Out with the old

I’ve had it with Maggie. Though my Suzuki Margalla has been with me for more than 2 years now, through thick and thin, events that I can’t forget, it has also caused a lot of pain and misery. The accident two years back burned quite a hole in my pocket and the car has been a money drain ever since. It has also become very unreliable and gets annoyed pretty easily, that too at the worst possible times.

Though I haven’t found a replacement yet, I’m looking around and am hoping to find something trustworthy with a bit more style. I can easily have a brand new car financed through a bank (they are more than eager to sell this service to me), but am fighting hard to stay away from that trap. It’ll have to be a used one for me. Something I can easily afford and something that I can customize and tweak to perfection (the geek in me lives).

However, I’m quite fed up with the level of service and expertise you find here in Islamabad when it comes to getting your car repaired, serviced or customized. Whether it is a “freelance” mechanic or a full-fledged service center, the chances are, they’ll offer a quick fix solution that doesn’t last long and creates a new issue instead. I’ve tried those that my friends recommended as well as those I had good terms with directly. They all end up to be below par. A good mechanic is just a myth to me.

I have a proposed solution. In many countries, the law guarantees that there aren’t any old or unfit cars on the road. This makes very old and damaged cars practically worthless and more recent, but used ones affordable for the average person. It also forces those responsible for repairs to well, be more responsible and offer better quality services. I’m not sure if there is such a law in Pakistan, but even if there is, its implementation is non-existent.

Granted that a sudden implementation of this type of law here could create havoc, but only for a little while. Those who are currently forced to drive extinct wrecks (due to their affordability), will have to upgrade while having to ditch their current vehicles. Incompetent mechanics may go out of business since the new cars require better competence.

Eventually though, all of the used, but recent vehicles will be more affordable, easier to maintain and create less trouble for everyone else on the road. Those with the money for luxury cars or the latest and greatest can continue to pay full price.

Now, you might say that enforcing a better level of service overall, in all walks of life and holding those responsible for less than perfect output should be the primary concern, but that is something too far-fetched in a society like the one we have here. A surgical change, such as the one above should be easier to implement. Just my two cents.

I should be able to find something within the next month and will post about my experience with it. I’m hoping it will be something special, but let’s see what I get. Wish me luck.