Off-Roading in a 3.2. (thanks for the help Steve)

[Milu]

It's 9:30 pm in the mountains in Valceno in Italy. I've had dinner at home to avoid the traffic and I'm going to drive to Milan where I have a meeting tomorrow morning. It's been raining heavily all day which has got rid of most of the snow, but it's foggy and there's a lake of mud. The only lighting is from my car and the windscreen is starting to mist up faster than the blower can clear it, I open the windows a touch and start to wipe the screen with a chamois. However, I went straight but the road didn't!

So, now I've got a car pointing down at 45 degrees and whose front wheels are on the edge of a 40 ft drop with one of the key ingredients in maintaining my stability; a huge, wet manure pile. I don't see any damage and except for some seat belt bruises I'm ok.

911 = traction. No problem, I'll drive out. Except the wheels are in a muddy pond and all I can do is spin wheels.

As luck would have it one of my neighbours is a farmer with a garage full of tractors and off-roaders and he's the guy everyone calls in these situations. No problem. So after going to his house we have a philosophical discussion on the merits of the best choice of vehicle, and then the best option for tow rope and hook, we then head to the car with a tractor, hook and rope.

I've towed the car from the front but never from the rear. There has to be a tow hook some where but where? OK, we both grovel around in the mud trying to find something that looks plausible and fits the hook we have but no joy. At this point the standard operating procedures are read the instructions (the handbook) but I'm along way from operating calmly and I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! I tell my neighbour, Fiore, that it's cold, wet, foggy, late and that I am writing off this week. We can figure out something in the morning. I'd told him I was travelling to a business appointment and he very kindly offered one of his cars, but I AM THROUGH FOR THIS WEEK! The only client contact I intend to have is by e-mail!

Once I'm home I start pondering who to wake up for advice. Lightbulb appears over head!
Pelican Parts is the other side of the world, it's normal business hours for them. So I phone.

I was put through to Steve, who helped calm me down, no small task as I was a spray of inhaler away from an asthma attack. Steve talked me down and told me there should be a tow hook in the tool kit which screws in to an eyehole in the bumper, (I always wondered what that plug was for. Thanks Steve you're a star.

I can't get to the toolkit in the luggage compartment, but what saves the day is I have another 911 with toolkit in the garage.........and yes! Result! The tow hook is there, and the handbook tells you all about it.

So, we're set for tomorrow morning.

Moral of the story: Cars go where you point them; read your handbook, it may help you out one day; make sure you have all your emergency kit in the car.

ISA! If you read this before I phone, can you go to my apartment asap, pick up the presentation pack send it by Pony to S. and even more important please pay my cleaner.