Car weirdness 1)

Long-suffering readers know that my blog can veer between the serious and the seriously odd.  I am due to preach on another beatitude shortly so some more serious stuff will emerge shortly but I have to report a strange event.

In lockdown we have rarely used the car which has remained covered in grime for months.  But a medical appointment required that we venture out and park in a city carpark recently.  With care, requiring a repeat maneouvre or two (!) I parked neatly between the white lines.  Returning an hour later I could see before we reached our car that the neighbouring car had formed a very close relationship with ours.  In fact, getting closer the cars  actually looked co-joined as his drive forward had nudged into the side of our car .

The driver, a man in his 30's, had his window down and appeared desperate. 'Please help" he cried. 'I'm not very good parking in tight spaces and I've judged this all wrong and I just don't know which way to turn to back out without causing damage.'   I wondered how long he had been in this position before we turned up!  Even a slight turning wheels the wrong way threatened further damage.  Cautiously, I began giving instructions trying to ensure he turned gently enough while reversing to clear both vehicles. Nail-biting stuff.

Of course I couldn't wait to see what damage he had done to the side door.  Along the bottom, in a long gash, the dirt had been wiped away by his front tyre.  It looked alarming.  A wide long white streak!  As I bent to examine it, the released driver shot off into the distance. He wasn't going to wait! Extraordinarily, it must have been his front tyre that nudged along creating what seemed to be a major dent but which only left a minor indentation.   I was glad I was given patience with him (!) though I don't think he came out of the incident very well!