Rabbetting On: My car failed its MOT and then the mechanic found my underwear...
London World’s Editor Abigail Rabbett, fesses up about an embarrassing encounter during her car’s MOT.
This week I had to send my car in for its MOT. Spoiler alert: It failed. It didn’t just fail a little bit, it failed a lot - £800 worth of a lot.
Springs, wheel arches, something to do with the gears, my poor old Rav 4 has really been through the motions this week - and so has its owner.
One thing you should know about me is that I’m messy, and my car is no exception. For much of the past two years, it has doubled up as a sort of roving wardrobe.
Spend 5 minutes rooting through it and you’ll find more coats than H&M and countless pairs of shoes, socks, maybe even a rogue t-shirt or two.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; it’s also full of books, pens, picnic blankets, and apparently stray underwear...
While my car was in the garage, getting its £800 makeover (and to think I complain about the cost of highlights!) I got a call from the mechanic asking where my wheel locking nut thing is.
I quickly told him that I didn’t even know what that was, let alone where in the s*** tip of my car it would be. He very nicely told me not to worry, and I went about my day.
A few hours later, I hopped in a cab to go and pick up my car, and after parting with my hard-earned £800, I was gifted back my keys from a very chatty man.
‘He was nice’, I thought as I walked back to my car, upon entering I realised my car had been turned upside down - clearly in search of the wheel locking nut key thing. I felt moderate shame at the amount of crap in my car but nothing too incriminating - just a few Easter eggs.
And then I saw it... my bright green lacy thong was strewn in the footwell of my passenger seat. Give. Me. Strength.
Obviously, I didn’t know what to do, so I raced out of there like Grease Lightning. Leaving nothing behind but a few scorch marks and a puff of smoke.
Of course, my friends found this to be hilarious. I, on the other hand, have been a vibrant shade of red ever since.
So, lesson learnt, girls, tidy your car before your MOT. And yes, they were clean.