3rd March 25. Heading North

Started the day in Aylesbury as usual. But today a little different as collecting a car from a dealer I usually deliver to. But today collecting a Motability car bought by a dealer in Evesham off the Motability system which was based in Aylesbury.

I say based, I really mean stored for free. Motability are, if you didn't know. The largest fleet of cars in the UK. It works like this. If you are disabled and on the higher rate of disability allowance, you can use this allowance to pay for a car. Most volume car manufacturers sign up for this as obviously it's more registrations for them. There is an upfront payment on some cars and zero on others. I guess it's all about the ticket price and depreciation (residual value) so for giving up this portion of your disability allowance. You get a new car. These cars, after the user has finished with it. Then get handed back to the supplying dealer who is, hopefully, supplying a new one. Now here's the clever bit for Motability.

These handed back vehicles, then go on an online platform. With a photograph taken by the dealership who inherits it. These cars are always, or 90% of them sold at inflated prices well over book value. The buyer can then claim for anything damaged or missing. Apart from wheels, bumpers, bonnet and roof. These are generally very poorly cared for vehicles. I'm going to say this. I know, as I've seen it first hand. A large percentage of these cars are going to the kind of people who claim disability for thing like obesity, or some made up physical problems or mental health issues. That in my day were seen for what they were. Today there has to be medical condition for everything. It has to have a label. Something the "sufferer" can post about on social media. Laziness is laziness. That's a whole new area of rant. Not for today.

But the clever part of this for Motability is they stay at the dealership that took it back until it's sold. Then people like me are contracted to collect and take it to the buyer dealer. Thereby giving Motability free storage for thousands of cars a week. Imagine having thousands of cars for sale and having free space to store them and getting them photographed for nothing too. Brilliant!!

Oh, and this company that runs this biggest fleet of cars and takes your disability allowance and has the highest interest rate in the UK. Has free storage for it's disposal stock and sells their cars at vastly inflated,over book trade value. And, Is run as a registered charity!! Either genius, or the founders or fat cats of this business have friends in high places.

I digress.

So The Vauxhall Grandland I collected from Aylesbury was driven to Evesham Vauxhall I got the usual, unchecked signature from the uncaring sales exec. And we made our way to the station a few minutes walk away.

Yes, we. My wife accompanied me as I had organised to go further north to parents home in Carlisle again. So a very expensive couple of train tickets due to the last minute booking and we were on the train from Evesham, via Worcestershire Parkway and Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street. My favourite station. Hello Ozzy!

A few minutes to wait so grabbed a coffee each and had a walk round Ozzy as my wife had never seen him.

With a few minutes until the train we sat in the station concourse and watched the world go by until the train to Carlisle was due. Went down to the platform and jumped on the train.

Whilst on the train. I flicked through the hob portals and found a couple of jobs. One from Carlisle to Edinburgh and then another from Dunfermline back to Hexham. So. Rude not to!!

Got to Carlisle. Took a taxi to the dealer in the area where all the car dealerships are now to the north ot the city and collected the MG ZS that was going to Hyundai Edinburgh tomorrow. Job done. Or one and a half jobs done today. Now looking forward to the drive into Scotland tomorrow so quick planning for the couple of jobs and an early drive to Edinburgh

Good night 😴