George passed!

Not my car - but one of his close cousins


Right now, I am in a state of shock.

My car, George, is a 1995 Saturn SL1 with 176k+ miles. He's a great car - I love him.

When DH and I moved to Maryland, I took my car to a Saturn dealership nearby (without being potentially held liable for slander, I won't name names) who looked at a hairline crack along the furthest edge of the passenger side of the car (in the painted area) and promptly said "Your car won't pass Maryland inspection with that crack." Now George had easily passed PA inspection for several years with that crack. When I asked how much it would cost to replace the windshield - I was quoted a figure of $700.

Now, I love my car, but I was poor, jobless, not even a student at that point, and sinking $700 into my precious, but worn, car for something like a windshield was just not in the cards. I called around for a couple of other quotes, but never got anything lower than $600, so I sold my car to my father-in-law for free, who registered and insured the car in PA, but allowed me to continue to drive it.

Well, I'm sometimes not a very together person, and I have, on occasion, gotten parking tickets that have been forgotten. About a week and a half ago, my FIL received notice about one of those tickets. Needless to say he was not happy with me. After chatting with DH about the problems of the current arrangement - including the potential liability factor - we decided to try and bring George up to Maryland inspection standards and insure and title him with us.

I got a new quote for a windshield replacement (this time $350 with Safelite) and made an appointment for early Saturday morning. However, in a stroke of genious (hah) I realized that I should get George inspected before the windshield replacement - just to see what other problems might be lurking.

I took him in this morning, and, wearing my lowest cut sweater and using all my womanly charms, bounced and giggled and otherwise performed for the service boys and the man who would be doing the state inspection. They all acted very grim, noting that the windshield crack was pretty long, and that the back tires were a little worn. I was prepared for the worst - apparently Maryland inspection standards are quite tough.

You cannot imagine my shock and amazement when I chatted with them this afternoon and they relayed that except for needing new windshield wipers, my car was in solid shape and had passed the inspection. "What about the windshield?" I asked.

"It passed." They replied.

"Shut up!" I cried in my best Elaine Benes imitation. "Shut up." Shut up."

There was much laughing on the other end of the line. I don't know whether a little bouncing in a low cut sweater or a toss of my supercute blond hair made any difference. But George passed! He passed!

Somewhere I hope that a certain Saturn service idiot is rotting in hell.

I love George.