Just as I was about to leave for the city I got a phone call to say the bike transporter had been in an accident up the North Coast somewhere and there would be a delay in getting the bikes down to Victoria. It's the 20th December.
So I waited for the next call which arrived on the 23rd to say the truck was fixed, the driver had been replaced and the truck was on it's way. I got to Melbourne in my Van about lunchtime and called the transporter to see what time to meet them, another delay in Northern Victoria would mean the scooter would arrive Christmas Eve. Great.
400kms from home and I seriously needed to find a spare room at the inn on Christmas Eve! What are my chances? Pretty good as it turns out, for a downtown Hoppers Crossing Budget Chain.
Morning couldn't come quick enough as it was such a hot night and I didn't sleep at all. It was already 30 degrees at 10am. I found my way to the truck depot (a house in suburbia) to watch with some trepidation as my new scooter was riden down a very steep ramp by a very large man covered in sweat and really not wanting to be there. Needless to say I am pretty sure looking back, that it was that action that damaged the front end, mudguard and took a massive chip of paint out as the wheel hit the ground at the bottom of the ramp at such an angle.
A lengthy heated discussion ensued with the drivers wife, as she didn't appreciate my refusal to sign off the scooter as having been "carefully delivered" as the contract stated.
I loaded the scooter into the back of my van via a ramp, tied it down well & was on my way back home to Portland. 38 degrees, no air-cond and 5 hours of driving ahead. Yay. The only thing spurring me on was the thought of the scootering summer ahead.
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