New Car

My husband and I were blessed to be able to purchase a new vehicle this past weekend. Car dealerships are fascinating places. The people watching supply is hardly wearisome. I hadn't expected much to behold on a late Sunday afternoon, but there were just enough subjects present allowing for a variety of people watching vignettes between intermittent rounds of price haggling. Out of the dozen or so, I attended most of my observation to a selection of four. Henceforth, I attempt to describe my encounters with each.

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Upon arrival, my husband and I are greeted by a young lady, my guess about 22. She has a small voice, confident enough to speak to the multitude of strangers who pass her station everyday, but not strong enough yet for the sales floor. Her hair is oddly parted on the extreme right of her head, like an elder man's vain comb-over, revealing a stark white stripe of scalp untouched by the sun. The purposeful styling is probably an attempt to mask overgrown, wayward bangs. She directs us to the new car lot while she summons our requested associate.

On the way to the lot, we pass a man, late 40s is my guess, seated at a round wooden table with a much younger, or cleverly preserved, woman. He is a grumpy-faced man. The apparent irritation is exaggerated by his bulbous nose and chin. His brow ridge hangs heavily over his eyes and I'm sure he'll develop a headache from the tension. The dark-haired woman glances quickly around the room, seemingly oblivious to her companion's discontent. My guess is either the deal didn't go well or he's attempting to play the role of disgruntled customer as a protective tactic during haggling.

After a brief period in the lot, we are greeted by our sales associate. She is a fair, freckled woman with straight, straw-colored hair. Her toes turn outward when she walks and her arms swing straight and stiff causing her to waddle slightly when she walks. She wears cushioned walking shoes, so rather than sore feet, my guess is mild arthritis, probably in the knee. She is a pleasant woman with the patience to watch paint dry, answering every question, some twice over, and not once rushing the sale. During negotiations, she smiles genuinely, explains the new price matter-of-factly, and then tactically waits in unwavering silence for our rebuttal. Negotiations are finalized and she escorts us to a small room where we meet "Paperwork Guy."

Paperwork Guy, feeding off our desire to get out of the dealership ASAP to meet friends for dinner, presents us with a stream of carbon copyable documents at lightning speed. With his shaved head, crooked under-bite, and approachable demeanor, I can picture him as a little league coach. He even chews his gum in true baseball style, smacking his lower jaw in a rightward slant and matching the cadence of his speech to the rhythm of his chawing. The gnawing motion almost seems necessary for annunciation.

Business is concluded and my husband and I proceed to the parking lot with new keys in hand. On our way out, we shake the hand of Paperwork Guy and I notice the round table couple are no longer waiting. We bid the young lady at the welcome station a good evening, and finally, wave goodbye to our smiling sales associate as we drive away.

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So concludes our car buying experience presented through the faces of the occasion. I may revisit my subjects and expound a bit more on the characters at a later time, particularly Paperwork Guy who was much more comedic than I've portrayed in this entry. For now, I leave them as they are.
Aufwiedersehen!