A silly woman

I am chastened.

Quiet.

And I admit it.

I AM A SILLY WOMAN.

I have been berating myself ever since I did it and I had so hoped I would get away with it but there you go, it looks like I haven’t.

I was on my way to collect the boys from school and I nipped down a lane that I know as a good shortcut and arrived at a puddle in the road.

And I drove through it.

Now in my defence the puddles on this lane are usually not very deep and you can get usually through them. There were no flood warnings to say to watch out. And indeed other cars had got though I could see them driving off on the the other side of the puddle. It was getting dusky

However, I hadn’t factored in snow melt or sodden fields…why should I? It wasn’t raining, in fact it hadn’t been raining all day. Yes there had been rain the night before and it had taken away all that snow but surely, in the afternoon…

So I drove in and… the car konked out.

Not to worry thought I’ll get it pulled out and everything will be OK.

Problem was I had no signal on my mobile phone.

I had to get out of the car and walk to some cottages to get help. They couldn’t get the car out but they could let me use their phone. They were so kind.

So I phoned my local garage to ask them to help me get the car out. No worries they said we’ll be over.

However between the time the car konked out and the time we got it out of the puddle, the puddle was more than a puddle it was like a long lake taking up most of the lane and my car was in the middle of it right up and over the seats in brown murky water.

I still thought we’d be OK.

Or at least that is what I was convincing myself but I was beginning to get really worried.

The next day at the garage they took the injectors out and blew away the water that had seeped in, the engine was fine – I had got away with it.

But there was still so much water.

Unbelievable amounts of water.

The boys at the garage emptied it all out, gave the car a service, checked everything they could and then gave the car a bloomin’ good valet.

I drove her around; the engine seemed fine, everything seemed OK.

BUT

We hadn’t plugged her in for diagnostics.

So yesterday I went over to the garage for one last time to get her sorted, so I thought…and the news was devastating.

It seems as if the ECUs [electronic computer units] of which there are many in my car were not talking. As far as they were concerned I had been in one almighty crash – electrics and water DO NOT mix.

While mechanically everything seemed fine, without the electronics working it is a different matter altogether. For example if I were to be in a crash, things like the airbags wouldn’t work – in effect my car is too lethal to drive.

So I called up the insurance explained what had happened and now the car is gone and I feel SO stupid.

I may have totalled my car by driving into a puddle.

I am going to cost my family upwards of £14,000 because I was stupid. A £14,000 bill we can ill afford.

Everyone has been so kind. The insurance people, my local garage, the guys running the valet service, even my husband and I feel like shit.

I am a silly woman…