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Well, I'll start off with the fact that I hate wearing glasses and I just ended up spending over $700 on 2 pair. (there goes my new pistol) My eyes have gotten worse just about every 2yrs from the time I was 11 and I'm 32 now. And of course because I work in a shop and have children, I have coatings on my lenses that many people don't need... The lenses in my regular glasses cost over $200 alone! The sunglasses were the cheap pair!!! That's just a bunch of crap! Besides being blind as a bat, being a woman, necessities cost WAY too much!!!! My husband... 8.5yrs my senior... Does he have to wear glasses? NO! Does my dad need glasses? Only reading glasses and he complains about that!!!! My mom... She wears contacts/glasses, but she can still see past her nose without them. She could function pretty well without them. I gave her my prescription sunglasses from when I was 16 and they work perfectly for her, but she says, 'They're a little strong, but they'll work for the short time I'd have to wear them.' CRAP I SAY!!! I'm SO hoping my kids don't need them! I can't afford for my kids AND myself wearing glasses! I think that maybe next year, instead of working on the house some more, we'll be using some of our tax return or profit sharing (if there is any) for me to get Lasik.
On to the next rant....................
Maybe minivan drivers can help me wrap my mechanical mind around the reason you'd chose such an obnoxious vehicle! They don't get great gas mileage. They look like an egg w/a flat behind. They're horribly uncomfortable to drive. Expensive to purchase (unless you get something used and abused). Expensive to repair (I COMPLETELY KNOW WHY!!!). You can't get them in 4x4 (and most don't come with AWD). Sure they seat 6-8 people, but so do many crossovers and SUV's. I've driven MANY vehicles. Everything from an Escort to a Hummer H1 and Military HMMWV's... Hell... I've driven a semi with air brakes and everything in between. Some fast, some slow, some capable of doing and going wherever you want, some even right hand drive 5 speed sticks.... I just CANNOT comprehend how a minivan is superior to a CUV or SUV. For the record, I currently own a Saturn Vue, a 79 Firebird, and an F250 V10 4x4 Quad Cab (that seats 6). Of course the Saturn is the daily driver... Better on gas.
Anywho... If you're wondering where this rant about minivans is coming from... Here's the story. My mother called me over this past weekend and told me that she had a front tire that was flat and had asked me if I could come and swap it out for the spare. I, thinking that it would be pretty easy (at least easier than a 137lb HMMWV tire), said 'Sure! Be there in a few.' Let me tell you....... WORST VEHICLE EVER TO SWAP TIRE FOR SPARE!!!! She owns a Caravan with stow n go seating. Do you know where they put the spare??? Unless you've had to get to one on this vehicle, you would NEVER guess. Not in the normal places... Under a panel in the back, under the vehicle in the back... Those would be the normal places... NOOOOOOOOOO... Can't do that with a giant fuel tank (because the gas mileage sucks) and stow n go seating..... It was under the vehicle, but up underneath the front seats!!!! With a flat FRONT tire, you CANNOT get to the spare until the vehicle is jacked up completely with the stupid little scissor jack and have to slide under the vehicle AFTER you've found the little 'key' to spin the cable down in between the two front seats UNDER the console. For those of you that know... How dangerous is it to slide under a vehicle that's sitting on a crappy scissor jack (because that is the only thing that will fit under that van with a flat)? Anyone??? And for those men out there that are barrel chested or a bit on the heavy side.... Good friggen luck with that!!!!!!! I'm only 5'0 and 130lbs. I'm not a large person. It was a pain in the arse!!!!! THEN.... You have to pinch this lever UNDER the spare and plastic 'dish' holding the spare, to release the cable to get the spare out. So, lift the spare, while pinching the lever, not being able to breathe because half of your chest is under the van... Then you get to change the tire out!!! YAY! That is an 'easy' task on a minivan..... Change plugs anyone? Serpentine belt?
Maybe you can give me some insight as to what makes this horrible vehicle superior to anything else.
