Dents

A few months before I gradated from the University of Houston, I started getting credit cards in the mail. That practice was later banned. I also got offers from all the auto dealers offering no-money-down deals on new cars. A friend, who I studied with, became the proud owner of a new Volvo. To prevent getting any parking lot dents on his pride and joy, he parked diagonally across three parking spaces at the far end of the stadium parking lot. While returning to his car one day, he found his car surrounded by police and wreckers. The police had been in pursuit of a bank robber that had lost control and plowed into my friends car.
    Many years later, when I was in the Auto business, I had a fellow dealer that told this story and swore it was true. He had just delivered a new truck to a customer and watched as the customer reached into the tool box that had been on his old truck and took out a hammer. He then proceeded to give the side of the new truck a good hit, leaving a good size dent. The dealer ran out and asked the customer what the hell he was doing. The old guy threw the hammer back in the tool box and said. " Now I don't have to worry about getting the first dent."
A few days ago I was walking through the parking lot at our local supermarket. There was a distressed young couple standing next to a new sports car that still had the paper tags. I stopped and asked if they needed any help. With tears in her eyes the young lady pointed at the sizable dent someone had just given them while they were shopping. I tried to console her by saying that it was not too bad and could be easily repaired. It didn't seem to help. I had been thinking of getting a new vehicle to replace our 16 year old Taurus. Maybe I will keep it. It has lots of dents.