Normally I make a late afternoon post about some local event taking place but yesterday I unfortunately skipped this because I sold my 10 year old Honda Civic. For an eternal pessimist like me this is easier said than done. I had visions of counterfeit cash, carjackings and kidnappings constantly running through my mind but I had to get rid of it somehow so I finally broke down and posted an ad on Craigslist.
Viewing other ads for the same Civic I chose what I felt was a fair price and then waited for the replies. Before the ad was even posted publicly I received my first reply somehow, and after answering some questions I asked that we meet at the Lafayette Safeway parking lot as I heard it’s not recommended to show it at one’s house, it’s better to show it in a public area. In the meantime I gathered up all relevant documents, got the car washed and then parked the car in the parking lot, waiting for the potential buyer. Checking my iPhone I received about 10 more inquiries so I felt pretty good, although I thought I may have underpriced it and to top it off I forgot to mention I had a car alarm installed in the ad.
I had no idea who to expect but it turned out to be a middle aged couple from the other side of the Caldecutt. They got out of their car and walked around the Civic, asking lots of questions. Eventually they asked for a test drive, and I said sure, as long as I could ride in the back. (That’s where the car-jacking/kidknapping visions reappeared.) We take off down Mt. Diablo towards Walnut Creek, and eventually the guy asks about seeing a mechanic. Since I usually take my car to Walnut Creek Honda for service, and we were headed that way, I asked them whether they would like to stop there where they could look up the records for the Civic. They agreed, and we head to the Honda service center in downtown Walnut Creek. Parking the car right outside, we go in and ask someone to look up the record. He noted that the timing belt was recently changed, and everything seemed fine. The couple liked what they heard, and after talking it over among themselves for a bit, they agreed to buy the car at asking.
The final issue that remained was payment. (This is where visions of counterfeit cash appeared.) Thankfully the guy said he needed to withdraw cash directly from Mechanics bank. So we headed a few blocks down, with me happily pointing out the new restaurant Opa!, as well as the new “fountain head” sculpture, and enter the bank. I witnessed as the teller counted out the cash, handed it over to me, and then we went to an empty spot in the bank and completed the deal and I handed him the title and other documents. The whole transaction was painless and I ended up in my favorite area, downtown Walnut Creek. They expected to drive me back to the Lafayette Safeway parking lot, but how could I not hang out for a bit since I was already in beautiful downtown? So I bid them good day, walked a couple of blocks to Wells Fargo to deposit the cash, then headed over to Peet’s and proceeded to drink a refreshing iced tea, followed by dinner at Boudin Bakery since dinner was not yet being served at Corners Tavern. (I wanted to get the burger.)
So that’s the story of how I sold my beloved Honda Civic, No counterfeit cash involved, no carjackings and kidnappings, just the familiar and friendly Lafayette and Walnut Creek that I know and like so well.