Mechanical muppetry
The wife's old Fiesta had, as usual, failed it's MOT. On this occasion it was the brakes.
Since it was only taking up room in our garage because she was too sentimental to scrap it* I decided
that it wasn't worth the expense of getting it properly fixed. I would do it.

I trotted out to the garage with thoughts of a happy afternoon's spannering in mind.
Every hour or so I'd call in and demand a cup of tea, which my beloved would grudgingly
supply, while I got dirtier and dirtier. The brakes weren't quite as easy to sort as
the Haynes manual had suggested, but I got there in the end. Eventually it was time to put
everything back together again (in Haynes lie-speak, "refitting is a reversal of the removal process")
which took another solid hour of swearing and beating at the hub with a mallet. Anyway, I wrestled the wheels
back on, dropped the jack and drained my tea in satisfaction.

The next day, Mrs. S took the car back for a re-test while I went to work. I got a phone call a bit later on:

"Hey babe, she passed!"
"Woo! Great news, now it's legal for another year's hard rotting in the garage."
"Don't be mean. There's one thing though: the men wanted to know where I got the brakes fixed."
(Hmm) "Why? They worked, obviously."
"The brakes were fine, but they said some idiot put one of the wheels on the wrong way round. They couldn't
actually fail it on that, but they've turned it back around for me so I don't get pulled over."

Oops.

*This is a woman who cried when I threw out a broken TV because we were casting it
out of our nice warm home to shiver, unloved, on a scrap heap in Deptford, as if it
were an abandoned puppy.
( Scrumper, Fri 16 Jul 2010, 21:36, 3 replies)

'put one of the wheels on the wrong way round. '
seriously?
what the sugary fluff?
have a sympathy click X.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 16 Jul 2010, 23:26, closed)

World's biggest lies
The cheque's in the mail.
Of course I'll respect you in the morning.
Refitting is the reverse of removal.

Haynes manuals have saved me loads of money but have cost me loads of skinned knuckles, bruised egos and trips to the parts suppliers to replace the bit that rolled on to the gravel driveway and got lost forever.
( SteamedCleaner, Sun 18 Jul 2010, 14:12, closed)

Brilliant!

( Dervel OTBC, Wed 21 Jul 2010, 18:53, closed)