[BigAls87Z28]

Aye, that is a pain. I get that too.

When you look at a flyer from for Sears, and people see Goodyear tires for 34.99 for a tire, there eyes light up with excitement! They rush down to Sears and they think 34.99x4=139.96 right?
What they fail to see is that the tire size is usualy a 155/80-13 or a 175/80-13. You know what kinda car you have to have to get this price? A small, econo-box, not your 2002 Nissan Maxima.
On top of that, the 34.99 is the price of teh TIRE...not the labor, not the alignment, no tax. Thats the tire as if you were to buy them over the counter. Putting labor costs into the add would be misleading as ballancing and the like varry depending on vehicle as do alignments.
When I break this news to people that its not 1964, and tires do not cost 34.99 per tire, they get upset and tell me the usual "I can get cheaper tires at Wal-Mart, Costco, BJ's" or other warehouse stores.
Well then, why the **** did you come to Sears if you could get it cheaper? And you know what? Out of every 10 customers that bring that to me, 8 of them come back because thoes stores usualy dont have jack in stock, dont have the correct tire for there car, and will not support the product they sell.
Try explaining speed raitings to people!! I should just learn Latin because I would get the same response.

Here are my biggest rants about the population when it comes to the cars they own.
1- People might be able to afford the montly payment, but can they afford the upkeep of the car, or can they afford the repair of the car? Example, the Honda Accord. For years, it has always been the econobox car with great quality and blah blah blah. Now, Honda has moved the Accord into a quazi-luxuy car market. Big V6's with 6spd manual transmissions. The tires they have on the car are 160-180 per tire. Thats the tire itself. People still think that the Accord is still a econobox and ask me why prices of tires are so expensive? I ask, "Well, the Accord is an expensive car".
2- People do not know anything about preventive maintaince. NOTHING. Customers come in and ask for an oil change. I ask them "what is the milage of the vehicle?" They look at me like I just asked them what is the meaning of life. They have no clue!! NONE!! And when they guess, they are usualy thousands of miles off. So the next question I asked is "Then how did you know it was time for an oil change?"
It would scare you to know that people dont know 3 months/3k miles (for most cars) and they will continue to drive the car till the oil light comes on.... The oil light does not mean "Oil Change Time". It means "Your oil is too low because you have driven the car for aprox. 10k miles since your last one, and your engine has digested 2 or more qts of oil."
There is a reason why there is a little sticker on your window that says the milage and date of when you are supposed to go get your oil changed. And its whatever comes FIRST!!! NOT LAST!!
Also, people need to take better care of there car. Therefor they dont get zapped with 1500 bills with brakes, shocks, etc. Ive had cars come in with brake rotors as thick as cardboard, tie rods and other front end items bent and shot to *****, not to mention MASSIVE alignment wear. Not only do they need front end work, but the inside of there tires are showing cords and steel belt.
People need to be better educated about cars. Perhaps all these electronic gizmos and what not on these cars have put people into a mode that the car will tell them when its sick. The days of worring about tune ups and whatever are pretty much over. But people still need to keep up with the basicl maintainece of the car.