1. Ascend all 106 steps of Mt. Bonnell to enjoy the view. 478-0098

2. Take a friend to Hamilton's Pool and experience the miracle of Nature. 264-2740

3. Take a moonlight tour of the Wide Basion Preserve. 327-7622

4. Go for a ride on the long star riverboat or Capitol Cruise. (seasonal) 327-1388, 480-9264

5. Join hundreds standing in line for a chance to see a taping of "Austin City Limits". 471-4811 ext. 310 or write from out of town: P.O.Box 7158, Austin, TX 78713

6. Walk, jog or bike the Hike and Bike Trail along Town Lake. 499-6700

7. In the summar, at dusk, sit on the banks of Town Lake and watch the nightly debut of thousands of bats coming out from under the congress Ave. Bridge. 327-9721

8. Spend an afternoon at austin History Center. 499-7840

9. On a Saturday or Sunday, take a tour of the Westcave Preserve to view native flor and fauna. 512 825-3442

10. Explor Austin's historic cemeteries where Texas Legends have been laid to rest. 478-8930

11. Stroll throug Ziker Rose Gardens and Taniguchi Oriental Garden. 477-8672

12. Drive across the award-winning Pennybacker Bridge. 478-0098

13. View the uniq, late 19th-century MoonlightTower. 478-0098

14. attend a service at the olderst Prostant church west of the Mississippi (St. David's Episcopal Church). 472-1196

15. Go to an outdoor concert at Symphony Square. 476-6064

16. Watch the UT Longhorns play at Memorial Stadium. 471-1420

17. Swim in the constant 68 degrees, spring-fed Barton Springs (476-9044) or the heated Stacy pool (477-7273).

18. Play a round of golf on one of the many first-class Austin golf courses. 478-0098

19. Prepare your bbest pun and participate in the O. Henry Pun Off (May). 472-1903

20.Run in the Capitol 10,000 (April). 445-3596

21. Enjoy live music 7 nights a week in one of the many local clubs. 478-0098

22. Go to Sixth Street on Halloween for a Spook-tacular time. 478-0098

23. Clebrate July 4th by listening to the Austin Symphony and watch the fireworks on Auditorium Shores. 476-6064

24. Take a tour of the Governor's Mansion, weekday mornings. 463-5518

25. Stroll the twelve-acre grounds at Laguna Gloria Art Meseum and enjoy an exhibit. 458-8191

26. Spend a few hours experiencing rural central Texas as it was in the 1880's at the Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm. 837-1215

27. Visit the George Washington Carver Museum and Library. 472-4809

28. Picnic at Rosewood Park during the Juneteenth Celebration (June). 472-6838

29. Take a tour of the University of Texas campus. 471-1420

30. Celebrate Diez Seis y Seid de Septiembre at Fiesta Gardens (Sept.). 476-7502

31. Take a Historic Walking Tour of downtown Austin. 478-0098/442-1004

32. Go sculling, paddle boating or canoeing on Town Lake. 478-0098

33. Campp and swim at Ssndy Creek. 469-6867

34. "Take a hike" on Barton Creek Nature Preserve. 478-0098

35. Stay in one of Austin's historic bed & breakfasts. 478-0098

36. Go to a play at Mary Mood Northen Theatre. 448-8484

37. Visi the 1840's French Legation, a foreign embassy. 472-8180

38. Follow the Walk of Stars on Six Street. 478-0098

39. Visit the Elisabet Ney Museum, studio and home to this German sculptor. 458-2255

40. Shop at the downtown Bluebbonnet Market Place. 476-3484

41. Spend a morning/afternoon at the Travis County Farmers' Market. 454-1002

42. Tour Austin's local wineries and sample award-winning wines. 478-0098

43. Experience unique shopping at Sixth Street's "West End". 478-0098

44. "and they're off!" Horse racing at Manor Downs. 272-5581

45. Ride the train or fly a kite in Zker Park. 477-7273

46. Spend some time at Discovery Hall, a hands-on science center. 474-7616

47.Tour our historic State Capitol Building. 463-0063

48. View the spectacular sunset from the Oasis Cantina del Lago. 266-2441

49. Research your roots in the genealogy department at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives & Library. 463-5463

50. Attend the Austin/Travis Country Livestock Show & Rodeo (March). 4733-9200

51. Spend a day or two at the Old Pecan St. Spring/Fall Arts Festivals. 448-1797 (May & September)

52. Park at Palmer Auditorium, take the "Dillo" and tour 9not narrated) downtown Austin and the UT area. 478-0098

53. Have a western hat made by the famous hatmarker Manny Gammage. 441-4287

54. Attend an outdoor theatrical or musical performance at Ziker park. 397-1463

55. Go boating on Lake Austin and stop at The Pier to listen to a local band. 327-4562

56. On a hot, sizzling day, ice skate at Northcross Mall. 451-5102

57. Take the children to the Austin Children's Museum. 472-2494

58. Tour a historic home, the 1850's Neill-Cochran House. 478-2335

59. Visit the museum and library of the 36th President, Lyndon Baines Johson, 482-5137

60. Explore the grounds of the national Wildflower Research Center. 929-3600

61. Attend a performance by hte Austin Lyric Opera. 472-5927

62. In May, go to Laguna Gloria's "Fiesta". 458-8191

63. Attend a performance at the Capitol City Playhouse. 472-2966

64. Watch the summer regattas on Lake Travis. 478-0098

65. See a play at hyde Park Theatre. 452-6688

66. Camp at almost any of the LCRA parks. 469-6867

67. Bcycle on scenic Loop 360. 478-0098

68. Enjoy the Austin Symphony at Bass Concert Hall. 476-6064

69. Attend a concert at the Frank Erwin Center. 477-6060

70. Attend the annual "Spamarama".280-7961

71. Sail, jet ski or scuba dive at Lake Travis. 478-0098

72. Take in over 400 up and coming bands performing during the annual South X Southwest Music and Media Conference. (March) 467-797973.

73. Browse around the Huntington Art Gallery. 471-7324

74. Buy something unique at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. (Dec.) 447-1605

75. Enjoy legendary Blues music on "the Drag". 478-0098

76. Attend "Safari" at the Austin nature Center. (April) 327-8181

77. Join in the Celebration at the Cinco de Mayo Festival. (may) 472-7142

78. Watch the performance of the Living Chrstmas Tree Concert. (Dec.) 338-4473

79. Visit the 126-year old authentic German Bier Garten-Scholtz's. 477-4171

80. Watch lengendary golfers at the Libberty Mutual Legends of Golf PGA Seniors Tournament. 329-1076

81. Take in a show at one of Texas's oldest theatres, The Paramount. 472-5411

82. Take a scenic drive through the Hill Country. 478-0098

83. Play Frisbee Golf at Ziker Park or Pease Park. 477-7273

84. See the peascocks while enjoying Sunday brunch at the historic Green Pastures Restaurant. 444-1888

85. Put on a costume and samba at "Carnaval". (Feb.) 476-5461

86. Attend the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival. (Apr.) 329-0770

87. visit the Austin Garden Center for Florarama. (May) 477-8672

88. Shop early for Chtistmas at the Junior League's Christmas Affair. (Nov.) 467-8982

89. Sample the best food and drink from some of Austin's top chefs at the annual "Taste of the Town". 4766-2729

90. Watch or play in the "Hoop t Up" street basketball tournament. (oct.) 474-2255

91. Expand your art collection at the Austin Artists Harvest. 473-3866

92. Watch the best in high school sports at the UIL state competitions. 471-58833

93. Windsurf at Windy Point. 345-3897

94. See a performance of "Tuna Christmas" or "Greater Tuna". 472-5411

95. Spend the day at Emma Long Metropolitan Park. 346-1831

96. Walk the historic Bremond Block and view several historical homes. 478-0098

97. Enjoy a performance by Ballet Austin. 476-9051

98. Visit the Old Bakery & Emporium - a registered national landmark, now a shop filled with arts & crafts made by local senior citizenx. 477-5961

99. visit the Umlauf Sculpture Gardens and Museum. 455-5582

100. Browse through the austin Antique Mall. 451-5705

101. Enjoy an evening watching a professional Ice Hockey Team, the Austin Ice Bats. 927-PUCK(7825)

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1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111By 陳祖恩 & +x

記得1999年的迎新晚會上,我present了十五分鐘簡短但內容卻很精彩的上網購物指南。當時剛好恰逢美國 dot.com 的股市狂颷,所以許多網路商場都以十分低廉的價格與coupons來吸引顧客，想要與local 的BM (BM指Brick & Mortar公司，用以對比在Cyberspace的dot.com)公司一決勝負。當然,這時我便等著坐收漁翁之利啦!首先,一家叫Value America的公司說,只要注冊一個account就有一百美金coupon。換具話說,兩個account就兩百,三個就…聰明的你便知道這家公司一年後就宣佈破產了。之後，mercata.com也推出同樣優惠，但限制coupon只能支付20%的金額。然而，當時MSN為了宣傳也在Christmas時推出20% cash back，只要你在MSN.com所指定的一些公司 (恰恰有mercata.com) 買東西，MSN會退你20%的現金支票。所以加上mercata原有的20%,你就可以省40%的錢在網上買一個大電視，No Tax & Free Shipping. 你說mercata還能生存嗎？

與此同時，網上auction的公司也發展起來，如ebay.com, onsale.com, egghead.com等。很可惜，經過激烈競爭後，現在也只有ebay還生存著。相對地，一些chain store像walmart, bestbuy, circuitcity, officemax, officedepot, staples, compusa也推出他們各自的網上版本，並且以Rebate（但許多Rebates都要兩三個月才會收到，所以要緊盯著）來吸引大量的顧客，造成許多商品的price after rebate十分低。（註：我以前都覺得美國東西都比較貴，但是一些3C、電腦產品的price after rebate可以比在台北的光華商場比價比到趴還要來得低很多。）因此，網路商場的吸引力就相對的減低。但是雖然網上購物優惠越來越少，但基本上還是值得一試。我個人把一些重要的網站精華（如最低價搜尋器，coupons整理站，書本價格比較，每天headline deals）post在http://www.acccf.us上，你可以直接查詢。一旦練習到登峰造極，你就可以拿到免費的DVD player, CDRW, DDR RAM, Network Card, Router等。但是一旦你便成網蟲時，很抱歉，師父我告訴你已經走火入魔了，切記！切記！

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接下來，我想介紹各位一些上網購物的原則，避免你們跟我犯同樣的錯誤。

第一是交易的安全性，千萬不要用支票付款，而且只用那些有0% fraud protection的信用卡來交易。這樣一旦發生欺詐，信用卡公司會全權負責（我個人認為citibank對這方面的服務極佳）。你可以先致電向信用卡公司詢問該服務，同時從等representative接聽的時間看出該信用卡公司的服務是否優越。

第二是對方的可信度，先檢查對方的網頁有沒有BBBonline certified, 與bizrated.com的評價（你可以參考etronics.com）等。現在許多New York的數碼相機的黑店都post很底的價格當誘讓客戶上鈎，之後再試圖說沒貨，或是配件不全等藉口。所以一定要先查清customer review (bizrated.com, resellerratings.com 或到google.com search)再購買，若沒任何review或review量少於20篇的就別上當。總而言之，避免到小規模的網站去shopping是對的！

第三是rebate的期限，有些公司(如tigerdirect)的rebate必需在訂購後兩星期內寄出，可是你必需收到貨才能填rebate form上的資料！很可能你到兩週後才收到貨，rebate就全泡湯了。要退錢，沒問題，但他給你拖個一，兩個月，那你可就苦囉！反正錢在他們手中，就任人宰割吧！另外，小心multiple rebates，像Officemax有許多FAR(Free After Rebate)的東西需要寄超過一份以上的rebate。看清楚這些rebate form之間有沒有衝突，令你無法同時都满足它們所有的條件。

第四是眼睛睜大點，看清楚網頁上貨品的descriptions。看不清楚請戴上眼鏡，再看不懂找你室友或太太孩子一起來！不要只看圖片，因為它很可能是騙人的（像GRE題或是WYSINWYG, What You See Is Not What You Get），內容才是最重要。分清楚是retail package,還是white box, brown box, OEM, gray market, USA model, refurbished, opened box, demo item, international version等。分不清嗎？問問人吧！還有查清楚warranty, 與return policy。你可以打電話到他們的customer service (不是sale department,因為公司的好壞在於售後服務，不是售前查詢)，看看要等多久才有人接聽。若你實在想不出要跟他們講什麼，就等他們接後掛下吧…J，這不算SPAM吧！若你等超過十分鐘的話就算啦！

第五是算啦，反正local的價錢差不了多少，就別上網買吧！一般上local BM都有自己的sale，特別在感恩節後那一天(又叫 Black Friday)算是最大的sale,但你必需六點前就到搶先排在前頭。其它如Labor day(9/1), Christmas, July 4,甚至mother day都很能有good deals.

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哇！說都說累了，若你還要聽，自己來找我拜師吧！除了price search engine的優缺點的介紹之外，一些pricematch的tips(特別是Amex,與citibank),還有ebates.com的加入等都還有得說的。但話得先說清楚，千萬別走火入魔，造成該買的買到，不該買的也都買齊了！祝你們上網開心，下網更開心！最重要是…常到http://www.acccf.us啦！

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Coupon & Rebate：

Coupon 和 Rebate 是在網上購物，或說是在美國買便宜貨最常見的方式。

一般 Coupon 的折扣是即時折價，大部份的coupon就寫在該網站上， 在check out的時候，把coupon code填上，就可以省下一筆錢。有一些coupon是採email方式寄給你，那你就得去那個網站加入會員才拿得到，比如 Dell 就會不定期寄coupon給你，通常這種只能用一次的coupon code還是stackable，也就是除了該公司promote的特價之外，額外再便宜一些。（註：stackable的coupon code還可以上ebay去標。現在這種deal相對少很多，像Dell一些公開的coupon code也都有使用次數限制，也就是動作得要夠快才搶得到。）

Rebate就比較複雜一些。rebate的錢不會在你check out的時候直接扣掉，而是要你填好一張rebate form, original receipt和UPC Bar Code，一股腦全寄到一個地址去。六至八周後（有時更久，等到久到天荒地老，海枯石爛的也有），該rebate公司會寄一張check給你。大部份店家或是網站的rebate是外包給專門作rebate的公司作的，有的rebate公司reputation非常的差，這得在一些討論區（forum）才見得到這類的資訊。有的產品只要UPC的影本（COPY）就行，有的得要正本，所以你就得把寄來的盒子上的UPC條碼小心地剪下來。有的東西要寄兩個REBATE到不同的地方，這就得要小心一下是不是UPC的影本。所有寄出去的東西要自己印一個備份下來作證據，最好連寄出去的日期也寫上，如果太久沒得到REBATE的回音，還可以打電話去問一下。手邊有些資料比較容易拿得回來。

別懷疑，有的東西真的是FREE AFTER REBATE！！不過一定要在時間之內把REBATE寄回去喔！！

最後，不管是Black Friday Rush或是Price Match，最省錢的方式就是『不買』。買你需要的東西，作好功課，盯著看。千萬不要因為便宜買一些沒有意義的東西。

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建議網址：

Techbargains, Bensbargains, dealsea 等「好康」網站，告訴你那裡今天在打折，哪裡有coupon, rebate

Pricewatch, pricescan 等尋價網站，告訴你心目中的那一款產品的最低價哪裡有

Rellerratings, Bizrate 等商家資訊站，可以看一下該「特便宜」的網站評價如何，如果評價太低，沒有評價，或是評價的篇數太小的話，還是別冒險當烈士好了！！

Fatwallet 等forum，有一些特別技巧性的買法（比如說拿BestBuy的廣告單去Circuit City作Price match，然後再加上Circuit City本身的Rebate這種鑽漏洞的買法；或是找一張20% Off Printed Coupon去買，再加上Rebate，就能夠有特低的價錢），或是特別低的deal（比如說哪一家有標錯價或是幾乎不可能的價錢，Dell就發生過把市價$1500的鏡頭以$1000賣，或是一顆Hard drive不到$20的情況。通常商家會為了商譽，認賠以低價賣出），會在這種討論區出現，不過得花更多的時間看相關的討論，才不會花錯錢！！

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1111111111111111111111111111111111111111By Irwin Poon & +x

Step 1: SSN Card

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Get a letter from the International Office first. Bring your passport with US visa, I-20 or IAP-66, and I-94 Departure Record to 11th St. and San Jacinto to apply for SSN Card. You will need to pass through security check just as in an airport, so remove unnecessary metallic ornaments before you go. The SSN Card will be mailed to you in a few weeks.

NOTE: For Students with No Social Security Number. Go in person to Texas Department of Public Safety Office (DPS), 6121 North Lamar. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Phone (512)424-2076. Take your passport, I-20/DS-2019 and I-94 card. Sign an affidavit saying that you do not have a social security number and are not eligible for one. Your application for a Texas ID or Driver's License should be accepted. (IO has a UT family Program for detail info.)

Step 2: Instruction Permit

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If you did not have driving license in your home country before, you are advised to get an Instruction Permit first.

 * If you have a valid out-of-state driver's license, simply pay $24 to $26 in cash or check to exchange for a Texas driver's license. You don't have to pass any test, but they will get your finger print and take photo of you.

* If you have an expired driver's license or a driver's license from outside United States, you will have to go through all the tests again. You may choose to check "Drivers License" instead of "Instruction Permit" on the application form, pay $24 to $26 in cash or check to get a receipt. However, you only have 90 days to pass both the computer based test and the driving test. Otherwise your application fee will be forfeited and you will have to start all over again. Moreover, since you only get a receipt, not a driver's license nor instruction permit, you are not supposed to drive nor practise driving before you pass the driving test. If you got a fresh driver's license outside US not long ago or haven't been driving since then, you are recommended to pay $5 more to get an Instruction Permit first.

* If you have an expired paper Instruction Permit, you need to re-take the computer based test. They will ask you to pay $24 to $26 in cash or check and you will get a plastic Instruction Permit just like a driver's license, and it will be valid for at least 6 years)

Get a drivers handbook from the Department of Public Safety or Department of Transportation and study it for a multiple-choice test. On line version can be found here. (Details can be found at TX DPS web)

When you study for the test, pay special attention to those relating to drunk driving, as this happens a lot with Americans. Memorize also the fines and years of imprisonment related to each offense, the stopping distance (in terms of feet) when you are diving at a certain speed (in terms of miles per hour), etc. Traffic signs maybe an easy part, but pay attention to the shape and color of traffic signs.

When you are ready for the test, bring your passport with US visa, I-20 or IAP-66, I-94 Departure Record, SSN Card and $5 to $7 cash or check (no credit card, no debit card, no ATM card) to the Department of Public Safety for a computer based test. Bring your Texas ID, expired Instruction Permit, previous Driver's License, etc if you have it too. The computer based test is available Monday to Thursday from 9:00am to 4:30pm, and Friday morning only. They will examine your eyesight, get finger prints from you, and may take photo of you (so comb your hairs and smile). Make sure you check "Instruction Permit" on the application form, NOT "drivers license".

Relax when taking the test. You have no time limit (except if you arrive too late, all computers shut down automatically at 5pm) You need at least 70% correct to pass. You may skip questions if you are not sure of the answer. Just like in GRE Computer Based Test, the computer tells you the correct answer immediately each time you submit an answer. If you answer is wrong, do NOT panic, try to memorize the correct answer. Five dollars entitles you to take the test three times. Just in case you don't pass in the first test, questions in the second test are more or less the same. It pays to memorize those answers. You will get an instruction permit that is valid for at least one year if you pass.

There are three places in Austin where you can take such test.

6121 North Lamar	424-2076
13730 Research Road	335-8131
4719 South Congress	444-5241

If you pass the test, congratulations! Keep your driver's handbook as handy reference. You will need it from time to time even after you have got your driver's license. Otherwise don't get frustrated. The earliest time you may come again for the test is the next business day. You have three chances, after that you need to pay another $5.

Step 3: Car Hunting

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Now you can hunt for your dream car. Make sure you transfer title within 20 working days from the day you buy your car, otherwise there will be a penalty. You will need your drivers license number (the 8-digit number on your Instruction Permit) and insurance (you need both drivers license number and the car VIN number to buy insurance) in order to transfer title. So I strongly recommend you to get your Instruction Permit first, or at least get your Instruction Permit at the same time you hunt for your dream car.

Used car could be bought via dealers or private party. Dealers may have made necessary repairs and/or maintenance on your car before you buy it, but usually at a higher price too. It is cheaper to buy from private party but you also run a higher risk of buying a lemon car (a lemon car means a car that is bad). To find used car, go online to the Classified Section of the Austin American Statesmen. There you may search for the year and model of the car you want. Advertisement that is over one week old need not be considered, because there must be some major problems with the car so that people don't want to buy it. Do research on the advertisement, because no single advertisement contain all the necessary information. Phone them to get the missing information before you make further action.

Buy a Carfax (about $20 is valid for one month). Ask for VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) when you phone the owner. Check the VIN number in Carfax. If the Carfax shows that the car history was unclean, then that's it. But if the Carfax doesn't show any problem with the car, it does not mean the car did not have bad history. You may want to share the cost of Carfax among several friends who buy cars at more or less the same time.

5 speed means manual transmission. While manual transmission cars are cheaper, consumes less fuel, and accelerates faster, it is harder to drive a manual transmission car, and fewer people know how to drive it, so you may have hard time finding people to teach you how to drive. If you decide to go for a manual transmission car, fewer people are able to test drive the car for you too. Hence it is a tradeoff -- whether you want to drive easily or you want to save cost. For other jargons on automobiles, check out the homepage of ACCCF. +x has put wonderful links there.

One factor that many people overlook when choosing cars is the operating cost. Sedan cars have lower insurance premium than sports utility cars. Red cars also means higher insurance cost. A car with larger mpg (miles per gallon) is more fuel-efficient, and you will save a lot in fuel cost. High-end cars also mean more expensive maintenance and repair costs. If you buy new car, consider the hybrid-engine models, which helps to conserve our non-renewable resources and protect the environment.

Setup a budget for yourself. Bear in mind that you still need to spend on auto insurance, sales tax, title application, vehicle registration, repairs and maintenance, etc in addition to the sales price. Check out the retail value of used car at the online Bluebooks www.edmunds.com and www.kbb.com to see if the seller is asking for a reasonable price. Conditions of the car affects the price a lot. Used cars are generally appraised as good or fair. They are seldom in the excellent condition. You can customize the actual accessories and conditions of the car you intend to buy on these Bluebooks to get a better reflection of the fair market value of the car. You should be able to buy the car for a price between the private-party price and the trade-in price in the Bluebook.

If you find some potential target with a suitable price range, call them and arrange a time so that you and your friends could go there for a test drive. Find some experienced drivers to test drive the car for you. If your friends (the experienced drivers) think the car is bad, then that's it. Otherwise bring the car to auto mechanics for a buyers check. Vietnamese mechanics usually charge for $10 to $25 for each buyers check. American mechanics charge for $70 to $120 for each buyers check. If the buyers check comes up with major mechanical defects, then that's it. Otherwise, bargain for the price based on the check report. If you decide to buy the car, you may need to pay a deposit, get back a receipt, and arrange a time to pick up the car.

Download the Title Application Form from the homepage of Nelda Wells Spears Travis County Tax Assessor Collector Office, print the form and bring it with you. The best way to pay for the car is by Cashier's Check. You will need the name and address of the previous owner to purchase a Cashiers Check at a bank. Find two drivers to accompany you when you pick up the car, or ask them to deliver the car to your apartment. Make sure they give you the title of the car. Check the title to see there is no lien holders. If there is lien holder, make sure the release of lien is signed. Otherwise do NOT buy the car. Fill out the form at the back, and make sure the previous owner has signed both in the front and at the back of this original title. If the title indicates a joint ownership of more than one person, then all of them need to sign both at the front and at the back. They also need to fill in and sign the corresponding entries in the Title Application Form. They should also give!
  you their car keyS. Make sure you get all their contact information so that you could still find them in case problems arise when you try to transfer the title later. If possible, ask for the maintenance records of the car.

Drive straight back to your apartment and park there. You don't have insurance yet, so it is illegal to drive your car now. The fine for Driving without Proof of Insurance is much higher than the insurance cost itself, so you don't want to run this risk. Report to your apartment manager that you have bought a car and give them your license plate number (the 6-digit alphanumeric at the front and back of the car), so that they won't tow it. Start the process of buying insurance and transfer title immediately. Remember that you have to transfer the title within 20 working days from the day you purchase the vehicle.

Step 4: Auto Insurance

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Contact a few insurance agencies. They should give you FREE price quote. When you compare the price, make sure the insurance coverage is the same. Unequal coverage cannot be compared. You need both your car VIN number and the driver's license number (the 8-digit number on your Instruction Permit is your Driver's License number) in order to buy insurance.

Texas state law requires you to buy at least the Liability. Some people may want to add Personal Injury Protection and/or Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist to their portfolio. Others opt for comprehensive coverage, which covers virtually everything but at a much higher cost. If you bought a brand new car, it is recommended that you also buy the comprehensive coverage. If you plan to drive to some state with more stringent insurance requirement than Texas (e.g. New York), you may need to buy a higher coverage. For detailed explanation of these terms, ask us or ask your insurance agent.

If you buy uninsured/underinsured motorist, you can save money by choosing the lowest coverage because your car doesn't cost that much after all. You can save money by telling the agent that you don't drive for school. You can further save money if you take a defensive driving class. If you are undergraduate student, you maybe able to save some cost if your academic results are excellent.

Boys enjoy lower insurance premium after age 25. Girls enjoy lower insurance premium after age 21. Your insurance premium is even lower if you are married, and still even lower if you have children. Usually the cost is higher if this is your first year driving (i.e. no previous driving experience). Your cost surges high as soon as you have an accident (whether or not it is your fault) and/or you eat a police ticket. Effects from auto accident last for three years (36 months) from the date of accident.

If you are boys under 25 or girls under 21, Geico may give you a better price. If you are boys over 25 or girls over 21, Farmers may give you a better price. There is a Chinese agent for Farmers at 2222 and Mopac. Many Chinese students bought insurance from him. If you had at least 18 months of driving experience, then AAA may give you a better price. Try to research into more insurance companies before making your decision. I would recommend that you buy only from insurance company that offers you nation-wide 24-hour hot-line for insurance claims. It makes your life much easier in case you have an accident. Also try to ask friends for reputation of different insurance companies.

Step 5: Title Transfer

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Before you go, make sure you have enough money in your checking account. If you pay by credit card, there will be an unfavorable surcharge to you. Also, if you bought the insurance online or by phone, you must wait until the proof of insurance has been mailed to you before you can apply for title. If you bought the car from dealer instead of private party, the dealer may handle the title application for you as well, so ask the dealer for details.

Bring the original certificate of title of the previous owner, the application form for new title, proof of auto insurance, your driver's license or instruction permit, and your checkbook to the Nelda Wells Spears Travis County Tax Assessor Collector Office. The office has recently been relocated to the Airport Boulevard. a little bit south of 2222. The new office looks pretty much like a bunch of warehouses. So the location is not at all obvious if this is your first time going there. You may ask us to give you a ride there. Remember to sign in before you take a seat to wait...

Pay the title application fee and 6.25% sales tax on vehicle purchase plus some other miscellaneous fees in cash or check. Leave at least a copy of the receipt of title application in your car. You will need the receipt in case your car is towed. The actual certificate of title will be mailed to you in a few weeks, but please never leave the actual title in your car, just imagine the case if your car is stolen. Keep the original certificate of title in a safe place outside your car.

[Tax Assessor-Collector:   MS. NELDA WELLS SPEARS
physical Address:   5501 AIRPORT BLVD.
AUSTIN, TX 78751
Telephone:   (512) 854-9473 ]

If your registration sticker is about to expire or has already expired, then you will need to pay the annual registration fee too. This is a little bit more than $50 as of 2004. You will get a new sticker, and please put up the sticker to your windshield as soon as possible to avoid police citation. If the previous owner has not changed the license plate for over 5 years, you are entitled to a free replacement of the license plate. In that case, I would recommend you to take advantage of this free replacement. If you changed your license plates, remember to tell your apartment manager too so that they won't tow your car.

 From now on, you will receive a snail-mail notice to renew your annual vehicle registration once a year. Follow the instructions and pay for the registration fee to receive a new registration sticker. Put up the registration sticker to your windshield as soon as possible and leave your registration receipt in the car. Whenever you move, update your address with all of vehicle registration, driver's license and the auto insurance. Change of address is free for vehicle registration and $10 for driver's license. While change of address itself is free with auto insurance, if your zip code is changed, your premium may also be adjusted accordingly. Always keep your address current with them, otherwise you will get into aggravated troubles if your car is towed or if you eat a police ticket.

Step 6: Maintenance Repairs

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There are many things to check. First of all, make sure your vehicle inspection sticker is current. Otherwise, do the inspection immediately to avoid police citation. Inspection fee is set by the state to be $12.50 and it takes only 10 minutes to do the inspection. The only uncertain factor in time is the number of cars queued in front of you. Dedicated inspection stations that specializes in vehicle inspection usually have much better turn-around time than general-purpose mechanics who also do inspection as their side business. Before going to the inspection, it is always a good idea to manually check that all the lights function properly. Replacing a bulb is relatively easy, and replacing it yourself is also much cheaper than letting the inspection station to replace it for you.

[NOTE: Fee for the new license tags plus county road and bridge fee
$52.80 for a car built six years ago
$62.80 for a car built from three to five years ago
$78.80 for a car built two years ago.
The new owner must renew this state registration annually following State Inspection]

Then look at the report from your buyers check. Not all items need to be dealt with immediately. Ask some experienced friends to see which items you should repair first. Things like the timing belt or CV boot should be taken care of immediately. Take your car to a mechanics shop that offers good price and service to do the repairs.

You need to change the engine oil and oil filter every three months or 3,000 miles whichever is sooner, do tire rotation every six months or 6,000 miles whichever is sooner, change the transmission fluid once every two years, and a bunch of other things. If you do not have the maintenance record of the previous owner, I would strongly recommend you to go ahead and change the engine oil and oil filter, as well as do the engine tune-up immediately. It doesn't cost too much, and it prolongs your engine life.

Step 7: Learn Driving

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It is easy to get a car moving, but it is difficult to drive safely. Bear in your mind that you want to learn how to drive safely, not just how to drive! It is better to arrive late than never arrive, so be careful when you are on the road! Be a responsible driver and don't play around with your life and the lives of other road users including innocent pedestrians.

It costs dearly to attend a driving school, and the driving school only cares for you up to the point you get your driver's license, then you are at the mercy of the road in the rest of your life. Well, you only need to know how to drive in small roads in order to get a driver's license, and there are still many skills to develop after you get your driver's license. Paying that much just to get a driver's license is not worthy. You should find a friend to teach you driving. Texas law requires your driving instructor to be over 21 years old, with at least one year driving experience, and with a valid Texas driver's license. I repeat, Texas law requires your driving instructor to be over 21 years old, with at least one year driving experience, and with a valid Texas driver's license. This is very important.

It is very important to get yourself a good driving instructor so that you can develop good driving habits from the very beginning. Once you stick to some bad practice, it is difficult to change, and it inevitably means a traffic accident. Don't try to compete to get your driver's license in the shortest possible time, but do compete to be the safest driver. I have seen many occasions where somebody with just an Instruction Permit is sitting besides another one with just an Instruction Permit, and the dangerous driving nearly caused accidents. Never give anybody rides before you get your driver's license. And never take the rides of anybody who hasn't got his/her driver's license yet! Always get yourself a qualified driving instructor. If police stops you maybe because one of your rear bulbs burn out, and then discovers that you are driving without a qualified instructor, then both your driving privileges will be suspended, and the fines is also much greater than the insurance cost.

Some of our brothers and sisters in ACCCF are known to be good driving instructors, and you are welcome to contact us. Since our service is completely free-of-charge, we reserve our time and efforts to first teaching those who regularly attends our Friday fellowship. Our fellowship starts at 7:00pm every Friday in SSB G1.310, and everybody is welcome to join us. A complete schedule is posted on our website every semester.

If you learn once to twice a week, 1-1.5 hour each time, then it takes approximately 2-3 months for you to get ready for the driving test. You can speed up the process by learning from more than one driving instructor. But in any case, always get yourself a qualified driving instructor, and always safety first. Do obey all the traffic rules, for police can still issue you tickets even though you are just holding Instruction Permit. Whenever in doubt, go back to your drivers handbook you used to pass the computer test and look it up.

Step 8: Driving Test

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When you are ready, ask one of your driving instructors to take you to the driving test. This is where you passed your computer based test and obtained your Instruction Permit. Make sure both your registration sticker and the vehicle inspection sticker are current, and make sure all bulbs are functioning. Walk in and set up an appointment first. If you take the test in South Congress, you may need to queue up as early as 7:30-8:30am to compete for a testing time-slot depending on how many other people are competing with you. If you take the test in North Lamar, remember that you cannot take the test during lunch time, nor one hour from the end of their office-hour, nor in Friday afternoon. Arrive a little bit earlier than the prescribed time with your unexpired Instruction Permit, unexpired Proof of Auto Insurance, and enough cash or a checkbook. Obtain a mark sheet inside, then drive your car to wait in line for the next test administrator. You may study the mark sheet before your test administrator comes to familiarize yourself with the aspects being examined.

The test administrator will inspect your Instruction Permit and Proof of Auto Insurance, then inspect your car. You will be asked to make left-turn and right-turn signals, step on the brake, and press the horn. Make sure you understand all these instructions. Your driving instructor will tell you more about the test, but he/she cannot stay in the car while you take the test. You will be tested on parallel parking, accelerating and stopping smoothly, backing up, and then drive in some neighborhood for a while.

If you do not pass the test, the earliest time you may come again for the test is the next business day. But I would rather recommend you to practice more before coming for the test again too soon.

If you pass the test, congratulations! Go inside the building. You maybe asked to take a photo again (so comb your hairs and smile). If you have a paper Instruction Permit, pay $24 to $26 in cash or check; if you have a plastic Instruction Permit, pay $10 in cash or check. You will first get a temporary driver's license. The actual plastic Driver's License will be mailed to you in a few weeks. Your driver's license entitles you to drive in all 50 states in the United States.

One word of WARNING is in place. Be extremely careful whenever you are behind the wheel. Most of my friends, including me myself, got an accident in the first 6 months since we got the Driver's License, irrespective of when we got the license, irrespective of who taught us driving, etc. By an accident, I mean the repair cost is at least $1,000 whether paid by you or the insurance company. I personally know at least five of us, including me, have even totaled the car, which means the car became a pile of waste metal that nobody wants except the junk yard. By the fourth or fifth month, you will grow so confident of your driving skills that you start to be less careful, while in fact you haven't seen many of the road conditions yet. When emergency occurs, chances are that you cannot react fast enough and wise enough to prevent an accident.

I have a habit of always asking all my passengers to securely fasten their seat-belts, no matter sitting in the front or at the back. If my passengers and I had not fastened our seat-belt when I had the accident, we would all have been thrown out of the car and died, just as all my bags on the seat were thrown out of the window! I would highly recommend you to develop the habit of asking all your passengers to securely fasten their seat-belts too.

Step 9: Epilogue

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Always be careful when you drive. Please refer to the last two paragraphs of the last step. Read it over and over again to remind you of the paramount importance of safe driving. You may wish to take a defensive driving class to improve your driving safety too. Listen for unusual noise or abnormal behavior of the car when you drive, which usually means something need to be repaired.

You only need to be able to drive in small roads in order to pass the driving test. You may or may not have driven on major roads. Do ask your driving instructors to continue guiding you on major roads, and eventually on highway and driving long distance. There are still a lot to learn, and many different skills to develop. For example, most new drivers do not perform well when they change lanes, which is dangerous. Do you always know all the conditions around your car when you drive, especially on highway, like which car is about to take over you and which car is trying to catch an opportunity to take over you? Could you manage your speed not to exceed the limit, and could you still manually cruise your car at the speed limit on highway while not using the cruise control? Do you remember roads well so that you don't get lost nor tend to make some dangerous last-minute turns and/or lane-changes? Are you confident using the rear view mirror mounted to the right of the passenger seat of your car? ...... Lastly, what do I need to know about long distance driving?

Here is an incomplete check-list. If you still don't know any of the following, ask your driving instructors immediately. When to and when not to use the high headlight, and how and when to set parking light, low headlight and high headlight? When to and when not to use gear 1 and 2 in automatic transmission? What shall I do if my car skids and lose control? How to use cruise control, and when NOT to use cruise control? When and where can I park in UT Campus? What shall I do if I forgot to turn off the headlight and my battery is now discharged that I cannot start my car? What if I locked my key in the car?

If you see a police car flashing behind you, signal and come to a stop at the nearest safe location. Do NOT unfasten your seat-belt, do NOT open the door, and do NOT try to reach for anything. Change to parking gear, engage your parking brake, roll down the window and wait inside the car with your seat-belt fastened for the police to come. Otherwise the police may think that you are trying to reach for a weapon, and he may shoot you. If you get a speeding ticket, it can be discharged by taking a defensive driving class. However, you cannot discharge more than one ticket by taking defensive driving class in any given year. However, some offenses, e.g. driving under intoxication, driving without proof of insurance, etc cannot be discharged this way.

If you are in an accident, be calm. Make sure it is safe outside before you get out of the car. Give first-aid as appropriate. Call 911 immediately if there are injuries and/or deaths. Obtain the Driver's License state & number, Insurance company name & policy number & phone number, name, address and phone number of the other parties. Also take note of the year and model, color, and license plate state and number of the other cars. If it is a rental car, record the name and phone number of the rental company too. Obtain name and contact information of all passengers in the other cars as well as witnesses not involved in the accident including the police. Agree on the date, time and place of the accident. Take photos of the accident scene if possible. You will need all these information to file police report and/or insurance claim.

If you are admitted to a hospital because of the accident, present your Personal Injury Protection or Medical Expenses coverage of your auto insurance, your health insurance etc. File insurance claim as soon as possible and the insurance company will give you further instructions on what to do. You usually have at least one week time to file the police report. If your car is inoperable and towed, make sure to salvage it as soon as possible because there is $10 to $15 storage fee per day, and your car can only be sold to junk yard for a few hundred dollars already. If your car is still operable, you may need to obtain appraisal of the damage caused to your car, depending on the insurance company and depending on who is at fault in the accident. You may also need to deal with court summons, etc. irrespective of your mid-term and final exam schedule. It takes months to get back to normal, and be prepared that the process can be depressing.

If your car is towed, stay calm too. Phone the towing company displayed on the signs over where you parked to find out where the car is towed. Find a friend to take you there. Before you get there, go to a bank or ATM machine to get enough cash. Towing costs you anywhere from $100 to $200, and they accept cash only. No checks, no credit card, no debit card. Make sure you have either the original certificate of title, or the receipt of vehicle registration with you. You also need proof of insurance. You may incur extra charges for public notary if the address in file of your vehicle registration is not the same as that on your driver's license. It generally takes a few hours to deal with each towing.

Finally, wish all of you a safe and pleasant driving experience! Just as we provided you rides when you came to Austin, we would also like you to give rides to new students next year, taking them to International Office, University Health Service, supermarkets, airport, etc. When you drove for over one year, please kindly pass your experience on, and help new students with their driving. Join us in our Friday fellowship too!

NOTE: Car fix!!    The website of ASE, The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, was founded in 1972 as an independent non-profit organization with a single mission: To improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification automotive technicians.

National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE
13505 Dulles Technology Drive Suite 2
Herndon Virginia 20171-3421
Toll-Free Information Line: 1-877-ASE-TECH
For more information go to : http://www.asecert.org/
　

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Useful Information on the Web:

Kelly Blue Book   (check for price and some Advice)
Edmunds    (check for cprice and some Tips and Advice)
Carbuyingtips    (Buying Tips)
Statesman Car    (for local car hunting)
MSN Autos    (National Car Hunting, Review and Specs of cars
International Office has very good INFO
Texas Department of Safety web

 

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