Buying
a new car can be a stressful experience, and people usually have plenty
of questions about the process. How does negotiation work? Is the
dealership trying to rip me off? Do I need rustproofing? What happens
if I plow through a bustling outdoor marketplace on a test drive,
killing dozens; isn’t the salesperson responsible?
I’m sure you’re
sitting there smugly mouthing the answers to these without even
thinking about it, but you’d be surprised at how many of us can’t do
that. Not everyone can be as great as you, you know. Jeez.
Buying
a new car can be a stressful experience, and people usually have plenty
of questions about the process. How does negotiation work? Is the
dealership trying to rip me off? Do I need rustproofing? What happens
if I plow through a bustling outdoor marketplace on a test drive,
killing dozens; isn’t the salesperson responsible?
I’m sure you’re
sitting there smugly mouthing the answers to these without even
thinking about it, but you’d be surprised at how many of us can’t do
that. Not everyone can be as great as you, you know. Jeez.
Q.
One of my friends said that the most important thing to remember when
buying a new car is to make a good first impression. Is this true?
A. Yes!
Just visit any dealership and you’ll see why this is the case. If
you’re an average-looking clean-shaven individual, twelve bloodthirsty
salesmen will immediately whoosh in and start swarming all around you
like gnats. If it’s an American car dealership, they may even
start shoving you or tearing at your clothing too. The best thing to do in
this scenario is to just curl up in a ball, continuously scream “I’m just looking!” and wait for them to lose
interest.
Q. But what can I do to gain the upper hand in the face of such tyranny?
A. I
would suggest attempting to trick the salespeople. Clothe yourself in
an oily shawl or torn rags and shuffle into the dealership with your
head down. Employees with either avoid you completely, approach you and
ask you to leave, or call the cops on you. No matter what happens, you
should eventually shout something like “Behold, I am revealed in all my
glory!” and allow the tattered clothing to fall from your body,
revealing a well-made three piece suit or beautiful dress. Now you’ve
got them.
Q. I’ve arrived at the dealership, but nobody is around to help me, what the hell is this crap?
A.
The first thing to make sure of is that the dealership is actually
open. I can’t count the number of times I’ve broken into a darkened
business late at night only to discover that it’s closed. Check the
hours on the front door.
But if the dealership is open and I still can’t find someone, I usually just start climbing on the various
structures in the lobby and punching the doors of cars until the alarms
go off while shouting “Heeeeelp! Heeelp! Oh god! OH SWEET JESUS NO!!!; Someone usually shows
up within moments, and if they don’t, at least I had some fun.
Q. Sometimes I feel out of place at dealerships. How does someone shy like me go about browsing the lot?
A.
Just strut around like you own the place. Remember, the employees are there to
serve YOU. Unfortunately though, you’re probably going to have to have a
salesperson with you whether you like it or not. You can try waving
them away disgustedly or kicking at them if you’d like, but in my
experiments this has had little discernible effect on their
earnestness. You might attempt to lose them though.
One way
would be just to run everywhere, vaulting over parking barriers and
sliding across the hoods of cars while screaming the foulest curses you
can imagine. The other (and far easier) method is to request a test
drive. After the salesman has buckled himself into the seat next to
you, engage the child safety lock and exclaim “Buddy, you’re in for the
ride of your life!” Then drive the car towards a body of water or into a busy
intersection at high speed, leaping out at the last second.
Q. How do I root out a quality car from the hundreds which are available?
A. Here’s a handy sort of checklist you can print out and consult while you look at cars:
Test Dent Resistance
Give
each portion of the body (doors, bumpers, windows, etc.) a good
strong kick with a thick boot to make sure the materials can withstand
regular wear and tear.
If any portion of the car dents, shatters, or
breaks off, shake your head while clucking your tongue and move on.
Take a “Stationary Test Drive”
Climb
into the driver’s seat of the car and buckle the belt. Put on a pair of
sunglasses and start pressing all the buttons, fiddling with the knobs,
and pulling every lever. Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands
and turn left and right it as if you were driving while making a
vrooming sound.
If you’d like you can add in some airplane sounds and
machine gun fire as well, even though it doesn’t make sense.
Perform an Engine Check
Start the car and open the hood. Look around for a fast-moving belt or
spiny wheel of some kind (you may have to tear off a few plastic pieces
to get to one).
When you’ve located it, put your face, hand, or other
appendage inside in an attempt to stop it. If the engine seizes, it’s
no good.It isn’t stealing if nobody finds out.
Check Ash Trays for Change
If you find any, it’s yours to keep. It isn’t stealing if nobody owns the car yet.