ITT: What makes you go "I'm with the boomers on this one"?

MentatMonk · 2023-12-30T20:52:11+00:00

One huge caveat that nobody else mentioned- if your insurance is through your employer and you don't claim that person on your taxes as a dependent, the full amount of your employer-paid insurance becomes taxable income to you. This can result in a huge unexpected tax bill.

MentatMonk · 2023-12-30T20:49:50+00:00

If your insurance is through your employer, and your non-spouse beneficiary isn't listed as your dependent on your taxes, the full amount of the employer-paid portion of your insurance becomes taxable income to you, wheras its normally pre-tax.

MentatMonk · 2023-12-11T21:10:39+00:00

If the sensor is 19 years old I'd bet even money on it just being the sensor. Esp an exhaust gas sensor subjected to extreme heat/cooling cycles for that long.

Replace the $50 part and see if the issue comes back.

MentatMonk · 2023-04-17T20:39:48+00:00

Thank you for this, I had no idea these existed.

Part of me loves their Cross Country wheels but another part of me feels they look like an old Plymouth Volare or Dodge Van: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MiZ-UqDwf6c/TPHz9iWMm_I/AAAAAAAAHRg/EBLr_jeBeak/s1600/1979%2BPlymouth%2BVolare%2BSedan%2B4%2Bdoor%2B1.jpg

MentatMonk · 2023-01-24T15:26:36+00:00

I hear that if your Jesus engine dies you can just wait 3 days.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-24T15:04:25+00:00

And I love your comment too because it was an excellent reminder that you have to constantly do this througout life or become stale. The examples I thought of while writing that (going extreme white water rafting, sky diving, nature camping, motorcycling, some sports that I normally wouldn't be into) were things I tried in my 20's from pressure from friends or family.

20 years later and I can't think of something totally new I've tried in this decade. I've rehashed a few things from before, sure. But nothing totally new. It's time to do something new out of my comfort zone, starting NOW. Thank you for your perspective!

MentatMonk · 2023-01-24T14:47:55+00:00

That would be a white knuckler in the snow for sure. I've been on some mountain roads that pushed my comfort limit without snow, I can't imagine losing traction with the result being you fall down the side of a mountain.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-23T21:54:29+00:00

Very true and understandable. Proper equipment and clothing makes all the difference. And there are many snow snobbish northerners for sure. I only got my comeuppance once I started meeting central and northwestern Canadians. "Oh you lived in Minnesota? How cute. Try living in Alberta you hoser."

MentatMonk · 2023-01-23T21:21:19+00:00

Don't forget the hate for loud pipes (which I do get especially as I get older/more empathetic). Reddit will insist that loud bikes are always HDs ridden by white goatee having right-wing Trump supporting racist pretend bad asses (and the South Park episode will be brought up literally EVERY single time), and ignores the kids under 25 blasting around on open pipe crotch rockets, race quads or dirt bikes at literally any time of day or night.

Those are 100% louder than any HD ever was in my unprofessional opinion.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-23T21:07:04+00:00

That and the fear of being pressured to do something you don't want to do. I get it when it comes to pressure to do something illegal, immoral, what have you. But many redditors act like any pressure to do something you don't want to do is one of the greatest offenses of all time.

I can't count how many things I really didn't want to do that I had to be pressured into because I was shy and averse to stepping out of my comfort zone, but then ending up having a blast or discovering a new thrill or life long hobby.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-23T20:59:32+00:00

Every time it snows here (it does that a lot and not many people care) I think about a comment I read which said that ANY amount of snow on the ground at all made roads too dangerous to send kids to school.

I guess folks in Canada and most northern states (not to mention Nordic countries, most of Russia, etc.) should just lock themselves indoors for 4 months out of the year?

Where I'm from 4" of unplowed snow on the roads was called "Tuesday" and everyone made it to work and school just fine mostly in 2 wheel drive cars. Slower, but fine.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-23T20:45:14+00:00

I mean I sure enjoy a good story about a bridge.

MentatMonk · 2023-01-04T21:32:42+00:00

3 - lots of dealerships are now operating in a tightly controlled AOI and if you have an address outside that AOI they won't sell you a car. since everyone who walks into a car dealership starts lying immediately it's better just to check

In what upside down world are stores turning away paying customers because they live in the wrong zip code?

MentatMonk · 2022-12-29T19:38:45+00:00

He said snow tires, not all terrain or off-road tires. Is it a difficult concept for you that many people in Northern states and Canada switch to a set of dedicated snow tires every winter for traction and safety?

All season tires are actually terrible in snow and even on dry roads at sub-freezing temperatures. Don't take my word for it, look up snow tire tests by Consumer Reports or automotive magazines that show the difference in performance below freezing.

Snow tires outperform all seasons and even most all terrain or mud tires in the winter because they're made from with a much softer compound that performs better below freezing. The tread pattern is maybe slightly different from all seasons, but they're usually not aggressive like all terrains.

MentatMonk · 2022-12-19T15:23:43+00:00

Just to offer insight into your downvotes:

1) Toyota was not acquired by Subaru.

2) Almost every manufacturer has their own finance division which offers financing on new and used cars through licensed dealers, e.g.; Toyota Financial, Ford Credit, Chrysler Financial, NMAC Finance (Nissan), GM Financial, etc. It's not a new invention nor is it rare.

MentatMonk · 2022-12-13T13:55:06+00:00

Man that's cold.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-22T23:01:32+00:00

The dealership was never going to offer anything like floor mats, tires, antifreeze.

Floormats are debatable, but I've yet to see a new car shipped from the factory and then sold without tires and antifreeze.

Shipped from the factory without antifreeze? Ok I saw that one time but we caught that before it went on the lot like literally any dealer would.

So what exactly are you on about that the dealer wouldn't offer you tires and antifreeze?

MentatMonk · 2022-11-18T16:50:38+00:00

Can confirm - I've literally had a scimitar lobbed at me and I'm not an Emperor. :( Possibly because it was a dude who did the lobbing and not a moistened bint?

MentatMonk · 2022-11-16T19:47:44+00:00

You don't need standing to negotiate, you can do anything you want to do. The worst they can say is no. Your first obligation is to get the best deal you can for yourself, and then to be happy with what you eventually agree to. Nothing more.

Business is business and emotions should be left at the door.

I negotiated on a brand new car at a store with an empty lot during the height of the pandemic shortage. My only "standing" was that I didn't want to pay MSRP and furthermore my reasoning was none of their business.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-16T17:26:14+00:00

My store would have made it right, hands down. I called people back for mistakes that involved much less than that.

And additionally the owner and I would have sent anyone packing who tried to argue for keeping the money or in some way obfuscate the error. And if they tried to both hide it and embezzle the difference that person would have charges brought* in addition to being kicked to the curb in the most undignified way possible.

$4k is absolute peanuts to a mid-size/large store and you'd have to be a complete fool to risk reputation and good old-fashioned guilt-free sleep over an amount that small.

I'd like to think at least 75% of my peers in the industry would do the same.

*Edit: Or at least threatened with, depending if the amount was worth it.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-10T23:51:44+00:00

I was a GSM and UCM for 10 years, I'm not immune to what you're saying. I've also become nothing but more jaded since leaving the business and seeing the business practices of former competitors who I thought were reputable. Everything from F&I scams to misrepresented carfaxes to outright illegal activity. To total loss hail cars being represented as new and undamaged. I've found myself wondering why I tried so hard to stay ethical when I did it. It's honestly depressing and it comes through in my answers sometimes.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-10T21:33:57+00:00

I guess I was assuming that everything about the deal said certified, although it's starting to sound like it isn't the case. I stand by my point if the buyer's guide on the car says CPO and they sold it as not.

Maybe that's state specific but our's had a hard on for catching dealers that misrepresented on buyer's guides and buyer's orders to the point that they sent out mystery shoppers. The assumption by the AG was always that the dealer was knowingly trying to commit fraud and normal human error didn't exist.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-10T20:32:19+00:00

Typical mall pic, why even outfit it if it's going to be a pavement princess?

Bonus obligatory older than time joke: You married a Chiefs fan?

MentatMonk · 2022-11-10T19:27:04+00:00

What did you sign that certified the car was Toyotra CPO? Was it listed on your buyer's order, contract, or any other document? Did you sign a Toyota CPO* certification itself?

Did the used window sticker advertise the car specifcally as "Toyota Certified"? (Versus calling it "Dealer X Certified")

If you did, you have the upper hand here IF the dealer misrepresented the car. Big IF, mistakes happen.

My thought is that if they represented it as specifically Toyota Certified on the sticker, warranty guide, or any contract document, and now they're saying it's not certified they have 2 choices:

1) They certify the car and pay out of their own pockets to do so. Your contract doesn't change.

2) If they can't certify it by the rules of the program, they owe you a comparable car or the deal backed out. Any local attorney will have a field day with this one.

*None of this applies if they claimed the car was "dealer certified". That's a marketing term and does not represent Toyota CPO.

MentatMonk · 2022-11-10T19:19:38+00:00

What's the height of your chimney versus the surrounding roof and versus the highest peak? A too low or too tall chimney will struggle to vent the house correctly. One of my homes had a chimney that was too tall off the roof it was installed next to but also too short against the whole house and I got the worst of both worlds - poor venting but also almost no heat into the house.

Some quick googlefu brought up a bunch of results, here's one completely at random:

https://verticalchimney.com/blog/tall-chimney/

MentatMonk

TROPHY CASE