Outta juice.
Alt: Carrying spare fuel, food & water is ALWAYS a good idea.
T'was the best of times, it was not 2012. ('kin hell this story took place 30 years ago. Fuck!)

The year is 1982, my mum and I had driven down to Brisbane for the Commonwealth Games and then back up to Townsville and then a couple of days later we set out on the trip back home to Mt. Isa. For trainspotters - this also happened on that trip.

Now. My mother had been a rally-car navigator, pilot/instructor and head of her computing dept. (I don't think the term "IT" or it's derivatives even existed back then). But she was also a woman. A woman who could include the kitchen sink in her detailed list of things to take away with us whilst forgetting the absolute essentials. This was a woman who insisted on having a suitcase of clothes packed for her when she went into palliative care... A week prior to her death.
Anyhoo. We had a 2 day drive with no extra water or fuel. From memory we stopped in Charters Towers for a rest and fill up.
A few hundred kays from there mum's Toyota T-18 spluttered to death having shown the fuel warning light for about 50 km. We pushed the car off the road and waited for a few hours for a passing freight truck to go by. Which didn't.
That was when I started to worry. There we were a small, skinny single woman and her 10 yo. son out in the middle of fucking nowhere with not very much food or water, no fuel and no way of communicating our predicament.
Mum locked me in the car & told me she was walking to the last town we'd passed (50 odd km. away) to get fuel. She told me not to open the car doors to anyone.

Then I panicked. For about 9 hours.
Eventually a passing truckie saw me sitting in the passengers seat and then picked my mum up about 10 to 15 km. (apparently his estimate) down the road, took her to the nearest town, organised a jerrycan of fuel and then dropped her back off. He got my attention by rapping on the car window loudly. In the dark.

I wouldn't say I shat myself, but I'm glad I didn't have to do the "post-holiday" laundry that particular time.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 7:02, 5 replies)

Child starves to death in ugliest car ever made

(Gru being trolled since 1998, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 11:03, closed)

"Worst response to a post ever
shocks /qotw community with its blandness."
In breaking news: Nissan presents it's newest model - the Datsun 120Y
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Mon 9 Apr 2012, 12:11, closed)

I thought this
might have had a bit more "Wolf Creek" in it, but never mind.
(Rsoles, Mon 9 Apr 2012, 13:50, closed)

they came down from meekatharra
in a burned-out blue fj....
( janet aylia y'all motherfuckers need jesus, Tue 10 Apr 2012, 5:48, closed)

That farted and just shat itself in Jutland Parade,
Right next door to Bondy's.

Cheers Janet - it's a while since I've bellowed that song out full bore. The missus is giving me stinkeye now - apparently some of the lyrics may not be appropriate for 7 yo. daughters.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Tue 10 Apr 2012, 7:32, closed)