So I need a new car. I’m going certified pre-owned, but I’m not sure if this is the best move. But then again, after today, I don’t know if I want a car, used or new. I had a really horrible experience buying my first used car (J&A Dealership on Queens Blvd in Elmhurst). The used-car salesman literally took my keys from me and held me prisoner until I physically produced a certified check. It turns out that he had accepted the payment from me unknowingly in regular check format. Had I known that they needed a certified check, I would have presented it to them . . . but we didn’t know it and so it became this huge mess and for a long time, I had terrible ill-will towards him.

Anyway, so today I go back to the car dealerships – trying to forget and be extremely weary of what the sales team has in mind. I know now that when I first go in, they will be welcoming, everyone will be the bad guy except for them. They will work to get the best deal for me. Meanwhile, their best interest, really lies in the best interest of the dealership. A quote from an infamous Edmunds.com article that everyone who plans on buying a car should read says:

While Michael was training me, he didn’t ever say, “Here’s how to cheat the customer,” or, “This is how we inflate the prices.” In fact, he stressed that I was supposed to treat customers with respect to build a strong C.S.I. (Customer Satisfaction Index). But manipulation and overpricing was inherent in everything he said. The reason for this was simple — without overpricing we couldn’t make a living. What we were selling was profit. Or, as Michael put it, “This is money for you — money for your family.”

So today after visiting the dealerships, I encountered 3 types of salespeople.

The Friend: He talks to you nicely, is soft-spoken, wants to get you the best deal even though his sales manager won’t approve of the huge deductions he’s talking about.

The Annoying Friend: He smiles wide, talks up all the idiotic points (tinted windows, sunroof, moonroof, 6-speaker system) and encourages you to get 0% down with a 4.9% financing rate. He may also call you “brother” a few times.

The Dick: Walks around, doesn’t give you details about shit, and says things like “you should buy it, it is good”

It’s obvious that if you’re in sales, your main source of income is going to be the commission. It’s also obvious that sales people, once they’ve sold you for whatever thousands of dollars you did not wish to spend, will feel good about themselves and not care about you after you don’t have any money to make for them. I have seen this pain first hand, the painful backstabbing action they so easily act upon thousands upon thousands of time. It’s horrible and wrong and fucking annoying.

Here’s my trouble. I hate cars. I hate the people who sell them. I hate everything about car dealerships. I hate sales. I hate the fact that people have to “sell” to each other in order to feel superior about themselves. I hate the fact that they exist as our main resources for transportation. I hate myself for loving the warmth and comfort they give me on cold nights. I hate myself for using them to drive to work, to the grocery store, and even into the city on weeknights because they save me time. I like the transportation aspect of cars, the mobility they provide me with, but I hate the dependency I have developed**.

Now, here I sit, as the inspection sticker of my car gets old and a cop is waiting for me to make a decision. What I really want is a scooter and to live in Manhattan and work in Manhattan. My reality is that I live on the border of Queens and Long Island. My only alternate mode of transportation would be an hour and a half commute via NYC bus & LIRR that would wind up costing upwards of almost $20/day.

As a New Yorker, I feel I shouldn’t be driving a car, as someone who has to work on Long Island, live in Queens, but have my heart in the city . . . buying a car is the biggest headache/deterrent to peace.

**I hate the word hate. I love the word dislike, but I choose not to use it in this entry to increase the feelings of frustration
Photo courtesy of www.mediabypass.com.