Date: Sat, 9 Dec 1995 09:58:21 -0800 (PST)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Jeffrey Olson <jjolson@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Buying a bus: scenario...
Here's the scenario...
Years ago a friend wanted a bus. He had an elevated anxiety level as the
norm and was much worried about getting the most for his money. He
looked for a week and hit paydirt. He was like a puppy whose owner has
been gone all day, all wagging tail and wet tongue.
He asked me to go look at it with him, and having nothing better to do on
a cold Februrary saturday morning, I went. We walked around it, jacked
it up, did a compression check - all the Muir recommendations except
sitting and meditating. We went about this process methodically. My
friend got more enthusiastic as suspension, compression, etc., passed
cursory muster.
My friend wanted this bus. I thought the price was a little high,
although not unreasonable. I found myself countering my friends
enthusasm. I shut down my emotions, didn't talk much, stood with my arms
crossed as my friend enthused.
The owner had gone in and out of his house a little suspicious of two
longhairs crawling around and getting into areas he had paid other people
to maintain.
As we stood around an hour after we had arrived, my friend enthusing, I
found myself naturally falling into the role of "bad cop". I nitpicked
and hedged and gazed off into space when my friend countered my
objections. The owner was giving me skeptical looks, irritated
actually.
My friend started arguing with me, his enthusiasm turning into irritation
with me as well. He was definitely aligned with the owner at this point
against me. I suggested we go for a walk and talk.
He wanted to offer the full asking price, not wanting to chance the
"other interested buyers that had already looked at the bus and were
supposed to get back to the owner that day" calling and getting it. My
friend seemed to have lost all perspective. He had found "the" bus. He
was also going to pay $400 more than he had budgeted for the initial
purchase.
Now, the question is, what should I do, and what should my friend do?
Could we have done something before looking at the bus (or later busses?)
Jeffrey Olson
Seattle Washington