As I type this update, Christina is packing for our trip to Oudtshoorn. We’re running a little later than we’d hoped, but then again, when has anything here been mindful of a human-imposed schedule? Anyway, we can’t wait. Elephants, hippos, ostriches, here we come!!
However, we may not be able to go at all if we can’t get past the anti-hijack buttons. This is a new thing on cars here in SA that I’m being quickly (and admittedly, annoyingly) introduced to. Our van has it, and our new car that we just picked up yesterday also has it. It’s a little button that’s hidden somewhere near the driver’s seat that must be pressed in order for the car to go any further than one kilometer. And the button will
not be denied. If it you don’t press it at just the right time, or at just the right angle, or whistle “Yankee Doodle Dandy” while you press it, the car cuts out. Apparently, it’s a necessity up in Johannesburg, where both of our cars came from, but I’m failing to see the usefulness of them here. Here, they’re a nuisance. Since I’ve sat down to write this, I’ve had to get up four times to cut off the car alarm. Maybe the button didn’t like how it was pressed. I don’t know. I probably don’t have much of a choice though, as the button has all the power.
I just wish I knew how to disconnect the little sucker…
