So I called on my neighborhood car stereo dealer. He was sorry to hear about my loss, suggesting that I should protect my "significant" investment in a new stereo with a car alarm as well.
I finally understood why car stereo stores sell car alarms too. Kind of like a hospital having a mortuary on the premises, I suppose.
Who better to sell an alarm to than a person who has just experienced the trauma of getting a stereo boosted?
The car stereo dealer had apparently learned his trade only after spending time on used car lots. Had I thought about a trunk-mounted CD player that holds and plays 10 CDs simultaneously? No car can be without one, he assured me.
And, no, I had not considered a bilingual alarm with an infrared beam to warn intruders that they'd better not touch. (Is it a good idea, I wondered, to buy such a system and let people know that there is valuable stereo equipment in the car? It is, if you want to sell more valuable stereo equipment.)
I was impressed by the pitch, but I wasn't buying it.
I just want my stereo back. I don't want the trunk-mounted CD player. I just want my old in-dash.
On any given Saturday or Sunday, you can find me at garage sales in Venice. With luck, my stereo should be turning up soon.
And, please, if I may beg one favor: Don't reset the stations.
