i'm in LA -- i've been trying to attend meetups that interest me. they're mostly out in the westside, though -- i'm in arcadia. getting out there is difficult.
there isn't a specific event to attend, but i signed up for startup weekend, which is coming up. hopefully there will be some cool people there :)
Yeah, they're mostly in the westside (Santa Monica area), but it's actually not that bad to get there. Takes me 30 minutes from Pasadena. Choose wisely between 101/405 or Sunset depending on the time of day.
ah, but never buy rustproofing (or optional alarm, tint, etc.) from the dealer! those are the optional extras that are marked up 200-500%. there are specialty shops that will do the same exact thing for much cheaper.
also, every modern car sold today has anti-corrosion measures, as well as corrosion warranties, so i don't see why you would pay extra for rustproofing. this might've been a good idea 20 years ago, but i don't think it's necessary today.
There was for a time a program on UK TV (BBC) called something like "Don't get done, get Dom!". They'd use an earpiece to send people in to buy cars, he'd be listening via hidden mic and would tell them what to say / do. He was awesome.
He'd get the "best price" and then tell the buyer to say, "that includes the mats and metallic paint, yes" (or similar). Basically the guy thinks he's secured it, you hit him for that last bit.
He did a general buying show too.
Re the article - not all dealers are equal: You come back at 4pm, the cheapest dealer has had the alloys switched off or put on cheaper tyres (that's £50 at least). You've no time to go back to the others. You buy? If you don't do you think the other dealers will play your game the next day or just see you as a time-waster?
drumset since middle school, orchestral percussion since about then too, and mallet percussion (and drumline stuff) since high school. wait, that sounds a bit misleading, since i don't do the orchestral, mallet, or drumline stuff anymore.
i also played piano since like 6. stopped when i hit high school.
