Broken Wing

Hopelessly naive

Someday when I am traversing the rings of hell, I have a pretty clear picture of what to expect. In the innermost ring, I guarantee it will be chock-full of cellular phone salesmen and guys who worked at Jiffy Lube. Maybe if I knew more about my car than which pedal was "go" and which was "stop" the story would be different.

I always feel like the oil change people are trying to sell you a lot more than you need, like a used car salesman or a Burmese hooker. So, the last time I got my car fixed they told me that the next time I got my oil changed I should change my fuel filter. I figured I could trust them, because they knew they wouldn't get the work. So, I was prepared to splurge at my next oil change. The guy says, "This air filter looks like it needs replacing - should we do it?" Oooh! I need that! I said yes. Then he asks about the fuel filter. Hmmm... maybe that's what I needed to be replaced. I said yes again.

By now this guy was probably thinking I would say yes to anything. "How about this piece? It's the fuel reuptake manifold decompressor, and it's the original from the manufacturer." I don't know why this is a solid argument for replacement - there are probably a lot of parts on my car that are original. But it was only $5 or $10, so I said yes again. Then he tried to get me to replace another part! If someone were actually naive enough to believe everything they said needs replacing, they would just keep asking you to replace other stuff. By the time you left, you would be driving an entirely new car. I'm surprised he didn't say, "And while we're at it, should we replace the transmission? Now, it is $1500, but without it your car is liable to explode, sending deadly shrapnel hurtling towards the nearest kindergarten. It's your choice. You could always wait until your next oil change, if you don't mind all that innocent blood on your hands." Capitalism sucks. Posted by mill1991 at January 4, 2005 12:27 PM | TrackBack