OT-ish: why oh why?

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M

Matthew Maddock

Guest
Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
Wondered if I could help.

Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
"No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!

Matt
 
Matthew Maddock wrote:
> Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
> came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
> jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
> Wondered if I could help.
>
> Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
> and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
> around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
> "No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
> he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
> machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
> the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
> conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
> made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!
>
> Matt

It's called catching a box full of neutrals, it can (and does) happen to the best
of us!

--
"He who says it cannot be done is advised not to interrupt her doing
it."

If at first you don't succeed,
maybe skydiving's not for you!


 
On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:16:46 GMT, "GbH" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>It's called catching a box full of neutrals,

It's also a fairly good theft deterrent.


--
"We have gone from a world of concentrated knowledge and wisdom to one
of distributed ignorance. And we know and understand less while being
increasingly capable." Prof. Peter Cochrane, formerly of BT Labs
In memory of Brian {Hamilton Kelly} who logged off 15th September 2005
 
GbH wrote:
> Matthew Maddock wrote:
>> Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
>> came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
>> jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
>> Wondered if I could help.
>>
>> Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
>> and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
>> around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
>> "No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
>> he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
>> machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
>> the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
>> conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
>> made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!
>>
>> Matt
>
> It's called catching a box full of neutrals, it can (and does) happen
> to the best of us!

It sure does! After coming home from holiday i did exactly the same. I shat my pants thinking the RR was
fecked for about a minute!!

Nige

--
Subaru WRX
Range Rover LSE (Bob)

'"gimme the f*ckin' money"


 
Mother" <"@ {mother} @ wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:16:46 GMT, "GbH" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> It's called catching a box full of neutrals,
>
> It's also a fairly good theft deterrent.

Thats what i always did in the RRC. It did catch me out once, but I blame jetlag (LOL) for that!

You can just see the teefs faces with it revving like feck & you just slowly walking up to the car with a
hammer..................

--
Subaru WRX
Range Rover LSE (Bob)

'"gimme the f*ckin' money"


 
> It's called catching a box full of neutrals, it can (and does) happen to the best
> of us!
>

I'm sure it does happen occasionally, we all get tripped up with
the simple things now and again, but he didn't even know what the
lever did, let alone how to operate it! Hate to think how long he
would have been sat there if he hadn't asked me to help. I just
told him to always make sure it was in the "H" position!

Matt.
 

Matthew Maddock wrote:
> Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
> came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
> jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
> Wondered if I could help.
>
> Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
> and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
> around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
> "No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
> he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
> machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
> the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
> conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
> made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!
>
> Matt

I guess it's just a case of what interests you - i know there's a
washing machine in my house somewhere but i'd have to think where it
was, and i have no idea what the buttons and levers do!

Dave

 
....and [email protected] spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...

>
> I guess it's just a case of what interests you - i know there's a
> washing machine in my house somewhere but i'd have to think where it
> was, and i have no idea what the buttons and levers do!
>
> Dave

That'll all have to change, by Jove yes. :)

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)


 

Richard Brookman wrote:
> ...and [email protected] spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...
>
> >
> > I guess it's just a case of what interests you - i know there's a
> > washing machine in my house somewhere but i'd have to think where it
> > was, and i have no idea what the buttons and levers do!
> >
> > Dave
>
> That'll all have to change, by Jove yes. :)
>
> --
> Rich
> ==============================
> Disco 300 Tdi auto
> S2a 88" SW
> Tiggrr (V8 trialler)

No, no, it's fine honestly, we've got an agreement, she operates the
washing machine, hoover, and dishwasher, and i get spiders out of the
bath and the stuff off the high shelves in Tescos.............

 
....and [email protected] spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...


> Richard Brookman wrote:
>> ...and [email protected] spake unto the tribes of Usenet, saying...
>>
>>>
>>> I guess it's just a case of what interests you - i know there's a
>>> washing machine in my house somewhere but i'd have to think where it
>>> was, and i have no idea what the buttons and levers do!
>>>
>>> Dave
>>
>> That'll all have to change, by Jove yes. :)
>>
>> --
>> Rich
>> ==============================
>> Disco 300 Tdi auto
>> S2a 88" SW
>> Tiggrr (V8 trialler)
>
> No, no, it's fine honestly, we've got an agreement, she operates the
> washing machine, hoover, and dishwasher, and i get spiders out of the
> bath and the stuff off the high shelves in Tescos.............

Typical male/female 50/50 split, then :)

--
Rich
==============================
Disco 300 Tdi auto
S2a 88" SW
Tiggrr (V8 trialler)


 
> Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
> came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
> jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
> Wondered if I could help.
>
> Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
> and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
> around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
> "No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
> he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
> machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
> the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
> conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
> made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!
>
> Matt

You should have put it in Low range, and sat there while he pootled along.
Im sure he would work it out soon enough!


Mark.
9090


 
On 14 Jan 2006 11:43:58 -0800, [email protected] scribbled the
following nonsense:

>at the moment, but that ratio may change when the garage is
>built...............

h'mm you should see it when I rebuild an axle in the kitchen, then
SWMBO wanted her engine rebuilding in her SJ, so i stripped it apart
and told her to clean it. Where did she clean it....... And she put
all the bits in the two meat trays that we have..... at least i only
put bits in old chinese take away trays and the such like....
--

Simon Isaacs

Peterborough 4x4 Club Newsletter Editor and Webmaster
Green Lane Association (GLASS) Financial Director
101 Ambi, undergoing camper conversion www.simoni.co.uk
1976 S3 LWT, Fully restored, ready for sale! Make me an offer!
Suzuki SJ410 (Wife's) 3" lift kit fitted, body shell now restored and mounted on chassis, waiting on a windscreen and MOT
Series 3 88" Rolling chassis...what to do next
1993 200 TDi Discovery
1994 200 TDi Discovery body sheel, being bobbed and modded.....
 
I take the same approach with electricity. I know there are switches on the
wall - I press them and lights come on and other gadgets begin to work.
However I have no idea how electricity works nor have I ever been curious!

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Matthew Maddock wrote:
>> Was sat in a car park the other day in my Rangie and some bloke
>> came up to me and asked me to help him. He had a 4x4 (some
>> jap cr*p - no idea what!) and he couldn't get it to go anywhere.
>> Wondered if I could help.
>>
>> Went over to his vehicle and started it up, popped it into D
>> and sure enough it just sat there doing nothing. Quick check
>> around and I found he'd knocked the transfer box into neutral.
>> "No idea what the lever does" he said. I tried to explain, but
>> he still didn't get it. Why do these people bother to buy a
>> machine they don't understand? Least you would expect was that
>> the dealer who sold him it would explain. In the course of the
>> conversation he told me he wanted a Volvo estate, but his wife
>> made him buy a 4x4 - he wasn't a happy bunny!
>>
>> Matt
>
> I guess it's just a case of what interests you - i know there's a
> washing machine in my house somewhere but i'd have to think where it
> was, and i have no idea what the buttons and levers do!
>
> Dave
>


 
Viviane wrote:
> I take the same approach with electricity. I know there are switches on the
> wall - I press them and lights come on and other gadgets begin to work.
> However I have no idea how electricity works nor have I ever been curious!

At least you know the switch on the wall turns the light on!

I have no idea how my transfer box works, but I know what it does and
how to use it!

Matt.
 
On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:37:54 +0000, Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net>
wrote:

>On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:16:46 GMT, "GbH" <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>It's called catching a box full of neutrals,
>
>It's also a fairly good theft deterrent.

An even better one if the truck also has an overdrive lever that will
go into neutral. :)
 
Tom Woods wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:37:54 +0000, Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>>On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:16:46 GMT, "GbH" <[email protected]>
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>It's called catching a box full of neutrals,
>>
>>It's also a fairly good theft deterrent.
>
>
> An even better one if the truck also has an overdrive lever that will
> go into neutral. :)

Sadly, it is not always enough.
 
Viviane wrote:
> I take the same approach with electricity. I know there are switches on the
> wall - I press them and lights come on and other gadgets begin to work.
> However I have no idea how electricity works nor have I ever been curious!

Witchcraft. They'll tell you otherwise, but *I* know.

--
jermec

You, in the red uniform, go see what that noise is!
 
On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 16:38:18 +0000, Dougal
<DougalAThiskennel.free-online.co.uk> wrote:

>Tom Woods wrote:
>> On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:37:54 +0000, Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Sat, 14 Jan 2006 12:16:46 GMT, "GbH" <[email protected]>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>It's called catching a box full of neutrals,
>>>
>>>It's also a fairly good theft deterrent.
>>
>>
>> An even better one if the truck also has an overdrive lever that will
>> go into neutral. :)
>
>Sadly, it is not always enough.

Whatever you do there will probably be someone somewhere who can get
past it :(
Its enough to confuse me when i first get in it sometimes so can't be
totally pointless!

I reckon that the fact that even after 4 years or so of practise,
everytime i manage to get my landy to start it feels like a minor
miracle when it kicks in should deter most thieves. Every so often
even i can't start it.
 
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