28 days left!!
There are *some* things I don't like about this country. Not many, but some. One of them is vehicle inspections.
About a month ago, my little purple Mazda failed the inspection because of the hand brake (which I don't use even if it is a stick). So I pay the 400 euros to get it fixed and take it back to inspection.
Lo and behold, now a ball bearing is messed up, the muffler needs to be replaced and one headlight is dim.
Worst of all is that I ignored *every* little voice of reason and all business sense. Here's a list of the mistakes I made and, again, I knew I was making them.
1. Never conduct business between friends. I was buying this American-spec car off of a German girl I know. Since it's American-spec, she couldn't drive it so was willing to sell it to me for cheap. $500 euro for a '95 Protoge with low mileage. Sounded good.
2. Try before you buy. I swear this girl wanted me to meet her in a town 20 minutes away so that we could test drive the car. I said sure because I always want to test drive. It's just common sense. When we get to where the car is, I see it has no plates. Therefore, no test drive! She assures me there's nothing wrong with it and she's a friend, so... I let it go. I just need a car. I can't be too picky and the price is right.
3. German Law doesn't really facilitate car sales between Germans and Americans. I had to get the car registered in my name just to get the temporary plates, just to get it back to post for inspection. Little voice in my head said, "Don't do it, now if it causes you any problems, it's already legally yours!" I ignored the voice for the reasons in #2 above.
4. I told this girl I only wanted the car if it passed inspection. I didn't want to put any money into it. I had just bought a brand new car that will be waiting for me in Arizona when I move and so this is just a little something to serve me for the remainder of my time in Germany. Maybe I'll ship it home and give it to a cousin. Out of the goodness of my heart, the car was legally my property already so I give the girl 250 euro, or half the price, since I possess the car, though it hasn't yet passed inspection.
5. Winter hits hard, she runs out of heating oil, she's getting ready to visit my buddy in the US and she needs the rest of the money. Little voice in my head says, "Don't listen to her sob story! You're about to pay for, in full, the car that hasn't passed inspection." But she's a friend, she lets me sleep in her apartment and makes me breakfast whenever I'm drunk! If it wasn't for her television, I would have never learned the words Moepse or gepimpt. I'm hesitant, but I give her the rest of the money.
6. You don't ignore all the signs and warnings and not expect to pay for it. The car fails inspection. The handbrake doesn't work. It will cost me 400 euro to fix it but I rationalize that the car is in good shape and I got a hell of a deal on it... it's worth it to fix it up. I wasted a lot of time taking it to different mechanics for quotes since the American mechanic quoted me an outfuckingrageous price. The German mechanic did more and for less. Go Deutschland!
7. My temporary plates are good for a month, so I procrastinate. Plus, like everything in the Army, the facilities are only open during work hours, hence the only time I can get to vehicle inspection is during lunch, but they're closed for lunch too! What the fuck?
8. I take the car back to registration today after the car being back from the mechanic for two weeks and more shit is wrong with it. Big shit too.
I tend to get a little carried away sometimes. I refuse to be like some of the other soldiers by insulting the German men to their faces (or beating them up) while sleeping with the German women. I was getting upset at the inspector and I was real close to just telling him that he's a fucking idiot.
In reality though, when I was younger, I was terribly nomadic. I could never stay in one place too long. I got bored waaay too easily. This is the first time in my life that I wish I was staying. I'm not going to let one bad experience sour me on this beautiful country. I wish I had done things smarter and gotten out of the Army and got a civilian job working for the Army, but staying here in Germany.
I'm gonna miss it! And now in 10 days, I won't have a car to get around. Fuckers!!!
There are *some* things I don't like about this country. Not many, but some. One of them is vehicle inspections.
About a month ago, my little purple Mazda failed the inspection because of the hand brake (which I don't use even if it is a stick). So I pay the 400 euros to get it fixed and take it back to inspection.
Lo and behold, now a ball bearing is messed up, the muffler needs to be replaced and one headlight is dim.
Worst of all is that I ignored *every* little voice of reason and all business sense. Here's a list of the mistakes I made and, again, I knew I was making them.
1. Never conduct business between friends. I was buying this American-spec car off of a German girl I know. Since it's American-spec, she couldn't drive it so was willing to sell it to me for cheap. $500 euro for a '95 Protoge with low mileage. Sounded good.
2. Try before you buy. I swear this girl wanted me to meet her in a town 20 minutes away so that we could test drive the car. I said sure because I always want to test drive. It's just common sense. When we get to where the car is, I see it has no plates. Therefore, no test drive! She assures me there's nothing wrong with it and she's a friend, so... I let it go. I just need a car. I can't be too picky and the price is right.
3. German Law doesn't really facilitate car sales between Germans and Americans. I had to get the car registered in my name just to get the temporary plates, just to get it back to post for inspection. Little voice in my head said, "Don't do it, now if it causes you any problems, it's already legally yours!" I ignored the voice for the reasons in #2 above.
4. I told this girl I only wanted the car if it passed inspection. I didn't want to put any money into it. I had just bought a brand new car that will be waiting for me in Arizona when I move and so this is just a little something to serve me for the remainder of my time in Germany. Maybe I'll ship it home and give it to a cousin. Out of the goodness of my heart, the car was legally my property already so I give the girl 250 euro, or half the price, since I possess the car, though it hasn't yet passed inspection.
5. Winter hits hard, she runs out of heating oil, she's getting ready to visit my buddy in the US and she needs the rest of the money. Little voice in my head says, "Don't listen to her sob story! You're about to pay for, in full, the car that hasn't passed inspection." But she's a friend, she lets me sleep in her apartment and makes me breakfast whenever I'm drunk! If it wasn't for her television, I would have never learned the words Moepse or gepimpt. I'm hesitant, but I give her the rest of the money.
6. You don't ignore all the signs and warnings and not expect to pay for it. The car fails inspection. The handbrake doesn't work. It will cost me 400 euro to fix it but I rationalize that the car is in good shape and I got a hell of a deal on it... it's worth it to fix it up. I wasted a lot of time taking it to different mechanics for quotes since the American mechanic quoted me an outfuckingrageous price. The German mechanic did more and for less. Go Deutschland!
7. My temporary plates are good for a month, so I procrastinate. Plus, like everything in the Army, the facilities are only open during work hours, hence the only time I can get to vehicle inspection is during lunch, but they're closed for lunch too! What the fuck?
8. I take the car back to registration today after the car being back from the mechanic for two weeks and more shit is wrong with it. Big shit too.
I tend to get a little carried away sometimes. I refuse to be like some of the other soldiers by insulting the German men to their faces (or beating them up) while sleeping with the German women. I was getting upset at the inspector and I was real close to just telling him that he's a fucking idiot.
In reality though, when I was younger, I was terribly nomadic. I could never stay in one place too long. I got bored waaay too easily. This is the first time in my life that I wish I was staying. I'm not going to let one bad experience sour me on this beautiful country. I wish I had done things smarter and gotten out of the Army and got a civilian job working for the Army, but staying here in Germany.
I'm gonna miss it! And now in 10 days, I won't have a car to get around. Fuckers!!!
and buy something else.