Once upon a time I was driving a car...

I do not have a car, not anymore. No more driving for me.

I have to get a little bit earlier and use public transportation to get to work. It bothers me a little, not too much, just a little, sometimes. When weather is pretty bad and I have to wait for a long time at a bus stop, feeling cold and tired thinking: if I just had a car, I would probably have reached my home already and enjoyed some nice food and rest. But then I remind myself about gas prices and parking and insurance, repairs and accidents, and bus is already approaching, and I can sit and relax and not to worry about gas prices and repairs and car insurance anymore. Well, it's life as usual. If it hurts us now - we want it to stop, now.

I had a car for some time but it was old and some day I had to get rid of it. But not the way I expected. I should say I did not expect it could happen that way at all.

It started rather casually. The steering wheel jammed suddenly when my oldest son needed some groceries and was too lazy to walk to the store two blocks away. He left home in the car and in an hour returned without it. Naturally I got curious and found out, that he just left it in the parking lot of the plaza because he could not start the engine!

So he just left it parked there and went home, as if by magic it could reappear later at our place! Naturally, I got angry, told my son how much I love him, and ran to the plaza. I could not start the car no matter what. The steering wheel was blocked and somewhat crooked, I could not straighten it, nor could I turn the ignition on.

I returned home, grabbed a telephone book and found some towing service that promised to come in 20 minutes. It was 9 o'clock at night, Sunday and I did not want to leave the car in the plaza. I returned to my car, waited for half an hour and the guy with tow truck came.

He said it was nothing, some electrical thing probably, may be $10 bucks in repairs plus tow service.

I was relieved, gave him my keys and he left his card with his telephone number, and told me to call on Monday. I did. The guy explained to me that they were too busy, and asked to call on Tuesday. I did that too. I got the message on Tuesday that my car will be ready on Thursday. I just have to call them in the afternoon.

On Thursday I found out that the part that I needed would cost $250. He said that this part for this older model (I had Pontiac GM, 1997) would cost that much, because my car was old and because they could not reach it, they had to break the front panel (!), and now I have to pay for that. On top of everything there was something wrong with my transmission. So all in all total repairs will be $2,000. But good thing is that if I agree to pay, they will do everything in three days!

To say that I was shocked is to say nothing. I was completely crushed. I did not have 200 dollars in my credit card, no t to mention $2,000, and I told them that!

On Friday after work I went there to see personally, what was going on there.

My car was in the shop. Front panel resembled volcano eruption aftermath. Side window was broken, as they could not get inside the car without the keys (?!). And of course they were too busy (embarrassed may be?) to call me and tell that they lost the keys I gave them!

One of back tires was flat completely (it was okay when they towed my car). To give the ultimate insult to my injury, there was a large opened can of white paint standing on the hood of my car with splashes of white all over it. Perfecto!

I was told that if I did not want to repair the car, I could take it and they were not going to charge me for a week parking in their garage (???), I just had to pay for towing.

Well, car is not a box of matches; you cannot put it in your pocket and carry it with you. I was really in the corner. I took out my ownership and made a good Christmas present to my "brilliant" mechanic and he was so happy, that he gave me a ride to the nearest bus stop to go home. Bye-bye, my car! You served me nicely and I abandoned you!

Two years have passed since that episode. I still use public transportation. In a big city it is not so bad. I understand nothing about cars and can be taken for a ride by any screwball mechanic any time.

I think to myself: in case I cannot buy a brand new car - I better walk, better for my health, well being and my pocket. I cannot give car presents like that every year, really I can't.