TheBanyanTree: Cell Phones

[JMoney]

Monique wrote:

>> I start the car, which is still making the really cool noise that
indicates ... that my transmission will throw itself out on the roadway at
any time.<<

I've had that happen!  Now that was an interesting experience.

We were hitching back to Perth from Roebourne which is way up past Dampier
but not as far as Port Hedland.  A couple in a combi van - not a camper but
just an ordinary van in the open back space of which we could freely bounce
around - gave us a lift.  Back then there were no bridges over the rivers up
there even though the road was Highway 1.  Crossings were made by fords.
But the rainy season had just started and the fords were all under water.
In some places the water was shallow.  In other places it was quite deep.
Therefore it was impossible to see just how big were the various rocks over
which the van's belly scraped - and we scraped a few.

We passed through the beautiful red dune and green spinifex country with the
hypnotisingly straight arrow road.  We got to the hilly country around New
Norcia.  Certain grinding noises started happening.  They got louder.  Then
came a bang.  The van jolted and shuddered as something tore from its
moorings, hit the road and bounced back up to hit the car's underside.

Wondering what had happened we stared through the window panes of the back
doors.  And there it was.  One large gear box and assorted bits of loose
metal work were bouncing along behind us, chasing us, as we coasted down the
hill.  "No brakes!  No brakes!" yelled the driver.  "Try the hand brake!"
yelled his equally flustered wife.  I wondered if I was about to die.

The driver heaved on the hand brake and, thankfully, it worked.  Even more
thankfully it worked slowly enough so that by the time the van stopped the
gear box had ceased the bounding flight towards us that had threatened to
land it right back in our laps.

Some nice man in a ute came along soon afterwards.  He helped us shove the
gear box to the verge and then gave us all a lift to the monastery nearby.
What happened next is lost in the fog of years.

Janice