We took the plunge

As you no doubt remember from an earlier post, we've had a bit of trouble with our Audi. The oil pressure light came on and we took it to the dealership, only for them to run a $700 diagnostic to tell us we needed an oil change. Great! I really didn't want to spend that money on something else.

Anyway, recently the light's been coming on again. After much discussion where we agreed that we were facing at least $2000 in work we decided that perhaps we should look at other vehicles. After much research and even more procrastination on my part we decided that we'd look at getting a Toyota Prius. Our rationale was simple: with the amount and type of driving we do a Prius would give us more than twice the gas mileage we were getting from the Audi. This detail, in fact, meant that even though our car payment would be higher the amount we spent in total every month would be the same. Also we would then be able to walk around feeling very smug.

Anyway, Saturday afternoon we decided we would at least stop by the Toyota dealership. We weren't planning to buy a car. However, you can't go into a car dealership for anything, not even to use the bathroom or get directions, without leaving with a new car. At least that's what people tell me. One of the guys helping us was talking about what happened with his wife's Audi. At 90,000 miles the power steering failed and this happened and that happened. It was very tragic. I think he was making stuff up to get us to agree to buy a new car but it didn't impact us at all. Except to make me very glad the Audi was now going to be someone else's problem.

Another weird thing happened while we were there. This struck me as strange because usually car salesmen will say anything to get you to buy a car (or so I hear). The guy helping us (not the one with the Audi story) asked us how we felt about the Presidential primary. Warning lights start going off in Kent's and my head. He asked us if we'd heard about this candidate, "Uh, I think his name's Osama or something."

Pardonnez-moi?

Do you mean Barak Obama? Kent and I corrected him much more politely than he deserved. Then he starts telling us that Obama's been raised a Muslim. Now, first of all that's not true as you can read here. We told him that was an urban myth. We told him where could read that it was an urban myth. He started to get a little belligerent. Then he starts telling us that Muslims are trying to take over the country from the inside and that's why Barak Obama (or Osama or whatever) was running for office.

O-kay. That was informative. Way to be every negative Texas stereotype! Xenophobic, ignorant and rude. He almost lost our sale, and would have if we weren't pretty much finished with everything.

I find it baffling that he felt that it was OK to have that conversation with us. Up to that point we'd not mentioned politics at all. He'd never met us and had no idea what kind of people we might be. I mean, other than the fact we were both wearing shirts that said "We hate Islam!". I'm kidding of course. And what did he expect us to do? Whole-heartedly agree with him? Pull out our hoods and crosses?

I'm thinking of calling his manager to complain. I don't want to be a jerk but that is a completely inappropriate conversation to have with a customer and it made Kent and I extremely uncomfortable. Any thoughts?