Category Archives: Automobiles

Automobiles, Life, Local

Uber Gets Me There

I’ve had some problems with my car lately, so I started taking Uber. What a great idea that was. I downloaded the Uber app on my phone. You enter your name, address, and credit card number. When you need a ride, you just type in the address you are going to. It shows you the price before you ever confirm that you need the ride. It then shows you exactly where your driver is at the time, and how long it will take to get to you. From the safety standpoint, they have thought of everything. You are given your driver’s name, photo, and a description of the car including license plate number.

That, of course, did not stop me from almost getting in the wrong car when I first started using Uber. A car approached me, standing on the street, and stopped in front of me. I almost jumped in. I’m much more careful now to look at the make of the car or license plate if I can and look for the Uber sticker on the front window.

After you get out of the car, your credit card is automatically charged the fare. You are given the opportunity to rate your driver, and/or add a tip, which is not required.

All of the drivers I have had have been very nice. I look forward to having my car repaired soon, but in the meantime, I’m thankful I’ve found Uber.

Automobiles, Business, Local

No Neighborhood for Sports Cars

My neighborhood is a bunch of single family homes on nice, wooded lots. Everyone has a nice, well kept lawn in the front and most have a fence in the back. Its full of working class people and young families, a couple of old geezers, and me. This is not a neighborhood for sports cars. This is a neighborhood of minivans, SUVs, a few Buick Regals and my Jeep. The most daring car here is a 2010 Mustang, black, driven by an older lady across the street.

The woman next door to me drives a big white Lexus SUV and that thing is always in the shop. I had made the mistake of telling her one time that if she ever needed a ride to work while her car is being repaired, that she can call me any time. Of course, I thought it was going to be a one time repair for a few days. But it has turned out to be endless, ongoing repairs ever since she bought this lemon. I tell you what, after hearing all the problems she has had with that Lexus, I will never buy one of those fuckers.

Last night she called and told me that the Lexus has a bad transmission and that it will be in the shop this whole week. She was practically crying and of course I told her I would be happy to give her a ride to work and home again. So, this morning I had to leave the house about 20 minutes earlier than normal to give myself enough time to fetch her and go to her office, then backtrack in rush hour traffic to get to my office by 8:30. It was close, but I made it with 4 or 5 minutes to spare. Not that anyone watches the clock at my office, but I just hate to be late and take personal pride in being on time 99% of the time.

Automobiles, Business, Nature

No Bird Shit Yesterday

The next chapter in my bird shit saga is good news. I parked my car on the east side of the building yesterday. There is a lot of activity on that side, because that is where the loading dock is for the whole building. There is constant traffic over there with delivery trucks and moving vans, so birds are less likely to hang around with all that noise and activity.

Just out of curiosity, when I left work I drove around to the south side of the building and noticed that there were several cars parked on that side that had white splotches of bird shit on them. So I think I figured out to park on the other side for a while. I don’t even know what kind of birds these are, but sometimes I see huge flocks of Starlings swarming in the sky. I hadn’t noticed any Starlings lately, but I haven’t been looking for them, either. We don’t really have pigeons around here, although there are some downtown. I wonder what the fuck is shitting on our cars in Cools Springs now?

Automobiles, Life, Nature, Work

Car Wash Again

Most of the time my car only needs a light hosing down to keep it clean. I do a spring detailing, and then once a week I run it through the automatic car wash at the gas station. It’s two bucks for a 5 minute hose job.

For some reason, where I parked my car yesterday was a bird poop magnet. When I came out of the office I found white splotches of bird shit all over the car. It wasn’t even under a tree. I have no fucking idea why a flock of birds would decide to fly over my car and just all of them shit on it. There weren’t any cars parked beside it when I got out of the office, so I am curious if they got shit splattered, too – or was it just me?

So this morning I got up early and drove down to the self serv car wash bays and spent a half hour scrubbing my down to get the bird shit off of it. I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do about parking it in the lot to the office on Monday. Maybe I’ll find a place on the other side of the building.

Automobiles, Food and dining, Friends, Shopping

Flowers for My Lady

Most of the time when I stop for gas, I just pay at the pump with a credit card or my debit card and I don’t go in the store. But today I was jonesing for a candy bar and I decided to jump inside and grab a Snickers. While standing in line to pay a buck twenty five (really!!??!!) for this candy bar, I saw a little stand with fresh flowers in it by the cash register. The flowers were an assortment of different kinds and colors, and they had some single red roses, too. I decided on impulse to spend $7 on the assorted flowers and I’m going to surprise my girl with them tonight when I get off work. Going to be a nice evening tonight.