06 November 2008

WIRED

A word to the wise. Two, in fact: coat hanger.

Or at least always carry some sort of long flexible wiry tool that can retrieve objects from awkward nooks and resting places.

I was in town in a hurry and I went round to get something out of the boot/trunk, tripped and watched the keys describe a perfect arc into the tines of the grate. Didn't even clip the sides.

Most grates have been there 100 years sans being disturbed and I could not budge it. However, like the dude in 'Strangers on a Train' whose lighter went into the drain, I could see my keys ...

Then I remembered I had dry cleaning in the back seat *and* I had not yet locked the car itself - can you imagine if i'd been walking *away*, having locked everything??

Out with the coat hanger, deft refashioning with the hook at the end, and voilĂ , hooked my keys out. Phew.

So, heed my plight and add some wiry gizmo to the toolkit in the back of the Rolls.

Speaking of which, and it's worth repeating, I read somewhere that the early handbook manuals for the Rolls- Royce - changing tyre, checking oil and pressure and so forth - started each section with:

"Instruct your driver to ... "

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