I Hate Cars

My first car was (is) a old 60's Opel, and it made me spoiled as a car owner. Calling it reliable is disingenuous, but with a bit of finagling - you'd always arrive eventually. No central locking to fail, no locking at all actually, someone has gone with a hammer to the lock. No worries though, not like you'd be able to start it without my secret startup routine. Ignition not doing anything? Just hotwire it. Engine not turning? That's what the screwdriver in the glovebox is for, just short the contacts on the starter and off you go. Door frozen shut? Grab some warm water from the tap. Door frozen open? Well that's what friends are for, they've got strong arms. Eventually I needed a reliable boring car. Of to facebook marketplace I went, and a 1000€ 90's Mazda was mine. It is such a boring car, the engine is tiny, there are very few knobs and switches, just like it should be. However, it ended up being a bit too small for having a dog (a very good girl). Back off to marketplace I went,…