Not my finest moment...

I'm a fairly mechanically savvy person. I replaced the alternator in my last Subaru, by myself, at twenty below. I have a degree in mechanical engineering. So not, you know, the average helpless driver.

Last week, I took my car in for A Noise. A crunchy, mechanical, grinding sort of Noise. I was expecting bad news regarding something in the suspension, but it ended up being a very basic fix of swaybar links, which was swiftly done.

This week, however, I noticed More Noises. It was especially bad when I went over bumps.

Hating to be That Customer, I took it back to the shop. "It's making The Noises again," I told them.

I sat down and wrote a few hundred words while they checked it out.

Diagnoses?

MY LICENSE PLATE WAS LOOSE.

...

They tightened down the bolts for me and sent me on my way with no charge but to my ego.