The MOT

Every car in the UK has to pass a yearly inspection called the ‘MOT’. It’s more than just your typical ‘check-the-blinkers’ kind of deal, they check every part of your car to make sure it’s in proper working order, lights, seatbelts, windshield wipers, steering, tire tread, brake pads, exhaust, transmission fluid… all of it. And if they find something that doesn’t meet the legal requirements, then you’re basically forced to spend the money to fix it.

It’s a stressful time, really, taking your car to get MOT’d. It feels a bit like taking your child to take the SAT or ACT. The result of the test definitely has bearing on how much you’ll be spending in the near future; I wanted her to do well, but I didn’t want to put too much pressure on her. Nonetheless, a perfect score would result in a ‘free ride’, and we all know how much that would be appreciated given the current state of the economy and the rising costs of higher education. I gave them the keys to the Happy Honda, told them to be gentle, and then waited to hear good or bad news.

Unfortunately, the Happy Honda failed… there were problems with the exhaust and something else. It probably wasn’t her fault; she did her best. It probably had something to do with the way I treated her this summer. I was too hard on her. Plus, these British tests are hard for foreigners (she’s Canadian).

On the bright side, however, even though I had to pay some money to get her fixed, the things that were wrong really did need to be fixed immediately because they would have led to several other more major problems, from which the Happy Honda might not have recovered. So, fear not, all is well now… she went in for the retest today and she passed with flying colors.

One more year with the Happy Honda, long may she live.