Chevy dealer amesbury ma

I was on my way to work this morning, taking my usual route. The only difference was that I was driving a loaner vehicle from a dealership while my car was waiting for backordered parts. The dealer gave me a tinted Dodge Charger to drive.
As I waited at a red light, I was suddenly rear ended. I looked behind me and saw the car and its two male occupants staring forward, I guess waiting for me to get out of my car. I didn't get out.
After a few seconds, they pulled around slowly and then sped off. I got pissed off and gave chase with my phone out, trying to get a photo of the plate for insurance.
I got a good photo, and they suddenly slammed the brakes and hopped out with guns drawn, one guy on each side of the car.
I was a bit surprised at first, but then a warmth washed over me as I stared each guy in the eye, they both had masks on at this point. My windows were about halfway down, I stared down the barrels of both guns poking in with a sigh.
As they both demanded I get out, I just smiled at the guy at the driver's window and tapped my head just above my temple, where his gun was pointing. I told him calmly "hey man, just hit me right here. No no, listen to me. I wanna talk to you for real. I want you to hit me right here, make it quick and don't fuck up my face for my mom, alright?"
His eyes went wide and he said "what?? I'm gonna shoot you if you don't get out the car, get out the car!" He reached in through the window and unlocked the door, then started tugging on me to get out as I said nothing. His buddy looked confused and ran back to their car, flagging the guy yanking on me to come on.
The guy tried earnestly one last time, saying "get out the car ma'am, please..."
I just said "do me a favor and it's yours. Just end me already."
He finally let me go and ran back to their car and sped off. I'm still upset I'm still alive. I've been suicidal since I was 9, so I was very excited to see them, I was very happy to finally meet my end...or so I thought.
I called the police, got the report and claim filed, etc. And went to work. I feel like I shouldn't be here, and I really wish I wasn't. My only chance being able to escape this hell slipped through my fingers.
Everyone is so happy and grateful that I'm alive and unharmed after this incident. I'm not. But I can't express my feelings to anyone in real life, so here I am.

Chapter 89 - The Angels Have Chose
​
Afternoon, Two days before Shel
It was getting near lunch and Tom checked his omni-pad. It seemed as good a time as any to take stock of the day.
…Miv’s right, I’ve been climbing the walls…
There was a text from Bherdin. The IOTC girls were doing well, and would hold up their part to play in the banquet.
…That’s nice. I’d feel guilty as hell if Vedeem weren’t dating a Princess. That kind of evens things up…
And his suit was going to be delivered tonight.
Tom sighed and shook his head. Bherdin was happy as a clam. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than the Warden’s outfit. The little Shil could make you believe in reincarnation, because he definitely had the soul of Liberace. Still, it was only one evening. Surely a state dinner couldn’t be that bad. It was a crowd of scientists and assorted nobility, for goodness sake…
…It’s not the audience I’m worried about…
There was a message from Lamana Duvari. The Interior agent had been cooperative, though he could tell she wasn’t happy about this plan. She was deferring to her Princess, but Duvari favored playing for time. There was just something about sitting back and waiting that didn’t have any appeal…
…She wasn’t the one with a knife in her guts…
That wasn’t fair. Whatever else you could say about the woman, if she’d been asked to trade places, she wouldn’t have hesitated. The woman's dedication was frightening, the more so because she spent most of her day in her disguise as ‘Professor Duvari, Totally Normal Person.’
…Well except for the orchestra. Mel and Kas’lin say she's perfectly at home…
“The woman would probably lend a whole new terror to ‘Ode to Joy.’”
At least she’d followed through, and, gods love her, so had Kzintshki. She’d explained her ability to evade most sensors, but the last three nights she’d slipped out on campus to ‘try something new.’ She’d texted every time, and according to Duvari, the Deathsheads in the bunker missed her every time.
…Whatever she’s doing, it could make all the difference…
The women in the bunker… Like Ce’lani. Things shouldn’t go wrong, but how many times had he said that? Something wasn’t right. The feeling he was missing something loomed over him…
“Fuck it… Time to call Ce’lani.”
He’d promised, and Miv would be gone for hours. Besides, it might make him feel better…
_ _ _
Deep in the Ops room out in the bunker, Sgt Diani perked up from her station. “Captain, you’re not gonna believe this. He’s calling her now.”
“You’re putting me on.” Captain Be’ona felt her eyes grow wide. “The woman can’t string two sentences together when she wakes up.”
“Ummm we’re recording this, aren’t we?” Yala asked from the ground team console.
“She threatened to sodomize me with a lasrifle over breakfast…” Be’ona steepled her fingers and smiled guilelessly. “Oh, Deeps, we are. Document that sucker!”
_ _ _
Miv’eire was a stunning woman. Tall, even for a Shil’vati, she was statuesque, yet elegant. She had poise, and it showed. Sholea was equally striking, though lithe, slim, and feisty.
At 6’2, Tom never thought he’d end up as the short one in the family, but somehow neither woman made him feel that way, and were feminine in the way Shil’vati women usually were. Both women behaved just like Human women, with all their cares and concerns - except when they didn’t. When they didn’t, they really didn’t.
It could be disconcerting to have your attitudes reflected back when you least expected it, but that was their ‘normal.’
Shil’vati men? Well, given the social pressures put on them, they behaved like Human women. Though he’d only met a few before leaving Earth, it was a rule of thumb that worked reasonably well. It applied fairly well to the men working as cooks and waiters at Human Food, and he’d been comfortable with adapting in a way. When in Rome… and the men had made an effort to help him adapt. After all, he was on Shil - the odd man out, in the most literal sense.
That said, there were young men like Aku and Vedeem who seemed to face their worlds in understandable ways. Then again, he’d also come to know Jama. While age had slowed him down, words like ‘notorious’ and ‘brazen’ tended to find their way into his thoughts. There were even a few men about like Bherdin, where worlds like ‘florid’ tended to flounder, unequal to the task… But all of them were at home with their lives. This was their normal, and he was the outsider looking in.
He’d adapted.
Staring at his omni-pad, he punched in the number, but held off dialing. What did he know about Ce’lani? They’d shared a morning together, and Miv and Lea approved… Once, that would have been difficult to accept. Now?
…it still took getting used to.
There was also the fact that she was military. Not just a Marine, but a Deathshead Commando, and while the difference was lost on him, it mattered. You couldn’t avoid meeting Shil’vati Marines.
Young, dumb, and full of… expectations… young troops were the same everywhere. They universally tended to piss off the locals.
Taken as a whole, it reminded Tom of his time on Okinawa. The governor of the island had been aggressively against the American bases there, and rightly supported policies to stop sexual violence against local women. The most dangerous animals on the island were, after all, several thousand unaccompanied Marines… though it was also rumored his daughter had been caught with a young Airman in the back of a Chevy.
The guy had to be smuggled off the island one night with extreme prejudice.
All of that came home to roost with the Shil’vati occupation. What had gone around had come around, in the form of young, inexperienced, and hopeful girls turned loose on the ‘sex planet.’ They had gone over just as well as anyone should have expected. If anything, Humanity ought to have known better than the Shil, but it was still a shock to the system.
Once the red zones calmed enough to allow the settlement programs to kick in, families had arrived on Earth. Shil’vati, Rakiri, Helkam… by fits and starts, each had started to appear, along with the other more exotic races in the Imperium. For a while, it had turned into a hobby like train spotting, but somehow people found their niches and things got on. The galaxy came calling, and it turned out that people were just people.
The Marines were the problem. Not as individuals, but as young troops out of their depth in a situation they weren’t right for. Not that the Interior was anyone’s choice, even for the Shil, but after a while people got on…
…Well, most did. God, I’m going to miss Cat…
He banished the weight of old memories and focused.
Ce’lani was… well, not a marine, but the thought stuck in his head. Her letter had been hopeful, not young or inexperienced. The music she’d sent along had been thoughtful, expressing her longing, desire, and optimism in a way that touched the heart… presuming she’d understood the words.
Either that or she’d gotten lucky.
Still, taken as a whole, words like ‘daunting’ tried to edge their way into his thoughts. Personally, she was polite, deferential to Miv and Lea, and had already put herself on the line for him more than once. Physically, though… the woman screamed ‘military.’
Ce’lani Tonis was a beautiful woman with a defined chin and piercing gold eyes, though it was difficult not to think of her body first. Once someone threw you over their shoulder and took off at a dead run, it made a lasting impression. Athletic, in the way that you’d say Arnold Schwarzenegger was ‘well defined,’ everything about the woman said ‘focused,’ - though that seemed normal for Shil’vati women.
For better or worse, Ce’lani had focused on him, and Miv and Lea approved. That was how things stood… and he needed to call the uber-girl and make a date.
“Just when I thought it would stop feeling strange…” Tom shook his head and hit the icon to dial.
The omni-pad rang a few times, and Tom was about to give it a miss when the call connected. While he didn’t enable the feature often, she must have had video on…
“Mn… Hnogh…?”
The uber-girl lay mashed into her pillow, eyes screwed shut as she started to gently snore.
“Ummm... Hi. Ce’lani?” Somehow, her camera lay at an odd angle, barely keeping her in the frame and Tom turned his to match. “Ummm, hello? It’s Tom?”
“Tom…? Tom’zzz cute…” Ce’lani rolled back and snorted once. Part of him considered hanging up, but he lingered in bemused fascination as she carried on talking in her sleep. “All those wommm chazzing... I beat their asses… an… ’e’s cute…”
The polite thing to do would be to hang up and call back later. It wasn’t as if he was going to get anything sorted… Still, it seemed rude not to say something. Besides, if this was recording on her end the least he could do was leave a useful message. “So… would you like to go out for something to eat?”
“Nmm... nice restaurant… does wrestling…” Ce’lani rolled over, her arm flailing at the omni-pad, knocking it askew. “Builds creidszz…”
“Ah…” If she slept during the day, maybe she worked nights. “This seems to be a bad time, so maybe dinner?”
The omni-pad offered a view of the ceiling. “Dinnerz good for wrestling pages…”
“Ok, I’ll set something up.” There was no way not to make this awkward, but if there wasn’t a recording, the worst he could do was call back. “Sweet dreams.”
Shaking his head, he broke the call.
…Alright, maybe not so daunting then… A date won’t be so bad. At least we’ll have something funny to talk about, if it’s humorous from a Shil’vati perspective…
“From a Shil’vati perspective…” The thought stuck in his head, and he punched in a text to Lamana Duvari. ‘Need to meet you this afternoon. Bring cadets. Important.’
Kzintshki did things the Pesrin way. The Shil did things the Shil way… and he’d been approaching this whole banquet from a Human perspective…
And maybe that was all wrong.
_ _ _
As Pathfinder of the Natahss’ja Warband, Sunchaser had known Marakhett since she was a mere kit named M’rast. Admittedly, she was only forty-three Pesh-years older - or five, going by the local calendar - but the years were enough. When she’d started training as a Pathfinder under old Starwise, her mentor instructed her to pay attention to the young kits as well as the adults. They’d be her peers one day and as the future warriors and band mothers of the Woodspirits, knowing them was important. So it was that she remembered Marakhett being born and watched her grow from a kit.
Starwise had lived up to his name. She’d not only learned to deal with other Warbands and the art of contract law, she’d also come to appreciate her family more intimately than most. She knew their strengths and weaknesses. She’d come to appreciate their character as a whole.
She’d been the odd woman out - the social one, though that wasn’t so unusual for Pesrin. Everything back home on Pesh depended on who you knew, who you were related to, who you had or hadn’t eaten… Social ties were everything. The only remarkable thing was that she managed to remain social, coming from a family of dour, uncommunicative, introverted… Well, they were family.
At least if they found it hard to laugh at themselves, she was there to do it for them.
In that respect. Marakhett was everything a bandmother of the Natahss’ja should be. Not without a certain dark and severe sense of humor, but still…
“You’re pulling my asiak.” Sunchaser crossed her arms, her asiak swishing uncertainly.
“I have never pulled your asiak, though if you want amputation…?”
Pathfinder sighed. Naturally, it would be Kzintshki. Talk about the prodigal daughter… “So it’s a brothel? Like… really a brothel?” She pinched the bridge of her nose a moment and rallied. “Well, I suppose if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong, but Mother of Light, there’s such a thing as overcompensation!”
Marakhett stared balefully and groomed her asiak. Sunchaser took the hint.
“Alright, you’re not kidding. Scout me through this from the beginning and stop me when I’m wrong. Your daughter found a boy - a Pesrin boy - in a brothel," Sunchaser supplied helpfully. Marakhett continued grooming. The pause grew longer, but she knew how to wait. After all, Marakhett had come to her…
“You are not speaking.”
“Oh, you just noticed? Because I was hoping that was the point where you were going to stop me.”
Marakhett arched an eyebrow. “Then you must learn to live with disappointment.”
“Daily.” Sunchaser looked at her another moment. Sometimes it was good to remember you loved your family enough to eat them, and some days you wanted to eat them so you didn’t have to remember you loved them. “I see… So this ‘Parst’ is in a brothel. You think she’s getting tied to him?”
“He is the right age… and she is very much in the right season. It is possible.” Marakhett shrugged slightly. Anyone not familiar with her would have missed the gesture. From her, it was positively eloquent, but she unbent slightly. “You are just repeating what we already know. I hoped by the time I returned you’d have found out more about the Rithagian.”
“Don’t get hasty in your middle age - it’s not your style,” Sunchaser snorted. “I’m just laying the trail here. Please tell me you did some scouting? Why don’t you and the other bandmothers just break the boy out? Kzintshki can grab him by the-”
“Of course, I scouted,” Marakhett replied tartly. “That is the problem.”
“Riiiiight… Well, that’s clear as the bottom of a coal mine at midnight.” Sunchaser settled back. Being the extrovert in the family was a penance sometimes, but Marakhett gave her pause. The woman was a careful hunter, but had never been afraid to be the first to use violence. She used it as a tool. Usually as a scalpel and sometimes as a blunt object, but if she said violence wasn’t the answer, it likely wasn’t. This was going to be one of those conversations where she just had to drag the information out. “So you scouted. Are you going to tell me the problem, or just let me guess?”
“The Tide Pool is not merely a brothel. The people work there... Apparently by choice.” Marakhett paused significantly. Sunchaser appreciated the effort, as that was a lot to take in. “The men and women there… and there are more species than I have ever seen… all consider themselves employees. I spoke with four or five and the ones that don't consider themselves ‘entertainers’ for the clients are there as staff. They are all healthy, happy, and abundantly well paid.”
“Well, money can’t buy you happiness, but if that’s true, you could die trying.”
“That is humor?”
“That is an observation,” she replied a bit tartly, turning the matter over in her mind and weighing it against what she’d been able to uncover. “Look, prostitution is a filthy business everywhere we’ve been. Places like that in the Consortium are little better than slave houses, and the Alliance was worse. Men and boys beaten down into lifeless outcasts. No one looks at them as anything but toys until they’re too old or too used up, and then they just get cast aside. Sure, actual slavery is a filthy business, but it’s only illegal because otherwise no man would be safe anywhere! It’s bad enough here with the Silver Suns, but that's better than the Alliance or Consortium. At least the Imperium tries to stop it! You said this place has a lot of money rolling through - if it’s everything you’re saying, then something is going on.”
“So I surmised,” Marakhett said blithely.
Of the Woodspirit’s seven bandmothers, Marakhett was her favorite, but Sunchaser counted to eight, her patience getting thin. “Based on…?”
“The Tide Pool employs Rakiri security, but the staff were armed.” She finished grooming her asiak and let it fall free. “Discreetly, but still…”
Sunchaser parsed that over. An armed staff wouldn’t be easy to subdue. No gang would allow it… and Rakiri? Rakiri were capable fighters and should be respected, if not invited to dinner… but still. Birds flew. Fish swam. They did what they did supremely well and were both good eating. That didn’t make them interchangeable.
“Rakiri don’t make good criminals.” Sunchaser tapped a claw on a bulkhead thoughtfully “It’s just not in their nature.”
Marakhett’s fur arched and settled, displaying she was pleased with herself. “Exactly.”
“So when you say armed, do you mean ‘a little,’ ‘quite’ or ‘very?’”
“My waiter was carrying a knife on a leg strap, and the security women I saw had X-tel GP fives.”
“Flechette pistols?” Sunchaser felt herself staring, despite herself. “Light, those are nasty! Exactly how many ‘staff’ are in this place?”
“I have seen smaller fortresses,” Marakhett said flatly.
“Bigger than the-”
“Yes.”
Sunchaser felt her stomach purge as the conversation ground to a halt again. When Marakhett got into monosyllables, that was about it for information. That made it her turn.
“I heard back from Moonwhisper. She’s wed to their bandmale, and he’s on good terms with the male in the Curmoica.” She felt a moment’s gratification as Marakhett winced slightly. As an extrovert stuck in a family of reclusive mercenaries, a little exposition was her best revenge. Still, there was no need to push it. “They confirmed the Rithagian arrived on Shil a year or so after they did… They took a contract with Duchess Elieana - our employer. Funny she’s never mentioned it.”
“I am laughing on the inside.”
“Really? I’d love to cut you open and hear what that sounds like, because thanks to your daughter we find the ‘quiet old commodities trader’ employing us lost a Warband! Not just some of them - the whole family. That means there’s something up with the Duchess on one side and a fortress on the other.” Sunchaser pulled her asiak in raw frustration. “You know what that means?!”
“You undercharged,” Marakhett said archly.
“YES!” Sunchaser wailed, slamming her fist against the wall. It was humiliating, but she had to make the best of it. “Are you and the other bandmother’s going to tell Lathkiar?”
“Our husband? Not at this point.”
“This could involve slavers, violence, kidnapping, and mayhem.”
“Naturally, but Lathkiar is still learning to use his prosthetic leg. Getting us out of Consortium space cost him dearly, and we don’t want him to think he is missing out… or that we’re out of practice.” Marakhett sighed. “Until we can afford something better, he would slow us down. We are not risking him, so the less he hears, the better.”
Somehow, Kzintshki had negotiated actual land for the Natahss’ja, but while land and herds were a fortune for posterity, until the lands were actively worked, they remained a fortune out of reach. In the meantime, every spare credit that wasn’t being put into their ship now had to be plowed into renovations. That included the money set aside to provide Lathkiar with a good prosthetic, but he’d insisted. The savings was far more than he’d earn with work from the Duchess, and Sunchaser nodded grimly, acknowledging his sacrifice. It was something he could do for the family, and no one was going to take that from him.
“Why did you not marry Lathkiar as well?” Marakhett asked. The question caught Sunchaser by surprise.
“I’m a little old for that,” She pondered the idea. Starwise had negotiated well when she brought Lathkiar into the family from the Konjrel. Normally the price for a man like that would break a family for a year, but he was as laconic as Marakhett. They loved each other dearly, but the idea of sharing quarters with them all? Torture. “That's very kind. Marriage may be a wonderful institution, but I don’t want to be institutionalized.”
“Mn.” As usual, Marakhett’s asiak did the talking for her, and Sunchaser leaned in to rub shoulders with her friend.
“So this… Parst?” she asked circumspectly. The sting of undercharging was painful, but a male… on the loose… with no family charging a dowry for him? Now that was a bargain! “Good looking boy, is he?”
“I can possibly see the attraction,” the bandmother shrugged.
“You threatened him?” she asked mildly. It was an unusual situation, but there were the formalities to consider.
“Yes.” She nodded briefly, “Appropriate to his situation.”
“Good, good… and Lathkiar might like having a young male to bring into the family.” Sunchaser desperately wanted to rub her hands together, but a Pathfinder should never display greed - just embrace it. “It would be good for the family. The girls are getting older and you know Cahliss would be thrilled to have a share of him. Ptavr'ri doesn't get on well with Kzintshki, but she’ll either adjust to being third or go without.”
“I can’t say I don’t agree with you.” Coming from Marakhett, that was practically a manifesto. The woman’s asiak actually perked with joy. If she had a least favorite bandwife it was Harasf, and Ptavr’ri was her daughter. Despite her unusual choice of a Human hahackt, Kzintshki had brought the family land. If she brought home a male, her place as the next bandmother would be uncontested by her bandsisters - including Harasf and Ptavr’ri.
“Who are we to stand in the way of true love? It’s been so long since we’ve had a wedding… It will do the family good, since we’re so far from home,” Sunchaser said firmly, setting her thoughts in order. There was still a great deal to find out about the Rithagian, but they were niblifos. Not enemies, but certainly not allies… Besides, any distant branches didn’t even know about the boy! “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Marakhett nodded thoughtfully. “If he has no family, who do we eat?”
_ _ _
Bherdin D’saari watched Jeidri Shel’ara expectantly. As a Cadet Senior Agent in the IOTC, she’d proven over the last week she could be driven, demanding, and determined. While polite and properly deferential to him, she’d battered down barriers to anything less than perfection in her troops, and was ready to face the worst things the galaxy had to offer.
He sniffed at the waste… In another life she would have made a fabulous maître d'. As it was, she made a marvelous test subject for his latest dessert!
“That is absolutely the most disgusting thing I have ever seen,” she breathed in horrid fascination as Vedeem picked up one of the rectangular mounds. Industrial brown goo discharged suggestively from the sides, but what really captured the eye was the sticky mass oozing out the sides.
Cadet Agent Vandra Elidre leaned in for a closer look before turning pale. “I’m going to be sick.”
Still, none of them made a dash for the bathroom or had the option to refuse. Bherdin appreciated that, since Vedeem was handing them out… Over the last week, his son had truly come into his own, training them day after day… And if that wasn’t enough, who cared!? He was the Princess’ boyfriend! What could they say?
“What in the sweet goddess’ name is that?” Cadet Agent Prindi Ama’dis prodded at hers with horrified fascination, moving it about on the plate, before pulling it apart. A visceral horror crept over her features as the white morass dribbling down, clinging suggestively in ropey white tendrils. “You know what this looks like?”
Vedeem D’saari grinned cheerfully and picked up his own. “Like porn on Shel morning?” One long entrail dribbled suggestively. “Don’t worry! The best things in life are a little sticky!”
Bherdin felt a warm glow of pride in his son. He’d come so far, so fast.
Vedeem smiled compassionately at the girls. Even in their distress, none of them were willing to show weakness… They watched in horror as he picked up his piece and bit deeply. Thick goo surged from the crust, coating one tusk.
Prindi Ama’dis looked like she was going to faint.
“They’re called a ‘s’mores.’ Just try a nibble, please? For me…? Surely, you’re not afraid, are you?” Vedeem tried wiping the sticking mass from his mouth. It trailed away on one fingertip. He gave them a winsome smile. “This can't be the messiest thing you’ve thought of with a boy?”
“I…” Jeidri was withering. Vandra looked at her for moral support as Prindi started to wheeze. As the senior cadet, she seemed to be fortifying herself… just as her omni-pad rang. Snatching the unit from her belt, she held it like a talisman. “I’ve got to get this! Vandra! You try it!”
Well, you couldn’t win them all over at once… A love of fine cuisine didn’t come to everyone naturally.
Jeidri’s lower lip quivered, but she picked up the square and gulped. “What… um… what's in it?”
“The brown stuff is chocolate. It’s a vegetable… sort of.” Vedeem ran a fingertip along his own. She and Prindi watched, spellbound… If some savages simply couldn’t appreciate good food, what was one to do? Still, there came a time for selling yourself, and at last Vedeem was learning!
“Umm…. sort of?” Prindi asked nervously.
“Don't worry, I’m sure big girls like you can get a handle on it…” Vedeem’s tongue snaked out and wound around the brown-coated finger suggestively.
“A-and umm… and the… the white stuff?” Vandra whispered horsely.
“Marshmallow…” Vedeem smiled sinfully at the pair… Bherdin couldn't be more proud. All his son needed was a bit more fashion counseling and nothing would stand in his way! The universe would deliver itself to him on a platter!
Of course, first they still needed a test. Some people just had inexplicable tastes.
“Alright…” Prindi and Vandra shared a look and took a bite…
Jeidri Shel’ara hung up on her omni-pad, suddenly all business. “Girls, that was a call from… umm… anyway, we have to get back to the campus at once!”
The cadets looked like they’d found their way to Shil’s own bedroom.
“Oh, thweet ghothess…” Vadra said as she gobbled it down. “Thif if the beft fing I’f ever thafted!”
“Well, of course it is!” Bherdin exclaimed before checking his reflection. As hard as it was to believe, some people just didn’t understand the things an artist had to endure!
__ _
Diani brayed like a turox when she laughed, but at least the girls enjoyed themselves. Yala was wiping tears from her eyes when Be’ona turned off Tom’s monitor. She hadn’t laughed outright…
Well, maybe a bit.
“Right. Eyes back on the job!” she rumbled. Diani was still snickering, but they had a job to do and Be’ona nodded as the sergeant ran a status check on her board. They had a sacred trust, and while breaks in the monotony kept you sharp, they couldn’t become actual distractions.
The board was clear. Princess Khelira was just settling down to lunch with her friends…
“Ma’am? Captain To’nis still has her wake-up call for four?” Diani settled back. “Same as every day, right?
“Mmhmm…” A pod leader should not laugh at their peers in front of the grunts… Be’ona stomped on the chuckle as it threatened to escape and throttled it.
Diani glanced over her shoulder. “Yala? Five credits says she doesn’t remember a thing.”
“Sergeant, that is unkind…” She pulled up the maintenance check from Pod Eight. “I’ll make it twenty. Grow a pair or go home.”
It was good for morale.
_ _ _
It was barely noon and Desi was already worn out.
The files on Earth were starting to blur together every night, but she dug in and kept careful track. Still, the late nights were taking their toll. Even lunch had taken on an aspect of grim determination over the last week, and while it had been useful, Desi missed the days when it was just the carefree banter that started the year. She wouldn't trade her friendship with Melondi for anything, but the revelation had changed everything.
Well, alright, Kzintshki would have shown up anyway, and she seemed impervious to change. She certainly wasn’t what Desi’d imagined a ‘sister’ to be. The Pesrin was seated next to her, prodding the tosip out of the baked goara from today's menu with deep suspicion.
“So, I want to bring something up…” Jax’mi cleared her throat. Desi nodded as the other girls all looked over at Melondi. They knew what was coming, and just now their Princess had her mouth full. “It’s about the calendar.”
Mel... Khelira… was good at reading body language, but Desi suspected the whole table staring at her gave it away. Well, except for Kzintshki. She’d started prying bits of fish from the sauce and took a moment to catch on… Jax didn’t waste time and dove right in.
“I know you’ve been wondering about the news on the calendars… Umm…well, that and one or two other things. I sort of rolled part of the money into another product. You know that Rubik’s thing? I sort of passed that off through my cousin, and we have an offer to market the ‘Chel’xa Block,’ but…” Melondi was trying to finish her bite, so Jax pressed ahead. “Well, anyway, taking out the seed money for the printing and my uncle’s one percent cut for the marketing… ummm… They sold out the first and second runs, and we have an offer to do another.”
“Okay…” Mel bit her lip and frowned at the attention. “How much money is that, and why are you all looking at me?”
“Wellll… We got around a credit per calendar, and my uncle said it sold nearly as well as something called a ‘sports illustrated’ edition… We got an offer from them, by the way, once he mentioned the diving team…”
Melondi had gotten used to eating through unexpected news and started picking at her pippiya. “How much?”
Jax bit her lip. “Allowing for the conversion rate?”
“Fine… allowing for that?” Mel canted her head, looking at Jax’mi warily.
“For both runs?” Jax shrugged. “Around eight hundred thousand credits.”
Melondi dropped her pippiya “What!? For… For pictures of us in bikinis!? That’s… that’s…”
Jax nonchalantly flipped a long wavy lock of silver hair over one shoulder. “The most successful school fundraiser ever!!!”
Jax looked smug, but Desi decided to get things back on track, “The point is, we wanted to talk to you about the money, Mel. We’ve all talked it over, and we’re setting it aside for you.”
“I was going to say preposterous, but why for me?” Mel looked at her, as confusion replaced consternation. “Desi? I think you all know I’m… umm… ‘socially secure.’ We were going to split that... I mean, back when we thought it would just be fun money, but this? I don’t understand. Why would you give it to me?”
“It’s not giving it to you, Mel.” Pris leaned forward, “Well, not as such. It’s more like setting it aside… We need to give some to the school, but we ran it through Dihsala…”
Dihsala pushed her tray away and made a face. “What they’re trying to say is you might need money that can’t be traced.”
“I don’t understand?” Mel said flatly, though there was a defensive note in her voice and Desi suspected she understood perfectly.
“What if you have to run? What if this banquet goes badly?” Dihsala waved a hand briefly at the table, taking everyone in. “We know you don’t want to hear this, but if it’s life or death, you may need to disappear for a while.”
“It’s not like your face is known by the press, but word wouldn’t take long,” Lark pointed out with a nod. “Not if the Palace made an announcement, or your identity was blown.”
Kzintshki stabbed some tosip on one fork, examining it critically. “If the people stalking you decided it helped them flush you out, they’d do so in a minute.”
“They’re right…” Nestha nodded. “My mothers toe the line when the Palace wants something silenced, but if it got totally out in the open, even they’d try and take the lead. Every news outlet and pundit would be offering up something on the data-net.”
“We decided to create a fund to make that happen, if it needs to.” Jax’mi lowered her voice. “My family has a few ships here on Shil. We could get you off-world.”
“My family on Wilist would take you in,” Belda nodded. “There are all kinds of places you can disappear, out on the ranch.”
“Or maybe farther,” said one of the twins. “Mara and I were thinking about Earth. If we asked, maybe the Painters could take you on their ship?”
“I could fool people for a few days… At least the ones off campus,” Desi whispered as she reached out to take Melondi’s hand. “If I slept in your room and we let Vedeem in on it, maybe I could throw them off and give you a head start.”
“I appreciate it... All of you,” Mel looked down at her plate. Her hands fluttered a moment before she clasped them together. “But no, I’m not running away from this. How would this look if I ran at the first sign of danger?”
“The first sign of danger was in the library,” Pris’ voice was full of compassion, but her words made sense. Desi was about to chime in when Mel put her foot down.
“No! I know you’re thinking of me, but what kind of person cuts and runs like that?” Melondi glowered. “Kzintshki, you aren’t Shil’vati. What would it look like to your people? How could I live with myself like that?”
“Easily another fifty years... Longer if you can make money posing in skin suits.” The Pesrin girl frowned. “A Bandmother would not run, but that is different… We are surrounded by family.”
“You’re my family…” Mel said wretchedly before drawing in a long breath. “I… look, you’ve all taken risks for me, and I know you don't want that to be for nothing, but I'm not running away. I couldn't respect myself. Thank you… but no matter what happens, I am not doing that.”
“We had to offer…” the other twin… that would be Kas’lin, reached out for the bread tray. “Anyway, it wouldn’t have been so bad if you went to Earth. We want to know what a ‘rolls’ is.”
“A what?” It was a non-sequitur, but Desi grabbed it like a lifeline. Melondi was embarrassed… That was something a Princess couldn’t afford, and changing the topic was something they could all do for her. “Why don’t you ask the Painters? We’ve barely seen you since they landed… As if we didn’t know why…”
“They’re our heroes!” Mara protested, but she was turning bluer by the second.
“And it would be embarrassing!” Lin nodded. “We’re going to ask the Professor but yeah, we’ve been kept… umm…”
“We’ve had lots of… of intellectual discussions!” Mara nodded a touch frantically. “And you should see the modifications to their ship! It has a magnificent sch-”
“We get it!” The table crowed with laughter as the twins stammered into silence.
“Look, I know we’ve all been under a lot of pressure…” Melondi said tentatively. “Why don’t we have movie night tonight, then go out for a drink tomorrow?”
“What, out in town?” Let’zi spoke up. “Is that safe?”
“We all could use a break. Maybe it’s a good idea, as long as we’re careful. We’ve all been busy,” Desi offered, turning the idea over in her head. It might be good practice impersonating Mel one more time… “Even Kzintshki has been disappearing at night.”
“I have been engaged on your behalf.” Kzintshki started prodding a pippiya apart, scooping out the insides. And picking them apart with a claw. “I have tested evading the sensors. I am told it was satisfactory.”
“What, in your skin suit?” Belda started blushing as she asked.
“In... somewhat less.” Kzintshki’s asiak twitched once. “It was necessary.”
…Less? Less than a bikini? But that meant…
“But… umm… it’s cold out,” Desi stammered as a hush fell over the girls. “Didn’t you freeze your tits off?”
“Pesrin are naturally adaptable… and it’s only forty out. In the skin suit, I am virtually invisible to sensors. ‘Virtually’ may not be enough, this Shel. It required field tests.” Kzintshki’s asiak slipped out of sight and focused on her pippiya as if it was the most important thing in the universe. “It was late. I was not seen.”
“I… I have nothing for that…” Desi found herself staring back to Melondi. The entire table was a sea of blue, now.
“Um, I realize I haven’t asked…” Melondi looked back at her for help, and Desi shrugged. There was no telling with Kzintshki sometimes. “I know why everyone else is helping me. They’re Shil’vati, but you’re a Pesrin. This has to be more than just impressing Professor Warrick as your…?”
“Hahackt. That matters… particularly if I am to engage a mate…” Kzintshki drew herself up, though she glanced about furtively. “Though if you take more pictures in skin suits, I wish to join in. Pesrin are not against easy money.”
“You can have my place!” Belda offered fervently. “I’m going to be a married woman… well, eventually! Liam might not like it if I did it again.”
“There has to be more to it than that,” Melondi asked softly. “This means a great deal to me, so really… anything at all, please just name it.”
“Anything?” Kzintshki set aside the pippiya and picked up her asiak, grooming it modestly. “There is, perhaps, one thing.”
“Name it,” Melondi said. Desi knew the tone... It was her friend sitting there, but Khelira was doing the talking.
“Very well. Immunity from prosecution. From now until the end of Shel.” Kzintshki canted her head, as if issuing a challenge. “You are all nobles… I may be one now, but I am not Shil’vati. If you are caught, it is one thing. If I am caught… as improbable as that may be…”
“Done.” Melondi nodded sharply and raised her voice, “You have my word, as… what I am… before witnesses, and probably being recorded… Immunity from prosecution. A full Imperial pardon for until the end of this Shel.”
“Well, Deeps!” Dihsala breathed. “As long as you’re offering…?”
“Count me in for that!” Pris nodded. “My mother was a magistrate. If I get expelled, she’ll kill me and they’ll never find the body!”
“Alright, fine!” Khelira, Princess of the Shil’vati Imperium had spoken… but Desi saw her friend Melondi… At least until she had to stifle a yawn.
“So, movie night tonight?” Melondi offered. “We still need to pick a film for next week’s class.”
“Oh! Great Waldo’s Peeper has a cute guy named Redford in it,” Kas’lin piped up with a grin. “He’s sexy!”
“The one from Star Wars?” Let’zi cocked her head and perked up. “I like him!”
“That’s Harrison Ford. This one is Redford… though his hair isn’t red…”
Desi looked around the table at her friends as they started to talk about movies. There was no telling what the Shel would bring, but all the same? Life went on…
At least for one more day.

Hi, all,
I drive a 2017 4x4 LT Crew Cab. I've had it for 5 years or so. About year or so into owning it (and exclusively during summer months), I'd have these very weird short circuits, primarily at low speeds and only when turning or backing into/pulling out of a parking space. The display would black out, the power steering would lock up, and the whole electrical system would hiccup for a moment before turning back on.
A few times when driving at highway speeds when I'd flip the blinker, the display would black out. Power steering wouldn't cut out (thankfully -- or, at least, I couldn't tell if the power steering cut out).
I took it into the dealer's service center (it was under an extended warranty at the time) and they couldn't replicate the problem (of course). This happened a couple of times. Fast forward a couple of years (May 2021) and the truck got particularly cantankerous on a longer trip. Managed to get there & back, and immediately dropped it off at different mechanic. They took a look, again couldn't replicate the problem, replaced the battery and tightened the battery point connections.
No problems from May 2021 to now (including a couple of longer trips in Summer 2022). We got a hot spell in April, and when waiting in car line to pick up my kids, there was a very brief hiccup in the electric, but it didn't repeat. A few weeks later, we took another long trip (this time with family in tow) on Memorial Day weekend, and when we were there, the truck got real pissy getting into/out of a parking lot. Didn't want to risk a longer trip with my wife & kids, so I rented a car, had the truck transported back to my house, and made an appointment with another mechanic. I've been driving the truck since we got back (10 or so days) and have had no issues with it at all.
I've seen a lot posts on forums about issues related to the ground connections, both in the wheel well and under the dash on the driver's side. I've also read that this is a problem that other drivers of Chevy/GMC trucks/truck-frame SUVs from about 2012-2019 have had. I've heard stories of the soundproofing getting in the way and causing shorts, of the connections getting jostled loose, of it just being poor design in these model years, and so on.
I'm reaching out to you all to see fi any of you have had similar issues with your Silverados, and if so, if you were able to identify the root cause and fix it (either temporarily, as happened in May 2021 when the mechanics merely "tightened the connections", or more permanently.)
I'm not confident that the mechanics will be able to replicate the problem (in fact, I'm sure that they won't; it typically only seems to happen when it's hot (it's not right now) and when the truck has been running for an hour or more. As such, I'd like to equip them with as much intel as I can.
Thanks in advance, Silveradoans!

I have a 2015 Spark LT, and the plastic bit that holds the key has broken off. The key fob still works and I don't want to spend a mint getting a new one, so I bought a replacement shell to transfer the electronics to. It looks almost exactly like the original, except its missing the Chevy emblem.
The thing is, I can't for the life of me figure out how to pry open the old shell. I can pry off the battery door easily enough, but nothing beyond that. The new shell has a screw right where the Chevy emblem is on the old fob, and apparently a lot of car key fobs hide a screw under the emblem, but when I pry the Chevy emblem off it's just bare plastic underneath. The only videos I can find of the 2015 Spark only show how to replace the battery, not how to open the whole shell and transfer the actual electronics, and the post-2015 fobs seem to be built quite differently so those videos aren't helpful.
The nearest Chevy dealer is about 30 minutes out of town, so I'd really rather not schlep down there (and possibly only to have them try and sell me a whole new fob)! Any help would be much appreciated 🙏

I am in the process of getting a truck for the house as well as my growing family… I had a Colorado a couple years back and absolutely loved it, but with a newborn I found the truck to be very small and cramped. Now I am revisiting the idea of a family truck, and lo and behold the current model year Silverado‘s have the same blue I had on my Colorado, which I loved!
My local dealers are having some pretty good deals on the Custom trim with the four-cylinder engine, it has a surprisingly impressive towing capacity, which I don’t really plan on towing much, but good to have… I’m a little taken back with the four-cylinder engine on a truck with this size. Would love to get some input on it.
My nephew, who is a mechanic at Chevy advised me against it as he says a lot have come in for repairs. What are some of your personal experiences?

Update: Thanks for the input everyone, I for sure thought it was illegal, as most vendors wont ship, even private vendors. The MA statute is vague as hell so it's nice to get input from more experienced shooters. I've been shopping on gunbroker since I learned it was legal and I've already dropped like $400 so far.
Thanks again!
Original:
As far as I know, out of state dealers aren't allowed to sell pre-ban mags to MA residents. Can FFL'S buy out of state pre-ban mags?
Somewhat related: If anyone has USGI M1 Carbine mags (15/30rd) they don't want, let me know!

I am posting my question here in the collapse subreddit but I am not sure I am in the right place. But hear me out. My question has to do with the rollout of the “Advanced Clean Cars II” rule that originated with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California generally. There are a number of other states that will follow the CARB rules. NY is among these states and is where I live. ACC II is well-intended and is supposed to provide a structure for transition away from fossil-fuel vehicles. But as I attempt to think through the implications, I have to wonder if the ACC II policy may end up collapsing the auto industry and auto sales in the US and it will cause it to happen “sooner than expected”. I know there are many on this sub that would welcome that outcome. But in a country that has been so dependent on cars it will be a big change.
In 2021 NY passed legislation that would transition new car sales to 100% EV in 2035. Governor Hochul signed it and then passed it off to the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to come up with an implementation plan. DEC then announced adoption of the CARB ACC II rule in late 2022 as part of the NY EV mandate. ACC II calls for EV quotas to take effect gradually starting with the 2025 auto model year which would begin with a 25% EV sales quota. PHEVs could count towards the quota but could only satisfy up to 20% of the quota for each model year. Automakers face a penalty if they fail to meet the EV quota. By 2030 the quota is 70% EV new car sales.
I was thinking about this EV mandate in CA but also in NY, CT, MA, MD, NJ, and others in terms of the effect on existing dealerships in these states. Tesla doesn’t sell through a dealer network but all the other automakers do. Tesla will have no problem qualifying. But when I think about the typical Toyota dealership, I can see a big problem that will arrive with the 2025 model year. Stats from NY DMV show 5.7% of new car sales in 2022 were EVs. This includes PHEVs like RAV4 Prime, Jeep 4Xe, etc. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) were only 2%. I am not sure about 2023 but it’s likely to be only slightly more than 2022. But with the 2025 model year, Toyota would have to sell 20% BEVs of its new car sales in those ACC II states like NY. But at this point Toyota only has the bZ4X BEV right now in 2023 and less than 2000 have been sold so far this year in the US (source: Bard). They might have another model in 2025 but it would be completely new. They have the Mirai fuel cell car but there is zero hydrogen infrastructure in NY to fuel it. So Toyota would have to either pay a big fine per vehicle, or buy “credits” {presumably from Tesla) that buy them out of the quota.. Or they would have to somehow increase BEV availability and sales by a factor of 10x in less than 2 years! Google Bard says that one way they could comply is to limit the sale of ICE cars so that even low sales of BEVs would equal 20% of the total. This would mean very few Toyotas could be sold until the company could actually produce enough BEVs to meet the increasingly high EV quota. Maybe Toyota would have to increase sales far more than 10x?
By 2030 the EV quota will be 68%. I don’t see how these progressively stricter quotas are mathematically possible to meet. I can’t see how any Toyota dealership in the ACC II states can survive more than 3 years. Maybe they just stay in business on service and used cars? Or does it all fall down? Maybe we are all heading for e-bikes sooner than we thought?
I guess Toyota could write off these states but that would be hard. CA, NY, NJ, MA, MD, etc are a huge share of the US market. And what of the consumers? It’s not hard to believe there will be a shortage of new cars. What few cars that are available will be the expensive ones. So e-bikes it is!
I am hoping some redditors out there will have some insight into the auto industry that I lack. Or redditors who might have insight into how ACC II will work in California? Will this hasten in the end of the auto age? Maybe it’s already happening? Google Bard tells me that year over year auto registrations in CA and NY have declined for several years..

I would like to start by saying this is an honest review. I was an extremely loyal Carvana customer and the first to defend Carvana from anyone saying how bad they were. I have purchased 2 cars from Carvana over the past 5 years. I am going to provide an honest review of both experiences because I want to outline exactly how much the customer experience has degraded in my personal opinion.
If you finish reading this and have any questions, please feel free to AMA about my experiences.
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1st Vehicle Experience (2019) 5 Stars, amazing experience
I purchased a 2018 Ford Fusion. This vehicle arrived as advertised, all exterior markings were clearly listed on the site and I could find no issues on the exterior that weren't marked. They delayed my shipping which I was perturbed about as I had paid good money for shipping. When the car arrived, the driver had a gift card he gave me for some restaurants which I thought was an amazing gesture. The driver unloaded my vehicle and scrapped the front and back bumpers off the ground because the car was low and the ground uneven. I was assured this would be fixed. I got the car home and realized there was dog hair all through the back seat. I contacted Carvana about both issues. They sent me $250 to get the car cleaned and footed the entire bill for repairs (almost $2000) to get it fully repaired. This earned my loyalty to their brand and decided I'd buy cars from Carvana in the future.
TL;DR; Amazing experience, driver was incredibly respectful and Carvana fixed every complaint I had and I felt actually went above and beyond to ensure I was happy including a swag bag.
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2nd Vehicle Experience (2023) 1 Star at best, awful experience lost a customer
I purchased a 2021 Chevy Silverado RST 6 1/2 FT bed with DFM from their site. There were a few usual delays during purchasing nothing major. Delivery day comes. I receive a text from the driver with a 15-minute time frame for their arrival. Wait a full hour before texting the number, I get a response when the driver pulls into the parking lot 1 hour and 10 minutes after the arrival time they gave me. I'm out of their market so this involved me sitting in a parking lot for a full hour. No apologies, just a joke about how they needed to stop for an energy drink. I ignore it, shit happens... they unload the vehicle and I take it for a test drive. Everything seems fine, I sign for the vehicle and drive it home. At this point, I have a few parts waiting for the truck including a bed cover which oddly does not fit. I start doing some decoding of the VIN number and realize the truck is actually a 5 3/4 FT bed. I also notice there are some deep gouges in the paint that weren't marked (one side had no scratches at all marked) and there's also a dent in the tailgate. At this point, I'm a bit nervous but I've had good experiences in the past so I assume it'll all work out. I open a complaint about the bed, I wait to hear back. They offer me a $100 check which I feel honestly is a slap in the face. I ask to have the shipping fees waived as this clearly wasn't my fault and would like to return the truck. They refuse. At this point, I'm either out around $1200 ($190 to get it to my state, $520 to get it to me, and $520 to get it back for the return) or I take the $100 and just forget about it. I ask to have a manager call me. They assure me a manager will call in 24 hours as now it is getting close to my 7-day return window and I am pretty displeased. A manager never called me and today I finally just accepted this is my truck now and took the $100 as I didn't want to lose $1200 out of pocket.
As a side note, the truck was listed with DFM but does not have DFM. Another feature they miss annotated but I've decided contacting them about it is not worth the extra $100 as each time has been a significant hassle. I had seen this feature was missing and actually didn't want it anyway so it worked.
So now I move on to the next issue the gouges in the paint and the dent that weren't disclosed. I take pictures and submit a claim request through their website. The pictures are sent to their insurance company. In about 3 hours I am informed that these scratches while not disclosed anywhere are "normal wear" and are being refused to be covered.
TL;DR; The delivery driver was extremely disrespectful. The customer support has mocked me and belittled my problems. They sold me a truck with a 5 3/4 FT bed as a 6 1/2 FT bed that has multiple scratches and a dent they had no pictures of and did not disclose in any way. Their solution was to offer me $100 dollars and refused to allow me to send the truck back without losing money.
​
Safe to say I will NEVER purchase another vehicle from Carvana. It's a shame really, they're usually cheaper than dealers around here and in the past have shown amazing customer response. However, the customer experience is horrible now. An online retailer that can't get the simple facts correct or mark obvious imperfections while refusing to work with the customer in any way does not deserve anyones business.
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EDIT: Corrected information about when I saw they mis marked the DFM feature.

I have two Bolts on order in MI. Neither confirmed by GM yet. Just received this in an email from one of the dealers I ordered with.
​
How have you been? I want to apologize ahead of time for a long email. I wanted to reach out because we've just gotten some news from GM about the Bolt EV and EUV.
GM is doing an EV pool. They have about 50 cars that will basically be first come first serve with a limit of 6 EV's and 6 EUV's per dealership per month. They will be releasing a few at a time. So basically Monday morning 9am the pool will open. Dealers will scramble to get their hands on ones that match our customers orders.
Our customers will need to have an active MyChevy account. (please make sure yours is active and you can log in.) If we find a Bolt that fits your needs or if you're open to other colors/ trim and features we will tag it. GM will send a code via email to the customer, they will need to quickly provide the code to the dealer. This will be a very rushed process. Once that is provided the vehicle will be put on hold for you and us. The customer will need to get us all of the requested information within 24 hours and will need an approved credit app in no more than 72 hours. If the customer changes their mind or can't get us the documents the customer will have to go on the Chevy website and cancel their order. The dealer cannot cancel.
We will still be placing orders for custom builds but they are still being built slowly. Basically what I will be doing is keeping your order in the system and checking for availability in the Bolt pool for something that is similar to what you built.
Please confirm that your MyChevy app is up and running. The pool starts at 9am on Monday. If I find something and can get it tagged I will be reaching out for the code GM will email.
I'm looking forward to speaking again soon! Let me know if you have any questions, I know this was a long email. Have a great day!

I have a paid off 2016 Chevy Silverado high country with 65k miles and extended height leer camper. From what I can tell my vehicle is valued at $28k, but let’s just round down to $25k. I’m thinking I give it up while it still has value. Credit score is at 800+ so financing shouldn’t be a problem. Budget is ~$90k for both cars. There’s wiggle room.
I have a four year old, two 7month olds, and two dogs, and myyy wiiiffeee. I work from home and my wife commutes days a week about 20 miles away. The grandmas come over and provide day care, and if my wife is working that day and I need to run an errand, I borrow the grandmas car. Which leaves them stranded at the house waiting for 911 in the event of an emergency. Mayo is 2 miles away. So I’ve come to the conclusion we need two cars.
I know a minivan is in my future. I have my eye on the plug-in Pacifica pinnacle, but the sienna keeps pulling me back. This vehicle needs to fit our entire family dogs included, for our yearly road-trip from Wisconsin to central Texas. The plug-in looks cool because I think we can do 95% of our trips without going over the electric range. Those Toyota 4 bangers are hard to resist though.
Which leads me to the second car. No dogs need to fit. Just all the humans when necessary for when wife does drop offs and I do pickups. It would basically be my car. Preferably a used car that’s less than 5 years old and 35k miles, I don’t have time to wrench. I have connections in the classic Cadillac circles, and have restored several, but I don’t think it’s time to put vapor lock on my list of concerns. CTS-V wagon would a dream but it’s a little out of budget and pretty rare.
Finally, if I can find both cars at the same dealer, can I use that to get a better deal, or could they care less?
What would you do, sienna or plug-in Pacifica? What 4 door produced within the past 5 years would be fun to drive and fit 3 car seats without much hassle?

A local Chevy dealer has a new car listed online for $750 below MSRP. If I walk in with a printout of the web page and a check for the exact amount - no negotiation, no hassle, no test drive - what is the chance I drive away in the car? (I would plan to pay sales tax when I register the car.)

I've been casually looking for a 718 GT4 for a few months, and after realizing that new allocations are a dead end, I started browsing for used ones in all the typical places. I recently saw a real gem for sale in Westwood, MA at the Porsche dealer, being offered for ~$124K. Gentian Blue, Manual, Carbon Bucket Seats, Carbon Ceramic Brakes, 1 owner, 15k miles.
Not to my surprise, but when I called up the dealership the salesman told me that it was already spoken for, and actually it didn't even last a week at that price. He was a really friendly guy and offered to keep me in touch on any similar ones down the road, which I of course appreciate.
Flash forward a week and now I see the same car being sold at some "side of the road" exotic car dealership in MA, for $137k. WTF?!
This is the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil and honestly is part of what drives the outrageous prices in the used car market. I like owning sports cars that appreciate, and I also understand that a dealer needs to make a profit (especially if they actually do some work on the car), but $13K for flipping a car that you basically just picked up 3 days ago is robbery in my opinion. It's instances like this that make me secretly hope the market tanks and people like that lose a bunch of money.
Sorry for the rant, but pretty pissed about that one.

Back in February I custom ordered a new 2023 Chevy Colorado ZR2 from the local dealer here. Now, I know there's delays on GM's end here with the builds for these for some reason and they're super behind. But not referring to that...
In the Chevy/ZR2 subreddits on reddit, basically everyone on there who posts about orders they've placed around the same time or even a month later has 1) a GM order number, 2) a build date, etc.
When I ask my sales guy about this stuff, I get responses like:

Like I said last time we spoke we have not received any allocations yet . So we still don’t have an idea when General Motors will take your order in .
I spoke to my inventory manager he said he can give you a GM order number it does not mean your order has bee accepted by GM or started . the people you say that have one probably have not had their vehicle processed yet .

Am I being dicked around here? It just seems like something's off to me when I haven't seen a SINGLE other person who placed an order for one of these trucks months ago who doesn't have an accepted order from GM they can track now through GM.
I'm thinking about cancelling and going through another dealer, but then I'm also worried about going to the "back of the line" again... but when there basically seems to be ZERO progress on my order through my current dealer, seems like I'm really already at the back of the line still anyways.

Just wanted to report a good review of carvana among all the negatives. My wife and I purchased a 2021 Ford Transit with 11k miles. It was the only one we could find with mostly what we were looking for.
We live in NH so we had to drive to MA to pick up the van. They let us drive it around before we signed the papers to make sure it was okay. Registration took a month but we had plenty of time left on the temp plate(another 2 months).
It was priced high but not far off from other dealers. We financed through Carvana but got a horrible interest rate. The plan is to refinance it once we have it since these Vans are hard to find. We wanted to make it as seamless as possible.
Otherwise happy with our purchase and fits our large family nicely.

Went to a dealer and they had a premier with the sun and sound package. Chevy’s website does an awful job of explaining what the difference is between the LT and the premier model
Also the dealership had some garbage paint protection thing, plus nitrogen in the tires. Which they added another $2,000 on the price tag and the customer has no choice but to buy it. Total msrp was like $34,000
Pretty ridiculous. At that point I’d rather just go with the Tesla model 3 now that they qualify for the $7500 tax credit