Vehicles

A song I heard this morning said “I’ve got a couple of dents in my fender.”  If the song was about me, it would probably add that the back light is working intermittently (I reckon the worst sort of problem) the number plate is faded, the mirrors are cracked, and the engine needs a tune.  The good thing is the car is in at the mechanic and he knows what he is doing.
There are some I know who’s lives are cars.  They do not do it for a living, but they know how things work and can fix a lot of things themselves.  I tend to gaze under the bonnet looking like I know what I am doing but not really having a clue.  Oh I can add water to the wipers and radiator and top up the oil.  How everything works is a mystery to me.  I am just glad it does.
Many years ago I had a fire under the bonnet.  The car had to be left where it was.  I rang my mechanic expecting it would cost a gazillion dollars.  It cost five.  Replacing the wiring. 
Thankfully it seems my ignorance is sometimes made up for.  Some amazing things to me happened in my vehicles.   Like running out of petrol in a town and gliding into a service station right on closing time.  The guy was at the bowser ready to shut up and I could just say “fill her up please.” (back in the days when an attendant served customers at a service station.)  Driving to see what was at Turkey Beach (it was a real turkey) and knowing I needed new tyres on the return trip (a lot was gravel road) and finding and pulling into a joint where two guys were seemingly waiting for me and provided what I needed immediately.
That did not always happen though.  One time I felt was particularly rude.  I got a ticket from a policeman who was just beyond a change of speed.  Another time I was riding my motor cycle and loved a particular s bend.  I lent into it and drove it how I liked and a policeman stepped out from behind a palm tree and got me.  Another time I thought it was particularly unfair was when I was told to get new number plates as mine were faded.  Looking around I knew many were more faded than mine.
My most vivid memory was driving on the Atherton Tablelands.  A mate was in another car and we were trying to get away from each other.  I saw a tennis court and thought I would duck in behind it.  I did not know that down further but close by was a golfing tee off area.  A guy was about to tee off.  He looked up and saw a 69 Corella coming towards him (I stopped well before the tee off area).  He was in two minds as to what to do.  It seems discretion prevailed.  He picked up his ball and left the tee off area in a hurry.  I will never forget the look on his face as he debated in his head what was the best course of action.
These days cars are to get me from A to B.  No more deliberately going over bumps at speed so everyone in the car was airborne and a passenger saying “do it again.”
Vehicles can be a fun utility.  Bad stuff happens, and so does a lot of good stuff.