eastcoastbernie
Well-Known Member
So there I was hurtling along the A14 on my way to deliver a few boat cushions to Fox's when disaster struck.
Blowout on my nearside front tyre. Managed to get car over to the side of the road, but no hard shoulder, so the car was still in lane one, on a bend in the road just after the Copdock interchange.
After wrestling with spare wheels, jacks, wheel nuts etc, damaged - and I mean total write off - tyre and wheel came off. Went to put new one on, and after much confusion decided that the wheel was not going to fit on where the other one had been.
Called RAC and waited .....
Watched as blue flashing lights passed on the Westbound lane and left the carriageway for the flyover. 'I bet he's coming my way', I thought.
Moments later the cop car arrived and parked behind me. Speed cop got out and came over to find out what the problem was. By this time I had decided that, without a proper spare wheel, the best the RAC could do would be to load me on a trailer and take me back to Huntingdon.
The RAC then phoned to ask me precisely where I was. I handed my phone to cop so that he could tell the RAC to get their sweet little ar@@s over asap.
By this time I was freezing and nice cop said I could sit in his car. As I sat down, I was aware I was sitting on something I shouldn't. 'Is this your torch?'. 'No, it's my speed trap camera'. Oo er.
I asked him to explain all the gadgetry in his car.
Oooooo. I am never ever going to speed again! The kit they carry around in their cars is amazing!
RAC arrived shortly afterwards and Superman - I mean RACman - whipped off nearside rear, put it on nearside front, took spare wheel and fitted it on nearside rear. Job done. Apparently my spare was a Fiesta wheel (I drive a Mondeo) which will fit on the rear but not on the front because of the brakes.
Superman told me to drive no faster than 50 mph and sent me on my way.
Arrived at SYH at 10.00, cold and hungry. Went to Lightship for refreshment where I bumped into Ivan the Chef.
'Ivan, I've only just arrived 'cos I've had a blowout on the A14 and I've been standing on noisy, windy road for 2 hours and I'm hungry.'
'No problem', says Ivan, 'how about a bowl of Bulgarian chicken stew?'.
So could have been a lot worse. Met a friendly cop and spent a very informative interlude in his nice warm car. Had a brief visit from Superman. Got fed well after last food orders in the Lightship. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Messed up Saturday's plans to go sailing though, cos I had to go searching for while-you-wait tyre fitting people instead.
/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Blowout on my nearside front tyre. Managed to get car over to the side of the road, but no hard shoulder, so the car was still in lane one, on a bend in the road just after the Copdock interchange.
After wrestling with spare wheels, jacks, wheel nuts etc, damaged - and I mean total write off - tyre and wheel came off. Went to put new one on, and after much confusion decided that the wheel was not going to fit on where the other one had been.
Called RAC and waited .....
Watched as blue flashing lights passed on the Westbound lane and left the carriageway for the flyover. 'I bet he's coming my way', I thought.
Moments later the cop car arrived and parked behind me. Speed cop got out and came over to find out what the problem was. By this time I had decided that, without a proper spare wheel, the best the RAC could do would be to load me on a trailer and take me back to Huntingdon.
The RAC then phoned to ask me precisely where I was. I handed my phone to cop so that he could tell the RAC to get their sweet little ar@@s over asap.
By this time I was freezing and nice cop said I could sit in his car. As I sat down, I was aware I was sitting on something I shouldn't. 'Is this your torch?'. 'No, it's my speed trap camera'. Oo er.
I asked him to explain all the gadgetry in his car.
Oooooo. I am never ever going to speed again! The kit they carry around in their cars is amazing!
RAC arrived shortly afterwards and Superman - I mean RACman - whipped off nearside rear, put it on nearside front, took spare wheel and fitted it on nearside rear. Job done. Apparently my spare was a Fiesta wheel (I drive a Mondeo) which will fit on the rear but not on the front because of the brakes.
Superman told me to drive no faster than 50 mph and sent me on my way.
Arrived at SYH at 10.00, cold and hungry. Went to Lightship for refreshment where I bumped into Ivan the Chef.
'Ivan, I've only just arrived 'cos I've had a blowout on the A14 and I've been standing on noisy, windy road for 2 hours and I'm hungry.'
'No problem', says Ivan, 'how about a bowl of Bulgarian chicken stew?'.
So could have been a lot worse. Met a friendly cop and spent a very informative interlude in his nice warm car. Had a brief visit from Superman. Got fed well after last food orders in the Lightship. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Messed up Saturday's plans to go sailing though, cos I had to go searching for while-you-wait tyre fitting people instead.
/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
