In life we cannot escape buying and acquiring things that will eventually spoil and become worthless. Household appliances and furnitures are immediate examples. These things helped make our lives better and free us from doing mundane things so that we can pursue other meaningful things in life. A car is one such item. It provides comfort, safety, privacy and convenience to the whole family. More so, if you have infants, and/or infirmed elderly to ferry around.

It is just that in Singapore, because of the high cost of owning a car and the artificial 10 year life span, the value of the car is called into question. In reality, the utility of the car is still the same. Car owners know this, and will continue to want one until they are priced out of the market by richer buyers.

Since the day I bought my first car, 27 years ago, I have never looked back. I have seen how the public transportation system improved by leaps and bounds, from many private bus operators to just 2 big bus operators and the MRT. Public transportation is now first world standard, I have to admit, but I still want my car! My wife also has a car, that makes 2 cars in our family. It has been this way since the day we married, because she had a car before we got married, and I had mine. Our current 2 cars are our number 8th and 9th car.

Yes, the cars eventually will become scrap metals, but they have given us much in return. As we are staying in a condo with underground car parking, having a car means not having to carry umbrellas to go grocery shopping, as we could simply go from underground car park to underground car park and get our groceries! And the many years, I sent my children to their schools, take examinations, to the vasrsity and whatever activities they had, all in time, in comfort and safety. The list just goes on.