Cars and things ..

[Andy Rabagliati <andyr@wizzy.com>]

Folks,

  A friend of mine, Sean, was on business in Jo'burg last week, and I
  got to borrow his motorcycle, a 600cc Suzuki taken straight off the
  racetrack. Very nice.

  I took it down to Cape Point, a pleasant ride to one end of the world,
  now full of foreigners arriving on airconditioned tour buses.

  South Africa, I gather, does annual holidays somewhat like France,
  where everyone takes them together. In France they go to the beach,
  and it is the same here. All the (Trans-)Vaalies from Jo'burg come to
  Cape Town for December - eek !!

  Traffic habitually travels too fast in Cape Town, with little respect
  for pedestrians. None are faster than breakdown trucks travelling to
  the scene of accidents, weaving through traffic in an effort to be the
  first on the scene. From our eagles nest downtown Capetown we witness
  about one crash a week at work. The last one was a breakdown truck
  jumping the lights ..

  Parking downtown often requires looking for parking spots. However, in
  this low-wage economy it is very easy - there are innumerable street
  arabs ("Casual parking attendants", in newspaper parlance) whom you
  can see from hundreds of metres away waving you into "their" spot, and
  helpfully (I jest) helping you park by indicating which way you should
  turn the wheel. I have to give you a performance sometime.

  Owning a vehicle is an exercise in security. Every one has an
  immobiliser, a hidden button to press, of a thing on your keyfob to
  insert to start. The radio faceplate comes off. If you leave it in
  the street downtown overnight the drivers window will be broken.
  Walking to work there is always the little pile of glass near the kerb
  somewhere. Garage doors are automatic. I carry two security tags
  to get into the building where I work.
  
  It is summer here now - with hot days. The wind, unless it comes
  from the northeast, has come over the sea, and is cool.
  
  Our show, "Key for Two", opens December.
  
  Missing you ..
  
Cheers,       Andy!

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Andy Rabagliati  .  andyr@wizzy.com  .  http://www.wizzy.com/andyr/