battery purchace

January 4^th2011

  

   The New Year has started and so far there has only been a small earthquake (3.8) not far away, a little bit of rain-supposed to be a lot more tomorrow and misc. and relatively little real hard news.

     I suppose that the real story this week is how I bought a motorcycle battery.

      Yep, I actually bought a cycle- a motor scooter, used,-in very good condition. It’s a Honda Foresight 250 for anyone who wants the tech details. The reason I bought it is that Elaine takes the car to Carmiel-about 40 minutes north of Zippori three times a week. We only have one means of transport-excluding bicycle. My leg broken in 2 places by my falling off a ladder 12 years ago doesn’t quite like to go round and up and down so some extra means of transport was required .My best friends David and Tal live on the other end of the Moshav and the walk is about 15 minutes to one and 20 to the other.

     Now I know that many of you agree that riding a motorcycle is a dangerous business, and I totally agree with all of you and realize that there is a lot of hamburger meat laid on the Israel road system every day; sorry to be so graphic but its true. It’s a very dangerous business. Every day people are killed or seriously injured in accidents involving motor cycles and cars or motor cycles and people and every combo you could possible imagine, However I still need some means of transportation and I figured only in the Moshav and not on the main roads of the area will be ok.

     Very few machines today have that famous kick starter that you see in the movies, but my motor cycle does have the modest rumble of the very reliable Honda name. Every machine today has a 12 volt battery that’s about the size of a rolled up baby kitten that’s tucked in under the very comfortable seat in a niche that’s beside the rolled up set of tools that you never need.

     Having left the cycle for almost 2 weeks due to inclement weather tucked in its corner beside the back stairs, I tried starting it this past week, and you guessed it- nothing happened. I’m not a mechanic but do have a bit of experience with electric things. So I immediately opened the seat and put my trusty voltmeter on the battery and discovered that its out put was 12.8 volts. Scratch, scratch, my finger went on my head, that should be enough to turn over the starter.

     I have an old battery charger in my tool warehouse and immediately connected it up to give it a little charge. Nothing, not even a spark on the terminals’, in this country you don’t go running out to Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire to buy a battery for 50 bucks. You gotta check things out first. You ask friends where and how much and are they trustworthy and do they have the goods etc etc.

     One last hope for the kitten battery was at my regular garage where I asked Gamal my regular mechanic to connect it to his monster charger to see if we could tickle it back to life,. No dice, it was dead.

      I asked David if he knows of a battery place because David is known by his Anglo friends as the Finder of Bargains in the Moshav.He has a nose for saving money even a little bit. It was drilled into him by his late father the cattle dealer in S.A.

      David said I should go see Daoud who sells amongst other things batteries. After a 15 minute explanation as to where Daoud has his business (right beside the place where I always buy my clothes on the way to Yafia), Elaine and I decided to take a couple of pictures to be reframed to Afula and along the way stop at the battery man to check him out and then go to Afula to see if we could find a cheaper version of the same thing.

    Our stop on the way out of Nazareth  was at this huge  double hole in the wall store, that had batteries coming out of its ying yang.Ive never in my life have seen such disorganization  in a store. There were batteries in the shelves, on the floor, in the bathroom, outside near the parking spots; you have never seen a mess in your life.

     I brought in the battery to whom I thought was the boss and asked him if he had an animal like this. Yes sir, that comes from a Vespa, yes and with a swoop of a downward movement up comes exactly with what was  needed. Wonderful I replied. How much I asked.400 shekels he replied. Why is it so much money I asked? Imported was the reply. That’s the best you can do I asked? 350 was the reply. Too much I said. Cant you do better I asked? 330 was the reply. And I have this one here made in Italy (swoop grab display) for only 300 was the reply. Satisfied that this was the best I could do I informed my new friend that I was going to Afula to check things out there and if I found that he was cheapest then I would be back later to buy. Nobody sells cheaper than us was the reply.

     Off we traveled to Afula where Elaine waited inside at the empty open picture framers store for a good half hour while I went to four different garages to check out battery prices.

    Well the first place had one in stock but wanted 500. The second place didn’t have but for 450 it would be in in the afternoon. The 3^rd and fourth places gave great discounts but came nowhere near Daouds rock bottom price. So what the hell I gave up on the chase and we went back to Daouds in Nazareth to buy the thing so that we would have a running cycle.

    The distance to Afula is about 23 clicks from Nazareth, about the same coming back; just long enough to make you lose your leading edge. I was tired from all the running around when we arrived at the well spring of batteries, fat gentlemen was sitting with legs splayed on a plastic chair when I entered. When I told him that he was right as to being the cheapest he asked me, a little too quickly I thought, how much were they asking for it in Afula. That’s when I made my first fatal mistake.450 I replied. I’ll take the Italian one for 300 I said. Without batting an eyelash he said to me that his worker had made a mistake and the best he could do was 350.And at that he was almost losing money .The Italian one was also 350 he said. But your worker said…. A great sigh went up from him and his two hands were raised to  I don’t know who’s great sucker God in exasperation .No,-can’t help you he said .350 and that’s final.

     The decision was now in my court. Did I want to argue over 50 shekels or did I want the bloody battery? I decided on the battery. The second mistake was pulling out my credit card figuring that I could delay payment for a month. No we don’t take credit cards.Cheque? I said quickly. A quick shake of the head and a grunt that I interpreted as cash only. But I don’t have that much cash on me, I said. Ill drive you to a cash machine says my wiley friend. He quickly gives me the wrapped battery and tells me to lock it my car while we go to get money at the cash machine. He ushers me into his car and quickly drives me to a bank machine a click away that accepted my plastic. As we weaved our way back to his mess we started talking about the general state of the economy and the country generally, his attitude was, as I already suspected,  a very simple one: screw whoever you can all the time, with no remorse.

     It’s with little remorse that I am happily driving my two wheeled cycle  around the Moshav .At the same time I’m kicking myself in the rear and reminding myself  about the advice I always give my son Noam;-Always put your brain in gear before you open your mouth. Have a good one .

       Frank