Do I Look Like a Fucking Mug?

It looks like an American car. Except for having the steering wheel on the wrong side, it feels like one too. The cabin is full of cupholders and the control icons are recognizable. I LOVE this car.

Three years ago, when I went car shopping, I sat in a few others first. The Audi was nice, but felt plain and empty inside. The Mini was TOO mini. I'd never have gotten more than my two big suitcases and one passenger in that cute little car. In fact, to get my legs behind the wheel of the Mini, my seat ended up being two inches from the (useless) backseat.

Then we spotted the Neon. Only a year old at the time, leather, AC, nice stereo, all the shit.. plus the color!! It was like it was made for me.

Since buying it, I've come to feel it's a bit unusual. The family over here tease about my 'limo'.. cos I have four doors. True, it is bigger than most of those other rolling sardine cans on the road. I feel safe in it though.

It's also strange to me that it's a Chrysler Neon. I thought those were made by Dodge or Plymouth.. never Chrylser. But this is England, cheerio, we do things wierd here.

So last week I had a flat. Took it to the repair shop at lunch, then back finding it flat again after work the same day. They said my tires were hard to get, but had a list price of £92. HAH?? That's about $180 dollars.. for ONE tire.

Listen to this.. my silly little Neon R/T is rated a sportscar here. My insurance, I'm told, requires this car to have tires with a speed rating of W >> 168mph!! Oh and, somehow, the car has got American tires on it. Has it been imported, they ask me? Nooooo

The next day, the repaired tire is flat again. I hit a different shop, right across the street from where I work. They put on the ugly little spacesaver spare and I ask them for a price quote too. They must have seen me coming a mile away and marked me for a sucker. From them, I was quoted a price of £177 ($346) for the tire. Fuck Me!

I phoned my insurance company and asked if I could use a lesser speed-rated tire. Nope, the nitwit says. That's a modification and not allowed.

I phoned the Chrysler dealership. My tire IS American, he says.. but discontinued, as is their equivalent. They could scour all their stores in Europe to see if there's any left unsold.. but have no clue how long that will take. OH, he also said he doubts my car could actually go that fast and could probably get a statement to that effect from the head office, if it might help.

You know I'm losing my mind at this point. I have a car for which there are no longer tires being made? Is this possible? LOL.. my original tire shop calls to say the Yokohama W they got in for me turned out to be a motorcycle slick. I'm beyond mad now.. this is just too ridiculous. I'm a raving loon, laughing and crying at the same time.

I think the insurance guy could hear that in my voice when I phoned them back. The tire is discontinued. With 11 years no-claims, do you THINK I regularly drive 168 mph? The car will NOT go that fast no matter how far I put my pretty little shoe though the floorboard... you MUST get somebody to say it's okay to use a lesser speed rated tire.

He came back within TWO minutes to tell me the modification was okay. They weren't even going to charge me extra for it.

I want someone to PAY for the extra gray hairs that sprouted from my head that week. And I really, really , really want to tell off that man who thought I was such a feeb that I'd buy a single tire for £177. I guess it's enough that he sees my car everyday, with new tires and KNOWS they didn't come from him.