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pseydtonneMy left headlight died sometime last night. I got home and noticed less glare from the bushes on the edge of the parking lot.
On an American, Japanese or other car from Earth, this wouldn't be a problem. You shell out six bucks and pop a light in. You mangle your fingers in the process, but you're done soon enough and life resumes.
I drive a New Beetle, a car I'm increasingly annoyed that I own. I found out I'm not allowed to change the headlights myself. I can't get in there to change a tiny halogen lamp. So I had to call a dealership.
$55, and I can't have it done until Tuesday morning.
Fifty-five American dollars. Jesus fucking Christ.
A coworker that also has a New Beetle told me it's guaranteed for two and a half years when you get the light changed. For that much, it had better be. Heck, I'd better get them to change both now, to save me labor charges.
It's a light bulb. I'm not a wuss. I can change a headlight -- I've done it several times. The guy at the repair shop had the cajones to say "you could mess things up in there if you don't know what you're doing." I suppose most VW owners are rich enough to throw out the entire desk lamp when the bulb goes on that as well.
My next car will not be German. I don't care how nice this car had been the first two years -- the past year of expensive electrical issues, rips and cracks has driven me batty. If I could sell the car now (I'm still paying the loan because I bought out a lease when I moved to Massachusetts), I'd consider it.
Every day, my car reminds me that I can't really afford it. More of my money goes into it than should. I can't get to work and back without it. If I don't drive it every day, it gets senile and drains my battery. I don't like mandatory daytime running lights. I still can't figure out why the CD changer skips so much, either.
If I net out the experience, the car has been good to me. It has a lot of room for a subcompact. I've moved many people's belongings with my hatchback, fold-out. I have many good memories with this car. If I had a few grand, I'd throw it into getting all the weird stuff fixed now. I'd want to save the car.
I'd like to see clearly about all of this. Instead, I'm blinded by circumstance. I was to be saved from my mire, but that's childish thinking -- like expecting historical figures to resume being alive to judge the world.
-insert ending somewhere, ps/d
On an American, Japanese or other car from Earth, this wouldn't be a problem. You shell out six bucks and pop a light in. You mangle your fingers in the process, but you're done soon enough and life resumes.
I drive a New Beetle, a car I'm increasingly annoyed that I own. I found out I'm not allowed to change the headlights myself. I can't get in there to change a tiny halogen lamp. So I had to call a dealership.
$55, and I can't have it done until Tuesday morning.
Fifty-five American dollars. Jesus fucking Christ.
A coworker that also has a New Beetle told me it's guaranteed for two and a half years when you get the light changed. For that much, it had better be. Heck, I'd better get them to change both now, to save me labor charges.
It's a light bulb. I'm not a wuss. I can change a headlight -- I've done it several times. The guy at the repair shop had the cajones to say "you could mess things up in there if you don't know what you're doing." I suppose most VW owners are rich enough to throw out the entire desk lamp when the bulb goes on that as well.
My next car will not be German. I don't care how nice this car had been the first two years -- the past year of expensive electrical issues, rips and cracks has driven me batty. If I could sell the car now (I'm still paying the loan because I bought out a lease when I moved to Massachusetts), I'd consider it.
Every day, my car reminds me that I can't really afford it. More of my money goes into it than should. I can't get to work and back without it. If I don't drive it every day, it gets senile and drains my battery. I don't like mandatory daytime running lights. I still can't figure out why the CD changer skips so much, either.
If I net out the experience, the car has been good to me. It has a lot of room for a subcompact. I've moved many people's belongings with my hatchback, fold-out. I have many good memories with this car. If I had a few grand, I'd throw it into getting all the weird stuff fixed now. I'd want to save the car.
I'd like to see clearly about all of this. Instead, I'm blinded by circumstance. I was to be saved from my mire, but that's childish thinking -- like expecting historical figures to resume being alive to judge the world.
-insert ending somewhere, ps/d
Renderking scratches head... feels bad for ya!
Date: 2002-05-10 08:34 am (UTC)Renderking here with a few unwanted comments. For folks reading this... I am the aforementioned fellow co-worker who owns a Beatle.
I don't' understand all the problems you're having. You're saying you wont' ever buy another German car... and because of "Gatsby the Render-Wagon"... (All artist types... even rabid Right-Wing, Rush Limbaugh Ditto heads, 2nd Amendment practicing, LucasFilms loving conservatives... name their cars.) ...I won't buy anything but.
"I can't get in there to change a tiny halogen lamp" sad to say... it's not just a tiny halogen lamp. It's the whole module that gets changed. The lens, housing... everything. It's one of the many downsides of "Modulation". Sure, you can replace it yourself... but because of "special tools" and "training" only the dealership can do it. Don't blame Volkswagon for being on the cutting edge of this Car Manufacturing Trend.
Again, what's with "the past year of expensive electrical issues, rips and cracks has driven me batty." Already I've owned 5 or so cars and this is the only one that's never given me any trouble. This is the only car that's never been in the shop for less then a day. I drive it on the dirt roads of backwater New Hampshire, the highways of New York/Jersey and I've hauled dirt (in bags) and hardware for the house and it drives just as well as it did when I first got it. The more abuse, the more it behaves.
"If I don't drive it every day, it gets senile and drains my battery." This has me stunned. I park the Car Friday night, start it up with no problem Monday morning. (For those awesome weekends when I do nothing but render) I don't know what the source of these problems are... but I can't ignore the voice in my head: "redrum, redrum... the two problems are related... redrum All work and no renders make Eric a fustrated man... redrum..."