Established
in 1937

Bob's Corner

We bit the bullet recently (because I’m always shooting off my mouth) and acquired a new motor vehicle. This was accomplished with creative financing and having a used vehicle that held its value.

So now we have probably the most luxurious set of wheels we’ve had in all our 63 years. It definitely beats, in more ways than one, my first car, a ‘52 Ford with a ‘54 Olds mill and tranny. It smoked and smelled bad. But it was fast, although the Ford rear axle kept snapping in half from the torque of the four-speed automatic transmission. Each axle cost me $60, which was one week’s net pay for me then (1960).

We were misled by the ad for the car. Among the notations were R&H and W/W. Turned out that R&H actually meant “Rattles & Heaves,” and W/W stood for Wheels Wobble.

Back to the present, I had looked at a sporty Japanese vehicle. It had 650 hp with gears of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and Banzai! Also looked at a small electric-powered car. Took it home and my wife drove it around the living room a couple of times. Realizing that neither of these would be practical for hauling newspapers, we opted for another Japanese-brand vehicle, a Toyota Highlander, offering the best of Japan and Scotland.

Our new vehicle has all sorts of bells and whistles, as the saying goes (but neither bagpipes nor Samurai swords). I’m still working on figuring out the actual features. Discovered last week that there is even a “Low Tire Pressure” warning light. I took care of the tire, but the warning light stayed on. My engineer-brained son, Mike, had to find the reset button for me. He knows his Dad; made me push it (the button, not the car) so I’d remember where it is.

Sometimes I feel like Capt. Picard of the starship “Enterprise,” what with all the controls. I tried shouting, “Red Alert!” but nothing happened, so I guess the car doesn’t have that feature. I’m still working on the temperature controls, which seem to have a mind of their own. Maybe I should break down and look at the owner’s manual or watch the CD that was provided to acquaint one with their acquisition. Nah. I’m a guy -- why would I want to do that?

Every so often I find a new feature in the car, like it actually has a glove compartment. There’s storage available beneath the shift console, and another storage spot under the driver’s right elbow. Took me a while to understand use of the cruise control, but I was determined to engage it. I know, read the booklet. Nah, I’d rather just stumble around like when you stay in a hotel and wake up in the dark and try to find the bathroom without turning on a light. Must be a guy thing.

Next, I’m going to comprehend the vehicle’s remote door lock system and alarm. Might even look at the owner’s manual. But probably not.

• Bob's Corner
• Letters
• Here, There & Everywhere
• Obituaries
• Classifieds
• Service Directory
• Police Blotter
• Contact Us
• Front Page
  

Subscribe
to the Illinois Valley News
Click Here

© Copyright 2005-2007 Illinois Valley News, All rights reserved.