Dear Tom and Ray:

I saw one of your old columns in which you wondered what happened to all the tread worn off tires. New Jersey was concerned about that some years ago and determined that bacteria had developed along major freeways like the New Jersey Turnpike that ate tire material! Right near the road there was only a thin coating of tread material. Nature wins again. -- Yours truly, Stuart A. Hoenig, P.E., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Adjunct Professor Dept. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona

Tom: Gee, Stuart, is that true? We've heard of bacteria that eat oil and help clean up oil spills, but we haven't heard of this one yet. Has anybody else out there?

Ray: Even if it's not true, I can already see the next "bio-thriller" in the works: "The Bacteria That Ate Akron." Call Jeff Goldblum and see if he's available.

Tom: Is warming up your car actually BAD for it? Does slamming the door really make a difference to the life of your car? Should you "save the brakes" by shifting into a lower gear to help you slow down?

Ray: You'll learn the surprising answers to all of these questions, and more, in our new pamphlet called "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It.'

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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