Stories from the Sales Frontlines

graphicguy

delthe....I'm with Bianca. Not only is driving in NYC a nightmare, parking is going to be a problem (and expensive).

Can you move closer to work? Within walking distance or a subway ride?

I've never lived in NY. Have friends who do, though. One has never had a driver's license. It's a different way of life. Everything they need seems to be in a 5 block area. They rent cars when they need to get out of the city. Or, taxi when they need to get to another part of the city.

It's exciting being in the city. On the other hand, they aren't very mobile, at least not in the way a midwesterner (me) would be, nor a Texan would be (you).

driver100

[ Some change that- from a hot desert Texas weather to a really cold place up North !]

Biancar's plan is a good one. Just use taxis or subways while in New York...parking is going to cost more than that. Renting a car on weekends can cost a lot less with specials.

I don't think it will be much cooler in Canada, and it will still be a long drive (the tilt of the earth will make it almost as warm unless you go way North in Canada). If you want to cool off stay near the water and cool off in Conneticut area, Old Orchard Beach, Portland Maine, etc. Enjoy the lobster and other seafood.

Sounds like an intersesing assignment. Maybe you can get a Segway. We were in Atlanta looking for the taxi stand and a guard riding a Segway asked if we needed help. On the return trip a guide asked if we needed help, and we did to find the gates. They were both very polite and helpful, we were impressed.

driver100

Stability control was reported several years ago with cutting accident rates 55%.

Excellent point jipster, and Stability Control is a huge factor in reducing deaths. Also ABS, and more cars have 5 Star ratings etc. But, I can't find statistics that show actual accident rates are down...death rates are down slightly.

I think it is only common sense that when you are talking on a cell phone your mind isn't completely on driving. I was waiting at a light and I saw people making a left turn with there cell held up to their ear in one hand, turning the wheel with the other hand. They have very little control.

Marketplace, CBC TV in Canada did an excellent program on how distracting GPS units are while driving. The affects or a cell phone would be very similar. It is surprising how far you travel when your eyes are off the road for a few seconds. You can see the program at GPS distraction

driver100

Try to take a look at drivers who appear to be driving well and see what they are up to

This might be of some help:
1. Cell phone use – even a hands free cell phone or the use of blue tooth technology does not guarantee that an accident won’t occur when chatting on a cell phone and driving. Harvard University conducted a study that indicated that individuals using cell phones caused 200 deaths and millions of accident related injures. These drivers are four times more likely to cause an accident. The solution of course is to not use cell phones while driving. Easier said then done, but if you must have a phone in your car, pull into a parking lot to answer any important calls if necessary. The truth is in the math!

This guy has written the TOP 10 causes of accidents:
Tp 10 leading causes of accidents

deltheking

Graphicgguy and Driver100, thanks for the responses.
Yes, I have stayed in NY before and even though driving is a nightmare there, I still prefer it to the Subway.. Subway to me is very tiring .

And I will be in Queens- so not as much traffic as in Manhattan. And I am renting an apt where parking is available and the work place also has parking.

And it gives me a chance to see how bad or unreliable the 1999-2001 Fords/Chevys/Dodges/Chryslers are, bcos for a price < 3k I doubt you can get any Toyota/Honda. Maybe a Hyun/Kia but the older ones have a stigma attached to them. :shades:

I found a listing on ebay for a 1999 Ford Windstar minivan for $2700 negotiable with 125 k miles. Looks decent,dont know how long it will last or when the engine/tranny may blow up. So what do you folks say ?? :P

deltheking

Here`s the link to that Ford Windstar :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-Ford-Windstar-LX_W0QQitemZ180489730252QQcmdZ- ViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item2a0606b8cc

biancar

Why a van?

Will you need to transport several people on a regular basis?

Personally I would never want to own something that big in NYC.

deltheking

I though about it . A minivan in NYC is a big vehicle and especially in tight parking spots. But for the price range I looked on Ebay-- this was the vehicle I found-- decent condition with year appropriate mileage and a price <3k . But yes,, unless it`s in really good condition, I would most certainly prefer a car.

deltheking

I thought about it . A minivan in NYC is a big vehicle and especially in tight parking spots. But for the price range I looked on Ebay-- this was the vehicle I found-- decent condition with year appropriate mileage and a price <3k . But yes,, unless it`s in really good condition, I would most certainly prefer a car.Mostly, it will be a car unless I get a screaming deal on others.

fezo

Friends don't let friends buy Windstalls....

biancar

In my opinion, as a former resident of Boston (lived right on the T line just where it comes up out of the ground in Brookline), it wouldn't matter how good the deal is on a vehicle that's not appropriate for how I would be living.

Will you be driving to NYC from Texas in the first place, or is the plan to take delivery of your car, whatever it might be, once you get to NY?

You might consider just putting off the purchase idea until you've lived there at least a week or two. That will let you know a) if you really need a car at all, and b) how big or small a vehicle you'd want.

Is public transport not workable between your apartment and your work? I understand that sometimes even a short distance becomes longer if you have to connect or something, but if both places are on the same line, it will be faster and easier than driving.

I totally understand the desire to go away on weekends, up to Canada or explore NY state or whatever, but that's why God gave us car rental companies. ;-)

sterlingdog

I want you to be safe during your seven months in New York. Driving in Queens is not the best way to achieve that goal, especially if you're not used to it. Public transportation is so much better. I have driven in Queens during 5 PM traffic. It was a nightmare.

Also, have you considered the cost of car insurance on your $3k clunker for a year's policy? With the $3k, car insurance, gas, parking fees, etc., you can pay for quite a few rides on public transportation or in a taxi. Best wishes as you make your plans.

Richard

isellhondas

I wouldn't buy a Windstar although by 1999, they were better than the earlier ones.

They tend to have transmission troubles and if they have the 3.8 engine, they blow head gaskets.

driver100

I would want a bigger car with a more solid frame for protection in a a place with lots of traffic. I would lean toward a Ford Crown Vic, Jeep, maybe Buick. Gas guzzlers won't matter for 20 miles a day. Personally, I would want a few safety items like airbags and a 5 star crash rating. I found vans to be flimsy compared to a car.
The Crown Vic has cheaper to repair RWD. Maybe you could get Richard's dream car...a Grand Marquis for a good price. Seem to be a lot of old ones in Florida, they can take a licking and keep on ticking

tjc78

and if they have the 3.8 engine

Please don't remind me of the Ford 3.8..... too many bad memories :sick:

driver100

One more thought Del. I saw an ad in the paper today for a company called Lease Busters. That would be a great way to go if it worked out. If they had a car with 7 months left on the lease. You might get a nice Accura or Cadillac that way, no problem having to sell it. Cost might come out comparable...$300 a month for 7 months.
It might be worth checking it out!

Kirstie_H

I'm going to loosely hypothesize from an unprofessional, statistically-unsupported point-of-view:

The reason that cell phone use has risen, and has been documented to be a contributing factor in automotive accidents, while accident rates have remained relatively flat, is that the same number of people who didn't have cell phones 20 years ago engaged in different, but equally distracting, risky driving behaviors.

It doesn't matter what specific behaviors are outlawed. People who have decided that driving is "boring" and feel they are entitled to be entertained in some way while driving, to the point that they lack appropriate focus on the task, will find another way to detach concentration and cause accidents.

murphydog

Kristie -

I couldn't agree more...bad drivers are bad drivers.

If their phone disappeared tomorrow they would simply busy themselves with something else...other than driving that is....

driver100

hypothesize from an unprofessional, statistically-unsupported point-of-view

Good theory, but I tend to think the cell phone is a totally new phenomenon which has brought a whole new wave of people who are easily distracted to the playing field.

Since it is now a law in Ontario not to talk or text with a cell phone (since Feb 2010) there are often times when they have a drive to catch people. Last weekend they fined about 20, about 6 of the 20 were texting. It is unbelievable that someone could think, they can text a message while driving! I know people eat, drink coffee, read newspapers and books, do crossword puzzles, shave, do all kinds of things while driving, but never have so many thought that it is natural to be talking or texting...while driving....one activity. The person driving while talking on a cell is not too much of a concern to me, it is the poor pedestrian that is walking across an intersection with the light, or the family out for a drive, who get hit by driver trying to dial or text.

It is true, that lots of people are engaged in activities that take away their attention to driving, lack of sleep, an arguement with their spouse, a bad day at work, financial worries etc., but this one is so obvious and should be made a law everywhere....that it is illegal to use a cell phone or to text messages while driving.
And hands free devices have been found to be just as much a distraction as hand held devices.

Sorry for going on, but I have read numerous articles, and I did teach driving to high school students for 2 years, and I think one type of driver who is very dangerous, is the one that doesn't know their own limitations.

driver100

I couldn't agree more...bad drivers are bad drivers.

Bad drivers are even worse because now they have a cell phone to distract them even more. They may have been distracted easily before, but now anyone can be distracted by talking on the phone...and anyone who has to yak on a phone for hours, can't be that bright to begin with....so they should be using whatever brain power they do have to concentrate on the task of driving.

Kirstie_H

Good theory, but I tend to think the cell phone is a totally new phenomenon which has brought a whole new wave of idiots to the playing field.

That simply doesn't make sense.

The idiots would get drivers' licenses even if they didn't have cell phones. They didn't start driving, when they otherwise would not have, had they lacked cell phones. The number of idiots on the road remains in line with the number of idiots present in the general population, regardless of technology. Cell phones didn't bring any new idiots to the road.

"I have a cell phone. I like to play with it constantly. Therefore, I must begin driving."
Implausible.

What cell phones did was give these idiots an easily-accessible, largely-affordable, portable means of distraction.

And that's not even just a theory. It's basic logic.

verdugo

It is unbelievable that someone could think, they can text a message while driving! I know people eat, drink coffee, read newspapers and books, do crossword puzzles, shave, do all kinds of things while driving, but never have so many thought that it is natural to be talking or texting...while driving....one activity.

The worst thing I've seen was this lady on the highway off ramp curling her eye lashes while driving!!! :surprise:

houdini1

Makes good sense to me.

jipster

every car on the road has stability control?

every driver on the road have a cell phone stuck in their ear? At any one point in time I'd say there are more drivers that are driving with stability control than are talking on a cell phone or texting.

Obviously cell phone usage is a contributing factor in accidents, to what extent is open to debate. I'd say it's probably at the top of the list out of about 100 distracting things people do while driving. No you can't outlaw combing ones hair, or picking ones nose. But, I wouldn't have a problem at all with having a law that forbids use of cell phones in a moving vehicle. It's the 10% of knuckleheads out there that make it dangerous for the rest of us.

driver100

What cell phones did was give these idiots an easily-accessible, largely-affordable, portable means of distraction

That's what I was trying to say. I am not sure what these idiots would have been doing before cell phones, maybe applying eye liner as in the above post. But, many would have put their 36 IQ towards trying to look at where they are driving at least.

I have seen this statistic numerous times, so unless you can play with these numbers this is hard to argue with (I am sure snake will find a way);
Talking on a cell phone while driving quadruples the chances of getting into a motor vehicle accident, according to the New England Journal of
Medicine. This risk is similar to the hazard associated with drunk driving.

That was in 2003 and before texting and when fewer people had cell phones.
Source: Cell phones/accidents

jipster

I think the idiots in the past probably kept their eyes on the road more than the idiots who are looking down at their cell phone to see who just called. Even that device the late great Billy Mayes hawked required taking your eyes off the road.

Bad drivers are bad drivers, but I wouldn't buy an alcoholic liquor, and I wouldn't want to put a cell phone in an already bad drivers hands, which magnifies the margin of error.

isellhondas

Exactly!

I can't believe that anyone could actually think that a person using a cell phone could be driving just as well if they weren't.

Kirstie_H

I'm not going to disagree with the studies, especially since I don't have the money or the interest to devote to running one of my own.

What I'm disagreeing with is duplicating broader, existing laws, that simply aren't being widely enforced. If you're observed engaging in a dangerous and distracting activity while driving, or driving in a careless manner, you should be pulled over.

If I'm driving down open highway and call home to let the family know I'll be late, I usually feel quite safe and think the payoff in alleviating my family's worries about my safety outweighs the almost non-existent risk in me making that brief phone call. So, you'll never get me to agree that banning all cell phone use makes sense.

I used to have a bro-in-law who, prior to cell phones, played video poker while driving. I knew someone else who read the newspaper. Neither of these activities warrants a specific new law, but both are already offenses for which a person could be ticketed. My own feeling is that cell phone use (and particularly texting) could and should be evaluated by law enforcement in the same way.

michaellno

I bought a car over the weekend ... well, my step-daughter and I did.

Pleasant experience ... no hassle, no haggling. And, best of all, no doc fee!

Even still, it took almost 6 hours from start to finish.

Of course, the dealer had a slight advantage in that they are the only one in the state selling this particular brand, so we didn't have a lot of choices.

boomchek

That's so funny. I like how you handle some of these situations GG. Some places are so stuck on their process that they end up hurting themselves with it.

Reminds me of an old sales manager that worked at one of my dealerships I was at.

A salesman had a customer ready to buy with deposit in hand. The salesman takes the buyer's order with a deposit to the sales manager to finalize it (at full MSRP). Salesman said the customer didn't need to drive the car and was ready to buy right now. The manager wouldn't accept the MSRP deal with a deposit until the customer test drove the car. Nevertheless the deal was lost and customer didn't come back. The sales manager didn't work at that dealership for much longer.

stickguy

Investigate a LT rental. When you add up all the buy/sell/insurance/repair costs, it might end up cheaper. Plus you will get a much better car to use.

Or, buy real cheap. A guy near me seems to be running a little side deal (maybe curbstoning) with 1 car at a time for sale on his driveway.

Currently has a later model cavalier. White 4 door, so surface rust (not holes yet) on the DS rockers and lower doors. But overall, looks respectable.

Price? $999. Yes, under the magic 1K mark. And I assume it runs!

driver100

. So, you'll never get me to agree that banning all cell phone use makes sense.
At least if driving while on a cell phone is against the law....and you do call home, and you are in an accident, you will be charged and your insurance rates will go sky high.......and I think that is reasonable, and might stop a few people from driving while distracted by a cell phone.

It also makes it so I don't get frustrated driving behind somebody who I clearly see is talking on their cell phone, while they wander around in their lane, holding up 20 cars behind them......causing even more accidents.

fushigi

You sound just like me. We already have distracted/dangerous/reckless driving laws. We don't need one-trick-pony laws that add nothing to the game. What we need is better enforcement of the laws we already have, most likely achieved by putting more police on the road.

isellhondas

The only one in the state selling that brand?

Soiunds like it's either a very small state or you bought a Smart Car?

I hope it's the former!

michaellno

Sounds like it's either a very small state or you bought a Smart Car?

I hope it's the former!

I live in Colorado, so not that small of a state, but didn't buy a Smart.

While at the dealer, they did tell us that a second dealer selling this brand is scheduled to open up later this year in Loveland.

jipster

but didn't buy a Smart.

I don't think any of the sales people are going to hunt you down for not paying a doc. fee. So, what kind of car did you buy? :surprise:

Even still, it took almost 6 hours from start to finish.

Man, you took the "Jipst Method" to the extreme. Why 6 hours?

lrguy44

Michael, you even have me stumped. I seriously doubt if you bought her a Ferrari, Lotus or other exotic. Maybe a Vespa, Duchati or Victory? Tough go in the winter though. Infinity has 2 dealers. Is there still a left over new Yugo?

fezo

I can appreciate teh 6 hours. It took a few hours to do the 07 Camry and that was with the price worked out before we even came up. That FWI nonsense and just having people run around with paper can take a long time. I have to stop buying on Saturdays.

I was actually surprised there is only one XXXX dealer in Colorado.

Kirstie_H

At least if driving while on a cell phone is against the law....and you do call home, and you are in an accident, you will be charged and your insurance rates will go sky high.......and I think that is reasonable, and might stop a few people from driving while distracted by a cell phone.

Not to belabor the point, but that is already the case - if I am in an accident which is my fault, as a result of my failure to pay attention to the road, and if I admit I was on a cell phone (which I'd have to do unless observed, law or no law), I could be charged under a number of existing laws, some of which carry heavy penalties, most of which would cause my insurance rates to go sky-high.

explorerx4

are the number of X's significant?

biancar

Had a very pleasant experience this afternoon buying my soon-to-be mine new Volvo V70. This was the third Volvo dealer I went to; it's about 45 miles from my home.

The sales woman was very pleasant, very professional, and mostly, had the exact car I wanted. Interesting thing was that I *thought* I wanted one color and would have been prepared to order. They had that color on the lot but not quite the options I wanted. The car equipped as I wanted happened to be a different color, Caspian Blue. In person, turned outI liked that color better than the Seashell beigey-silvery color I had originally preferred.

I go back Wednesday afternoon to pick it up. Looking forward to it.

The Volvo dealers closer to me didn't have quite what I wanted. But one salesman tried to push me into something I didn't want, and another spent more time on discussing financing then on trying to find me the right car. I don't need financing. I need the right car.

It was an interesting experience.

And yes, Isell, it has the Homelink package, one of my "must haves," so I was happy about that.

fezo

Nice choice, Bianca! That blue is really nice.

are the number of X's significant?

Wasn't meant to be....

jmonroe

Had a very pleasant experience this afternoon buying my soon-to-be mine new Volvo V70.

Congratulations on what you are about to buy. I hope this doesn't jinx the deal.

If it weren't for the non biz guys buying, there wouldn't be any sales tales here.

Can anyone remember the last time we had a sales tale from a guy in the biz? :surprise:

jmonroe

driver100

Congratulations biancar! Sounds like a very nice car, and the negotiations went pretty easy. Way to go!!!!!!
I like the way they did the rear tail lights.

driver100

I could be charged under a number of existing laws, some of which carry heavy penalties,

It's easier to slip out of being charged, or being charged for something else.....this way it can't be ignored, you are definitely breaking a law. If it isn't on the books, you just weren't paying attention, which is not as serious.

50% of the drivers on the road are below average drivers, we need all the protection we can get!

I guess we have to agree to disagree.

jipster

Can anyone remember the last time we had a sales tale from a guy in the biz?

I can't even remember who the sales guys are anymore. Madmanmoo left Edmunds for greener pastures, greenpea split, joel is busy counting his Ford stock. I can't recall the last sales story. Michael bought a XXXX whatever that is, don't think he's in sales though. Oh well, back to our thread on cell phone usage. :sick:

stickguy

I love though. if I had the need and the scratch, it would be high on the list.

murphydog

Driver -

2 simple questions -

1. if phones disappeared tomorrow by what % do you think accidents and death would go down? 10%? 50% 400%?

2. If talking on the phone quadruples your chance of a wreck how come accident rates have not gone through the roof? If there was a statistical correlation don't you think the insurance companies would have figured out how to jack up the rates of cell phone users?

Sorry to beat a dead horse on this one but bad drivers are bad drivers. Imaging the biggest idiot on the road - take away his/her phone - is he/she now driving at the speed limit, both hands on the wheel (10 and 2!) using their turn signals, letting people merger, etc, etc etc? Uh....no they are simply doing something else, like fishing their MP3 player out from under the seat, looking for and playing that favorite DVD, etc, etc, etc.

Banning phones gives a false sense of security and really does not do much to make the roads safer....but it does allow for increase revenue...

murphydog

jipster -

You are right, 'nuff said on my part -

I wish I had a sales story to share - I am jonesing for a new ride for wife...and indirectly me as she never drives when we are together!

tidester

... I don't get frustrated driving behind somebody who I clearly see is talking on their cell phone ...

Would you be violating the law by calling the police with your cell phone to report that person?

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper