William M. Hartnett

I’m obsessed with tracking my mileage. I’ve even been known to record my mileage in rental cars. Here then, for no very good reason, is the year-end mileage report for my 2001 1.8T manual transmission Volkswagen Jetta, with comparisons over 2006:
Miles driven: 7,263.1 (+15.5 percent)
Gallons burned: 248.424 (+4.1 percent)
Miles per gallon: 29.237 (+11.0 percent)
Average price [...]

How could I possibly hate Wachovia more than Volkswagen, for which I have a long-running, well-document hatred? Because Wachovia charged us a $10 fee after a refund check from a company that overcharged us for a painting bounced. Only after strenuous complaint and repeated threats to immediately close our account, which has been open for [...]

What a day for my stupid 2001 Volkswagen Jetta. First, the trunk wouldn’t open. The last time this happened was in a parking garage at Miami International Airport, when I had a trunk full of luggage for a two-week trip overseas. It was similarly packed today. Five hours later, while proceeding northbound on Interstate 95 [...]

Longtime readers, which is to say those that have been checking in since mid-March, will recall that I hate my 2001 1.8T manual transmission Volkswagen Jetta. This has not changed. It’s junk. However, by driving more conservatively than a frightened old lady, I coaxed 423.4 miles and 35.4 MPG out of my most recent tank. [...]

Speaking of consumer complaints that get me incredibly worked up, to the point that I begin fantasizing about hunting down all the industrial engineers and software designers whose moronic decisions have inconvenienced me so that I can repeatedly punch them in the neck … behold the picture at right.
That’s the handle to the glove compartment [...]