June 18, 2007

• The Commonwealth of Virginia

  I am now *officially* a Virginian.  Bleah   After avoiding the financing company for about 6 months and after being booted by the great Commonwealth for not paying property taxes on my FLORIDA REGISTERED vehicle....I finally sucked it up and did the inevitable.  I called myself getting to the DMV before they opened at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.  Well, about 65 other people had the same thought (or maybe they are just more familiar with the VA DMV) because the line was wrapped around the building waiting for the doors to unlock!   Soooooooooooooooooo I waited at the DMV for 3 hours to get a VA license and tags for Cor-E (my Corolla).  Screaming kids, Service Desk employees reminding everyone to return the clipboards and inkpens, Service Reps with MUCH attitude, nervous first time drivers, RUDE employees.....need I say more?  I couldn't leave totally appeased - that would be too much like right.  I found out that I needed to have an emissions test done on my car so I could order special personalized tags (I gotta rep my school).  Okay that meant another 2 + hours at the dealership.  Oh yeah, there was a garage that advertised "Emissions Testing" right next door, but I took example from my LS in car repair. 

  She bought her Corolla not too long after me, and got regular oil changes at the neighborhood service station.  One day while driving to work her BRAND NEW 2006 Toyota Corolla gave out on her right as she got off I-395.  No fun, as you Beltway readers, can imagine.  When she took it to the Toyota dealership they informed her that there was no oil filter on the car. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.  Turns out the neighborhood service station didn't secure it tightly (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and not assuming that they just altogether didn't put it back on) which caused the oil to burn out and the motor to blow.  Everyone's pointing fingers but things lead back to the neighborhood shop.  Toyota won't cover it because it was a Certified Toyota Service Center; Insurance says it's a negligence issue and, therefore, not covered on their end; Neighborhood service station says they performed the oil change 3 months prior to the damage. 

  Anyhoo - I only take my car to Toyota for ANY service.  No matter how much the inflated costs burn me......

  So I go the the dealership to get the emissions tests performed and have them put on the new tags (uuuuuuugh).  Another 3 hours.  It was 2 p.m. before I made it back home.  Aren't Saturdays meant for sleeping in? sheesh.  A nap was well deserved, since I'd been up since 7 a.m.

  So now I must order my specialized tags.  Dimples returns.

  Ciao

  • 4:29 pm
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