Just thought I'd point out that you can't bolt and scramble out of a car. If she's been in a crash she's more likely to be a bit disorientated and impeded by wreckage and scramble out. If she's not disorientated, nor impeded, she'll be in a position to bolt.

- just indulging in a bit of word play, on a sunny afternoon

- NaomiM

Do you know, i hadn't thought about her being in shock, Naomi, excellent point. I mean, it's only a knock and it's only the rear brake light that gets broken, but even so...


*groan* - not another scene i've got to re-jig - i think a rewrite is as long as a piece of string (someone get me the scissors...)

Casey

Just stick with scrambled, then

If it’s just a light that’s damaged, you could use either, depending on her state of mind.

I was just telling my partner the other day the tale of when I had my first car, back in the late 60s. I was very inexperienced and driving home from work late one autumn night in torrential rain, when the silencer on my exhaust exploded. The sound was terrifying and, there is no other way to say it, I bolted. Scrambled does not come anywhere near to describing the way I shot out of that car and ran away. I still think one of the bravest things I've ever done was to return to the car, get back in, and drive it home!

The point I'm making is that ‘scrambled’ describes one thing – an undignified exit perhaps – while ‘bolted’ suggests near panic. Each one describes a different mental state which isn't necessarily linked to the circumstances.

Dee

Good point, Dee, and i think scrambled therefore is more appropriate here. I can completely imagine you bolting after a noise like that, must have been frightening.

My 2 bunnies are always bolting around the garden, but then it doesn't take much to get their whiskers all a quiver!

Cheers,

Casey

My rabbit bolts too, Casey. Seems to happen at certain times during the day, when she'll race round the garden, through the patio doors into the lounge and then zoom out again. About three laps before she settles down again.
There doesn't seem to be any reason for it. Maybe it's an exercise switch in her brain - wish I had one

- NaomiM

I agree with Dee that the two words (bolted and scrambled) give a different impression. I guess because you originally used 'double-quick' it seemed more like bolted. Bolt sounds very fast, whereas scrambled sounds messy (and often undignified, as Dee says).

I was driving once with a migraine (one without vision disturbance) and a milk float ran into me. Very slow speed, but very great mass (all those bottles of milk are really heavy), so it swung my whole car round very very slowly, quite a long way. Damage not that great, yet car written off. I think I might have leapt out in horror under normal circs, but having a migraine I felt pretty spaced out and just sat there, thinking 'oh dear'.

Deb

Poor you, Deb

My bunnies do that, Naomi! and they aren't half fast when they charge around.

Of course at the moment, they are stretched out, bellies up, baking in the sun. Aw, so cute...

Casey

they are stretched out, bellies up, baking in the sun. Aw, so cute

- aaahhhh

<Added>

my cat does that all the time, but he just looks stupid

Hmm, i used to do it and looked stupid

x

Casey, LOL!!!


Deb, that accident sounds awful!

Can you recommend rabbits as indoor pets? Can they be house-trained? Will they use a cat-flap? Do they sit on your knee and talk to you? Do they play?

Seriously, I'm really interested. My old cat isn't going to last for ever and, when she cocks up her toes, I can't imagine being without a pet. Another cat is out of the question because we’re now living on a main road and I can't stand the idea of a litter tray for another 15-20 years. Our back yard is rabbit proof, so it could safely go out when we’re around… hey, I'm getting to like this idea!

Dee

Dee, we might eventually get a giant house rabbit - our rabbit kennels have got a couple and they are huge! Very affectionate - mind you, you'd have a job lifting one up!

Normal size rabbits are very easy, though, i believe and is something else we might consider - as long as you put protective covering around any cable - as for general gnawing, i suspect if you get one young enough you could easily train it eg by squirting water. And just find somewhere for the litter tray - i believe, again, they are easy to train for poos - we had an outdoor one which always pooed in the same place and not in its bedding.

I'm sure someone on this site has an indoor one - is it Naomi?

We would let our outdoors ones in, but apparently, in the winter, the change of temperature from in to out to in isn't good for them and could make them ill.

Casey

<Added>

So, you might need a litter tray for the winter, Dee, but could probably let it out easily enough in the summer

Thanks for the sympathy, Casey and Dee. I didn't post it for sympathy, but more musing on the different ways you could react to a minor accident...

Deb