Byeee Byeee Beetleeee!

Well, it was a good run...

Or, maybe I should replace "good" with "interesting".

We all know my car has had its fair share of stories, but after the last month of a million problems it is time to put the beetle to bed.

It started a few weeks ago. My car was making some awkward noises, but I thought if I turned my radio up and ignored the rattling from under the hood everything would be fine. Turns out I should not consider being a mechanic anytime in the near future...

Then, I thought it was my oil, so I went and got an oil change, and still, something didn’t feel right.

My air conditioning never worked in my car, but the heat would work regardless if it was on or not. In the last month I realized it was getting VERY hot in the car, to the point that I couldn’t cool it down. I would find out later that this was the root to a lot of my problems... (i.e. the engine light being on, the fact I could only drive in 3rd gear, the rattling in the transmission, etc.).

The next episode occurred when I was driving home late from work one night, and I was on my cell phone. I was leaving a message and as I drove through a bad part of town. As I pushed down on my accelerator my car was going down too, in speed that is. I was not moving.. at all. I pulled over to the side of the road (the best I could) and started banging on the dash, something I had gotten quite use to doing. Bang, Bang, Shit.

I get out my phone (which was 5 minutes from being completely dead) and called my parents. All I remember is screaming "MY Piece of $&!^ Car just BROKE DOWN". In a very calm voice, both my parents talked to me. Calm wasn't really working for me at this point so I hung up and called triple A. This time, I was more sarcastic then frantic. The voice on the other line picked up "Road side assistance, how may we help you" I answer, "A new car?". They didn’t laugh at my bitter humor; so I went on to explain my situation. I told them that my car wasn’t moving, that I was in a bad part of town, that there was a car 200 feet in front of me with people in it, that it was 10:30 at night and that my cell phone was dying, that I couldn’t hear every 10th word they were saying because my parents were calling me on repeat while I was on the phone with them. Etc. Etc. Etc. They basically said what all triple A assistances do, stay in your car, someone will be there within the next 3 hours. Well, I didn’t have 3 hours, as I hung up the phone on them I answered my parents asking the status of my location. "Still stuck in my broken down beetle" I replied. Just then, my phone dies. A few seconds after that, two thug like men get out of the car in front of me and start walking to my car, each one headed to a different door.

These men could have been wonderful gentleman, but, at 10:30 in a bad side of town, with a broken down car, a dead cell phone and two cans of mace, I didn’t want to know what they wanted, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I turn the key, nothing. I bang on the dash, nothing. I press on the break, back light turns red, but other than that, nothing. Say a little prayer, try the key again, nothing. Scream a little prayer (and a few other words I don't need to mention) turn the key, BINGO! I get out of there as the men had just about approached my car and race home.

After I got home I had my car towed to a service station, they charged me a few hundred dollars and yet my car was still hot and still turning off. On my way to work this week I was stopped at a light and when I went to drive, nothing.

I drove my car to a Car Max and sold it that night. It was an experience.

Note: It took me a long time to find story with the broken down car and crazy thugs story funny. therefore, I am just posting this now.