Monday 9 April 2012

Big Yellow Taxi


We've always grown our own vegetables ever since we moved down here. During the eighties I had  a vegetable stall in Shrewsbury market. To make transportation easier, my hubs (impulse) bought me a yellow Ford Transit he saw languishing on someone's forecourt as he was passing.  My daughter was in her teens at the time and loved to go to the  local youth club and  discos in the village hall. My yellow Tranny was the only means of getting from A to B and when I used to drive her to her nights out she'd hide under the dashboard board and bolt like a rabbit once all the others had gone inside.
'Mum, park round the corner, when you come to fetch me.'
Ever increasing petrol prices (what's new) and my sweet one decided to go on an economy purge by turning the fuel pipe thingy down half a notch. Come the day of the market, I thought, 'this van's a bit sluggish?' We'd be on the road by 6.30 am,  hardly anything about at that time in the morning so I got there eventually.  The homeward journey was something else. The traffic had built up a bit as it started bumping and grinding over the Welsh Bridge.  I just about managed to get the thing on the open road.. A lorry was stuck behind me. No matter how far I put my foot down on the accelerator it refused to go any faster than about fifteen miles per hour. And then just as he was about to overtake, it found a new lease of life and shot up to about  forty five. This carried on for seventeen miles until I found a lay by. I managed to pull in. As he went by, he leaned over, gave me a slow hand clap and mouthed something. I couldn't quite make out what he was trying to say but I think I got the gist of it.
It didn't look quite as bad as in that picture. That was taken when I unexpectedly met a boy racer around one of the blind corners.
I love my Focus. I chose that car myself.

25 comments:

  1. What fun, Molly. Back in the late 60s our first vehicle was a Ford Transit campervan which had been converted by and belonged to DH's parents, It was a grubby white, but also very slow. :-)

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    1. But they were OK weren't they. Got you from A to B and the traffic wasn't near as manic then.

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  2. Lol can you imagine that lorry driver and his opinion of lady drivers and not even your fault lol what a laugh,thanks Molly as I imagined your daughter hiding..a great story.

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    1. she was at the age then - you know what they're like :)

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  3. My neighbour has that exact van in that exact colour!
    I did smile when I saw your new header. My Mum and Dad always grew lettuces and insisted on calling them letti (plural of lettuce as far as they were concerned).

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    1. Our old tranny got neatly packed and off to the scrapyard. When it was going OK it was quite nice to drive.

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  4. Did you motion back to that angry driver? PRobably best that you didn't. Anyway, I like the color of the car. It's a nice yellow. Glad you have the Focus now!

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    1. Oh Amy, no I didn't! My daughter was with me at the time and we just dissolved into fits of laughter. My Focus is blue. I've had it almost three years now,

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  5. Molly - loved the story of the Ford Transit and those lettuces look delicious.

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  6. He might have warned you.

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  7. I had the same experience when dropping off my teen age daughter at her dances. "Let me get out here, Mom", she would say about a block before our destination, but I wouldn't. She was mortified, but I wanted to make sure she was safe and in the door. Her dad would pick her up and they made a pact as where to meet up. He was easier than I at times.

    Many people (men)who are following behind me in their cars also like to give me hand gestures. At least you had the excuse of the car not working properly, with me, there is something about my driving and staying below or at the speed limit that brings out the worst in them.

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  8. My sons were in 7-8th grades, they asked me not to kiss them good-bye when dropping them off for school anymore. I said "What the worst that people can think about you? That you are from a family that loves you?" They said "OH! I didn't think about it THAT way." And they let the kisses continue. They are funny at that age. We had a slow old car too and loved that thing beyond reason like your Tranney. Good to have memories, huh?

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  9. I love the header with the bright new lettuces...

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  10. That little Focus will get you a lot of MPG to make up for the Ford that lived at the pump.

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  11. That yellow Transit is so cute in the photo. I live to embarrass my kiddo. My first car was a Matador and it was enormous. Daddy bought it for me in 79 but it was probably vintage 1965 and could hold about fifteen people and no hyperbole involved either.

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    1. Olive you could have run a mini bus with that one :0)

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  12. Your veggie picture looks wonderful, you definatly have a green thumb. Half the fun of having kids is embarrassing them.

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  13. I love the header photo. My kids used to do that too - no gratitude for the lift...I remember once I was so happy to have arrived in one piece that I gave my own mother a packet of Rolo's...

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  14. Love that motor - awful situation - a lorry up your rear end - terrorising the life out of you - when I first past my test - I was 6m pregnant at the time I was forever taking refuge in laybys !!

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  15. Great story Molly.

    Was your vegetable stall very successful? Must have been hard work though .... I assume it was before the days of veg box deliveries.

    Jeanne
    x

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    1. They actually had 21 veggie stalls in Shrewsbury market at the time. We used to do OK - my daughter helped me on a Saturday - then they altered the traffic system, put the bus station the other end of town, built a huge out of town Tesco stores and that crippled any chance the traders had of making a living. I walked through Shrewsbury market today and was so pleased to see a lot more people in there shopping so looks like 'what goes around comes around'. Yes it was hard work, but the other traders were such a good bunch to work with and we got to know each of our customers by name. They still stop and speak now if I happen to see them, which is nice.

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  16. Great story! I loved how the van just revved up when the lorry was going to pass; the driver must have thought you were doing it on purpose.

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  17. This is a very good song and the lyrics of this made me remember my Melbourne trip with my spouse. When we were coming out from the airport, I hired a Yellow Taxi and the song was playing inside the taxi. Thar trip was unforgettable for me.

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