On account of WHAT?

[Enzo]

I was in my bank the other day, well credit union actually. Matters not. They have big screen TVs all over with rotating images of various available loans and services. OK, the images don't rotate, but there is a rotaion sequence of them on the screen. One I had never seen before, and would have never thought of, yet there it was:

Prom Loan.

Dear high schooler. Now that you are about to graduate high school, let us introduce you to the idea of being in debt for dumb reasons.


Just think, four more years, and you can start griping about owing $25,000 in student loan debt... As you take out an auto loan on a new $30,000 car.

[wring]

oddly enough, they also offer information on fiscal responsability for kids. One wonders what kind of collateral a teenager might be able to offer.

[Мастер]

As you take out an auto loan on a new $30,000 car.

If you want a reasonable car here, $100,000 is more like it - that might get you a nice Toyota or Volkswagen or something similar.

I take the bus.

[Lance]

$100K US? Seriously?

[Heid the Ba]

On a random selection a second hand Mini would appear to be SD116k or very roughly USD100k. It is mostly tax/government fees. It looks like a 30k car costs 34k to register so it becomes a 64k car, with a resale value of 20somethingk. I'm probably missing something.

I too would take the bus, or walk.

[Heid the Ba]

Prom Loan.

Dear high schooler. Now that you are about to graduate high school, let us introduce you to the idea of being in debt for dumb reasons.


Just think, four more years, and you can start griping about owing $25,000 in student loan debt... As you take out an auto loan on a new $30,000 car.

I suspect this would fall foul of our advertising rules. You didn't note the interest rate did you?

[Мастер]

$100K US? Seriously?

Yes. There is a very substantial tax (I think it is 100% or maybe 125%), and you need a permit. The permits are quantity controlled, and you bid for them. When the economy is bad, the demand is low, and the price of the permit can be close to zero. When the economy is good, the permit price can be - well, a lot.

The permit lasts ten years, and goes with the car. In 2008-2009, times were not so good, and the permit price was close to zero. The people who bought at that time were able, a couple of years later during the recovery, to sell their cars at a large profit.

[Мастер]

I too would take the bus, or walk.

The problem with walking is the climate - you'll be soaking wet from sweat by the time you reach the destination. Unless it is raining, and therefore cooler, in which case you'll be soaking wet anyway.

[Heid the Ba]

I wondered about that. In India people were astonished that we would walk places in what was pleasantly mild weather when any self respecting Indian would take a Tuktuk rather than walk like a peasant.

[g-one]

Couple grand for the dress, couple more for the limo ride & party, or tens of thousands to host the party.
Kids nowadays don't have to buy a car to break the bank, it's tough out there!

[Enzo]

Plus elaborate pre and post parties.


I remember some contest on TV, and part of the prize was the winner would be picked up by their limosine and driven to the TV studio, and so on. I recall thinking, "Gee, a limo ride." people won;t think I am classy, they will just think I am a teenager on a date to his prom."

We got married in LAs Vegas at the drive through chapel. If recall serves me, the license cost $55, the wedding service cost $55, the limo to and from the hotel and through the drive up window was $55. The preacher was donate whatever I wanted, suggested amout was $50. The only expensive thing was Elvis. It cost me $175 for my Elvis impersonator to sing to us. "Don;t be Cruel" was my request.

[Heid the Ba]

Now that is a classy wedding.

[Lianachan]

Now that is a classy wedding.

Watch on youtube.com

[Enzo]

CLose.

We went to the "Little White Chapel". Says right on the big sign that MichaelJordan and Joan COllins had married there, though not to each other. I looked later but "The Mighty Enzo" had not yet been added. We had a great time. It was SOOOO us.

Our Elvis was a young Elvis type. Thin and wiry. He was also their gofer. At the counter, they said ,"Hey Elvis, take these folks over to Sammy for photos." And off he led us for pictures. The photog was a Sammy Davis Junior impersonator...babe. We chatted up with Elvis, and he was great, always stayed in character, but never pretending he was the real one and only. He was telling us about a couple other Elvises he knew who worked over at the Riv... Thanka verra much.

We were in like T-shirt clothes. I wore a black baseball hat with a tuxedo front, while she wore a white hat with a veil on the visor. As we stood at the pay counter settiling our bill, a couple stood nest to us, she in traditional white gown and he in a tux. He looked at us and said to his her, "Aww, I wanted Elvis for our wedding." She looked at him and gave a sharp, "You can have Elvis NEXT year when we renew our vows." We looked at each other thinking, "Yeah, good luck with that buddy."

[Мастер]

Our Elvis was a young Elvis type.

The Three Ages of Elvis

[Enzo]

Yep, we got the skinny guy with the shiny gold jacket.