This is crazy, or I’m nuts. My new Nissan High-top van is cool except for two things. First, it’s not American, although I think is was partially built here. Second, when I checked the mpg it came up half of what they told me, which was 17-22. I got 10 and that stinks, so I started to ask around.
First, I reached out to MotorTrend magazine, then Car and Driver. No one got back to me. No wonder magazines are going out of business. My next move was to join the Consumer reports site for $60 and ask them. They quickly got back to me with several government agencies I could reach out to. I’ve listed them here.
You may also want to share your experience with the following organizations, which may be able to provide you with information and/or offer assistance:
• Center for Auto Safety (CAS), 1825 Connecticut Ave, NW, Ste. 330, Washington, DC 20009-5708. The CAS compiles information on defective automobiles, ranging from transmissions problems to paint problems, and works to make improvements throughout the auto industry. If you wish, you may send them a letter sharing your experiences with them. Should they have any information on your particular automobile, they will forward it to you, along with helpful information and advice within 10 days from date of receipt of their letter. They ask, but do not require, a $.60 SASE to help keep their costs down. Or you can visit their website at www.autosafety.org to view vehicle information by make, model, and year.
• Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. at 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201; 1-703-276-0100. The council of Better Business Bureaus, the umbrella organization for the BBBs, also provides programs and publications for consumers, and helps to settle disputes with automobile manufacturers through the BBB Auto Line program.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Washington, DC 20590, 1-888-327-4236 or 1-202-366-0123. The NHTSA assures compliance by domestic and foreign motor vehicle and equipment manufacturers with motor vehicle safety standards, automobile recalls, and airline problems. You may wish to visit their Website at http://www.safercar.gov, where you will be able to obtain information on air bags, child safety seats, and automobile crash test results. You can also search through an extensive list of automobile and automobile equipment recall notices, and report any problems that you have encountered with your automobile.
• Your State Attorney General’s Office, which resolves individual consumer complaints, conducts informational and educational programs, and enforces consumer protection and fraud laws. You can find their telephone number in the blue section of your telephone book or by visiting the following URL: http://www.naag.org/current-attorneys-general.php.
DMV:
For information, directions, or to schedule an appointment to discuss criminal complaints; complaints against car dealers; victims of identity theft; or other consumer protection issues involving the purchase of a vehicle or identity theft, please call: (213) 744-7591
Okay, I did my homework and reached out to most of them. I just called the California DMV Fraud Department. I couldn’t believe it. Someone answered the phone. I need to file a complaint. Let me know if you have ever had a similar experience and what happened.
I made an offer on a house in Deadwood. Damn, I wish this was over and I was out there chilling. That’s an understatement, right. I’ll head out shortly to inspect and freeze my ass off. I spoke to Keith Terry of Terry components. He convinced me that I will need a snow plow, or back hoe. Hang on.
I wanted to finish welding the canopy today on the torpedo, but I needed someone to help me lift the top and the troops were gone. We will hit it tomorrow (Wednesday).
James Conway covered the Las Vegas Bikefest for me. He’s stopping by today (Wednesday) with his stick of images. Life is constantly exciting. Micah is also headed over. We need to finish the rear fire suppression system install and finalize the firewall.
After Micah leaves I will interview James about his Vegas Bikefest experience and I reached out to Mindi Cherry for all the winners’ lists from the event. Hang on for the Conway Report on Vegas Bikefest.
I’m on pins and needles regarding my VA experience. I’ve had some good news, but I’m hesitant to discuss it. We will submit our doctor letters to the VA judge this week and pray for more good news.
Here’s something wild from George Christie:
“Marked-The Unforgiven” a new television show adapted from the novel by former Hells Angels Ventura President, George Christie, to start filming in Almeria, Spain.
According to Wanda-Halcyon Television executive Maria Jose Morales – “Almería is dubbed the Hollywood of Spain on account of the past iconic Clint Eastwood Western movies filmed there and more recent productions such as Game of Thrones have made it a Hollywood favorite for filming. Almeria also has one of the highest tax rebate programs for productions in Europe. The dramatic backdrop of rugged landscapes, vast unspoiled sandy beaches, impressive fortressess and year round sunshine make Almeria a director’s dream and an ideal setting to enhance the overall aesthetic and viewer experience of productions such as “Marked- The Unforgiven”.
According to Pat Andrew, a producer on the show- “George Christie, former Hell’s Angels, Ventura President and renaissance man will play one of the lead characters, based on his best-selling novel “Marked”. The working title for the series is “Marked the Unforgiven”. The location functions for the production as the fictitious Jiminez Cartel headquarters. The Cartel is the nemesis of the “Marked-The Unforgiven” Motorcycle Club” in this exciting new television series”
According to script supervisor and producer, Sutish Sharma of New Street Pictures- “The jumping off point for the show in the Pilot episode is the return home to Ventura, California of Jack Crest, a former Marine recon sniper from Afghanistan and protégé of character, Big John, played by Christie. The Crest character links up with Big John who is a Vietnam era sniper and the two form a motorcycle club made up of only veterans which is a unique twist. The original 12 members of the club are made up of Marine Recon, Green Berets, Navy Seals and a Coast Guard captain. Their backgrounds provide a rich vein from which to mine story arcs. One of the more intriguing story arcs is the long and mysterious connection that Big John has to the Chicago Syndicate(traditional organized crime) and that “Marked-The Unforgiven” MC is representing and operating their gambling and loan sharking for all of Ventura county which provides a never before seen insiders view into how illegal gambling and loansharking are part of every day life in California. As the character, Big John, tells his crew “there are no victims in gambling, only volunteers, they come to us to place bets and we take them. Things only get complicated when they can’t pay” .
Pat Andrew explains that “Marked-The Unforgiven” is effectively a soap opera about the life of a unique motorcyle club and the dichotomy between the members of the club and the people they deal with. Flashbacks on all the characters in Season 1 reveal that some come from typical families, some from broken homes and a lot of their personalities are shaped by their combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. The George Christie character, Big John, is not only dealing with a group of trained killers but also with a group that has issues with opiate dependency, post traumatic stress syndrome etc. but there is also another side to this group- they believe in brotherhood and love of their country. There is a rebel spirit that runs through the club and the character, Big John, is not only the MC President but also assumes the role of father, psychiatrist, drug rehab counsellor and hammer to keep his own guys in line while also dealing with other facets that flesh out the story arc; their trigger-happy partners – the Chicago syndicate and their lethal leader, their nemeses- the Cartel and the “slice of Americana” characters who make up the core of the gambling and loansharking clients of the club.
We think that the viewers are going to love the insiders look into the daily operations of an MC and modern day organized crime and although we are dealing with very serious topics, we are also using a lot of irony and humor to walk the viewer through this visceral realist based drama.
The producers of the show are Un Nouveau Jour, Wanda-Halcyon Television International, New Street Pictures and Revere Pictures.
Hang on for more reports about his show, the Torpedo, my VA efforts and the 1910 House in Deadwood. I may be head into the Badlands any day to check these digs. Then, we will look into heading to El Mirage for a speed run with the Torpedo.
Never a dull moment.
–Bandit
