I finally had to get rid of my 2001 Ford Focus with manual windows after driving it 144,000 miles, which from the Book of Revelation seems to be some sort of number of completion. I always had to grab the handle and crank the windows down because it did not have automatic windows. I used to wonder to myself, “Are we Americans so lazy that we need to have automatic windows where we just push the button down and the window rolls down?” Some cars only require a tap on the button and the window goes all the way down by itself. How will we ever win another war with a citizenry of people who grow up with automatic windows?
And forgive this digression, but have you noticed what's happening in the airports of this great nation? Do people use the stairs? No, they ride on an escalator. And they do not even walk up or down the escalator while it is moving. They step on and stand there, riding without effort. And many people who do this are even wearing flip-flops! Is it any wonder we are falling behind the Chinese?
Once I pulled in to get gas and the attendant stood on the passenger side and tried to talk to me through the passenger window, but it was rolled up. Most people could just automatically roll down the passenger window with their index finger, but I couldn't. Since I did not want to risk a back injury after tweaking it a few times contorting to pick up things out of the back seat, I decided not to lean over and stretch to roll down the window from an awkward position just so the lazy attendant could stay there and not have to walk around the car. I rolled down the window on my side and waited.
The attendant looked through the window at me and pointed quickly down to the ground, as if to say “I’m staying put right here, buddy. Roll down this window!” Again, I pointed to my window for him to come to my side, but he would not budge. So I decided to leave Mr. Stubborn Station Attendant on principle. I started my car and pulled away, giving a little extra on the gas. Mr. Stubborn Station Attendant chased after me, so I stopped. I thought he was trying to pick a fight. He was actually trying to tell me he had taken my gas cap off. He put it back on. I pulled away quickly again. Sale lost.
I now have a used car I just bought. I wimped out and got a car with automatic windows. But guess what? The driver side window stopped working as soon as I drove the car off of the lot. I think the next car I get, I'll go back to manual windows—if I can find a car with them.