Now and then a driver overestimates his abilities and that of his vehicle. Here’s what happens next …

Just before Christmas weekend we were on our way to Barberton when, between Ermelo and Chrissiesmeer, my husband decided he rather wants to drive the dirt road to Badplaas because of the beautiful setting.

Just before the turnoff to Badplaas we came across a hand-painted sign indicating a detour through a guest farm.

Having had a good chuckle about it, we turned off the provincial dirt road and came across a 4x4 Toyota Hilux that was hesitant about tackling the mud on its own (the third option on the sign).

Shortly thereafter, we came to a wet, muddy stretch in the road. Buoyed by holiday courage, my husband said, “Is that Hilux scared of a bit of mud?!”

There an then my experienced 4x4 husband decided not to humiliate our 1994 Range Rover and confidently stormed the mud mass.

The moment the Red Lion’s wheels touched the mud it got stuck in a hole, up to its rear axle, a rear wheel without solid ground underneath it and the trailer with its beam in the mud.

We were well and truly stuck. It’s not for nothing that the saying goes, too clever by half...

The invincible Red Lion, which has faced thick sand, mud, steep hills and ditches so many times, was stuck.

“Low range, diff lock, second gear,” is the mantra the men always rattle off, but this time it didn’t work.

Clever Dick then decided to get out, but when he put his feet on the ground he sank up to his knees into the mud. And he couldn’t unhitch the trailer at all.

Meanwhile, the Hilux has made a U-turn to see whether Clever Dick and his Red Lion could conquer the mud.

Instead of sticking to his first idea, he tackled the mud through the veld. Needless to say, the Hilux only just hit the mud when it also got stuck.

After struggling for a while we saw a tractor approaching from the opposite direction with a boy of about 12 behind the wheel. Without asking, he and a dogsbody turned the tractor around and prepared to pull out the vehicles.

Having pocketed his R40 for the day, he told us there is a fountain in the middle of the road, hence the mud mass.

Clever Dick has not heard the last of his “irresponsible” actions. After this incident he now investigates properly (as he was taught on his 4x4 courses) before ignoring a hand-painted sign.

Told by ELIZE KRUGER from Standerton

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