Sometimes, you just have to learn to let go
Moving is such a hassle: you've already packed up clothes that nobody wears, bicycles nobody rides and appliances that seemed like such a good idea at the time. One time, I just took the whole kitchen junk drawer, dumped it into the new place and took the empty drawer back.
A friend of mine, Scott, is moving this week. His hesitation is far bigger than mine has ever been. He has a whole truck sitting there, ailment undiagnosed, treatment undetermined. All he knows is it doesn't work, he is moving and a decision long delayed will have to be made.
It's not even his back-up. He's been hoofing it and busing it for a couple of months now. He believes the differential is shot. This was his opinion when I asked, but he's a musician and writer, and I asked him if he knew what a differential was. He got a little indignant and replied that a friend of his, a part-time mechanic, had pronounced the cause for concern.
"So, is your friend going to fix it for you?" I asked.
"Well, actually he's a full-time lead guitarist and has some problems with dependability ...," he admitted.
And so a 1998 Jeep Cherokee sits, hiding in an underground garage.
If it were a more exotic bird, some might even think he was wintering it. Well, if it weren't for the odd noises, weird vibration and strange smell it makes when he starts it. He's faced with the dilemma that most car owners have to face one day: tow or go? Pay or stay? Fix or nix? Buy or cry?
It's a lousy spot to be in. Not everyone can scoot out and buy a new car, even if Scott's Jeep falls right into the 11-year-old age bracket that would be part of the "ditch a clunker" incentive the major manufacturers are asking the provincial government to consider.
Like Premier Dalton McGuinty, Scott believes there is a "certain, compelling dimension" to replacing his vehicle. He also believes there is a more compelling dimension to using transit and mooching rides. I was happy to point out I'd recently read that an old car on the road spits out the equivalent toxins of 37 new cars. Scott replied that by only thinking about driving a car, and not actually doing it, he was saving even more.
At his new destination, he was pleased to discover a plethora of neighbours eager to make his acquaintance. "What a pleasant bunch," he thought to himself.
Until he realized they only wanted his parking spot. I believe he used the words "carrion" and "vultures," leading me to believe this may not be the most auspicious start at his new home.
There are parts of the country where an abandoned vehicle or two is not out of place. Of course, these are the parts that don't make many garden tours, but vehicular landscaping is hardly new.
Unfortunately, the urban backdrop of Scott's situation is ruling out parking the Jeep in the weeds ... though he's still hoping to find a new lead guitarist soon.
Read Lorraine Sommerfeld every Thursday on wheels.ca
www.lorraineonline.ca
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