A-Musing: Automotive Reflections

The recent BlackBerry network failure was quite interesting.  Logging on to Facebook and seeing BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) updates from friends when the program was temporarily working, all I saw were messages about how not having BBM was ruining their day, that people were going to switch to the iPhone and boycott RIM, or that they were forced to have to look people in the eye at work at the cafeteria line-up or walking around in their building – seriously.

Pretty traumatic, life-threatening stuff....

Turning our attention to our cars, I would be willing to bet my money that if your vehicle(s) were to be stolen from you tomorrow or won’t start while you were running late for work, that these calamaties would surely inconvenience and upset you more than not having BBM and e-mail.

Or, if you were on a road trip and your car died on you in the middle of nowhere on a cold night stranding you, it would likely make you think twice about preparing better in the future and knowing what resources are at your disposal.  Just imagine for a few seconds if any one of these scenarios took place (I hope not, but they can happen).

Here’s my point: Having a car is so important to us, and woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.  Wouldn’t you agree?  We need our car to take us to work each day so we can make a living.  We need it to do errands, drop the kids off to school, go to the gym, haul stuff, or use it for weekend getaways.  Driving and car ownership are also very personal to each of us.  For instance, a vehicle can be a huge part of our identity and how we express ourselves in terms of tastes, frugality, our personal beliefs (i.e. an environmentalist may favour a Hybrid vehicle), an image we want to project, lifestyle needs and for some people, keeping up with the Joneses.  We may have even had magical or memorable moments in our cars.

Ironically, many people care more for the health of their pets than they do their own health and that of their vehicles.  Some people, my friends included, are very indifferent about their cars because they have no interest in learning, and think that having CAA, a cell phone, a mechanic, dad/brothers, and roadside assistance are good enough.  That’s fine, but I would bet that these same folks would also agree that their car cost them quite a bit.  If this is the case, doesn’t it make sense take better care of it, know more about it, be prepared for emergencies, drive safer and maintain this investment as you would your house or condo?

Because cars and driving are so woven into the fabric of our everyday lives, I feel that every motorist out there needs to at least know the basics of ownership and how to save money, find excellent services, maintain a car, deal with a flat tire, and how to be prepared for emergencies, even if you don’t plan to ever touch a wrench and change your own oil.  When I was a service advisor at a dealership, I saw a lot of owner apathy running the gamut from those approving horrendously expensive repairs without shopping around nor asking questions (maybe they have too much money), and some with worn ball joints where one of their front wheels can collapse if they hit a hard enough bump, but they don’t care and won’t repair it. 

As they say, knowledge truly is power, and I think if people knew more about their cars and could hold their own at a service desk or dealership, the efforts would collectively force the automotive industry to be even more honest, service-oriented and cost-competitive.

To conclude, I wholeheartedly encourage you to love your vehicle and learn more about it so you will save money, maintain resale value, ensure maximum reliability to eliminate headaches, drive safer and be prepared for emergencies so you can make it home every night to your family and enjoy more of life’s moments. 

Drive On….