I met a guy today that was buying a new Armada. Let's call him 'Huy'. He had bought one from us in 2005. He had to replace it. An LE...(that means leather, and moonroof, and chrome wheels and stuff). He requested LoJack. Usually, when someone asks for LoJack, they've had a car stolen.
But this guy had been carjacked! I mean..you hear about it on the news...and see it in movies and video games. And you picture it happening in LA or NYC..... This was an Asian guy that lived in Philly. Sunday they had driven out to Hershey Park and had a fun time riding the rides, being together, laughing.......and Monday morning.....pow! A gun in your face.
His 8 year old son is in the back seat......and Huy was pulled out of the car with a shiny silver gun under his chin......"My Son! My Son!"
The carjacker shoved the boy out to him roughly and sped away in Huy's car.
Now my imagination is filling in blanks. ( I have a 9yr old son) and I'm imagining it happening to me. I look down at my son.....he looks at me...I am so relieved that he's safe and unhurt, and that it's over, but......I put myself in his shoes and don't understand why my dad...who had been infallible and invincible didn't stop the bad men from taking our car.....and why they would take our car in the first place?
now deal with the aftermath.....(this is Huy's retelling again).the police come......and his son tells the detective....."I don't want that car back."
When the detective asks why not, he says, "because the Black man is in there", and starts to cry. Huy tells me that his kid is afraid of black men now. He says, " I tell him that it's not the same guy....but he......"
As a Dad, i try to pay attention to little things that might stick with my kids....things that they will hold as core truths as they develop....I try to instill important values.....I teach them about the Good path, and the Bad path....and how they diverge with decisions they make.....
I see a tree structure in my mind. I see the importance of early impression.
Now this guy has to deal with not only the mundane inconvenience of replacing his car, the loss of equity and time at work, but also....he now has to try to convince his 8yr old son that not all black people want to steal his car.
Just a little rub: The car he bought to replace it had NO leather, NO moonroof, and NO chrome wheels. It does have
LoJack with
Early Warning and
equity protection. I gave him the last part for free.
2 minutes of time on a Monday morning, and this dude has to deal with this shit for who knows how long? A month to straighten the mess out with insurance and getting a new car.....but his son? fuck me.