Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

1254125422544254625473108

Comments

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856
    edited May 2021

    @stickguy said:
    I loved taking my own car when we were allowed to. Make a fortune at the per mile charge. And nicer than the rentals they eventually required us to get instead.

    I was lucky during my heavy traveling days that the company had a few really nice “pool” cars. He handed down his wife’s cars and his vacation home cars.

    Around 2005 the fleet was
    96 Town and Country
    96 Grand Cherokee Limited
    98 Navigator
    2003 Navigator
    There was an Altima and Subaru too.

    I had lots of seat time in both Navigators. Great long distance cruisers

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    So? Apply now, avoid the rush.

    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a36440563/lithium-metal-battery-breakthrough-electric-vehicles/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_pop&utm_medium=email&date=051721&utm_campaign=nl23607445&utm_term=AAA -- High Minus Dormant and 90 Day Non Openers

    “This battery technology could increase the lifetime of electric vehicles to that of the gasoline cars—10 to 15 years—without the need to replace the battery. With its high current density, the battery could pave the way for electric vehicles that can fully charge within 10 to 20 minutes.”
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    You could start your own youtube channel for videos. Some folks have had great financial success.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    What's a "pension"?

    I support the YT idea. You can be the next Scotty Kilmer! We need more of those!
    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    fintail said:

    What's a "pension"?

    I support the YT idea. You can be the next Scotty Kilmer! We need more of those!

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 31,964
    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    How do you get a job as a test car dummie?

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • jmonroe1jmonroe1 Member Posts: 7,466
    driver100 said:

    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    How do you get a job as a test car dummie?
    Don’t worry you’re already qualified. :D

    jmonroe
    '15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited May 2021

    @fintail said:
    What's a "pension"?

    I support the YT idea. You can be the next Scotty Kilmer! We need more of those!

    My wife has one of those. It's a legal scheme where you collect money after retirement until you die. The best part, she is receiving more monthly income in retirement than when she worked. On top of that, she gets free Medicare Part C and free Medicare Part D. What a country.

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,097
    "Scheme" sounds about right :)

    But younger people today have it so much easier lol :'(
    bwia said:



    My wife has one of those. It's a legal scheme where you collect money after retirement until you die. The best part, she is receiving more monthly income in retirement than when she worked. On top of that, she gets free Medicare Part C and free Medicare Part D. What a country.

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    bwia said:

    @fintail said:

    What's a "pension"?

    I support the YT idea. You can be the next Scotty Kilmer! We need more of those!

    My wife has one of those. It's a legal scheme where you collect money after retirement until you die. The best part, she is receiving more monthly income in retirement than when she worked. On top of that, she gets free Medicare Part C and free Medicare Part D. What a country.


    Social security?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,217

    bwia said:

    @fintail said:

    What's a "pension"?

    I support the YT idea. You can be the next Scotty Kilmer! We need more of those!

    My wife has one of those. It's a legal scheme where you collect money after retirement until you die. The best part, she is receiving more monthly income in retirement than when she worked. On top of that, she gets free Medicare Part C and free Medicare Part D. What a country.

    Social security?


    Civil service job, I'm guessing

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913

    @kyfdx said:
    Civil service job, I'm guessing

    And you would be right. Public school administration

  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    I have a traditional pension; well half the traditional pension...divorce...
    Which, as my company offered a decent 401k plan, I didn't realize I had until I received a letter stating that the co. was freezing the defined benefits plan, here's what you'll get at age 65. With only 7 years on the payroll as of freeze, not a big amount, but just a lovely surprise. Now, at 50% lovely, it will be contributing to, but not covering HOAs, if we remain in Plymouth when I'm 65. And retired?
    With the ex passing away, I sent my kids to my company, I believe they each received a lump sum payout of her half of the pension, perhaps in an "inherited IRA."

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    Many years back, one of my coworkers at Chevron had a wife who retired after many years with Southwestern Bell / AT&T. I can't verify the veracity, but he claimed she received free health insurance in retirement. Chevron provides me $94 per month to help pay for my Medicare, and they will do the same for a spouse. Not exactly a fortune, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (as we used to say back in the day).
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 31,964
    abacomike said:

    @driver100 said:

    How do you get a job as a test car dummie?

    You’re halfway there driver! All you need now is the test car! 🤪😜😀😁😛🤓


    Hey, I am going to ask the moderator to flag all those lol's.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    Sadly I’m not public sector. Just lucky to have a private sector pension from the old days. Minor medical benefit but they sure aren’t covering it! Still, it’s a nice extra amount and it maxes out at 60, so at the end of this year, my monthly cash flow (and car fund!) is going to go up. Still have to work a few more years but it will help build up the nest egg.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,686
    PSA: Follow up colonoscopy today; the "irregular" polyp discovered and removed in January had not returned, nor any new discovered. So, I'm good for another three years.

    In January, I was told had it not been discovered and removed, it likely would have eventually turned cancerous. So, be afraid not of the prep, or scope! Git 'er done!
    Be happy, healthy and sane, my friends.

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,032
    Up here what you get depends on what branch of govt you were with. The City of Halifax has the sweetest plan - when the Canadian equivalent of Social Security kicks in at age 65 the city pension doesn't get reduced accordingly the way most other pensions do, so those folks can end up taking home more in retirement than they did when working. That likely explains why their plan is in rough shape but whatever. Plus they and retired federal govt workers have their drug/medical coverage carry on past 65, and they get COLA indexing of the pensions. Provincial govt employees like me have the federal SS benefit amount removed from their pension payment at 65, and are forced to go on the public pharmacare plan at that age too, which is terrible in comparison the the coverage that applied up to that point. And we aren't getting any indexing for the next 5 years.

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    The city of Houston (4th largest in the USA) almost had to take bankruptcy a few years back due to underfunded pension plans for police and firefighters. When I was a young man, a pension was taken for granted if you worked for any big outfit. Today, they are few and far between. People starting out in the workforce today REALLY need to plan for their retirement.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,255

    @henryn said:
    The city of Houston (4th largest in the USA) almost had to take bankruptcy a few years back due to underfunded pension plans for police and firefighters. When I was a young man, a pension was taken for granted if you worked for any big outfit. Today, they are few and far between. People starting out in the workforce today REALLY need to plan for their retirement.

    I keep telling my kids that they need a 401K or put away money in an IRA if they don’t have pensions. Retirement is only possible with a good income. I was lucky that I kept my pension contributions in the State Pension Fund. I could never live on my IRA’s and Social Security.

    2021 Genesis G90

  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,154
    abacomike said:

    @henryn said:

    The city of Houston (4th largest in the USA) almost had to take bankruptcy a few years back due to underfunded pension plans for police and firefighters. When I was a young man, a pension was taken for granted if you worked for any big outfit. Today, they are few and far between. People starting out in the workforce today REALLY need to plan for their retirement.

    I keep telling my kids that they need a 401K or put away money in an IRA if they don’t have pensions. Retirement is only possible with a good income. I was lucky that I kept my pension contributions in the State Pension Fund. I could never live on my IRA’s and Social Security.


    I had a pension with IBM for the first few years I was with them, along with a 401(k). The pension funding stopped, but credits kept getting added. Didn't amount to much, and when I was let go from them in 2016, I cashed it out as I didn't know what my job prospects were going to look like. Yeah, I took a hit on my taxes for that year, but que sera sera.

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!


    MODERATOR

    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,564
    edited May 2021
    jmonroe1 said:

    stickguy said:

    Oh, man those company cars look best up. Can’t French people drive without hitting things?

    That’s what happens with a lot of “company” cars. If you don’t own it you don’t take the same care with it like you would if it was yours. Having said that, the company I worked for had a few cars for our site and if you banged it up you BETTER have a good reason for it. I never had a problem but heard what happened when you were responsible for the car. Because of that several folks I knew didn’t even want to use the company car for local trips. Just used their own cars and charged the mileage allowance on their expense report for that month.

    jmonroe
    When people bust up our company cars the consequences from the company isn’t nearly as bad as the ridicule you get from your fellow drivers. It’s sort of a self-correcting system. :p

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,564
    edited May 2021
    stickguy said:

    I loved taking my own car when we were allowed to. Make a fortune at the per mile charge. And nicer than the rentals they eventually required us to get instead.

    That’s called “living off the equipment”. Eventually you wear out your car and have to replace it for more than the mileage reimbursement. A lot of farmers and Uber drivers discover that to their dismay.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    well, I did not travel much. Maybe a trip to a client a few times a year if they were within a few hours of home. And occasionally a trip to the Virginia beach office. Not enough to wear anything out!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    Got through jury duty today. Apparently I was part of the first civil court trial done virtually. So a few minor glitches to work through. But overall, it worked OK. Not worse than the normal process at the courthouse. And IMO way better for the jury pool, especially when we were on break.

    thankfully I was not picked to be in the actually jury pool, so I don't have to go back tomorrow for the actual trial. That might be more interested. Most of today was zoning out listening to other people answer the same questions from the judge, and being annoyed at the lawyers for using preemptory challenges!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,564
    edited May 2021

    stickguy said:

    If they will pay me that to test or talk about cars, I’ll retire tomorrow, collect my pension, and switch jobs.

    You could start your own youtube channel for videos. Some folks have had great financial success.
    He could go to work for a rental car company even easier. They’ll pay him to test drive cars all day.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    If they will up the rate to $25/hour I might consider it as a semi-retirement gig.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,564
    henryn said:

    Many years back, one of my coworkers at Chevron had a wife who retired after many years with Southwestern Bell / AT&T. I can't verify the veracity, but he claimed she received free health insurance in retirement. Chevron provides me $94 per month to help pay for my Medicare, and they will do the same for a spouse. Not exactly a fortune, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (as we used to say back in the day).

    My school district screwed me out of health insurance and payout for unused sick leave after 27 years but I did get credit in the state retirement system and an overly generous pension considering what I made. Now I get a company match 401k and profit sharing which, if I made any money, would really add up to something.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290

    @henryn said:
    Many years back, one of my coworkers at Chevron had a wife who retired after many years with Southwestern Bell / AT&T. I can't verify the veracity, but he claimed she received free health insurance in retirement. Chevron provides me $94 per month to help pay for my Medicare, and they will do the same for a spouse. Not exactly a fortune, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (as we used to say back in the day).

    We get free health insurance in retirement if you have at least 20 years of service. 6 and a half years to go for me.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290

    Last day of the extended tax season. Even though we had an extra month to do your taxes we still had a lot of people waiting til the last minute and not having all their paperwork. Man I never want to slap people more than on tax day. :(

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 240,154

    Last day of the extended tax season. Even though we had an extra month to do your taxes we still had a lot of people waiting til the last minute and not having all their paperwork. Man I never want to slap people more than on tax day. :(

    Our CPA had to file an extension for us. The business docs are done, but because we are an LLC the amounts are passed through to the personal returns. The reached out last Monday asking for some additional info, which I suspect was meant to shave more off the tax bill.

    Still don’t know if we owe or will get a refund, this year.

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!


    MODERATOR

    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2014 MINI Countryman S ALL4

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,255

    @oldfarmer50 said:
    He could go to work for a rental car company even easier. They’ll pay him to test drive cars all day.

    Speaking about rental cars, I read in the newspaper that the average midsized car or SUV rents for $135 a day down here in South Florida. I am assuming it is with the big three rental companies (Hertz, National and Avis). You can do much better with those outfits away from the airports. I did not find out the reason behind the high prices - perhaps posters who work for rental car companies can explain.

    2021 Genesis G90

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,217
    abacomike said:

    @oldfarmer50 said:

    He could go to work for a rental car company even easier. They’ll pay him to test drive cars all day.

    Speaking about rental cars, I read in the newspaper that the average midsized car or SUV rents for $135 a day down here in South Florida. I am assuming it is with the big three rental companies (Hertz, National and Avis). You can do much better with those outfits away from the airports. I did not find out the reason behind the high prices - perhaps posters who work for rental car companies can explain.


    Corporate accounts get all of the deals. I rented in St Petersburg, last week, and paid $360 for 9 days, all taxes and fees included. (National)

    Tried to re-book, about a week before arriving, to see if prices had gone down. There were ZERO cars available at that location for rent on a Friday! If they are renting everything they have, it's not surprising that prices are high.

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    edited May 2021
    jmonroe1 said:

    tjc78 said:

    Hmm.. wonder if this is true.

    I seriously doubt that those batteries are “draining toxins” into the ground. But, if I was an oil company or a gas station owner, I’d say the same thing.

    jmonroe
    Astute observation. I agree. That said, there are companies growing by leaps and bounds who are recycling car batteries. They’ve always been around as ALL cars have batteries in one form or another. Their business is exploding, now.

    Can’t attest to France’s recycling efforts, or even if this story is true. What is true is they’re recyclable….from the metal to the batteries. Based on the condition of those cars in the pic, it’s no wonder they’re worth less than the cost to repair. They look pretty used up. No mention of their actual value as scrap, though.

    And, as we all know, there comes a point when any car has no useful life left; where it costs more to repair the car than the car is worth. Sounds like these cars in Paris have found that point.

    I doubt anyone here has anything in their fleet that has reached that point, though. ;)
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    edited May 2021
    The Quest for Sight
    @graphicguy, you might be interested in this story about a Cambridge Biotech firm that working on bringing back lost vision lost to disease or injury. According to the Boston Globe, "unlike with other experimental gene therapies, Vedere Bio II hopes its gene therapy could treat a wide range of blindness-causing diseases, rare and common. They include retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts an estimated 100,000 people in the United States, and age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, which afflicts about 2 million Americans. Initially, the firm hopes to target a subset of age-related macular degeneration patients with an advanced “dry form” called geographic atrophy. Read full article at
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/18/business/atlas-launches-second-cambridge-biotech-tackle-vision-loss/
  • jmonroe1jmonroe1 Member Posts: 7,466

    Last day of the extended tax season. Even though we had an extra month to do your taxes we still had a lot of people waiting til the last minute and not having all their paperwork. Man I never want to slap people more than on tax day. :(

    That’s why I don’t use a tax preparer, they get all upity when I want to cheat.

    jmonroe
    '15 Genesis Ultimate just like jmonroe's. '18 Legacy Limited with 3.6R (Mrs. j's)
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312

    When the Judicial Article was passed in the late ‘70s the Kentucky legislature set up a generous pension system, as most every judge would be making considerably less than an attorney in private practice. When the pension “crisis” hit Kentucky a few years ago the judicial pension system was revised even though it was almost completely funded. I evaded all that by going into the Senior Status pilot program.
    I’ll probably see pennies on the dollar from my current retirement plan, but that wasn’t why I ran to begin with. I’m actually saving the state money as my judicial pension pays my health insurance and so I waive the prosecutor’s health insurance.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    bwia said:

    The Quest for Sight
    @graphicguy, you might be interested in this story about a Cambridge Biotech firm that working on bringing back lost vision lost to disease or injury. According to the Boston Globe, "unlike with other experimental gene therapies, Vedere Bio II hopes its gene therapy could treat a wide range of blindness-causing diseases, rare and common. They include retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts an estimated 100,000 people in the United States, and age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, which afflicts about 2 million Americans. Initially, the firm hopes to target a subset of age-related macular degeneration patients with an advanced “dry form” called geographic atrophy. Read full article at
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/18/business/atlas-launches-second-cambridge-biotech-tackle-vision-loss/

    Thank you. Very interesting. I go every Wednesday to my eye surgeon to keep a close watch on any signs of yet another retinal detachment. I’m printing this out and showing this to him tomorrow.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    The Colonial Pipeline wasn’t shutdown by hackers, but their billing system was. Sheds new light on that whole fiasco.

    https://jalopnik.com/the-colonial-pipeline-was-fine-but-it-was-shutdown-to-1846911689
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665
    RANT du ‘jour…..the guy running the Post Office has been the target of the troubles we’ve seen over the last year or so as to its disfunction. As an aside, I went to the post office to get my picture taken for my Passport Renewal. I had noted longer lines over the past 12-18 months, and I’ve also noticed a lot of turnover at my local post office. Where there used to be people I knew by name working there, it’s been a carousel of unfamiliar faces the last year and a half.

    Anyway, was talking to the postal agent who was taking my picture to send to the State Dept with my application for my Passport renewal. Making small talk, I mentioned that the crowd must be for tax day, and that I was glad I had put mine in my mailbox so the local postal worker would have it to be postmarked on MAy 17th. She said not to be surprised if I get a letter from the IRS asking for penalties because my Tax forms weren’t postmarked on May 17th.

    I went into a mini neurotic fit. I asked how that could be? She said they had shifted away automated sorting, and timely postal processing and delivery so they could do hand processing. What?

    The result of this idiocy, if you even take a letter to the post office in the a.m., on any given day, it may or may not be postmarked as mailed THAT DAY!

    The Postmaster General can’t be fired, relieved of his duties, kicked to the curb, whatever they can do to him, fast enough.
    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    jmonroe1 said:

    Last day of the extended tax season. Even though we had an extra month to do your taxes we still had a lot of people waiting til the last minute and not having all their paperwork. Man I never want to slap people more than on tax day. :(

    That’s why I don’t use a tax preparer, they get all upity when I want to cheat.

    jmonroe
    I had one yesterday that never used a tax preparer until now. The reason why he came to us was that he sold some rental property. Long story short when he did his taxes he screwed up his rental reporting and it hurt him when we did the return trying to correct the mess.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,441
    I do my own but have just normal stuff. If I had complicated investments, rental property, or an LLC I would hire a pro.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290

    RANT du ‘jour…..the guy running the Post Office has been the target of the troubles we’ve seen over the last year or so as to its disfunction. As an aside, I went to the post office to get my picture taken for my Passport Renewal. I had noted longer lines over the past 12-18 months, and I’ve also noticed a lot of turnover at my local post office. Where there used to be people I knew by name working there, it’s been a carousel of unfamiliar faces the last year and a half.

    Anyway, was talking to the postal agent who was taking my picture to send to the State Dept with my application for my Passport renewal. Making small talk, I mentioned that the crowd must be for tax day, and that I was glad I had put mine in my mailbox so the local postal worker would have it to be postmarked on MAy 17th. She said not to be surprised if I get a letter from the IRS asking for penalties because my Tax forms weren’t postmarked on May 17th.

    I went into a mini neurotic fit. I asked how that could be? She said they had shifted away automated sorting, and timely postal processing and delivery so they could do hand processing. What?

    The result of this idiocy, if you even take a letter to the post office in the a.m., on any given day, it may or may not be postmarked as mailed THAT DAY!

    The Postmaster General can’t be fired, relieved of his duties, kicked to the curb, whatever they can do to him, fast enough.

    Do you owe or are you getting a refund (no need to answer that here)? If you're getting a refund the IRS won't fine you for a late filing.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,564
    edited May 2021
    abacomike said:

    @oldfarmer50 said:

    He could go to work for a rental car company even easier. They’ll pay him to test drive cars all day.

    Speaking about rental cars, I read in the newspaper that the average midsized car or SUV rents for $135 a day down here in South Florida. I am assuming it is with the big three rental companies (Hertz, National and Avis). You can do much better with those outfits away from the airports. I did not find out the reason behind the high prices - perhaps posters who work for rental car companies can explain.


    Short answer, supply and demand. When the pandemic hit and the rental business dropped abruptly they sold off much of their inventory rather than let it sit and depreciate. Then when business took a sharp turn upwards they weren’t able to get enough new cars because of production disruptions.

    We now spend most of our day rushing cars to the airport from every corner of the system because of the shortage. We’ll deliver 150 cars a day and someone waiting in line will jump in the car and go. Sometimes the shortage is so bad that the agents drive the customer to their hotel to wait for a car to become available. The other day we had a woman have a meltdown in the garage because she ordered a car and got a pick up truck.

    BTW, National isn’t one of the big three. It’s a subsidiary of Enterprise which also owns Alamo. Hertz owns Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly. Avis owns Budget.

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    I was very happy that I used a pro to do my taxes this year. She brought it to my attention that as a self-employed contractor last year who missed work due to Covid, I was eligible for a deduction on my taxes. Something I wouldn't have known, or found out about on my own. More than paid for her services, and made me a happy camper.

    Which reminds me of the old proverb, "The worker is worthy of his hire". The moral is, if you can find a good professional, be that a tax preparer or an auto mechanic or a handyman, you should definitely value them and your relationship with them.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856

    I didn’t want to trust the postal system for our tax payment... I bit the bullet and paid online.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289

    RANT du ‘jour…..the guy running the Post Office has been the target of the troubles we’ve seen over the last year or so as to its disfunction. As an aside, I went to the post office to get my picture taken for my Passport Renewal. I had noted longer lines over the past 12-18 months, and I’ve also noticed a lot of turnover at my local post office. Where there used to be people I knew by name working there, it’s been a carousel of unfamiliar faces the last year and a half.

    Anyway, was talking to the postal agent who was taking my picture to send to the State Dept with my application for my Passport renewal. Making small talk, I mentioned that the crowd must be for tax day, and that I was glad I had put mine in my mailbox so the local postal worker would have it to be postmarked on MAy 17th. She said not to be surprised if I get a letter from the IRS asking for penalties because my Tax forms weren’t postmarked on May 17th.

    I went into a mini neurotic fit. I asked how that could be? She said they had shifted away automated sorting, and timely postal processing and delivery so they could do hand processing. What?

    The result of this idiocy, if you even take a letter to the post office in the a.m., on any given day, it may or may not be postmarked as mailed THAT DAY!

    The Postmaster General can’t be fired, relieved of his duties, kicked to the curb, whatever they can do to him, fast enough.

    I don't know whether the post office has fallen apart, or it's just the neighborhood that I live in. But around here, the USPS sucks, big time. Half of the normal mail (envelopes) should have went to my neighbors on the same block. Half of the packages should have gone to the same street number one block over. Complaints do no good whatsoever. It's amazing that FedEx and UPS never have this problem, just USPS.

    I never in my life had these kinds of problems with the USPS until I moved here in 2011. And the neighborhood is gentrifying, going upscale, but the postal service steadily declines, so it's probably not just this neighborhood.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
Sign In or Register to comment.