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Truth in advertising: So, I shouldn’t have mentioned the dogs … or the bumper sticker?
By Gina Spadafori
November 19, 2009
Suddenly, my brother and I (we’re best friends, with different houses, some merged finances) have more vehicles than we need. He has a convertible, currently blanketed and tucked in gently at our mother’s garage until summer. He’s driving a used pick ‘em up truck. I’m driving a used pick ‘em up truck. And I additionally currently own not one but two minivans: The ’97 Toyota Previa I recently bought from my neighbor Judy, which came fully equipped with Varikennel 500s, and my ’98 Plymouth Voyager (pictured, with its Bark magazine sticker showing, forgot to mention that one), which is on the way off the used-car lot that my home has become.
To accomplish the goal this weekend (I hope), I put an ad on Craiglist this morning:
’98 Plymouth Voyager SE — one owner, low miles – $950
The good: Incredibly low mileage for a 12-year-old van — 90K — dark green exterior, gray cloth interior. Great AC, power windows, nice sound system, newish tires. 20ish mpg. Should be a good transportation car for years. One owner, regular servicing.
The bad: Sagging left front bumper (bolt broke, doesn’t impede driving), electrical short in door, neither interior nor exterior very pretty. This was my “dog car.” The rear bench seats have been stored since 1999 in the garage, so they’re like new. But the rest … well … allergies may be a problem and the fastidious dog-hater will not like this vehicle, possibly even after detailing.
The good or bad: Obama sticker, under which is an anti-Bush sticker. If you’re a Rush-Beck person, the karma on my dogma may be very wrong for you.
Price is $950 dollars firm, cash or registered check . I’m giving a good break off low private sale Edmunds book for you to pay for detailing and to deal with the electrical short.
Seems there are a few potential buyers already, and my brother will be dealing with them this weekend. But I knew I would get a nastygram, and I was not disappointed. Paraphrasing over the f-bombs, removing the caps and hyper-exclamation pointing, here’s the meat of it:
I wouldn’t sit where your fat ass has been and I wouldn’t let my kids sit where your shitty mutts have been, either. Obama? It figures. Another clueless socialist, but I don’t expect YOU to care about the future of this country. You’re another dog freak who hates children.
Yeah, well … that’s why I put all the details in the ad. To save everyone some time. You’re welcome!
Actually, I’m surprised I got only one such response, but the day is young …
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this guy or gal is the kind of person why I say…a bad day with my dogs is better than a good day with Most people!
I can’t wait to see if you get a “personalized” nastygram after this post!!
Comment by Carol V — November 19, 2009 @ 1:53 pm
Why does Loves Dogs = Hates Children? I never understood that…
Comment by mikken — November 19, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
I get it a dozen times a week in my e-mail, and we get it at least that many times here on the blog, but they’re drive-by commentors, so the newbie moderation filter nabs ‘em.
Never have understood the connection these folks make, but they certainly do make it. Many if not most of my “pet friends” also have children, although at my age, it’s true that a lot of my friends are empty-nesters now … except for the pets.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 19, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
I have both…kids(old) and pets(young)…guess who is better behaved?? and gets the car dirtier??.
Not the pets!!
Comment by Carol V — November 19, 2009 @ 2:30 pm
Not the pets get the car dirtier….drat…fingers faster than brain today…
Comment by Carol V — November 19, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
Somebody needs to get a life. Glad you kept them out of yours.
Comment by Susan Fox — November 19, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
Me, too. :)
Completely so, since I’m sticking my long-suffering brother with the work of actually closing a deal. But since the price almost exactly covers the annual insurance on HIS new-to-him used pick ‘em up, I think that’s only fair.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 19, 2009 @ 2:51 pm
LOL…. With one of my dogs as our school therapy dog, you would not believe how may parents say to me, “I wish my kids were as well behaved as ….”
Comment by Verde — November 19, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
Unfortunately I never get used to this stuff - saying ‘stuff’ nicely.
Some people have wa-a-a-ay too much anger.
Liz
Comment by Liz Palika — November 19, 2009 @ 4:20 pm
I don’t think I’m imagining that this sort of vehement hatred is increasing. I find it baffling that as we all read more articles about how ‘pets are part of the family’, the crazy animal haters are all coming out of the closet in full force.
It’s sort of frightening sometimes.
I had an argument with someone during Katrina, when I was fund raising to get a trailer together to go to NOLA, and had them spit on me after they’d told me that I was ‘happy to see children die’.I should also point out that THEY were doing *zero* rescue efforts, but somehow I was the bad guy in the scenario, because caring for pets = me wanting children to die.
It was really surreal.
Comment by FrogDogz — November 19, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
I don’t think it’s increasing - I think it’s just coming out of the woodwork more often, along with other foci for hatred, as our public discourse has become increasingly coarsened and vicious. These days … every day I see things written and said in mainstream media, that twenty years ago I could not have imagined appearing anywhere outside of grubby stapled dittos handed out on street-corners.
As to why those of us who love animals are perceived as such sure targets for these … lackwits, I don’t know, but I know it goes back a long way. IMHO, it’s possibly because it’s perceived as a weakness; that the attacks have no purpose, save to cause pain and distress, and our ‘weak’ love for our pets makes us easy targets.
It does, too. On the other hand, I’d frankly much rather be considered weak, than walk about with my knuckles dragging, spewing venom at all and sundry.
Comment by Eucritta — November 19, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
you know, this guy is probably not even in the market for a car… he’s just trolling for things that keep his juices flowing.
Comment by EmilyS — November 19, 2009 @ 6:16 pm
I think some of these people subconsciously believe that anything for another species is less for them.
Deep, deep selfishness coupled with a species-centric attitude- the same type of person who stuck “Wipe my a— with a spotted owl” on the bumper of their 9 mpg pickup truck.
They’re afraid that they’re not the most important lifeform on the block.
Comment by Susan Fox — November 19, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
Wow. Just when I think I can’t be amazed by the stupid stuff people do anymore. What I want to know is how does wasting their time writing a hate letter help in ANY way?? Yikes.
Comment by Marie — November 19, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
Hahahahaha! Loved your ad, would buy the car immediately. Perhaps next you should say, “Used Obama and Bark bumper stickers, $950 firm, will throw in car.” In our moments of deepest frustration we have thought of offering our Bad Dog, Harry, in an ad as “Sharp, shiny teeth. Full set. Slightly worn dog included.”
Comment by Glenye Oakford — November 20, 2009 @ 8:45 am
I worked at a car dealership, once. We took in a minivan that had been used to haul alpacas. THAT was a van that needed some detailing!
Comment by C.L.H. — November 20, 2009 @ 9:10 am
Ha!
Well, I know that Dr. Patty Khuly has hauled her goat in her SUV.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 20, 2009 @ 9:19 am
Hey, when I bought Emo, the greatest dogmobile evah, from a father of six, it came complete with crayons.
I was finding crayons in nooks and crannies of that lunar excursion module until the day I stood sobbing in the driveway as the junk man towed him away.
A lot more persistent than even German shepherd hair.
But given my expectations for a vehicle that cost me $3500 and carried me for 13 years, I found the crayon-dimensional-portal charming rather than annoying.
Comment by H. Houlahan — November 20, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Gina, wrong sales pitch. You need to say owned by a world famous author, includes souvenier dog hair, bumper stickers, etc. Market to your public and forget the losers.
Comment by Moira — November 20, 2009 @ 10:22 am
:::doh:::
Sell the dog hair … van free with!
Actually, there’s a possibility our DogCars.com editor, Keith Turner, may be buying it for his teenaged daughter. Dad wants: Safe, reliable, boring, economical. Teenage daughter wants: Cool.
We’ll see who wins this one. I’m betting on teen daughter.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 20, 2009 @ 10:27 am
Gina, you cracked me up with your ad. I love it! As for the idiot commenter, I hope he refills his meds.
Comment by Jason Merrihew — November 20, 2009 @ 10:42 am
Jason … forgot to say: Congrats on baby-on-the-way! You and your wife are obviously more of those dog-lovers who hate kids.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 20, 2009 @ 10:51 am
Teenaged daughter wins. The van is still for sale. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 20, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
Reason for dismay: nasty-gram author has likely managed to reproduce!
Comment by Deanna — November 21, 2009 @ 4:58 pm