One day, I was driving a VW Golf TDI diesel in Vermont, and stopped at a self-service gas station. When I began filling the tank, a man from three rows over started frantically running towards me waiving his hands.

Regarding recessions and economists, I just came across this article:

Hey, I have a stuffed owl.

Finally, an electric car that is not a boring 4-door sedan (yes, I know that Tesla made a roadster, but it is out of reach for most people).

Yes, I see what you mean, and economic theory is definitely on your side. In this case, however, it seems like we have developed the mathematical tools to predict a recession well ahead of time. Having predicted it so far ahead of time, many people, and industries, are preparing. That means they are saving money; and s…

I have had absolutely horrible luck purchasing used cars. Am I the only one?

People in the lower income brackets are already spending 100% (or more) of their income on necessities, and cannot prepare for a recession. Those with disposable income, however, may start cutting back on entertainment and luxury purchases. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average consumer unit (I…

A lot of economists are predicting an imminent recession, and that is why I do not believe that it will be coming very soon. This is not because the economists are incompetent (although some of them may be), but simply because they are predicting it, and people are preparing for it. These preparations will delay, or…

I agree completely. We have never found a new car on the lot with the options that we wanted. Every new car that we have purchased was ordered from the factory. We just bought a new Subaru that was ordered from the factory, even though the dealer had many cars on the lot.

Although I have never seen a story about a car-eating porcupine, porcupines will eat aluminum. Porcupines often eat aluminum signs at parks, and I could imagine them feasting on an aluminum car body.

Yes, I agree. That is a very nice concept car, and I will forgive the hard top.

I lived in Reading (Berks County - close to Lancaster), but that was a long time ago. Yes, I remember the black bumpers, but some people also removed the bumpers and replaced them with wood.

Anyone who has lived near Lancaster, PA has probably noticed cars with wooden bumpers. The Amish (who are Mennonites) do not use electricity, and are not allowed to drive cars; but some Mennonites are allowed to drive cars as long as there is no chrome and the color is either black or brown. On older cars, with chrome…

No. We need more 2-door convertible electric sports cars. There are way too many electric 4-door sedans on the market.

At least it is a 2-door and fun to drive, not like the pervasive 4-door sedan electric cars that every auto maker is trying to peddle. I want to buy an electric car, but I want something sporty with 2-doors. My other car, a Crosstrek, is the practical one. Maybe the new electric Porsche Boxster will be fun (when and…

I the early 2000s, we moved to Vermont, and experienced quite a bit of culture shock, especially when it came to food. One day, driving home from a late work assignment, I stopped at a small restaurant for dinner. When the waitress brought the meal, she commented about how delicious the french fries tasted. On the…

My understanding is that, on the East Coast, different sections of track are controlled by different companies. On track owned by CSX (and leased by AMTRAK) a CSX dispatcher decides which train gets the right-of-way, and passenger trains often wait for freight trains to pass. AMTRAK owns a lot of the track from Boston…

Yes, AMTRAK is overbooked in the Northeast Corridor, and extremely underbooked in a lot of other places. Unfortunately, their routes are mandated by Congress.

What about the Subaru Crosstrek with a manual transmission? Can that be flat-towed? I only see flat-tow warnings for the CVT.

You are correct, but it is surprising how much a company pays for an employee. Typically, it is 1.25 to 1.4 times the hourly rate, so you cost your employer between $43.75 and $49.00, depending on your benefits. This does not include Social Security taxes and Medicare.