What a Shame...

[Subtle_Cynicism]

Ok, so a girlfriend of mine has a pretty rough life. She has a comfortably living family, but her parents are truly awful people. They only care about her little sister, who looks like their eldest daughter who was killed in a car/bike accident in '97. She's the outcast, and she does everything.

She supports her little sister, works three jobs in addition to being a senior with me in high school, and has so much drama in her life because her parents are weed-smoking (no offense to any hashers here, but they are irresponsible) fools who don't deserve her. She's awarded numerous scholorships and recognition, and her parents, the one source of love (supposedly) in a person's life, don't even recognize her for that.

She works three jobs, about $10.00+ an hour at all three, and has accumulated roughly $10k. She planned on buying a new car when she got her license, but her parents ran out and bought her a $400 Ford Escort (87) which they later made her pay for.

They won't let her sell it, and it's a piece of ****. She found a Grand Am today that she absolutely loved (and she generally doesn't care for cars, ever, no matter what suggest), so we went and looked at it.

It was 2,999, and was a black '99 with a red pinstripe. Tinted rear and back windows, power, etc, 4-cyl. Didn't say how many miles but looking at the exterior was enough to tell me to tell her to stay as far away as possible. The backend looks like it was picked up and rubbed along concrete for an hour (totally cracked), huge spiderweb crack in the windshield, and the right foglight is mysteriously missing.

She doens't want to spend all $10,000 on a car, as she needs to afford for college what her accumulated scholorships don't pay, which her parents refuse to pay, and I feel awful, especially after I just got a 2000 Grand Am Gt, and already have a 99 Firebird on top of that.

Just a daily sample of looking at it from someone who has it much harder than you; it really opens your eyes.

[apple jacks48]

I know how you feel. My gf never knew her dad, and her mom was an alcoholic, slept with many guys, and died at a very early age from breast cancer. She has seen people shot in drive by shootings in kindergarden, and she has lived with her brother for her entire life. She only pays like $1500 a year for college where it costs my $10,000. I get mad when people complain about little things in life, when the have nothing to complain about compared to my gf.

[Subtle_Cynicism]

The old saying is true that there is always someone who has it worse than the next person, and I've always believed that.

I'm just searching desparately for a reliable car for her.

[H.O. Driver]

Where in upper MI are you located, I will help search for a car, anything she is specific about, like V-6 auto?

[DowmaceWH99]

I know what you mean, I've been real down the past while, and I know people who have it worse off then me, makes me feel somewhat better about what I have

are there any cars that she's really looking at, or does it really matter?

[Subtle_Cynicism]

I know she's not picky, but she wants a "smaller" four door that looks cute.

I know she's not looking to spend quite a bit of money on it, and she doesn't seem to care whether it's a four cylinder or six cylinder, but...I've always stayed away from medium-high milage 4-cyl, cuz I dunno how they were treated.

I would prefer a six for her. I know she was looking at a Jetta, Grand Am, and anything else in that "price" "cute look" range.

We usually have quite a bit of used cars up here that are affordable, but there's not too many she likes right now. (a lot of Intrepids, SUV's, and vans, and trucks.)