Gettin’ on the road

DAY 4, NOV. 11 – 16 DAYS UNTIL THE WEDDING

On this cloudy Thursday – which also turns out to be a national holiday – the line ups for the United States out of Vancouver were extraordinarily long.

“The longest we’ve ever seen,” said a radio announcer.

And so, we trucked over to the Aldergrove crossing to avoid the long line, but were hit by another train of angry shoppers and travellers.

In some respects, I’m about the cheapest person you’re ever going to meet. I just hate spending money on superfluous luxuries.

Today, it was gas.

Between every stop-and-go in the line, I made my partner shut of the engine. We’d putter 50 metres, shut off the engine for a few, start it up and putter a few more metres, shut it off.

1.4 kilometres of the line later, he turned the key.

Tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-chuuuugh.

Again.

Tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-chuuuugh.

Again!

Tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-

Nothing.

Dead battery.

Joy.

The lineup of cars and SUVs started passing us, giving us dirty looks for stalling in such an inconvenient place.

Ten to 15 CAA minutes later (about half an hour), along came our saviour – a tow truck driver complete with a church’s worth of crosses.

A few sparks and chuckles at our foolishness later and we were back on the go. We’d been waiting so long that the line had long since shortened, and we had to drive a few hundred metres to catch up with the end.

Lesson learned. Miserly behaviour doesn’t pay.

We made it there eventually. We were just a few hours later than expected.

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