So one of the things that happened to me recently was that my car was stolen for the 2nd time in 4 months. What's crazy is it was from 2 different homes. What's even crazier is the fact that it was a 1995 Saturn SL 2, which is a sedan by the way. It's only got a wapping 4 cylinders and I didn't think it was the most desired car on the planet. Apparently I was wrong.
The first time it was stolen I got it back in a little over a week and there was no damage done to the car. I learned that Saturns are easily stolen with fingernail files, scissors, or apparently anything that you can slide in the door lock or ignition. This must be the popularity with the thieves. So at this point I have no desire to get this car back. Matter of fact if and when I do get it back, it's going in the Auto Trader.
So wait it gets better. Now my wife and I are left with this old beater truck that I have had for 8 or so years. I really only drive it to and from work (which is less than 5 miles away). Well the radiator decides to it wants to become holy and starts pouring out radiator fluid. Now at this point I don't know the first thing about fixing radiators (this will change). So I don't fix it right away, rather I decide "We need a new car immediately".
But wait it gets weirder. My wife and I borrow a car and drive all over the city looking at junk. We can't find a fricken decent car anywhere. So I find a car I'm gonna look at in the Auto Trader and give the guy a call. He tells me he's at work at will meet me in the parking lot. We drive over to meet him and on the way see a pretty nice Suzuki Wagon (yea I didn't know what it was either) driving in front of us with writing on the window saying it was for sale. It's a 2000!!! Sweet let's call them. So we meet the first guy in the parking lot and check out his car. It's nice but I'd still like to check out some others. We thank him for his time and tell him we'll call him if we are interested. As we are pulling out of the parking lot we call the guy with the Suzuki. He's shopping right down the road at Cosco. Sweet we're on our way. We get there (this is where it starts getting weird) and the guy meets me out in front of Cosco. He seems like a nice Middle Eastern gentleman who introduced himself as "Garry". He showed me the car. It's a 2000 Suzuki Wagon with 70k miles, totally clean, and it's only $3600. I take a test drive in it and I tell him I'll buy it. He tells me his wife and child are inside the store and he needs to take them home. I follow him home, give him $3200 (Yea I save a bit), and he gives me the title. The name on the title is "Mark". Now wait a minute (I scroll up the page), Yep he introduced himself as "Gary". So I ask him his name again. He tells me it's "Mark". Now wait a minute. This is getting a little weird, but hey he's got the title and he says he'll get it notarized and everything. I say fine and take the car home. He tells me to call him the next day and bring the title and he'll have it notarized. I'm okay with that so I shake his hand and tell him I'll call him tomorrow. The next day comes and I call his house. His wife answers and I ask for "Mark", She apologizes and tells me I have the wrong number. I know it's the right number because it's the same number I called the day before. Right about the time I'm about to ask for "Gary", she says "Wait, hold just a second". A male picks up the phone and says "This is Gary". MAKE UP YOUR MIND FOLKS!! Anyhow he tells me to meet him at a gas station near where the notary is at in 20 minutes. I head over there and meet him at the gas station where he is parked with his wife and child. He tells me to wait here and he'll be back with the title in 5 minutes. Now I'm saying to myself "I'm an idiot, If it's too good to be true....." Though what do I have to lose at this point he already has my money. So I tell him fine and wait, listening to some tunes and enjoying some cold A/C. Five minutes later he drives back up, hands me the title, and shakes my hand again. Deal done and it's in my name. At least it's in my name until I get to the DMV and they tell me the car is stolen. It's Labor Day so I have to wait till Tuesday to take it and get it registered. I didn't sleep all that well, thinking of what the heck I was going to do when in the morning the told me that the car that I was driving was stolen and that I was out $3200. I was able to fall asleep only after remembering that I went to his house and I KNOW WHERE HE LIVES!!
Long story shorter, I went to the DVM and the car is now in my name. I don't know what the whole "Gary" or "Mark" thing was about, I just hope that I'm out of the clearing that the car is legitimate. It runs awesome and looks perfect. who knows, maybe I just got a good deal.
I'll let you know if they do a felony traffic stop on me.
