Before we left Louisville, I had a nice, sporty, little car that we were growing out of. It didn't have a/c and I was in the process of getting that done but then we moved to Owensboro. So after going through a summer of no air in the car, I decided I would get it done by the next summer (2012). Because we had just moved, I didn't have a mechanic and barely knew many people in town. Through one of the church groups I attend, I found a mechanic or so I was told. I'm going to fast forward a bit, the end result was no air was ever put in that car and I was told I needed to hurry and sell it before the pending repairs were needed. It took me almost two months to sell this car. That far exceeded my less than a week norm. Anyways it sold and for way more than I intended to sell it for. That and my school money came around the same time. I was a happy carless (for a few hours) camper.
Fast forward a bit more...the mechanic and his wife had suggested I buy his old work car that had new tires to hold me over for the winter and until I could save some more money. Buying a car from a mechanic seemed reasonable to me. I just needed a safe vehicle to get us to school, the gym, church and back home again. I also had a tendency to want to believe there's good in most people and knowing that I'm a solo parent of a preschooler and a full-time student, surely they knew and trusted the condition of this car they were selling to me. Granted I wasn't a hard sell and didn't have many options but still it was their car so they knew, right?
Well the first bad sign was the car didn't want to start when I was going to put it in the garage minutes after I handed them the money. That should have been my point of no return but I drew a line at my daughter's safety and I didn't think it was crossed...yet. Second bad sign was when I took it to a tire shop to have the "new" tires balanced and they wouldn't touch the car due to dry rot and cuts in the tires. I was advised, from someone I trust wholeheartedly, that this was a bum deal and I needed to get rid of the car. I was told, by the mechanic, that the shop was just trying to get me to buy tires. Most people would think that my line had been crossed upon finding this out, I didn't feel it...just yet. A week later it rained, the tires skid going uphill and my anxiety started to elevate. Once again I'm told, by you know who, that I was used to driving my other car and not familiar with how to drive this type of car. At this point they're standing on the line. Oh another issue I had was that the dashboard lit up like a Christmas display. Nice for the holidays but not so much for my car. Also there was a stench about the car, possibly backed up fumes, which prompted my 3-year old with speech delay to give it a nickname of "stinky car." I was told this time that he didn't recall those things happening when he drove the car. I was told when I bought it, that it lags about 20-30 seconds when going in reverse. I know, I know...it will be addressed in a bit. I think I made it another week before the next issue surfaced which was it wouldn't start again for about 15 minutes when leaving a store and then again as I coasted into the gas station. When he got a chance to check it out, I was informed, in person, that the fuel injector had blown and he had only seen that happen when water got into the tank. He went on to tell me that he filled the car up before he gave it to me so it must have been one of the times I filled it up. Huh? So let's recap, shall we:
- I'm target for an upsell
- I don't know how to drive certain cars
- I notice things that may or may not have happened
- I don't know how to put gas in a car
LINE CROSSED!!! I know what you're thinking, it was crossed long before but I wanted to see if this Christian mechanic was going to try and make good on selling his car to a solo parent and student. I had already taken every last dime I had to purchase another car and find an actual mechanic that works in an auto shop. He doesn't throw his religion in your face and does the job honestly and correctly. So there I was broke with two cars and only driving one.
I sold the piece of junk car because I was told it's a good car and the issues had been corrected. The young lady I sold it to didn't even make it home without breaking down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. When I got the call, my heart sank. How did this happen? That would have been me. I paid to have it towed to her mechanic in her town. I had to do right by her even though I had been wronged. We were told that the fuel pump went out and the transmission was on its way out. Long story, short...though I've sold the car, my good and heavy conscience accepted whatever offer she would make if she wanted to keep the car.
So it's a done deal. The car is no longer mine. I left the group that I met the mechanic's wife from for "personal" reasons. I have no reason to ever interact with these people that put my daughter's life in danger by pawning off a heap of junk car on me. The way I see it is that they knew my situation and still got over on me. Now it's not my style to put them on blast but you better believe I don't refer anyone to him. I really hope for their sake, they stop messing people over and handle business right. I opted not to take this situation to the next level because I'm not looking to retaliate. So breathe easy if you're reading this. I'm not taking you to court. There's a higher judge you'll answer to one day.
So why am I blogging about it? I'm having the worst time just letting it go. I've spent a number of sleepless nights just staring , praying for and crying over my daughter. I want what's best for her always. I want to protect her always. I need to know that my actions are the right ones. And this time, I put my trust in someone who knowingly did something so potentially dangerous to us. I can't seem to forgive myself though the car we have now is a much better fit. After talking to that very special person, I decided I would blog about it and let it go for good. It's gone! Lesson has been learned. Anxiety is back down to its normally high level. Now I'm going to finish homework while we watch our favorite movie...Cars!
