Month: May 2018

Cars and Planes for Skinny Midgets

by Connie H. Deutsch

A friend had always driven a full-size sedan so when the car rental agency told him they were reserving a full-size car for him, he naturally assumed it was going to be like the cars he had always owned.

If it weren’t so pathetic, it would be funny. I watched him folding himself into the car and ducking so that his head didn’t hit the top while he was driving.

Getting out was the reverse procedure. He opened the door and ducked down so he didn’t hit his head as he slowly unfolded his long legs and eased out of the car.

What was amazing to me is that while studies show that each generation gets taller and wider, the seats in our cars and planes have gotten smaller and narrower.

Years ago, plane seats used to be wider and had a lot of leg room. Nowadays, they have jammed three seats into the space where there used to be two seats and added an extra row to decrease the leg room to add six more passengers.

The airlines want to make more money and by putting extra, narrower seats into the planes, they can pack the passengers in like sardines and increase their profits. And anyone who is too tall or who is wider than the new seats is now being told they have to buy two tickets instead of one.

I get the rationale of the airline seats. But that doesn’t explain why the car interiors have gotten narrower and lower. Most of them look and feel like tin cans and they don’t give you the feeling of safety, either as a passenger or as the driver.

Owners of these midget, full-sized cars give you the argument that studies show how safe they are. I disagree.

I remember one time when I was waiting at a traffic light for the light to turn green. It was raining very hard and all of a sudden, I felt someone crash into the back of my car. A policewoman got out of her car and came over to us.

The driver of the other car was crying because she had just bought her new car the week before and the front of it was crushed in. My car didn’t even sustain a scratch. The policewoman yelled at this woman for driving such a tin can and told her she should be driving a sturdy car like mine.

The next generation will probably have to deal with these issues. In the meantime, just duck down, take a deep breath, hold your tummy in, and hope you can survive the plane or car trip without bursting out of your seat.

In today’s auto sales industry, more consumers than ever before are seeking alternatives to traditional car purchases and leases. Financing a car is a lot of work for most people but it doesn’t have to be a daunting task if you know what you are getting into. The first step to your unique needs is to find a car dealership that is reputable, dependable, and will give you the car and financing terms that you deserve. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you get the best dealership for your needs:

-Always make sure that a dealer has an upstanding reputation in the community. No matter how good their deals claim to be or what type of credit approval they offer, they need to have a stable reputation, history in the market, and a commitment to helping their customers. That way, you can buy a car from someone you can trust.

-Read all of the terms and conditions of their “no credit check” process or financing solutions. Depending on the dealer or seller, there might be different rules and guidelines that have to be followed. You need to know exactly what you’re agreeing to when you choose this type of financing.

-Do your homework on the cars. Don’t assume that something is listed for its value. Right now the market is yours, and you need to make sure that dealers aren’t charging you too much for the car you want. Check out the value and make sure that you get a fair price along with good terms and conditions.

-Ask about payment reporting. In some situations, consumers want to have a dealer report their payments to their credit to help improve things. If this is something you were considering, you should ask a dealer if they offer the service. This is a helpful tool if you can find it, but it isn’t essential.

There is a lot that goes into buying a car. When you need non-traditional financing solutions, it can get even more complicated. Keep these tips and guidelines in mind so that you can check out all of your options for auto financing and get the loan that you need on a car that you love. It isn’t difficult, by any means, but it is something that takes a little time and effort on your part to ensure that you’re getting a good deal from a reputable car dealership.