The patient motorist

Halfway over the "New Bridge" the engine stalled, result no steering. Panicking I restarted the engine and limped onto the roundabout. A very, very short distance later it fails again.
Question. How long can the queue behind you reach, in a mere thirty seconds, at a set of traffic lights on the main road in rush hour.
Longer than you really want to know!
It can be hard to appear unconcerned, waving people past, whilst simultaneously phoning for the breakdown truck, and comprehensively interrupting the flow of traffic. It's a little like sticking a stick into a column of marching soldier ants and waiting passively for them to turn and dismember you.
Later I try to look on the bright side. It was not raining and I was not on my way to wedding in Edinburgh.