WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1977, PAGE 5 We aIl have some prabîems and that's reaily nothing new or, at least, nothing to sho'ut about. We ail have car problemns and that's nothing new either. After ail, 01, Man Winter has arrived. But, ini the case of nîy own car, it's about ta iriake newspaper headlines. In the last two nonths, this "sexy looking" car of mine has given nie nothing but headaches. The sad fact is-it is in the garage, nmore than an the road. 1 feel PH11moan set a newv world record in repair buils. In twvo years of driving, 1 have already spent close ta $600 trying ta keep my car roiling. It ail started whien, one day 1 waiked into tîîe showroom of a well-known dealership in Burlington and a fast-talking car salesnian talked nie ia purchasing an Anerican econamy car with 4 cylinders. At thiat time, the salesmnaî told nie: "Don't you worry, tiiese new compacts are the best on the market. They hast and last. You'll find il very cheap ta aperate this car; you'l get almost 40 miles toaa galion of gas, They are sttîrdy iittle things. And, think of the 60,000 mile engine warranty". Today, 1 wish i1 had iiever met that salesmian. The car, after 2 years of city driving, is practicaliy, falîing apari. At 28,000 miles, the car was already shaking like a Maple Leaf, the front and back wheels were rattling and a strange noise developed in the clutch. Two thousand miles liater, the clutch was gone and had to be replaced. For this job alone, the bill camne to $1i3 5. At around 32,000 miles, 1 noticed the engine's trernen- dous thirst for oul. At first, 1 burned about one quart of oiu every two weeks, but soon the ail consumptian doubied. 1 went back tp my garage and told themn of the oit situation. "This is a very seriaus problern, indeed", said the service manager. "We wilI have ta grind the valves". What had ta be done had to be done. Finaily, I thought, this engine with brand new valves wili purr like a pussycat. Instead, two days later, it growled like a hungry iger. And sure cnough, the. engine was hungry-it asked for more out. Back went thie sturdy littie thing that "lasts and iasts". The service manager once again (this time with some reluctance) inspected wiîat ever was left of the engine and then made thiis tiniely pronouncement: "Weil, 1 think it needs new head gaskets. That will stop the ail cansumption. 1 arn pretty sure the gaskets will solve the probiem". What-had ta be done hiad ta be donle. Back went the sturdy littie thing (again) that "lasts and lasts". A day later. 1 was back on the road with brand new gaskets. After the "gasket aperation", the first week went by uneventful, as one might say. But, the following week, 1 naticed my engine was sputte ring again as if in deep pain, saying "take me back ta the ald doc; 1 don't feel toa well". The service mnanageqr (this timne) is no langer "pleased. to see me" but he obliges. 1 tell himn that the engine has develaped a sudden caughing speil and is stili hungry for oil-two quarts every week. Then, he pokes here and there under the haod and I can see from the expression of his face that he has faund same- thing under that hood. Meanwhile, I'm holding my breath. "'Weli ... Sir", hie intanes "I think 1 know what's the probiem: the carburator is gone. That shake yau're talking about is caused by the carburatar. Tihe parts are loose. New parts will be needed. After that, you shouid have no problem". What had ta be done had ta be done. Back went the sturdy littie thing like a hospital patient for anather major surgery. This time 1 decided ta wait for-my car. After four hours of lounging around, finally I was back an the raad. For the first 1 Oiniles, thle engine was just fine-;smoath and quiet. But, as 1 neared home, that littie engine of mine, for no reasan at ail, started to shake and rattîe. 1 could bareiy make it ta my apartment building. This week (you g uessed it) I'm taking*it back ta my friendly service manager. There is stilî some flieker of hope that one day this car wil see the road. Take a look arotund; \vere into a brand niew year and of course with it the oppartunity af daing things just a littile differently thami last year. Me'?? You cati sure bei l'ui gaing ta do things a lot differently. One uf tlîe things l'Il change is that I1 van't visit waiting roomis dtis year. 1 know thiat seemns like a rather strange resolut ion but if you stop ta think about why youi're iii a waiting roonm the answer wiil hit you like ant expensive prescription. 'l1 relent by saying there wilI be sanie discrimination involved in that 1 don't rule out aIl waiting roinîs. If, for instance I amn called upon ta sit ini the waitiug roomns of Loto Canada or Wintario to collect winnings in the order of S 1 0,000 or mare I will do s0 with great gîee and Iiappiness. But a lot of other waiting rooins really dan't appeal ta me. For instance a wait, even short, ait te IniternaI Revenue Service will not thîrill me ai al. Just beicîg there means 1 was cailed upon ta be tliere (youi cati be sure I wauildn't volunteer) and since they caîied mie in you can also h,- sure il is't ta cougr7tiulate me on how lionest I was in filling out the form for deciaration of earnings. Jutst sitting lhere thinking about why I was caîhecîi i could cauise me ta break out in a cold sweat. My lawyer's waitiug roorn is a very nîce place and he lias same nice magazines ta read tha, aren't even three years aId yet but if l'mi sitting iliere biding my time it's got ta be for the reasan that somewhere l've run a fouI of the iaw and need my lawyer's expert advice on how to stay oui of jail. This doesn't happen too ofien but the odd time or twa people have led me astray. Littethiugs like the tinie aur very own Brian Winter confided t0 me that if l'ni at the four corners and the traffic won't stop s0 ihat Irnîay cross 1 should just step out and kick the offending vehîie riglît on the tire and waik in front of it. Just iny luck I was sa intent on kîcking the darm car on the tire 1 didn't notice il was a police cruiser. Whien 1 turned to ask Brian what to do next, of course lie was gone. Dentisis' waiting roins are' strictly off rny books for '77 as well. To mie sitting in the wziiting roomi of a dentist is like quietly laying there with youir lead in a guillotine. For the moment you miay be comnfortable but any second your body wiIl be racked by pain. And that pain will reoccuir about a mionth late r Mhen vou get tie bill in the mail. Fornie tdie oune \vi in" itroonm t hait 1i ope to steer absolk.tely ecear of s t hde cdoCtOI'S. 1 jist klo\v dtatFIE lias designa ted doctor's \vailting rooc 'ms as ntusuIal and cruel puiinien tltor soine fouI deed 1I nay have donc.e.1 seîdoml go to a doctor l'or a checkup except wlhenIi 1arn required to to dIo as a scuba inst ructor anid tduat nîay 1)e once a year i Most. Conseqcient ly jifl'ini there any more freque'ntly it imeans 1'Ini sick. The \vorst thiîig about tie doctor's \vai ting rouni is that just b-' beîng there yoiu knuw vouure sick. Flu miy case l'mi really, sick becauise I don't go to sec a doctor unless 1 reAly have to. ,iîveni. a chuice I d just asis oon phone lml the symlptomls and let imii diagnose a treatmnent and prescription over the phione. Therefore just halving to sit and wvait to sec the doctor pots mie ilI ait ease. flu an effort to take miy mind off being sick I pick Lup a magazine to browsc throghî,. 1I ustially \vind up wit h somie sort of' miedical duiznetht sIhows inliÎving l OuOLr \hat my spleen should look like. Believe nie there's niothing %vorsc for thalt barfy feeling than browsing throughi a ful l OuOLr iiedical nmagazine. Wait, 1 take that hack the une thing that's wvorsc is the noise ait tîimes in the waiting romi. If it's large, ais is the waiting rooni whcre 1 somletiniies sit, it's often hiaîf full of kids if I happen to be there dLirinlgftic daytinic. I suspect mlost of thiemi are thiere for checkups becautse they sure don't look s;ick. Nowv I cati put uip with a Certain amouint of noise and I OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT THAPAR DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC. 163 Simcoe St. S. Oshawa 579-8752 Heours Mon-.Sat. & Evenings by Appointment Dnly eut, set, permanent or professional straightening can add life to duli hair. Professional hair coloring can highlight or change your hair for a totally new look. LA CONTESSA BEÂUTY L( 119 Green St. )UNGE 668-9262 don't think kids are ail that bad (there is a rumour that 1 was once a kid myseif) and as W.C. Fields points out, 'they are o.k. if they're properly cooked'. But I do draw the line at a recreation of Custer's Last Stand with a cast of what sounds like thousands as 1 sit there already in agony in the waiting room. Nor arn 1 impressed with a helpful child who holds the door open thus aiiowing the 10, degree above zero wind to biow right in on my poor ailing body. Anyway let it be known here and now that waitingrooms are definitely off rny lisi for '77. My nerves and my ears can't take mnuch more! Actually, neither can my wallet. I Corridori Ccipers Ili everyone! As 1 said last week, January méans business as usual. Saturday \vas the officiai opening of the New Municipal Building as well as the inaugural meeting of the 1977-78 Couincil. For those of you who were unable to be present of Saturday, 1 urge you toata least tour the building as soon as possible. It is a miagnificent structure and reeks efficiency. No longer will you have to be a detective to locate the departmient you desire. It is there and weil defined in a pleasant atimosphere. The Counicil cliambFr actually invites people inside. 1 hope thiat ail of you wvili make use of the building and especially attend Couincil and Cofnmittee meetings. It is an establishied fact thiat Council mie rn bers' performance improves when thiere is an audience. Cont'd on P. 7 A I MORÎGAGES. l m i T E 0 1-st & 2nd Arronged; Bought opd- SoId at Prime Rates coIn Peter Kaide 668-1 556 ANUBIS UNVEsTmm!NTs Ltd. 149 Urock St. M., WhItby 6< GREAT WALL C HINESE & CANADIAN RESTA.U RANT 68-7021 668-730J FREE DELIVERY BUSINESS HOIJRS Monday - lbursday .... .m. - -a.m. Friday and Satueday ...11 arn. .3 a.m. Suanday ................... 11am. - 10OP.M. now open Tueisdays 116 Dwndu St VVst 1