The Dead Battery
I don't like to park the FITS under the trees out front. They're old and not healthy, and they drop branches from time to time. So my wife moved my Sport to the driveway for me one night. The next two days we used my wife's Fit. Monday came and it was time to take my boy to school. Hmm... why won't the remote unlock my car? How do you work this keyhole thing again? Oh yeah, you can't lift the handle with the key still in the lock. Doh! OK, hold on kid, let me see if the car starts. Click. Nothing. "Mommy killed my car, we have to use the van". After dropping off my son, I went back to the car and assessed the situation. Dome lights off, CHECK. Cargo light off, CHECK. Headlight switch off? Nope. The Mrs. left my headlights on. How do you walk away from a car and not notice that the lights are on, illuminating the white garage door, I don't get it. I called her at work. "Sorry" she says. I hook up my charger and charge the battery, and by the time school lets out she starts just fine. My wife got home and asked me what I'd done for the day. I only said "couldn't go anywhere, the car was dead." Just to rub it in a little bit. But I've let it slide. Mostly. Heh heh.

Car Shopping
Next was the trip to few car dealers with my friend. He was looking to lease a replacement for his Passat. The Audi A4 is nice (I fell in lust with a TT coupe in Solar Orange... hot. $52K! Yikes). Then we went to the Honda dealer. Accord V6, Leather. Nice. Good value. Turns out with the change in gas prices they had a few Fits in stock this time, as opposed to when I bought the only cars they had in stock. Got back in my Fit and went to Infinity to look at the G35. Coupe's a lot nicer than the sedan. And btw... we were ignored and left the showroom after 15 minutes without a single salesperson interaction. We got back in my OR Fit sport and headed over to Hooters for a birthday lunch for my friend. He liked the Fit, thought it suited me, and said it really felt like you get a lot for the money.

Hey, it's like my Fit, but English...or German as it were
Then there's the guy I pursued into a lot down the road from my house. I was interested in the Mini clubman he was driving because when he went up an incline I could see that most of the roof was glass... and we know I like that sort of thing. I saw him approaching the front door of the building and said "was that you driving the Mini?" Sure was, so we had a chat. 160HP Cooper Clubman S, the big panoramic roof was a factory option. Nice, set into the roof, flush. Auto with stick shift like capability. Says he uses 10 bucks worth of gas a week or so. "Yeah, but it was expensive. 36 thousand, man." Yikes. We talked about my car a bit, exchanged pleasantries, and then I took off down the road in one of the two cars I bought for $34K with a smile on my face. Maybe they're not in the same league, but I like it.

Open Wide... or Long
Lastly, the trip to IKEA. Wheeling the cart out to the loading area. It's dark. It's cold. I've got a box that was about 8 feet long and 2 feet wide. And another that's 4' by 6'. So I unlock the car, yank the front passenger headrest, move the seat up, lay it back, and fold the back seats down. Long mode, baby. I get around back and pick up the long box and start feeding it into the Fit. I've got one end in the cargo area, the other on the barrier that keeps the carts from leaving the sidewalk. That's when I hear an employee ask "do you need a hand with that, sir?" It was a question posed with an undertone of disbelief that what I was trying to do would actually work. I said "Thanks, Sure!" He came over, grabbed an end, and helped feed the rest of the really long box in. In it went, and he let out a "Whoo!" And I said "you didn't think that was going all the way in there did you?" He said "no, I didn't! That's a big car!" I told him it's a little big car.

And that's the end of this little big post.

 

How do people forget the lights on when the car beeps at you?

 

Guess if you're not paying attention anything's possible.

You know, she asked me "wouldn't it have beeped if I left the lights on?". I told her there was a chime going "ding dong, ding dong", and she said she didn't hear anything. I refrained from saying it was calling her name.

I always look back at my car when I park it. Goes for every car I've ever driven. Locked? E brake keeping it where I put it? Windows up? Lights still on? Close to a hazard? But that's just me and my OCD.

 

That's OCD? Guess I have it too.

 

You might tell her the fuel light doesn't start blinking when it's "really" low, just in case!

Nice post!

 

Great stories. I like the one about the Clubman.

 

How did he like your skyroof?
You know I was thinking about it, and I might be leaning towards a skyroof, as opposed to the sun roof option. Regardless I wont be doing it for atleast 2 yrs.
I still gotta pass by and see your roof in person, I pick up my car sometime next week so we will see.

I like all the stories.... especially the Ikea one, reminds me of when I had my Integra hatch and would fit sooooo much equipment in there people wouldn't believe it either. I cant wait to see how much more room I have in the fit. Great anecdotes.