A Conversation with
Elizabeth
1999
Car Trouble
From:
Elizabeth
To:
LMixson@PEC.com
Sent: Tuesday,
September 14, 1999 12:19 PM
Subject: Re: Out again
I'm STILL dealing with my friggin car. My honest mechanic told me
I most likely needed a valve job. I took the car to a place to
have that done.
After promising day after day to look at my car, they finally after four
days looked at it. They said, basically, NO PROBLEM, you just need
a basic tune up. BUT, they also tried to tell me I needed new
brake pads, which I had just put on. That was the FIRST red flag.
The estimate with brakes was 575.00. When I said, "That's
impossible about the brakes." They then said they could do the
BASIC tune up without brakes for 475.00. I "played along" and
said--Oh well what does this basic tune up entail. Oh well, they
said, spark plugs, a new distributor cap, possibly new wires. I
said, "Well, that just doesn't ADD UP to me, somehow." THEN, this
was the crowning comment of theirs, "OH, BUT you also need a new air
filter." I felt like I was supposed to fall down and say, "OH well
that EXPLAINS why a 69.95 MAX tune up is costing me 475.00--its the AIR
FILTER." I mean my car is 88, a V-6, no fancy nothing for the
tune-up. I was INFURIATED. I said, "HOW MUCH to pick up my
car." Well, I had to leave work early, but I got it back--for
SIXTY bucks. Took it to the original place, the honest place.
Ma'aam--that's Alabama--you don't need a distributor cap, you don't need
an air filter, you don't need a basic tune up--your compression is low.
So, that was after a WHOLE week of not having my car. I called the other
place and demanded my money back, but they didn't return my call.
So, Monday, I took it to the Chevy dealer--I know that will be a rip
off, but I've had it.
BUT, they have now had my car a day and a half and STILL haven't even
looked at it. I've been surfing web pages for cars--got pissed off
at the Saturn page--it didn't even work. I thought--if you can't
do a web page--do you think I'm going to buy your car. Two of the
cheapest cars right now are the Escort and the Neon--but here in
Montgomery the Neon is virtually a "black car." I never see a
white person driving a Neon--mainly because they all drive SUVs.
There are a couple of cars for sale on the employee bulletin, but
nothing interesting (A Montero RV for about 7000.) I think I told
you I have some other problems with this car, because technically I
don't have the title. AL has just passed a mandatory insurance law
and the fine is exorbitant--1000. So, it may be time for me to get
this part of my life in order. I regret letting my bug die, but it
is so unrealistic in Montgomery, with no air, no real power, and no real
protection. The BLVD is a SUV freeway. I feel like it is
full of tanks. If I weren't in law school, I'd tackle getting it started
and running again though. I've done that several times, but then I
always end up letting it sit too long. Last time I tried to
start it I couldn't and I think the tires are gone now. Well, at
least you can fix your own. Its good to hear from you. I've
been so preoccupied, I only wrote the one time. I've been having
to catch a 6:30 bus to get to work and bum off people when I can.
I'm fed up and stressed, but trying to keep it under control. I'm
just trying to keep my BP low as I have a physical Friday. Last
night at law school we heard that grades on one of our finals were SO
LOW that the DEAN refused to let them be posted until he talked with the
professor. You may not be able to keep this all straight, but he's
the prof from whom I got my first "C" and lowest grade thus far the
semester before last, and feared for several weeks I had failed. I
had to take him for another course last term (WILLS). Thing is, I
really like him. He's the one I've been e-mailing back and forth a
little, but I just found out he was engaged to the President's daughter.
GOOD NEWS though. ABA accreditation may be possible before I
graduate. It will be iffy--to translate how meaningful that
is--ALL the Washington D.C. gov. jobs for lawyers require the ABA.
Without it, they won't even look at you. Hope you get your water
pump fixed. Are you still on the divorce trajectory? Have
you seen SIXTH SENSE. I've heard really good reviews.
X-FILES starts back up in November. A long time to wait.
Probably will be the last season. Long e-mail. I'm starved
for someone to talk with. Oh, I got a "BEST PAPER" in my Trusts
class--that means I had the highest exam of the apprx. 100 people.
I was really happy, but with an almost perfect paper, there was no
curve, and it made some people get lower grades. I decided I don't
care. Maybe I should try to make more people flunk out by setting
curves in other classes. Elizabeth
Updated: 04-29-2024