A slice of – dumbing down ?
I was going to start by saying, ” is it me, or…? “, but it’s probably me 😊.
I’ve got to drive to SEAT, for a service, but more importantly (and horribly expensive), it’s time for a new timing belt/cam belt 😫. Mine’s a Leon FR estate, 0-60 in 8 seconds, which is useful, not blazing, but it was a compromise between get up and go, accommodate a big dog (Teddy/Ted) and a degree of fuel sensitivity. Excuse the pun, but the ‘dogs’ would’ve been a Cupra ( varies 0-60, 4-6 seconds ), but life sometimes, or is it often, needs compromise.
My background has involved meeting business customers in the UK and overseas. Driving from A-B, in decent time, is about maintaining your speed within speed limits, of course.
Journey to the garage … 
Immediately after the Humber bridge, traffic began getting a bit claggy, being followed by a series of roundabouts and even claggier traffic. Then, the motorway, which, on trying to join, was at a standstill. Oh joy.
I’m retired and haven’t seen the route at this time of day, having earlier surprised a cat in the garden this morning, as it was crossing, by the early-ness of my presence, consequently causing it to bolt, first landing on those attractively coloured refuse bins and without ‘pause’ (did you get that 😊 ?), on to the wall and disappearing.
I’m at a standstill and briefly phone the garage, to advise of the cluster-struck and that I will be late, which indeed, I was, 20 minutes.
Really pleasant bloke at SEAT, who after numerous signatures and driving licence, which on returning to my wallet, I notice is out of date …. feck !
He escorts me to a waiting, standard Atteca (they’re that type of car, whose height enable a clearer view in to peoples houses, as you drive past, for peeps who like that sort of thing, 😊).
He says that he has to explain controls, which I learn vary from mine. It doesn’t have a manual handbrake and I have to trust on the cars intelligence/sensors, whenever I stop …. hill-starts ! …. jeeze !
Somewhat uncertain, I ask if there is a manual way of using the handbrake (which isn’t there) and apparently, I can flick a switch. Furthermore, all I need to do, is keep the key in my pocket and I can just open the car door, without unlocking. I can start the car, by pressing the “start” button, so just like sticking the key in, but instead, I press a button …… mmmm ? The button with the word “start”, has a glowing red ring, presumably to assist, if you have a reading issue, or just a doughnut.
I’m left wondering why, when having “the key”, in my pocket and having opened the door (without using the key), the car hasn’t worked out that having been away from it and subject to it being out of gear, with magic handbrake on, that it shouldn’t automatically start it’s engine 😊. But, no, it’s not that smart…. Button or key, button or key ?
So, off I drive, with a blind religious belief in the car handbrake, as I almost immediately face a hill start at traffic lights, about 300 metres ahead. Seems to work, as I queue for the traffic lights, because of the current awful traffic system, in this location, which is now, all roadworks.
Various slip roads are being constructed to replace, the awful current system, which leads to other industrial estates, also Sainsbury’s and ALDI.
I need to go to ALDI, because the only dog biscuits that Ted has chosen to eat, are in ALDI’s. So, I eventually turn left at these lights and queue at another set of lights, before doubling back on myself, at a roundabout, because of the road works, so as to queue, in order to get to traffic lights, to turn left, to get to ALDI’s ………………… WTF.
I’m home now and during the day, I get two videos of the underside of my car, which is not particularly entertaining, but that is what they have chosen to do.
After a call from the pleasant bloke, I return to collect my car and the journey is relatively queue free.
I pull up at an entrance door. I park my Atteca almost directly opposite my, now serviced Leon so that when I move, they can easily reverse the Atteca in to the space my car had occupied. Thoughtful that, eh. Nice one 😊.
On getting out, I shut the door. The engine keeps running. I press the key fob door lock and the engine keeps running and the headlights remain on. Mmmmm, feck it, the mystical hand brake appears to be on, so I’ll go on in.
I sit down at the pleasant blokes desk and wait, because he’s on a call, which lasts for about 5 minutes, which is fine. I’m in no hurry. I turn and look around and yep, lights on and engine still running. From the showroom, for some reason, I press the key fob door lock. Unsurprisingly, the lights and engine remain on.
The call ends and I mention to the pleasant man, that the lights and engine are still doing their thing, to which, he rises, goes to the car and things stop. On his return, I think I learn, that you have to press the “start” button, to tell the car to stop, to which I think, ‘that’s just like taking the key out 😊’.
Why couldn’t the car work out that locking the friggin door, suggests, I don’t need the engine running.
I’m all for progress and achievement, for instance, I love cruise control on my Leon, but button or key, seems half arsed.
The handbrake thing tended to remove me from from driving involvement and activity.
Anything which makes a driver feel more like they are inactively sitting on a sofa, is probably not a good trend.
I was reminded of an earlier blog, “Trials and tribulations of buying a toothbrush”.
https://www.theoldfart.co.uk/toothbrush/
I’m back in my sportier Leon, ….. brill ! …. nice one SEAT
It’s probably just me, init 😂.
Oh, I had, had, both old and new driving licences in my wallet and apparently SEAT’s system had advised the pleasant bloke that I had a valid licence.
Senior proofing – Now that’s actually useful technological progress. 😊