Life's little ironies

[MyraTrue]

So... I think they're everywhere. What have the rest of you noticed?

Maybe its just one more rant thread, but:

Today I can't help but think that car ownership is one more amusing aspect of "hey, wait, its not supposed to work THAT way!" .

Isn't it true that you get what you pay for? It seems to me that if you can just barely afford a car, its usually one thats going to cost you a fortune in repairs. And by the time you're making enough money that you could actually cover the repairs, you could buy a car that actually runs well- no repairs needed.

Wait, isn't that backwards?

*pumps the gas pedal and chants "come on baby, come on baby...", when the truck finally starts, pops the cork on champagne bottle to celebrate* WOO!

[Musketeer]

It's probably not a good idea to have an open champagne bottle in your truck, if you know what I mean.

[MyraTrue]

"But officer, its NEARLY my 21st birthday!"

Hmm... ya got a point. *quickly hides it behind the seat with the windshield washer fluid and the coolant* Better be careful, might take a swig of the wrong thing.

[Almightynoitall]

On top of all that, if you're having financial problems with your vehicle, why are you blowing your money on that '58 Dom Perignon???

[MyraTrue]

oh, no, no no... this is the cheap chataeu de ****e 2003.

[lochinvar]

MyraTrue, the real answer is that "they" decided long ago that automobiles would cost "x" number of dollars--period, regardless of age or condition.

So, you can pay it all up front and get a few years of worry-free operation, or you can pay a little up front and then pay and pay and pay for repairs...

It's the same dollar figure, it's just a question of paying lump sum or paying installments.

[Epee_Pox]

It's part of the "Vimes 'Boots' Theory" of economics: the wealthier you are, the less money you need to spend.

A well-crafted item will cost a lot up front, but will last forever with few additional repair/maintenance costs. Whereas a cheap item costs less up front, but requires repairs and maintenance and frequent replacement.

So, the theory goes, a wealthy person pays perhaps $300 for a good pair of shoes that last a lifetime, but a poor person has to pay $30 for a cheap pair of shoes every year or two. Ultimately, the poor person spends much more than the wealthy person for the same outcome.

Ironic, indeed.

[glowstix]

So... I think they're everywhere. What have the rest of you noticed?

Maybe its just one more rant thread, but:

Today I can't help but think that car ownership is one more amusing aspect of "hey, wait, its not supposed to work THAT way!" .

Isn't it true that you get what you pay for? It seems to me that if you can just barely afford a car, its usually one thats going to cost you a fortune in repairs. And by the time you're making enough money that you could actually cover the repairs, you could buy a car that actually runs well- no repairs needed.

Wait, isn't that backwards?

*pumps the gas pedal and chants "come on baby, come on baby...", when the truck finally starts, pops the cork on champagne bottle to celebrate* WOO!

oh gosh!! don't i know it!! i'm experiencing that right now by the time this evil car is done with me i may as well had just waited this long and get a new one.

[epeeisky]

oh gosh!! don't i know it!! i'm experiencing that right now by the time this evil car is done with me i may as well had just waited this long and get a new one.

I know how that is. If my car finds an oil pressure sticks with, turns on, and doesn't start to smoke in one day then I will have a party.

[ReverseLunge]

Disneyland is a human trap operated by a mouse.

[RITFencing]

I don't know if this counts as life's little ironies, but yesterday I saw a group of trick or treaters where one dressed as an old man and another, right over his shoulder, dressed as the grim reaper. Thought it was kind of amusing.

[parrythis]

When I first started watching TV, there were only three channels - ABC, CBS, and NBC. UHF had not yet been invented and cable/sattelite had not yet been imagined. I find it ironic that there are now hundreds of channels to choose from and yet there is very little worth watching on most of them.