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Better Technology?
By John W. Kennedy | March 17, 2009
I’m not the world’s most mechanical person. OK, I’m not mechanical at all. I can change a light bulb, and that’s about it.
But sometimes I wonder how the technology experts stay employed, what with all the faulty modern gadgets designed to make life more convenient that don’t seem to work right.
A prime example is the automatic icemaker in my side-by-side refrigerator. We bought a new name-brand rather expensive refrigerator. But a month after the purchase, the icemaker stopped working. We waited a couple of weeks and it suddenly started working again. But six months later, after the warranty expired, it quit working for good. The computer board in the unit had worn out. So we bought a new one for $60. Another six months down the road, it stopped working again. Now I get my frozen water the old-fashioned way — starting with plastic trays filled at the kitchen sink.
It’s not an isolated incident. In 2005, we bought a low-mileage, excellent condition five-year-old full-sized car. A month later the driver’s electric window wouldn’t go up. The car dealer mechanic explained that the motor had gone kaput. No warranty. That will be $500 please. Other repair shops quoted me a similar figure. A month after that, the same thing happened on the passenger side. Because it’s not really pleasant to drive around with rain or snow coming in the window, I paid to have it fixed. But the dealership gave me a break: only $400 this time. About a year later, the left rear window had the same malady. I’m not paying for any more window repairs. We stick ugly duct tape on the outside and inside of the window to keep it from falling down.
Oh, and my name-brand laptop computer — purchased two years ago —recently conked out. What’s up with that?
Another thing that bothers me (am I starting to sound like Andy Rooney?) is automatic car washes that miss the grime on the exact same parts of the lower part of my car, every time. If I shell out $8 for a “deluxe” wash, shouldn’t the automobile be sort of clean? For the past couple of years I’ve gone to a self-serve wash for half the price. I can do a better job than the machine.
In all these cases, perhaps God is trying to teach me a lesson or two about living without modern conveniences I thought so indispensable.
Topics: technology |