Amusement at work....
Got to work and was shown a column from Dayton Daily News's "Wheels" section from Saturday, 1/7/05. In this column people write in to two car gurus (Tom and Ray). The amusement came from this.
Did oil change feature slick maneuver?
Dear Tom and Ray:
I am writing to you at my dad's request. Recently, my boyfriend offered to change the oil in my car for me. I have a 1992 Olds 88 in very good condition (180,000 miles). Up until now, my dad has maintained it. My boyfriend charged me $45 for parts and nothing for the work. He said most of the cost was to refill the fluid levels in the headlights. When I informed my dad of this, he called me an idiot and told me not to see this boy ever again. When I asked why, he said to write to you guys. I don't understand. My boyfriend said he used the "halogen" type fluid, which is supposed to be better than the standard type. What did I do wrong? - Melissa.
TOM: Gee, I don't know, Melissa. My brother tops off my headlight fluid all the time, and he usually charges me more than that.
RAY: Actually, there are two possibilities here, Melissa. One is that you misunderstood what your boyfriend said. Perhaps instead of saying he replaced the "fluid levels in the headlights," he actually said he took care of the "fluid levels AND the headlights." That would be perfectly reasonable.
TOM: Yeah. You can get halogen bulbs for that car; they cost about $50 for a pair. Add that to the oil and filter, and your boyfriend's actually losing money on the deal. Or getting you very good prices.
EDIT: I talked to the parts guys here at Serco, and they said the bulbs are MAYBE $5-10 each, or $10-20 for the pair. $50 is if you buy them, installed, at the dealership.
RAY: The other possibility is that he's a criminal, and you should dump him and never speak to him again. Headlights don't require any fluid. And if he's willing to lie to you for $45, imagine what he'll do if he ever gets within sniffing distance of your bank account.
TOM: So, ask him again what he did to your car. Tell him you're not sure you heard it correctly. If he says "fluids and headlights," give him a big kiss and thank him for being such a good boyfriend.
RAY: If he says "fluid IN the headlights," or tries to get another $45 out of you to put red fluid in the taillights, dump some itching powder in his undershorts and don't look back, Melissa.
Everyone around the office got a kick out of this, so I thought I would share.
Did oil change feature slick maneuver?
Dear Tom and Ray:
I am writing to you at my dad's request. Recently, my boyfriend offered to change the oil in my car for me. I have a 1992 Olds 88 in very good condition (180,000 miles). Up until now, my dad has maintained it. My boyfriend charged me $45 for parts and nothing for the work. He said most of the cost was to refill the fluid levels in the headlights. When I informed my dad of this, he called me an idiot and told me not to see this boy ever again. When I asked why, he said to write to you guys. I don't understand. My boyfriend said he used the "halogen" type fluid, which is supposed to be better than the standard type. What did I do wrong? - Melissa.
TOM: Gee, I don't know, Melissa. My brother tops off my headlight fluid all the time, and he usually charges me more than that.
RAY: Actually, there are two possibilities here, Melissa. One is that you misunderstood what your boyfriend said. Perhaps instead of saying he replaced the "fluid levels in the headlights," he actually said he took care of the "fluid levels AND the headlights." That would be perfectly reasonable.
TOM: Yeah. You can get halogen bulbs for that car; they cost about $50 for a pair. Add that to the oil and filter, and your boyfriend's actually losing money on the deal. Or getting you very good prices.
EDIT: I talked to the parts guys here at Serco, and they said the bulbs are MAYBE $5-10 each, or $10-20 for the pair. $50 is if you buy them, installed, at the dealership.
RAY: The other possibility is that he's a criminal, and you should dump him and never speak to him again. Headlights don't require any fluid. And if he's willing to lie to you for $45, imagine what he'll do if he ever gets within sniffing distance of your bank account.
TOM: So, ask him again what he did to your car. Tell him you're not sure you heard it correctly. If he says "fluids and headlights," give him a big kiss and thank him for being such a good boyfriend.
RAY: If he says "fluid IN the headlights," or tries to get another $45 out of you to put red fluid in the taillights, dump some itching powder in his undershorts and don't look back, Melissa.
Everyone around the office got a kick out of this, so I thought I would share.