Or “How I figure things out myself when there isn’t a helpful man around”
I don’t like to have to figure things out. I prefer to pay someone else to do it. However, that isn’t always practical or available. I don’t necessarily trust everyone to be fair when I’m seeking out a handyman, contractor, or auto mechanic. Thank goodness for the Internet and YouTube. It’s fairly easy to investigate and do some quality research before you pay someone to do something for you. There have been times when I realized doing it myself was a much better option.
I would not say I have ever invented anything, per se, but I have figured things out and found solutions that weren’t suggested to me by those I consult with. A most recent example would be my little car that came from Oklahoma. You see, Oklahoma doesn’t require front license plates. So when you buy a car in that state, there is no front license plate bracket installed. Having to solve this dilemma never occurred to me in my wildest dreams until I registered my Oklahoma car in Texas.
Texas does require a front and a back plate as I realized when I reached across the counter at the Tax Assessor’s office and took possession of the twin license plates that were handed to me. Now what? I went home and pondered the situation. I stood outside and examined the front bumper. Sure enough, smooth as glass and no place to attach a plate. To top it off, my son had installed a tow base plate and an electrical system smack dab in the middle of the front under the bumper and I couldn’t cover that up.
My first instinct was to drill. I called my auto mechanic down the street. Luckily, they were booked up for the next two weeks because I eventually found a much better solution. I was pretty sure that there must be some kind of aftermarket bracket that is made that would fit so I started researching online. I’ve learned to be careful and not just buy the first thing that pops up on Amazon. There are many things, including vehicle accessories, that just aren’t described properly and then you have to go through the whole process of returning and getting a refund. A better system is to go to the websites that provide actual OEM auto products and search for your specific vehicle. Then you take those part numbers and you can search on Amazon or other discount online shops.
As I was learning about front license plate brackets and what’s available, including ones that stick on, I accidentally came across a company called Extreme Online Store that sells a front license plate bracket that attaches where the tow hook would go. They carried one for a 2014 Nissan Versa Note so I was in business. I went outside to check and make sure I had a tow hook entrance on my bumper (it’s hidden by a little access panel) and sure enough, I had one!
It took me awhile to read and re-read the instructions and examine the accompanying pictures but I finally figured it out and it was easy to install once I understood how all the parts worked. I’m so happy I found this and didn’t resort to drilling in the bumper. One more victory for the single woman. Yay!
Tina Mischke 