cars | Piss and Moan

Selling point

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?

Whack-a-mole car

Posted on February 6, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Whack-a-mole can be kind of a fun game. But, after a while it gets rather tiring and you just wanna give up and rip the whacker off the game and just whack anything that moves.

I have gotten to that point with my teen daughter’s car. I am tired of playing whack-a-mole on maintenance issues that never seem to stop. I swear this car has become a “money pit” for repairs. Just when you think you have it fixed and it should be good for a while…not so much.

UGH!!

Anyone have a couple thousand dollars they wanna donate to just buy a different used car for her? Didn’t think so. I don’t either.

After having the alternator and battery replaced in the last two weeks, now we have an apparent coolant leak. It’s not running out onto the ground. It doesn’t appear that any hoses are busted. So, that leads me to believe it is probably going into places in the engine it doesn’t belong.

UGH!!

Did I already say that? Sorry. I am just not sure what else to say.

Tax revolt

Posted on November 8, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Once again, in WA state, there has been a tax revolt.

People are tired of paying unnecessarily high taxes on things like car registration tabs.

We have had two initiatives in this state in the last several decades where the people have clearly said, “ENOUGH!” Twice the citizens of the state (not just one city and county) have said, “$30 – no more, no less.” This is one of the very few times that the rest of the state has told Seattle and King County what it wants versus the other way around, where the population of Seattle and King County out vote the rest of the state to dictate what happens in areas around the state.

So, the latest version passed of the car tabs issue passed on Tuesday, again.

And for what will be the second time, the government is going to sue (yes, you read that right, the government) to get their taxes back. Let that sink in. The government is going to sue to stop the will of the people, who used the democratic process and voted on it, just so they can get their funding back.

If that doesn’t smack of government abuse and overreach, I don’t know what does.

It just goes to show you, once you give the government the ability to oversee your rights, freedom, and money…

…you’ll lose all three.

Defrost

Posted on October 14, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Programmers for my car’s electronics got it wrong. Not sure what the thought behind it was, but it’s irritating nonetheless.

My 2018 Kia Niro has been a great car, but after having it a year now there are a few things that bothersome. They are probably small things, but you know when you spend that much money on things you want to make sure people have spent time on the little things because that’s what makes it stand apart from the others.

Well, there are two issues that both have to do with the way the Defrost functions work.

First, the defrost for the windshield has a weird setting. When the function is set to be used, the fan automatically comes on at Level 3, EVERY TIME you start the car and no matter where it was previously set. Thus, it starts blowing cold air the second the car starts. I am constantly turning down the fan. I do like to always have the fan running for air glow, but it would really be nice if it just stayed at the level I set it rather than resetting itself every dang time.

Finally, the Rear Defrost button does’t have an automatic turnoff timer. It just stays on and on and on, until you look down and see it is still on and turn it off. How stupid is that? I think every car I have own previously had an automatic timer on that function.

I was recently asked if I had found anything I didn’t like about the car. There are very many things I could name off. These were two that came up right off the top of my head.

Road trip

Posted on August 23, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Nextvoyage on Pexels.com

I’ve got a half day of work today and then I am taking a road trip across the state. It’s for pleasure, but I am starting to wonder why I did this to myself.

This will be the third weekend in a row where I hit the road and cross the mountains to the other side of the state. If you have have been following along, the state of our roads is constant road construction right now…so I just know I am asking for more abuse on the road with traffic and travel time.

Thus, I will try to put on my “patience pants” and not get road rage.

OK, I probably won’t and you’ll be subjected to yet another blog about the perils of travel on the road and the stupidity of Washingtonian drivers.

Sorry, not sorry.

Where ya’ll going?

Posted on July 9, 2019 by backuphill

people crossing in pedestrian lane in city during daytime

Photo by Saya Kimura on Pexels.com

It seems more of you, many more than usual, are going somewhere today.

It’s a Tuesday. Where could you possibly be going? I mean, yes, I have gotten to know those of you who take the route daily…I mean, I see you every day but I don’t really know you.

However, today, there were a bunch of people I didn’t know and you were all in the way. Traffic kept moving, which is good, but it was way slower than usual because there were so many of you.

If ya’ll could stay off my roads, especially my commute route, that would be great…

Again, traffic…

Posted on April 30, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Well, I am late again today. I guess maybe I need to do a better job planning ahead and get some blog posts ready on the weekend.

Anyway, there was a huge accident on the highway this morning and blocked all southbound lanes. Unfortunately, I found out about it too late and ended up getting on the highway at a stretch behind the backup where there was no way to get off the highway for about miles…so traffic crawled for an hour before I could exit and go around.

It looked pretty bad. Heard there was one fatality.

People were impatient and even blocking the shoulder this morning, making it tough for emergency vehicles to get to the scene.

Come on people. Drive safely and stop being stupid. It really isn’t worth it.

Such a sap

Posted on March 28, 2019 by backuphill

shallow focus photography of brown tree trunk

Photo by Mahima on Pexels.com

Cars are parked in the driveway.

Pine cones, pine needles, leaves, bird droppings, dirt, pollen are all landing on the cars.

The most frustrating part is that isn’t all. Those trees near the driveway, not next to it or over it, NEAR it…somehow they manage to also drop sap on the cars.

Sap! That sticky stuff doesn’t just wash off. No, that would make it easy. That stuff requires extra elbow grease and some of that “Goof Off” liquid cleaner. It’s a little easier when it is on the windshield, but not so much when it is on paint (or on the roof, which is hard to reach for a short guy like me).

Oh, and don’t get me started about not seeing the sap before using the windshield wipers. Hey, let’s smear that crappy sap all over the windshield and make sure it sticks to the wipers too.

It would be nice if the garage could be used as such. Not gonna happen.

#smh

And then there was none

Posted on January 14, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Jaymantri on Pexels.com

There is one persistent problem with the house. We just don’t have enough storage.

The house has some closets and, of course, cupboards in the kitchen but otherwise there is just not enough space in the house. Which means, by default, the garage (which is supposed to house the cars) has become the dumping ground for all those things that don’t fit in the house.

As such, I have done my best to maximize the space. There are shelves on all the walls, floor to ceiling. There are shelves in the middle of the garage, floor to ceiling. There are shelves attached to ceiling and things hanging from the ceiling. I have been creative in finding places to fit things into things, just to make sure space is used. Yet…

It is still not enough. I guess we just have too much stuff. Do we really need it all? I keep asking why we need 30 serving platters of different sizes, shapes, and colors. I mean, obviously if we didn’t have those I could fit more tools into the garage…and that really is the most important. I mean, really.

Anyway, I built some more pantry-esque shelves over the weekend to free up some of the bigger shelves from canned goods and that will work for a while but after that there just isn’t going to any more space in the garage.

And then there was none.

Do you deal with a similar issue or do you actually get to use your garage for it’s intended purpose?

Noisy road

Posted on December 27, 2018 by backuphill

If only my commute was this nice to look at. Photo by Nextvoyage on Pexels.com

You probably don’t think about it much because you are driving and paying attention to the other drivers around you, which you should be. However, there is probably one thing you don’t notice you’re doing as a result of a noisy road.

The surface of the roadway is kind of an important thing when it comes to highways. I mean, it gets thousands and thousands of cars driving over it every day/week/month/year. It has to be durable, but also something that withstands heat, cold, weight, collisions, rain, etc. So, I am sure there is science behind why they do what they do when they make roads. But, really, I don’t care.

I just want a road that is smooth and quiet. Road noise should be a low hum that you really don’t notice unless something is wrong with the car. Instead, half of half of my commute is across 40+ year old concrete that has been worn down to the pebbles used to make it and it sounds like a jet engine starting up as you drive over it as high speeds.

Thus, I have to listen to the radio really loud. All to hear the traffic report. And if there is another person in the car, well, you just have to yell, even if they are just sitting right next to you. That is annoying.

What small things do you notice as you drive the same route and sit in the car for hours each day? Anything only you would notice and have to point out to others when they ride along with you?