Page 180 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

(Interior of 1960’s Rover P4 saloon. The gear change can be
seen with a long metal lever with knob. This is pivoted on the
lower parcel shlf before a short stub enters the top of the gear
box. Ours had snapped as it entered the gear box. A common
problem!)
During this exciting interlude, Jane and Colin were still
asleep, one beside me on the passenger seat and the other
across the rear seats. They were awoken by the irate bus
driver venting his spleen, and my equally vociferous cursing at
the precarious situation we were now in. After the bus driver
had exhausted himself and duly left, we had to review our
options.
We were stopped and immobilised on the main road bridge
going thorough one of the busiest cities in the country. It was
7.30am on August Bank Holiday Saturday. Very, very soon we
were going to become a major obstacle so what to do best. The
car would not move under it’s own power but fortunately Jane
belonged to the AA recovery club. I found a telephone box
nearby and a local garage was requested to attend to our
predicament.
When the mechanic arrived just before 8am, (very fast
response for which we were delighted) he was an old hand
who had experience of this problem previously. Evidently
“where the gear change lever swivels on the parcel shelf below
the dash board it creates an extra thrust that pushes excess

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