Don’t worry, I’ve not gone mad and traded in “The Landy” – the customised 79 Series Dual Cab!
I have been driving Mrs Landy’s vehicle to work recently and whilst she is happy to be driving “The Landy” it is a bit oversized for normal around town work, so she has been using her mother's car.
Mind you she feels a touch embarrassed driving her mother's Commodore as it has had more bumps then a carnival dodgem car. Crikey, there is no way I would be seen in it.
Clare, Mrs Landy’s mother, is advancing in age and her eyesight is not quite what it used to be and those concrete posts in the underground car parks are always placed in the wrong spot!
In fact the doctor has all but said, hang up the keys
Clare, and Janet, the ever so diplomatic Mrs Landy, has been treading around that very delicately and having the car in our driveway has delayed that discussion, thankfully she says…
But you may
well ask how did this unfold to the point of cutting a cheque for a new vehicle? I think a conspiracy unfolded in our in our household this past week.
In fairly quick succession TomO, the “Crown Prince” reminds me that he is only 12 months away from getting his learner’s permit to drive and he was looking forward to learning in “The Landy”.
What?
I like advanced planning and thinking, but thought the discussion was a touch premature. And besides, what was wrong with learning in mum’s car anyway?
Oddly, the very next conversation with Mrs Landy went along the lines of – "how about getting another vehicle you can drive to work and that TomO can use in the future?" She went on to add, "given he likes camping and touring, what about a small 4WD, um, say a Suzuki Jimny, no speed machine, just perfect?"
It sounded like collaboration to me, they were both singing from the same song sheet with Mrs Landy chipping in that…
“On a power for weight measure I suspect it is batting above average. Full frame chassis, true Hi/Low range and solid axles, along with good ground clearance”. Clearly, she had already been down to the dealership, which coincidently is right opposite TomO’s school where she spends a lot of time there doing volunteer committee work.
Mrs Landy was pressing all the buttons like a veteran care salesperson.
I’d been rolled!
Having said that, I must confess to being very impressed when I saw one in action on Idracowra Station in the Northern Territory a number of years ago and we’ve often remarked on its performance at different times.
So there we have it, a 4WD sitting in the wings for the “Crown Prince” and something I get to play in until I am required to hand the keys over, which incidentally I get on Wednesday.
Strewth, how things have changed since I was his age!
Cheers, Baz – The Landy