USED CAR SALESMEN--

For the past few weeks I have been looking for a more powerful vehicle to pull my camper.

Naturally, that exposed me to the used car lots.

I felt like I should have gotten an inoculation against having to deal with intellectually bankrupt creatures with a remarkable similarity to the human race.

Here’s a specific instance: I sent an email inquiry to Rocket Chevrolet in Shelby asking them to be prepared to convince me one of their used pick-ups was equipped to tow my camper.

When I got there, their, ah, juvenile salesperson proudly showed me a print-out which announced the vehicle I was interested in had a gross vehicle weight of 6,400 pounds. He embellished that with his most convincing demeanor.

With some exasperation I pointed out the truck’s gross weight was entirely different from its maximum trailer towing weight.

He called for his mentor.

I was then mentored by the mentor who immediately saw a geriatric customer ripe for his blathering harvest.

After his patronizing dissertation I inquired, “Why then, if this is the finest truck in the entire universe for my purposes—at a very rock-bottom price, of course—does it not have an electrical hook-up for my camper’s lights and brakes?"

He was still sputtering his way through some irrelevant owner’s manual when I made my exit.

Similar story across the street at the Dodge sales joint.

Similar story at the Chevrolet joint in Fredericktown.

Lots of similar stories in my aging recollections from a lifetime of such encounters.

There were two notable exceptions, however. One was with Mike Flynn, a quiet and competent sales person with the Bellville Ford dealership. The other was the entire sales staff of Weekley Chrysler-Jeep in Butler.

Neither of them, unfortunately, had a vehicle that met my current needs.

Both will get the first cracks at any of my future business.

They are comparatively like a breath of fresh air.