Transportation | Piss and Moan

Budget belt

Posted on June 29, 2023 by backuphill

Washington state has a new, dubious title – “Most expensive gas in the nation.” This is NOT a good thing, considering our population pales in comparison to that of bigger states. What it does do is punish everyone, including low-income people/families, for simply trying to get to work. This title, is one that will hurt our state’s economy for a long time because there is no relief in sight. Seasonal fluctuations have always played a role, but this new carbon tax is actually going to kill growth and the economy.

Budgets have to tight a lot more when fuel prices go up. Between high fuel, higher electricity, higher natural gas and propane, and inflation, there is little room for extras in most people’s budgets. Summer spending and, more definitely holiday spending, will take a hit as the price of everything continues to increase.

Anyone who argues that the new carbon tax isn’t harming the economy or causing fuel prices to increase is either delusional, a Democrat, or just plain stupid.

One such power hungry Democrat who’s agenda is done more harm to any state is the governor.

And, sorry, but our governor has always been the dude that passes the buck and never takes responsibility for anything. Once again, he blames everything but his policy. And, quite frankly, everyone knows his BS is flat out lies.

Lies, lies, lies. It’s almost comical that he believes a rational person would believe him.

I certainly don’t. I know better.

But, I will be tightening the belt (and that isn’t to keep my pants up) and spending much less.

Dealership sittin

Posted on April 20, 2023 by backuphill

When you are buying a car, assuming it isn’t a private sale, do you consider the service department? I have purchased a couple cars in the last five years and one thing I have become aware of, that I should have thought about when I bought them, is the service department.

Sure, buying a car is “fun” as you shop for the look, style, options, etc. that you want. You get to decide on the color and all that jazz. They promise oil changes for life and tire warranties and other “incentives” to get you to buy the car. But what they don’t sell you on is their service department.

After sitting in two different service departments and going through the trouble of trying to schedule said service, I am going to offer some tips you may want to consider when buying a car from a dealership.

Check the hours that the service department actually works. If they don’t work or have weekend appointments, you are in big trouble! Why? Because that means they only work during the hours you likely work, meaning you are going to likely have to take time off to make service appointments happen (whether it is just for dropping the car off or to pick it up afterwards). The other thing about only weekdays is that there are a limited number of service appointments. As such, you will be competing against other people to try to schedule for those appointments. Sure, you would have to do that on a Saturday too but if you have a little forethought in your scheduling you can easily get it done.
Is it easy to schedule an appointment? Do they have an ample number of service advisors or are you going to sit on hold on the phone for seemingly endless hours? Can you schedule online or on an app? Again, it is important to know because it takes your time and it is valuable.
Do they have a shuttle service? Better yet, do they have a considerable number of service loaners? Shuttles are great, but relying on someone else transporting you is a pain in the rear. Loaners are better because then you can go about your day as usual and not have to worry about trying to schedule things around the service appointment.
Department amenities. If you have to sit and wait at the dealership, what amenities do they have? Does it look and feel comfortable or does it look like someone threw some furniture together? Does it have good wi-fi? Do they have complimentary food and basic drinks (coffee, soda, water)? All of these aren’t really that big of a deal, but if you have to spend time there you should be able to do so without feeling like there isn’t a way for you to relax a little.

I am currently sitting in a service waiting room for a 60K mile service. It’s a longer service, so I had to take the day off to make this appointment happen. It took three phone calls to finally connect with someone to schedule it. There is a popcorn machine that isn’t on and hasn’t been run. There are two vending machines, both with sighs that say they are out of order. There is coffee, but it’s terrible. The chairs and couches are showing signs of being worn out. There is wi-fi, so I can type this blog entry.

All this to say, don’t just get caught up in the shiny new car. Ask questions. Check out the service area because it should be part of your buying decision.

Anything else you would add from your buying and ownership experience?

Another fee

Posted on March 30, 2023 by backuphill

Accessing health care in the US is problematic, at best. The overall debate on whether it should be free to all (via government funds and a huge increase in taxes) or whether it should be something each individual should be responsible for is one I am not going to talk about today.

However, we all know that the cost of health care in the US keeps many people from accessing the care they need. People have to think about how it will impact their overall finances and whether or not they can afford to see a doctor. Obviously when you don’t think you can afford to get care you don’t go.

Yesterday, at a doctor’s appointment that is an hour away from home, I noticed the large facility that the appointment have been at for almost a year had new signage up in their parking garage and in the elevator areas. The signage basically said that “Parking is on us until we get the technical difficulties figured out.”

SAY WHAT?

So what has been free for at least the last year is now going to have a fee? I imagine at some point (based on construction and existing facilities) that there was parking for a fee previously. Not sure why it has been free up to the point of the visits.

But, it raises a larger question about yet ANOTHER FEE to access health care.

Should you really have to pay a fee just to park so that you can access health care?

It seems almost unfair for people who may already be struggling to access health care to add yet another fee.

I know of at least one other health care facility in the Seattle area that charges parking at it isn’t cheap – almost $10 an hour.

Something feels really slimy when thinking about people getting charged just to access their health care. They are already being gouged when paying for the care they need, but to add insult to injury they are now going to be charged to even access the building.

Imagine if you had to pay for parking at a grocery store so you could go inside and buy food (maybe this already happens in big big cities, I don’t know)…awkward right?

Gives me a really icky feeling. I am all for making money in places that make sense, but to punish the public to access something so vital almost seems underhanded – especially since they become a pretty captive audience one they’re in the parking garage.

How do you feel about these “hidden access fees”?

Unusual recall

Posted on March 21, 2023 by backuphill

A bit of a curious solution to a vehicle recall.

A while back I got a recall notice for the Ram truck. The notice said that the tailgate could randomly open while traveling…obviously, that is an issue because you potentially could lose whatever you are transporting in the back of the truck (provided it isn’t secured properly). The repair was to have the latch replaced, free of charge, at the dealership.

OK.

Made the appointment and took it in yesterday. The guy scheduling the appointment said it took more time to do the paperwork than to do the recall. Curious statement.

I was at the dealership all of 15 minutes. They never even moved the truck from the parking spot I parked it in.

Apparently, the recall just meant they needed to check if something needed to be replaced. I was told they open and closed the tailgate several times and everything appeared to latch correctly so nothing was replaced.

Ummm, I wasted my time on that? I could have done that. They really needed to have a repair person check that?

Is it really a recall if you just open and close it and replace nothing?

Just figures

Posted on February 22, 2023 by backuphill

I only work from the office two days a week, in most cases. The other three days a week are at home and I really like those days. Because of the holiday this week, I telecommuted yesterday and only have to be in the office today.

It also happens to be a terrible weather day. The temp is not going to get above 35 degrees or so, and it is snowing outside.

The commute this morning started off OK, but the farther I drove south from home towards the office, the worse the roads got. At one point along the commute, it felt like a full on blizzard (it wasn’t, but felt that way). The area around the office wasn’t as bad, but it keeps snowing here off and on which means it likely is still doing it up north.

Just figures, the one day I am in the office this week is the worst commute weather. Because the temp isn’t going to go up much, whatever falls outta the sky will likely be stuck and compacted to the roadway, making the trek home more than an adventure. I am not worried about my driving skills, just the others on the roadway.

Just figures. This “go to the office” stuff…I’m over it.

There and back again

Posted on September 9, 2022 by backuphill

Labor Day weekend had me on a long road trip. I left home on Saturday, Sept. 3 @2:30pm, and returned Tuesday, Sept. 6 @8:30pm. That’s 3300 (+/-) miles in four days.

Home to Tucson and back again.

That’s a lot of time in the car to think.

Nevada is mostly boring.

I like my bed.

Found out I can do it.

Trying to catch up on sleep and other stuff.

More next week.

Selling point

Posted on September 1, 2022 by backuphill

So, here’s another question for you. I don’t expect that you are going to answer it but I have to voice it – partially because it’s a frustrations of mine but also because sometimes (well, most of the time) I think people are just stupid. The question: Why do people post that the “tabs are up to date” when selling a vehicle?

Do they think this is a selling point that needs to be advertised? Because if they really thought about it (and here’s where the dumb part comes in), it isn’t.

The tabs on a license plate indicate that the vehicle has been registered and is therefore legal to be on the roadways. In most cases, it is registered to the owner of the vehicle. So, to some degree is also signifies who is financially responsible for the vehicle (yes, insurance also does that too but there is a difference).

Here’s two reasons saying the tabs are up to date is dumb and really incomprehensible as to why someone thinks this is a selling point.

The person buying said vehicle will have to transfer ownership into their name (usually within 14 days) and in doing so will also have to register it themselves, meaning it doesn’t matter how much “life” is left in the current tabs. They will have to buy new tabs to license the vehicle in their name. Once registered, they will get new tabs (and in some cases even new license plates). There is extra money coming out of the purchaser’s pocket no matter what, so this doesn’t save anything for them.
The person selling the vehicle wants the purchaser to transfer ownership of the vehicle so that they aren’t held responsible for financial damages\issues when the vehicle is used improperly. Whether it is ticketed for some reason, or abandoned, or used to commit a crime, the former owner doesn’t want it staying in their name.

I am sure there are more reasons why this particular statement makes for a poor selling point, but that is all I can think of right now.

What do you think? Am I way off on this or do you agree? Does it really make a difference in a decision to purchase a vehicle?

Cruise control

Posted on August 16, 2022 by backuphill

Do you use cruise control in your vehicle when you are on a long drive? Do you like to set it and forget it…until some jackwagon decides that pacing you in your blind spot is a good idea and then you have to cancel your cruise by stepping on your brake?

You know it is inevitable, right? Is that Murphy’s Law or is that bad karma or is it just a coincidence?

I took a road trip this last weekend (12 hours total driving time) and I noticed that just about every time I set the cruise control (about 7-8 mph over the speed limit, mind you) that within about 10 minutes I would have to step on the brake and cancel it.

I was driving across the state, on the east side, where there are long stretches of nothing. It’s just highway – long, flat, some rolly hills, but mostly uninteresting. You would think it would be a great place to just set the cruise control and just drive.

Nope.

Seemingly without fail, about the time I would need to pass someone on the left there would be a car pacing me, in my blind spot, and not allowing me to change lanes.

It’s almost as if they were doing it on purpose. Miles and miles and miles of unobstructed driving until that moment.

And instead of recognizing what is about to happen in front of or next to them and speeding up just a little so as to not have to slow down themselves, they just keep their own pace and make me break mine. Jackwagon.

Do people realize you can step on the gas while cruise control is on and speed up and it DOES NOT cancel your cruis control or change your speed? No need to reset it. No need to click Resume. The vehicle just returns to the speed you set it for. Kinda like magic.

But instead, it would appear people like to annoy the hell outta me (and probably others too).

That just figures.

Locked out

Posted on August 2, 2022 by backuphill

Buying a car from an auto dealership and using the service department is one of the biggest jokes that can be played on a consumer. They tell you when you buy the car that you have a warranty, you have lifetime oil changes, you have access to loaner cars if needed…they tell you a lot of things.

What they don’t tell you is that they are severely understaffed (which has only gotten worse). What they don’t tell you is that their service department hours are limited to the hours you are working (no weekends), so it makes it virtually impossible to schedule even routine maintenance without having to take time off. What they don’t tell you is that they don’t really have loaner cars, just that they will get a rental for you IF they deem it necessary.

So, the long story…

I bought a 2018 Kia Niro almost four years ago. I like the car. I really haven’t had any issues with it up to this point. But, the routine maintenance has been a challenge for the reasons listed above. It’s just hard to schedule an appointment.

About three or so months ago, the car started to give me issues when unlocking the car. Initially, the car wouldn’t recognize when I walked up to it (mirrors open and lights come on). The keyfob is the trigger for this function so I started keeping my eye on how often it would happen. It slowly began to progress to the point that pushing the button on the keyfob wouldn’t unlock the car. Pushing the button on the door handle wouldn’t unlock the car. Eventually, after pushing the buttons for several minutes, it would eventually unlock.

It did what most people would do and I assumed the battery in the keyfob was going dead. Afterall, it’s been four years with lots of use. I was actually surprised it took so long for it to be needed. So, I replaced the battery.

Did is solve the issues? Nope. It seemed to have made them worse.

Not only was it still difficult to get the doors unlocked, but now suddenly the car wouldn’t start! The car is a push button start, so there is no auxillary ignition slot for a key. Now I was getting a message that the keyfob needed to be in the car – while I was holding it while inside the car! Again, after furious button pushing, eventually it would start. But now I am wondering when I would be stranded for good if something didn’t happen soon…

So, I took the car to the dealership (last Wednesday) to see if they knew if there as an issue that was something fairly easy. They initially discussed that the keyfob might need to be reprogrammed to the car.

Cost? Approximately $75…

Mind you, there is NO OTHER WAY to start the car as there is no key. The keyfob is the key!! So, it is kinda required equipment. To charge a customer for this is absurd!

I complained loudly. The car is even still under warranty. There should be no charge for this!

They decided they better investigate further and find out if that really is the issue. So, an appointment is needed. Remember the whole schedule thing? Can’t do it and I am afraid I am going to be stranded. Soonest they could get me in would be five days (a Monday) because their “electronics guy” is out for training. They offer to pay for a rental while I wait for the car to be looked at.

OK, I supposed. Whatever.

Monday comes, no call from the dealership.

I call. I am told they are too busy to look for the paperwork, they’ll call me back. Two hours later, I call back. I am now told that the car wasn’t looked at and that the “appointment” wasn’t really an appointment so much as they were going to see if they could squeeze me in. I am told they will for sure get to it tomorrow…Tuesday…as yet, still no call with a status update.

Are car dealerships set up this way just to be a pain in the ass? Does everyone else have an issue with their car dealership after purchasing a car?

Deaf ears

Posted on June 30, 2022 by backuphill

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Can you believe that President Biden hasn’t really done a thing about fixing the gas prices? It’s as if all the pleas of Americans at every economic level in the United States has fallen on deaf ears, and I am not just talking about the fact that he’s old and can’t hear that well. He literally is ignoring the only solution that would fix the issue – pumping more oil domestically.

He just told Americans (and basically the rest of the world) that they are going to just have to continue to suffer under high inflation and high fuel prices. He will ask OPEC to pump more oil, which we’ll have to buy on the open market at market price, while everyone else in the world faces the same issue. He’ll ask Congress to suspend a tax for short term relief, which for most people amounts to very little savings at the pump. He’ll scold oil companies for making a profit.

Notice he didn’t say he would open areas for more drilling in the US? Notice how he didn’t say he would do anything about opening a pipeline in the US? Notice how he didn’t say he would do anything to increase refining capacity in the US? Notice how none of the things he is doing make the US energy independent? Notice how none of the things he is doing are long term solutions and will have little to no real impact at the pump for a majority of Americans?

Not only is Biden hard of hearing physically, but he is apparently deaf politically too. His own political followers are bearing the brunt of his poor economic policies and he can’t hear that they’re totally suffering and unhappy.

“Build Back Better” was his slogan. Know what he has built back better?

Resentment. Inflation. Economic recession.

Anything else we can add to that list?

Good grief!