Car-Love

Hey, hey, Guys,

Well, I am starting a new blog because besides having major adventures in Medicaland, as you can see from my blog,  I am also having Twilight Zonish experiences in Car-Land, too.  Let me tell you, folks, if you are a woman, dealing with auto mechanics is a true hazard here on the Cape.  Is it possible to get an honest opinion  about my sweet, sweet 2003 Toyota Corolla LE?  I do not know - it seems to be an impossibility down here.

Let me tell you what happened to me last Friday.  First of all, let me say that my car was riding just fine - I did not notice anything strange or weird about it and it had previously passed all its 5000-mile check-ups with flying colors.

Anyway, I went to a mechanic near the Sagamore Bridge and felt relaxed and pretty cheerful.  With other cars, I used to hyperventilate before I got an assessment because who knows what they would tell me?  I mean, usually, according to these mechanics, my other cars were close to death and I would have to spend thousands of dollars to fix them.  But not with this Toyota.  She is such a doll.

Anyway, I brought her in, with total confidence that, once again, my Toyota would be in great condition. I was all smiles, while  I sat in the lovely waiting room and chatted with the owner, as well as  one of his customers.  We had a great time, discussing all the topics of the day - and actually solving them, too.  So, as you can see,  I was feeling pretty good and positive about the car and life in general.

In an hour, the mechanic came out and could barely look at me - he had death written all over his face.  So, of course I asked, "Well, guys, how is my car?"  Well, you would have thought the world was coming to an end because the owner, looking as if he were going to tell me I have cancer,  said, "Your car is in very bad shape.  You need four new tires immediately - and if you don't buy them, you'll probably get a flat - you need new brakes and struts and a bearing" - all to the tune of more than $1200!!

Well, guys, I do not know if you are in my position, but money is not following me at the moment - I mean, it is tough in this economy, especially with gas prices being what they are and no jobs to be found.  In fact, that green stuff seems to be hiding itself pretty well from me.  So, practically stuttering - and almost in cardiac arrest - I managed to squeak out "Do I have to do this all at once?"

"Well," said the owner, "You had better buy those tires - for $400+ - because I cannot promise you you will be ok.  The other stuff can be done within three months! And I can promise you you cannot get it inspected.  It would never pass." Stunned, I asked him to break down the costs for me and call me with them later that afternoon, which he promised to do.

 At this point,  I decided not to do anything because, having been down this road before with mechanics - meaning  they are not  honest with me - I decided I needed to talk with my cousin, Matt, one of my best friends and my car guru. He lives in Florida but is always accessible to me when I have car problems.  In fact, he helped me negotiate the price for my dear Toyota.  Anyway,  I got into my car and ran home and called him immediately.  His advice:  "Ellen, go to Sears Auto Center immediately and see what they say," because they specialize in tires.

So, I got into my Toyota and drove like a bat out of hell to Hyannis and told my story to Lyle, the automotive sales rep.  He looked at my tires and said, "Gee, your tires look fine to me!" and said that I could definitely pass inspection. Excuse me?  What was going on here?  The guy in Sagamore had just told me that I needed four new ones and Sears says that all four are fine and they are supposed to be tire specialists. In any event,  Lyle took my car to look at it more closely and, a little calmer,  I roamed the Cape Cod Mall for about an hour.  When I returned, he had all the info for me.

As I looked at his figures, I nearly died.  His total came to more than $2,000, which included fixing the struts and bearings.  "I beg your pardon, Lyle," I said.  "But I am not spending that on this car." "Oh, Ellen, you do not have to do that right now.  Your struts and bearings will not hamper your safety.  However, you should at least do the brakes - for $765!!" Can you believe my day?

Who was telling the truth, if anyone?  Well, I certainly did not believe the guy in Sagamore was in the "honesty" business.  So, being all nerved up from these gruesome few hours,  I decided to wait before I did anything.  Instead,  I ran to my car, hightailed it to a liquor store, and got some white zinfandel, which I practically guzzled  when I got home - only one glass, though.  That was all I needed to somewhat calm down.

 To say that I was a total nervous wreck would not be exaggerating. I called Matt, planning to do nothing about the car because of these diametrically opposed opinions.  However,  he was worried about my brakes and so told me to go to another place for another check-up  the following week.

On Monday morning I went to the Bourne Police Department to report the guy in Sagamore, who is in the Bourne Police District. I believed that the police should be aware of his dishonest tactics.   I also told Officer O'Rourke my story and asked for a referral.

 Officer O'Rourke could not stop grinning  at me when he learned why I was there - I guess with all the murders and robberies he has to deal with, a woman looking for a reputable auto mechanic is a new experience for him.  Anyway, he referred me to Sullivan Tire in Wareham, which takes care of all the police cars in Bourne, saying, "You'd better take care of this, Ellen.  I don't want you to crash!"

So I immediately jumped into my Toyota and again told my story at Sullivan.  The mechanic took the car into the back and later showed me what my problems were.  Do you think I could see what he was  talking about? Of course not.  According to him, I needed two new tires and front-end brakes immediately,  with the back-end brakes to be fixed in three months or so.  The job to be done on Monday was $1000+! 

Who to believe, guys?  Sears or Sullivan, definitely not the Sagamore people, who were over the top in their recommendations.   So, I called  Matt and we decided to go  with Sullivan.  It seemed to me that they were the ones because I felt good with them and they do all the Bourne police cars. However, who knows if they are right? I mean, I had gotten three opinions in two days - all of them different!!

In any event,  I stayed for three hours, waiting for the job to be done, chatting up another customer, who had come in with his wife, his sixth, he told me.  She was bundled up, with her head in her parka. From the time she came in to the time I left, she never came out - sort of like the headless horseman.

He, on the other hand,  could not stop talking to me because he found me "very open" he said - and he  ended up telling me how terrible the world is right now and that there is nothing to be done.  Believe me, I definitely felt as if I were in the Twilight Zone with this couple, but, then, of course, I had been there ever since Friday when I had first begun this whole process in Sagamore.

I  also watched The Young and Restless  on the wide-screen television and, it seemed, after watching that soap opera, that my problems were not so bad. Moreover,  I took a long walk and bought a Boston Creme  Dunkin' Donut for myself and Munchkins for the group - but, in truth,  I really needed more wine.  That would have been a very big help.

 I am willing to give Sullivan Tire another try because, after all, they do take care of the police.  So I plan on going back for my 5000-mile check-up in June.  But it is horrid doing business with mechanics when you do not know if the diagnosis is right or wrong.  And I have to tell you - I have a gazillion more stories like this, which I shall write about  in the coming days. Oh, by the way, the Sagamore auto repair shop never called me with a breakdown of the repairs, so I assume the owner did not have honorable intentions with regard to my car.  See you later.