6 days Ago By Jacob Jaffa
A WOMAN has been left with a $1,600 repair bill after rats invaded her car and "moved in". The unfortunate driver was alerted by a flurry of dashboard lights but soon discovered there was a deeper cause. Michelle Young was just a couple of weeks into the pandemic when she heard a "chk-chk-chk" coming from her car as she tried to fire up the ignition.
Writing for Untapped New York, she recalled: "I called AAA and told them I thought I had a dead battery. "A friendly guy showed up, opened the hood of the SUV, and fiddled around. "He then told me: 'Rats have moved into your car'.
" READ MORE MOTORS NEWS Even worse, the car had been borrowed from her parents to get her through the pandemic while she imagined a "Walking Dead scenario". After taking it to a mechanic, she was informed that the damage would cost her $1,600 to repair. But since this would have left her unable to get home, she opted to simply replace the battery for $250.
After driving the car back to her parents' garage on Long Island a few days later, Michelle then learned how worryingly common it is for rats to move into cars. Most read in Motors She wrote: "Cars provide ideal shelter for rodents. It's a warm, protected space for them to set up shop.
"Not moving the car for alternate side parking made it even more ideal for the little critters. Inside the hood, they like to chew through the fuel injector wires. It keeps their teeth sharp.
" She also advises others not to park “near a rat haven” - having parked in front of a dumpster outside a restaurant near to where she lives. She also discovers than it’s actually a cheap fix and warns others to not “get scammed”. In fact, the fix is merely $5 for a new wire and about $70 for the labor, not $1,600.
Michelle concludes her story by claiming she has a "begrudging respect for the New York City rat." This comes as drivers have been warned to avoid 20 'highways from hell' this Thanksgiving - with many of them in a single state. Thanksgiving is statistically the busiest time to travel across the US, with 81% more Americans hitting the road compared to holidays like Christmas or Hanukkah.
Read More on The US Sun And car owners in the state of Michigan have been advised to take extra care when following a snowplow while it’s working this winter, or face the consequences. Car owners can risk picking up a $100 fine in snowy conditions - after a law was passed to prevent accidents happening in poor conditions..
