I read with some amusement and dread a few days ago, about a Pennsylvania man who was charged for disorderly conduct for writing an obscenity on the check he used to pay a parking ticket. I have to say I know what this man is going through.
The one time I visited Philadelphia, I got an parking ticket for being about three minutes over time limit. It was especially frustrating because I had just arrived in the city, parked in a 10-minute loading zone, went straight up to my friend's apartment to fetch her, and came straight back down to move my car. Now I see why I got the ticket.
The new reality television show Parking Wars reveals that Philadelphia parking enforcers are literally hiding and waiting for parking limits to expire. (Unfortunately the producers didn't go with my Scab Pickers reality show concept, and did parking instead.)
I was ticked off enough that I made out my check to the "Money Grubbing City of Philadelphia." And they cashed it. Good thing I didn't cross the line between annoying and obscene.
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The Towel has been Thrown In: A New Car
OK, so I finally gave up on my old Camry. It has served me well through almost eight years, but it was time to move on. Thank you Camry!
The new car is a friendly little used hybrid Prius that I bought from a person in Virginia. Vis:
So far I am quite happy with it. The previous owner took very good care of the car. When a friend got in the car he exclaimed, "Dude! Are you sure this is not new?"
It's a very geeky car. It's all about saving energy. When the car comes to a rest at a stoplight, the engine turns completely off, which is a bit disconcerting. When starting up again, the electric motor and battery can get you going, but the internal combustion engine starts (silently!) if you want to accelerate quickly or go over about 30 MPH. The "brakes" are actually regenerative brakes that use the electric motor as a generator to save your kinetic energy in the battery.
My favorite geeky part is the Star Trek-type visual displays in the on-board computer:
How do I re-route the ODN conduit?
The new car is a friendly little used hybrid Prius that I bought from a person in Virginia. Vis:
So far I am quite happy with it. The previous owner took very good care of the car. When a friend got in the car he exclaimed, "Dude! Are you sure this is not new?"
It's a very geeky car. It's all about saving energy. When the car comes to a rest at a stoplight, the engine turns completely off, which is a bit disconcerting. When starting up again, the electric motor and battery can get you going, but the internal combustion engine starts (silently!) if you want to accelerate quickly or go over about 30 MPH. The "brakes" are actually regenerative brakes that use the electric motor as a generator to save your kinetic energy in the battery.
My favorite geeky part is the Star Trek-type visual displays in the on-board computer:
How do I re-route the ODN conduit?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
When do you throw in the towel?
Since 1999, I have been the proud owner of a Toyota Camry, which my parents graciously gave it to me. This Camry was born in 1992 and has had a string of owners, starting with as corporate fleet, then to some other wanker, then my parents, and now me. It startles me to think that this car pre-dates the beginning of The X-files!
Well, gradually over the years, this car has been becoming more difficult to maintain. I try to do the standard up-keep, but more and more things are starting to fail.
The most recent failure is the passenger side window motor. Unfortunately for the current season (winter), the window has failed in the most awkward state (open), which can make for uncomfortable driving (breezy). The driver-side window failed a few years ago, so it's likely that the other window motors will go bad at some stage. It also means that I can't keep anything valuable inside the car, and it certainly isn't waterproof when it rains, like it did last night. On the positive side, I don't have to preoccupy myself with locking up!
Surely, as this is a very old car, there are many components that are near their failure threshold. And, as any rider of my car knows, I also just live with some of its (er) shortcomings. It's just a matter of time before more things go bad. The question is, how long do I keep dumping money into it for repairs?
Over the past few years, I've become more conscious of this problem. I've justified it to myself on the basis of, this $X repair will keep me going for another year. Last summer I spent a considerable amount on some repairs, with a certain amount of resolve that it would be the last time. So here I am, less than a year later, and something new has come up.
My friends and colleagues all say, "Dude, just get a new car!" Good point, but I'm way too analytical to just do that.
Unlike my first car, a Nissan Sentra (also a gift from my parents! Thanks again!), I don't have as much of an emotional attachment to the Camry. So from an emotional standpoint, I'm probably willing to let go.
Economically, the amount of repair work required to get the car into a "good" condition is approximately equal to its re-sale value if it were in good condition. So from that perspective, its probably worthless to me.
From a timing standpoint, it's good in a way. I have some travel coming up, where I wouldn't need a car anyway. On the other hand, it would have been "nicer" for this to happen in December. I could have donated the car to charity, taken a tax break for 2007, and bought a car at the end of the calendar year when it might have been easier to get a good deal.
From a personal convenience standpoint, it's not so great. I'm the kind of person that takes forever to buy a can of shaving cream, much less deciding on ditching a car and buying a new one. I don't relish spending my time visiting car dealerships, or going through the hassle of buying a used car.
There is no magic conclusion here, but my gut is telling me it's time to trow in the towel.
Well, gradually over the years, this car has been becoming more difficult to maintain. I try to do the standard up-keep, but more and more things are starting to fail.
The most recent failure is the passenger side window motor. Unfortunately for the current season (winter), the window has failed in the most awkward state (open), which can make for uncomfortable driving (breezy). The driver-side window failed a few years ago, so it's likely that the other window motors will go bad at some stage. It also means that I can't keep anything valuable inside the car, and it certainly isn't waterproof when it rains, like it did last night. On the positive side, I don't have to preoccupy myself with locking up!
Surely, as this is a very old car, there are many components that are near their failure threshold. And, as any rider of my car knows, I also just live with some of its (er) shortcomings. It's just a matter of time before more things go bad. The question is, how long do I keep dumping money into it for repairs?
Over the past few years, I've become more conscious of this problem. I've justified it to myself on the basis of, this $X repair will keep me going for another year. Last summer I spent a considerable amount on some repairs, with a certain amount of resolve that it would be the last time. So here I am, less than a year later, and something new has come up.
My friends and colleagues all say, "Dude, just get a new car!" Good point, but I'm way too analytical to just do that.
Unlike my first car, a Nissan Sentra (also a gift from my parents! Thanks again!), I don't have as much of an emotional attachment to the Camry. So from an emotional standpoint, I'm probably willing to let go.
Economically, the amount of repair work required to get the car into a "good" condition is approximately equal to its re-sale value if it were in good condition. So from that perspective, its probably worthless to me.
From a timing standpoint, it's good in a way. I have some travel coming up, where I wouldn't need a car anyway. On the other hand, it would have been "nicer" for this to happen in December. I could have donated the car to charity, taken a tax break for 2007, and bought a car at the end of the calendar year when it might have been easier to get a good deal.
From a personal convenience standpoint, it's not so great. I'm the kind of person that takes forever to buy a can of shaving cream, much less deciding on ditching a car and buying a new one. I don't relish spending my time visiting car dealerships, or going through the hassle of buying a used car.
There is no magic conclusion here, but my gut is telling me it's time to trow in the towel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
