Friday the 13th!

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Friday, June 13, 2008
Edinburgh, Scotland
Are you superstitious? I don’t consider myself to be. I’m maybe a three on a ten point scale. At least that’s what I used to be. Today, maybe I’m a nine on the same scale.
Why, you ask? Well, as we went to bed on Thursday night we told each other that tomorrow was Friday the 13th so we needed to “be careful.” That’s about as much concern we typically express. But this day we will remember for years.
The day started normally. We ate a nice breakfast at the hotel and packed for the day. I planned to play golf in the Kilmarnock area so I dressed for it. As I said in an earlier blog, I reluctantly gave up on the plan to visit and play in St Andrews. We needed more time in Ireland so I agreed to sacrifice this trip with a promise to return on a golf-focused trip in the future.
After we loaded the car with our luggage and situated our maps, I started the car. That’s when it all started!
On the dash there is a screen that displays alarms. Today, the alarm sounded and then displayed the following message: “Warning. There is a steering problem. The vehicle is low on steering fluid which may limit your ability to steer the vehicle. Do not drive!”
We both sighed. Good grief. We actually had seen this same message a couple of days before as we were approaching Edinburgh. At that time we pulled over and stopped the car. After waiting a couple of minutes, I re-started the car and the message was gone. So, we thought nothing more about it.
But this time, it would not turn off as I tried re-starting the car. So, we returned in the hotel and called the Road Assistance service that is included in our BMW package. We were told that a service person would be dispatched soon. They would call us to let us know when within a few minutes.
So, we returned to the car and sat. After about 30 minutes, I tested the steering and it seemed fine. I used Greta to locate the nearest BMW service center and we set off to find it. It was only one mile away. Once there, we were told that we had found the sales center and had to drive another couple of miles to the service center.
On the way, the warning light went out again. We discussed the situation with the service manager. He said that he was fully booked and that it could be a few hours before he could get someone to inspect the car. Since the message had gone out, we decided to go ahead and drive west towards Kilmarnock where we had room reservations for the night. It was only 60 miles away.
As we got on the highway and started making good speed, the damn warning light came on again. Now I was really worried. It no longer seemed like a faulty transmitter but a real problem. So, this time we called while driving to the BMW headquarters. We were instructed to drive to a dealer nearby, in Hampton, Scotland.
When we arrived a very nice agent greeted us and ushered us into the office. Within a few minutes, they had the car in the garage to inspect. It was now about 11:00am. I expected to hear from the service manager within 15-20 minutes.
As we waited a really nice gentleman started talking to us and wanted to know where we were from and what was wrong with our car. About then his wife came in and he introduced her to us. Their names are Allan and Morag Henderson. They have relatives that live in Loganville, Georgia and had been to Atlanta to visit. They took concern over our situation and offered to let us stay at their home, if we needed to stay overnight. Allan even offered to come back to the dealership and pick us up if necessary. We think that even as bad as this incident was, fate had brought us to this particular dealership and to meet these nice Scottish people. It was the one bright moment of the day.
At about 1:30pm, they came out with the verdict. The car had a leak in its hydraulic system and was low on fluid. The leak was hard to discover but when they did they realized that it was a small crack in the housing. It would require a part to be shipped from the factory which would take about four or five days to acquire.
Now what the heck do you do! We were told that a rental car would be made available for us and that when the car was repaired it would be driven to meet us wherever we were. At least that was the first thing that we were told. Later, in a conversation with the insurance company, we were told we could have the rental but would have to return to the dealer to pick the car up. Of course, this was out of the question since our plans had us returning through Wales back to London to turn in the car for shipment.
It then took the next several hours to work this out.
Finally, we were given the rental as first suggested and we transferred our luggage to a brand new BMW SUV. It is a smaller car than the 535i that I had. Plus, this one had steering on the right, which is easier when driving on the left but still required some adjustment. My car in Jamaica was right side steering so I was used to it.
We left the dealer about 4:00pm! So much for my round of golf. We headed for the Best Western hotel. The car did not have a built in GPS so they provide us with a portable version. Her name is Bonnie. She has a little Scottish accent which is cute. Her first task was to find our hotel in Kilmarnock. We were cruising along at about 60mph on the highway when off to the left I spot the hotel! I had just enough time to catch the exit. Bonnie was asleep at the wheel! What the heck! If we had not stopped she would have had us driving another ten miles or so. I cannot write in the blog the new name that I gave her.
So, we checked in and I thought our luck was changing. They gave us room #9. That’s my lucky number (and birth date). But as we opened the hall door leading to the room we were overcome with the fumes from a recent job of killing the bugs. The hall was carpeted in a worn out rug. We rushed down to the room and collapsed. Jackie did not stop crying for a good while.
In the end, it wasn’t too bad. The room was large and clean. Fortunately, you could not smell the fumes from inside the room. I went to the bar and got a large glass of ice. Peter had given me a bottle of single malt scotch when we left Romsey. So, I proceeded to drink about half of the bottle before dinner. I needed some relief. At 7:00pm we had dinner in their restaurant and it was very good.
That’s it. We slept well and left without complaining. Jackie finally quit crying and we were off in our substitute new car for Ireland. In fact, what really matters is that we are okay and still having a great time traveling around. I am sure that the car situation will work out. But, I will not forget this Friday, the 13th.
That’s all folks,
Tom

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Photos

The new BMW
Notice that Jackie is now sitting on the left side. The steering is on the right. One more little adjustment.

Tom's writing a blog
We were waiting for good news. But given the date, we should have known better.

We're leaving our sweetheart
Poor old Greta and my 535i. They will be alone for about five days. I will miss them.

Comments

[Leslie]

Oh Darn
Hmmm not good news but as always you land right side up and ready to try again (with a little help from the whiskey). Can't blame Jackie as she was probably tired and all had been so perfect. Well pick her up again and start the clock again because the best is yet to come. Tell her that Leslie says - that's the spirit - my Jackie girl!.