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Right. Except the other car wasn't very reliable apparently. > That’s how I found myself, one dreary day when my Honda wouldn’t start, in my husband’s Mercedes
by runamok 12y ago
Right. Except the other car wasn't very reliable apparently.
> That’s how I found myself, one dreary day when my Honda wouldn’t start, in my husband’s Mercedes at the WIC office.
And unreliable transportation can contribute to losing your job, not being considered for a position because you got to the interview late, etc.
The author addresses that:
> And even if we had wanted to do that, here’s what people don’t understand: The reality of poverty can spring quickly while the psychological effects take longer to surface. When you lose a job, your first thought isn’t, “Oh my God, I’m poor. I’d better sell all my nice stuff!” It’s “I need another job. Now.” When you’re scrambling, you hang on to the things that work, that bring you some comfort. That Mercedes was the one reliable, trustworthy thing in our lives.
I think we all know that when you sell something you generally make pennies on the dollar for what it originally cost. And in a situation like hers you think a return to normalcy is right around the corner. I am sure they told themselves "We have to have two cars so we can go to interviews and take care of the kid, etc."
- nawitus 12y agoAtleast they could've sold the Mercedes and bought a cheaper, but just as reliable car.
- Jtsummers 12y agoBut the Mercedes was a known quantity. A cheap, used car is not a known quantity. You're talking about trading a known, slightly expensive upkeep, but reliable vehicle for an unknown, cheaper upkeep, but questionable reliability vehicle.
- HeyLaughingBoy 12y agoYou've had a car for 10 years. You know it's history. You sell it and buy another car for 3/4 the price on Craigslist. How do you know the car you just bought is reliable?
- prostoalex 12y ago"cheaper, but just as reliable car" are rarely available upfront in used car market (and we're talking 10+ year old cars). While you can dig up the reliability ratings and Consumer Reports reviews for a brand new vehicle, each used car has its own story and a host of potential problems to surface. The economic details of the transaction are such that if you need to unload a used car, you're unlikely to get a very good deal for it, but of course when you buy one, you are expected to pay dealer's repair and upkeep costs as well as markup. Plus sales tax to the state. A few hundred dollars lost on accepting suboptimal offer when selling, a few hundred dollars overpaid to drive another used car off the dealer's lot, a few hundred dollars to the state, and we start talking about some real money wasted.
- FireBeyond 12y agoWell, that was part of it... the other part, that garnered less sympathy was... "But it wasn’t a toy — it was paid off. My husband bought that car in full long before we met. Were we supposed to trade it in for a crappier car we’d have to make payments on? Only to have that less reliable car break down on us?" A crappier car? Heaven forbid. Payments? Not if you buy an appropriate car...