Car mania

I managed to cope without a car for seventeen years, but having moved to the Blue Mountains, a car became necessary, perhaps essential. In addition, as I had managed to survive to the age of 85, I had to undergo a driving test. What a fuss! It was so much easier (and cheaper) when I used public transport. Let’s deal with the driving test first. I drove around the back streets of Katoomba doing all the right things with respect to signalling, speed limits etc….and failed. Apparently those double continuous white lines are not to be crossed, so at T-junctions I was judged deficient because in cutting the corners I crossed the lines. One is supposed to make 90 degree turns at crossroads. Luckily, we oldies are allowed a few goes at passing the test, and I did so at the second attempt. Yearly licensing after 75 is also dependent on passing a medical examination which includes tests of mental integrity: Spell ‘world’ backwards for example.

The second hurdle was registration. We registered Jane’s car after we bought it, but failed to remember it was only for 6 months. The last time I owned a car the rego disc was attached to the windscreen thereby providing a daily reminder of the due date. So 7 months later, I suffered being pulled over by police and informed the car was not registered or insured, thereby incurring a big fine. This was when we learned for the first time about the colourful paper world of pink, green and blue slips.

By this time my enthusiasm for owning a car had receded considerably, but it had to happen. So I started on a quest to find something suitable. I was looking for a used car as my funds were limited. Have you considered how many makers and makes of car there are? It’s overwhelming. And there are so many aspects to consider: size, year of manufacture, mileage (the term is still used), servicing, tyres and so on. Does one buy from a dealer (extra cost) or privately? And having decided what type of car is needed, and one is for sale, how far is one prepared to travel to see it?

And then there are the ‘car experts’ to cope with. Friends who ‘know about cars’ and warn you about all the pitfalls of buying a used car. I wouldn’t get one of those if I were you. They are heavy on petrol OR You can’t get spare parts for them. Why, you could have that 10-year old BMW with electric seats for the same price. AND Have you looked at the Red Book to see what it is worth? That was first sold in 2011, you do know they changed the model in 2012? And so on. It is easily possible to spend days on the internet just looking, without making any progress. Some people revel in knowing all about cars, and how best to buy and sell them. The whole topic bores me witless. I am still without a car.