in my driveway about 20 minutes later. Should I drive my car again today to get Ken his well deserved bottle of white wine? Indeed. MORAL(s) of the story: 1. Cultivate your neighbours. 2. Keep a small screwdriver in glove-box. 3. Get an iPhone with google access. 4. Trust Google search. Some bugger will have posted an answer to your questions. 5. Get your estranged ex-wife to do your grocery shopping, plus #1 through to #4. 6. Stop eating! Warning" There may be a flaw in #5 somewhere! Finale: I'm clearly bored and boring. When's City's next game? Saved some readies mind.
Used to carry a phone in the car with me years ago when they were the size of a brick ! Got rid as the only sods who ever called me were my boss - to moan, and the ex-missus who was not the ex-missus yet - naturally she moaned for Canada in the Olympics. Especially when I was en-route to the golf course Never again . Tepid apology to the ladies - 'twas a highly focussed moan on my part.
