I’m a news anchor at channel 11 in Atlanta.  I work the 10 o’clock evening news which calls for some crazy work hours.  I have to be to work at six and am in meetings after the 10 o’clock news airs for 2 to 3 hours afterwards.  I love my job but don’t like leaving work that late at night.  I always feel very uneasy walking into the parking garage in the middle of the night.  Nothing had ever happened until last Tuesday.  I unlocked my car and sat down in the seat.  When I went to put my key in the ignition, someone forcefully put their hand over my mouth and told me not to scream.  He was also holding a knife to my neck.  I couldn’t have screamed if I wanted to because I was in shock.  It felt like I was in an episode of CSI.  He forced me into the passenger seat and sped out of the parking lot.  I think he was on drugs or crazy because nothing he said ever made any sense.  After two hours of driving around aimlessly, he threw me out of the car.  I was in pain from the fall to the pavement but so happy that he didn’t do worse to me.  I found out later that he was in a cocaine frenzy.  He totaled my brand new Mercedes and I was left taking cabs to work.  The insurance company would only pay me list price for the car.  I loved that car so much but I didn’t have the extra money to replace it. 

I was talking to my mom and she said she’d heard of a place called Car Title Loans in Atlanta.  She said that all they require is that you own a car to be approved.  I said, “Mom, I don’t think they will give me a loan on a totaled car.”  And she said, “I know that but I own a car and I could take the loan out on my car.  I know you’re good for the money.”  I was so grateful to my mom for being so generous.  My mom went on the Internet and filled out the online application and was approved in 10 minutes.  I invited her to go car shopping with me the next day.