“Stop!”

“Stop!” screamed a supposedly hand-written letter.
“You don’t need to make another car-payment,” it continued.
“I don’t need to make any payments,” I shouted. “I own my car, not the bank.”
“Looks like another one of them car-sales solicitations,” I said to myself as I opened my mail.
“2591 Rochester Road, Canandaigua.” Probably a car-dealer, the return address carefully hand-written on the envelope corner.
Um, normal people use the preprinted return labels from charities.
It’s amazing what computers can crank out nowadays. Red chicken-scratch on tattered paper. But that “stop, etc.” gave it away.
“Please deposit your wallet, checkbook, and all credit-cards on this table, and we’ll be happy to serve you.”
My 2012 Escape is developing rust. I should be looking, but that Escape is the most dog-friendly car I ever owned.
The bottom-rear seat-cushions flop forward to fill the “dog-swallowing gap” between the front seat-backs, and the rear seat-backs folded down into a floor.
Slam on the brakes, or even slow down, and a dog tumbles into that gap. But not on my Escape. That gap is already filled with the bottom seat-cushions.
I look and look, but so far no one else is doing this. I bought that Escape used; usually I buy new. Our Honda CR-V was new, and filled the dog-swallowing gap.
But the entire rear seats folded forward blocking the rear-door entry. A dog had to angle around those seats.
I haven’t looked at everything. I also need All-Wheel-Drive and high ground clearance to chase trains. I’m often on icy farm-tracks.
Beyond that, I’d rather buy domestic if I can. “I can still see that oily, black pillar of smoke TOWERING above the Arizona.”
And “I don’t know how you can buy a Volkswagen after the London Blitz!”
Three Volkswagens, two Hondas and one Toyota, and four Japanese motorcycles.
And I can’t get interested in Korean cars. That Fucillo guy turns me off.
I also would rather buy a Chevrolet. I’m a Chevy-man. The fact my Escape is “Fix-Or-Repair-Daily” has relatives spinning in their graves.
I should let go of the most dog-friendly car I ever owned to line the pockets of that salesman? I bet he’s not driving that chintzy Jeep Compass he’s offering.

• RE: “Chase trains....” —I’m a railfan. I chase and photograph trains.
• “Fucillo” is Billy Fucillo, a gigantic blowhard with auto-dealerships all over western New York. Local is Fucillo Hyundai and Fucillo Kia. He blankets the local airwaves with “HUGE-AH!”