Out of Order

My ride

My poor old quad bike

Emphasis on the 'old'.  I've had it for 15 years and before that it was a rental bike.

It's up for retirement, or a funeral.  But not till the end of summer.

The bike has broken down twice this month, just stopped, out of the blue, in the middle of the road.   The first time I was on my way home and someone came down to help.  I free wheeled it down the mountain and a friend pushed it the rest of the way to the fix-it shop.

My grandson is working there this summer so I have a 'meson', a friend in just the right place to push your problem to a fast and positive solution, instead of being simply delayed or denied.

It's a most important part of greek life.  If you don't have a 'μεσον' (meson) you are doomed to stomp from place to place filling out forms, standing in line and waiting, and waiting.

Anyway......the bike was fixed and delivered by grandson the next day.  It still had a flat battery but they had fixed the kick start so I got it going, got it a few hundred metres down the road and it stopped again.  Great. I pushed it into the parking lot and there it stayed for a week in the searing heat of the worst heatwave.  Not likely anyone would steal it. I even left the keys in the basket on the back.

Eventually it was fixed, carburators and filters cleaned and other stuff which didn't interest me.  All I want is for it to start easily and get me here and there.

Home sweet home

It's still got a flat battery, the number plate is so rusted you can't read the numbers, the flash works but it has a temperament which only I understand.  There is no fuel gauge so I have to remember how many times I go up and down the mountain.  3 times and it needs a refill.

The back tyres need air every time I fill it up .  But, hey, it goes and it has all the paperwork.  Oh and it's a bit noisy.

Like Lazarus it has been miraculously brought back to life. 

I'm using it now to go up and down to the beach and down to the nearest grocery shop.  Otherwise I use the car.