I like driving, something about it is relaxing, you are doing something and nothing at the same time, the slight vibration from your car as your tires find little discrepancies in the road is like a massage. You can crank your music up and sing along with your favorite songs without the fear of someone hearing you.
Sometimes that relaxing trip you are on can be broken by an odd noise coming from, somewhere. I'm sure we have been there, we are travelling along and out of the blue we can hear an out of place noise that is random in nature but repetitive, and it starts to drive you crazy.
What the hell is that noise? That's what you're thinking, and you start to follow the sound with your ears so you can locate it with your eyes. In my opinion, there are two types of noises, an unnatural noise and a vehicle noise, meaning one noise is coming from the vehicle itself, and the other is not, that is the first thing my brain processes, is my vehicle breaking down and do I need to stop to see if something is wrong?
The worst type of noise is the one where you are driving alone and there are two glass items in the back banging against each other and there is no way for you to stop them unless you physically stop your car, get out and separate them. The reason you have to stop your vehicle is that there is no possible way for you to reach those items while driving. I have tried, believe me.
Another type of noise that really gets me cranky is the type that you know the general location of where it's coming from but you can't visually locate the source, and it only makes the noise while you are in motion and at a certain speed, so if you were to stop and try to find where it was coming from, it would be next to impossible. You need another person to find it for you, which brings us to the next segment.
That noise that has been driving you nuts for days is finally going to be found and resolved thanks to your wife or buddy, so you think. You get driving turn the music off and wait for it to start. Finally, that annoying sound rears its ugly head, and in triumph you say "Hear that?" but to your dismay the other person says no. Try as you might to convince the other person of the noise you hear, they just can't hear it and now, to them, you seem slightly crazy. You are not crazy, you drive in that vehicle every day and you know the sounds it supposed to make, the passenger has no idea. You have a decision to make.
Deal with the noise or sell the vehicle, I always wanted a bigger truck....
Scott Goerz
