Breaking Down
Last month one of the front wheels on the car started to squeak. While in the store buying replacement disc pads I also bought a new battery for my alarm remote since in recent weeks I'd had to get closer and closer to the car before the button would work.

After changing the battery in the remote it stopped working completely.

When my father and I took the wheels off of the car to change the brake pads we noticed that the tyres were badly damaged on the inside (due to running while under-inflated). In all last month I had to buy new break pads, two new tyres, two new alarm remote controls and a bulb for the drivers side tail lamp. I thought that was enough.

Today I've been working over near Heathrow, which is on the western edge of London. I live in the East of London. While driving in heavy traffic through the center of London one of the hoses for the cooling system sprung a leak. I pulled over just down the road from the Houses of Parliament (you can just about make out Parliament in the background of the picture) and called for help.

While waiting for the AA I explained to a couple of policemen why I was parked in a no parking zone. I think they got a bit suspicious when I took out my camera to get a picture of the car.

The AA got to me within half an hour of my call, made a temporary fix to the pipe and topped up the water to get me home. The mechanic and I stood talking for half an hour while the car warmed up and he made sure that the repair was safe.

I've driven over to the office in West London twice, the first time on the way home I got stuck in traffic for half an hour about three miles from home because of an accident, this time the car broke down. I still don't know how long it would take me to drive home without unusual problems like this.