Maintaining a car is becoming a full-time job
Greeting Steemit Family
It is another morning in the seaside town of Limbe, Cameroon. The morning is bright, and as usual, I am hoping for a successful day ahead. Like I always say, having a car is not necessarily the problem. Maintaining a car in a place like Limbe is the real problem.
Limbe is a beautiful place, but we all know the kind of environment we are dealing with. We have a lot of moisture, rainfall, humidity, and, in some areas, very bad stone roads. All these things have an effect on a car, especially when the car is not being used regularly. I have come to understand that when you own a car in Limbe, you cannot just park it and forget about it.
Recently, I was driving on a bad road, and the car hit something underneath. Honestly, the impact wasn't that serious. At least, from what I felt inside the car, I thought it was nothing to worry about. But later, I discovered that the exhaust pipe had been damaged. This was one of those expenses that you never planned for.
What made it more annoying was that the car started consuming more fuel than usual. So, even though I had other things to do, I had no choice but to take the car to the garage. This is one of the things I don't really like about owning a car. The garage can take your whole day. You can wake up in the morning with a plan to do several things, then one small problem with the car changes your entire schedule.
My biggest problem is not even paying for the repair. It is the amount of time I have to spend there following up on everything that is being done. When you take your car to a garage, you have to be very careful. Sometimes, you give the mechanic your car and assume everything will be fine. But if you are not paying attention, things can happen. A mechanic may remove one part from your car and later tell you that the part needs to be replaced. If you are not vigilant, you may end up paying for a "new" part while the old part from your own car is brought back to you.
I am not saying every mechanic does this. There are very good and honest mechanics around. But as a car owner, you still need to pay attention to your own vehicle. You need to know what was removed, what was repaired, what was replaced, and, if possible, see the old part before paying for a new one. That is why sometimes going to the garage is not just about having money. You need time and patience too.
Another thing I have learned is that a car in Limbe needs regular attention because of the moisture. If you leave a car parked for a long time, especially in an open or humid environment, you can start noticing problems. Rust can develop, some metal parts can deteriorate, electrical connections can become problematic, and different components may start giving you issues.
Honestly, I hate spending time at the garage. There are so many other things I could be doing with those hours. But when you own a car, you have no choice. Ignoring a small problem can turn it into a much bigger and more expensive problem later.
So, when the exhaust pipe got damaged, I had to take the car to the garage and make sure it was fixed properly. It may have been an unexpected expense and an unwanted interruption to my day, but maintaining the car is part of owning it. Living in Limbe makes it even more important because of the rain, moisture, and road conditions.
At the end of the day, a car can make life easier, but only when you are willing to maintain it. And sometimes, that means sacrificing your entire morning at the garage just to make sure the car will take you safely home later.
Cheers
Thanks for dropping by.
@fombae