26th April 25. Kent

Another day where a job for my own customer was dovetailed nicely with finding a job to get to Sittingbourne Kent. The point of collection for my customers job to collect a 2019 Vauxhall Corsa to bring back to Aylesbury for them. So yesterday I managed to find a job going to Sittingbourne from Slough. Slough is still a train ride into London Marylebone two stops north to Paddington Station then the Elizabeth line to Reading. Stopping at Slough. A quick and cheap Uber to Ford on the great west road. There I collected a 2023 Ford Focus which was going to the same group Ford dealer in Sittingbourne.

It being a Saturday The stations were eerily quiet, as it was early. I was alone on the platform at Marylebone underground station, which is weird.

Paddington station was also quiet with a few early travellers. and a few late one's that looked the worse for wear from the night before.

I arrived at Slough Ford and they did not recognise me as the collection company who collected the Mustang last month. The one put on the system the wrong way round for collection delivery remember?

I collected the Focus, had my appraisal signed and headed west to get the M4, M25, which by now was filling with weekend travellers. Then round to the M20 and then A249 that crosses the M2 then on to Sittingbourne.

I found the Ford dealer easy enough and the lady that took the car off me was actually very helpful and friendly. Chatting away and asking about where I had come from and going next. I can imagine she will go far in sales by simply showing interest, listening and being helpful. Well done to her.

You would not actually believe the level of disinterest, avoidance and grumpiness I see from sales people elsewhere and far too often. A lot of the time I put my phone away, hide my trade plates and bag and walk round the showroom looking at the cars. very occasionally one will think its a potential sale and jump up all over enthused only to go straight back to one word answers and unhelpfulness and usually just dismissing me and finding a driver or someone even more worthless in his eyes to deal with me. Just another worthless piece of shit driver.

I actually love this interaction. leaning the true nature of some people is fascinating.

So the Focus dropped off, signed for, after an inspection this time. I made my way to the Vauxhall dealer in Sittingbourne to collect the Corsa for Aylesbury.

It was another beautiful sunny day. This is becoming quite a regular occurrence. We don't normally have two months in a row when the majority of the weather is sunny and quite warm in both March and April. So I walked the 1.8 miles in warm Saturday morning sunshine and let the day happen.

I arrived at the Vauxhall dealer and collected the Orange Vauxhall Corsa to go back to Aylesbury. This time the sales team were a bit more attentive and actually asked me to see my trade plates and sign for the car myself. A first for this company.

I did my own appraisal got it signed, still didn't look at the car and fuelled up at the fuel station next door and headed back the way I came and endured the now more heavy traffic on the M25 right round to the A41. Getting back in time to drop off the car with the Aylesbury dealer and walk home.

Got my steps in today. nearly three miles of steps !