The Economy

Oh I’m sure it is a teaser rate. But unless I misheard, it was on a Wagoneer with a MSRP of $89k. Sheeut. I would not invest in anything Mopar at a tenth of that price.

 

Is Clark Howard still a thing? He seemed like Dave Ramsey without the edge. Man, mid-afternoon talk radio really sucked in the early aughts.

 

Exactly what I do with my Cash Rewards MC. I haven't carried a CC balance since I started this process over two years ago and I don't plan to start now, unless some wild emergency crops up.

 

I was in a room full of people last weekend when we saw the commercial for the Wagoneer while watching a baseball game and they displayed the MSRP. We all started laughing.

 

You mean, like this?

100 million adults have health-care debt — and 12% of them owe $10,000 or more

 

Auto insurance is a dear part of anyone's budget, and the economy, especially in NJ. I had a flat tire two days ago, so called my insurer, Safeco (Liberty Mutual) for roadside assistance. The car was in my driveway -- luckily as it turned out. Safeco outsources roadside to Urgent.ly, which in turn dispatches gig workers to repair, like Uber for roadside. So the guy was supposed to arrive at 9:30 am and when he failed to show 20 minutes after that, I called his base. "He's on the way and will call you directly," I was told. No call, or repairman, ever came. I called Safeco again and they dispatched a second guy from the same provider. When he didn't show after more than an hour, I called Safeco to cancel and they made a third dispatch from a different provider. It was now 3 p.m. I also called my insurance agent, who said she would contact Safeco also, and emailed they were "elevating the situation".

Meanwhile, the second guy arrives, a sketchy looking fellow in a banged-up car, confused as to why he was canceled. I send him on his way, since I didn't want a canceled guy touching my car. Urgent.ly calls back to confirm the third dispatch, but the guy sees fit to chide me for not letting Mr. Canceled change the tire. Fuck THAT noise. I also call my local dealer where I have my car serviced, but they won't send a real tech for flat tire, either, plus they want $65 up front. I decide to start the change, but damn if I can't budge the 12-year old lugnuts, don't have a breaker bar, and I am reluctant to use the scissors jack that came with the car, since it is easy to damage the bodywork if you don't find the jack point. Fortunately the third guy, Hector, arrives on time, not in a service truck but a sedan. He came with a floor jack, cordless impact wrench, experience and a good attitude. He changes the flat in 10 minutes, stows it in the trunk, and offers some good advice on handling a flat with my particular car in the future.

In baseball you go to the Hall for batting .300. For roadside repair, that could be a life-altering crapshoot depending on where you are and when, what the weather is, and other malefactors. When I had AAA roadside, the tech always arrived from a local garage, in a truck, no matter the situation. I think more than likely this gig thing is standard among insurers and automakers. In the future, I'll call and say my engine fell out on the street, the way a state trooper once told me to tell 9-1-1 someone was strangling, as that elevates response to Defcon 5.

 

In the past year, I had to use AAA for a flat tire - Couldn't get the friggin' tire off. I was disappointed that the first guy they sent was just some roadside guy in a car. Like, I -knew- the tire was on there way too tight, and that we needed someone with something more heavy duty than just an Allen wrench. After having a cop threaten me with a $200 tow unless it got moved in the next 30 minutes, AAA finally sent a proper tow truck with an experienced mechanic. He got the tire off with a 2-by-4 and a sledgehammer, which he had in his truck, because he had probably done it a dozen times before.

 

I would like that post, but between the asshole cop and the useless roadside guy... I will add that I got my flat patched and remounted today at Firestone for $30, so I guess I fucked the economy by not buying a new tire.

 

As someone who has had to change 14 flats in a life cursed by the car gods, including in downtown Akron as a guy so gone on heroin kept asking me for a ride to his girlfriend’s house that was less than a block away…ALWAYS carry a mini sledge in your car.

These shops overtighten the lugnuts every damn time.

I don’t have the guts to do what my dad does…walk out onto the floor of the shop when they’re replacing the tires and ask to tighten them by hand and get screamed at that he’s an insurance liability. (But guess whose lugnuts come off their tires in two minutes while I’m dealing with Heroin Harry of Akron?)

 

Best way to get a tire off if it's too tight, before you jack it up, break the seal on all the lug nuts by standing on the crowbar or wrench or whatever particular tool you have. Then you jack it up. Your body weight will break almost any lug loose.