Remuera tractors (Doug's suvs)

["Graham Hilder" <graham.hilder@domain.elided>]

In Digest 1299, Doug wrote.....
"...They (the rental car people).... then asked if I'd like a free upgrade =
to an explorer or blazer, instead of the focus.  I've never seen such =
shocked young college-grad-types, when I said "No-way, I *can't stand* =
suv's!"  :>)  They said, "Jeez everyone *loves* 'em!  I told 'em I can't =
wait 'til gas costs $5/gal, so they all disappear from the roadways!"

Good on yer Doug, that's the spirit, but I may have some bad news for you! =
 Over here in NZ, petrol DOES cost about$5 a gallon, but the place is =
still infested by ever-increasing numbers of these blasted Remuera =
tractors, as we call suvs over here.  (Remuera being a nationally-known =
well-heeled suburb, and many suvs being owned by city folks who never take =
them anywhere more demanding than the supermarket carpark).  The damn =
things are just proliferating like rabbits (too bad they can't be poisoned =
off in the same manner eh...!!!).  Mind you, I think a lot of them over =
here are diesel, and diesel's pretty cheap over here I htink. (Not that I =
would admit to knowing anything about Remuera tractor fuel or its cost).  =
I suppose I'd better apologise in advance to  those NZ Alfisti readers who =
own actually own a Remuera tractor and whom I've just offended..!!!  =
(Bound to be some I guess...!!).  Actually I do have a couple of friends =
who do have these things, and actually they're quite nice blokes really =
(luckily, however, they're not Alfa owners).

A while ago, while I was stopped at a red light in a highway town, some =
bloke pulled up alongside in his great big flash new range rover or some =
such, towering about 5 feet over my little lowered Alfasud, and blipping =
his many-litred engine in a clear challenge (I'd just passed him coming =
into the town..... and he stuck about THAT far from my back bumper until =
pulling alongside at the lights, and he wasn't a happy chappy). Anyway he =
blips away  until the lights change, and then we both rev up large and =
take off. His engine noise rises to a crescendo of frantic rattling, like =
a giant bucket of bolts, at about the height of my right ear'ole, and off =
we go.  Luckily the ancient 1500 Sud saw him off eventually, but he did =
keep up with us for about the first 30 or 40 mph, and things were looking =
a little close for a while.  I can still recall that incredible wild =
rattle in my ear through my open driver's window..... I just about cracked =
up on the spot... I thought his engine was going to disintegrate......I =
was glad it didn't, though, as the shrapnel might have scratched the Alfa.

Who said suvs aren't fun?  Most fun I've had in ages...!!!
Regards and cheek,
Graham in NZ.

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