> So I guess the point of this story is, err, make sure you get your timing belt changed regularly. And that I concur with Dave - it absolutely blows to have your car break down when you're in some little tiny town in the middle of who-knows-where. It's even worse when you don't have a cell phone.

My timing belt quit on me in my last car. Twice.

The first time REALLY sucked. I was driving a bunch of my friends around downtown Calgary. During rush hour. Under a bridge. In front of a bus. The car stalled, all the lights came on, and trying to start it made this really bad noise.

Even worse, I didn't live in Calgary at the time. I lived 300 km (180 miles) away. Also, I was a first year college student with no money, and I had to fork out about $400 to get the stupid thing towed and fixed.

But I guess I should be happy that I wasn't in the middle of nowhere at the time.

(The second time it happened, I was, amazingly, visiting Calgary AGAIN, but this time it was the fault of the people who fixed it the first time, and my dad came with his truck and towed me home and then we made the hometown shop from the same franchise fix it for free.)