You've probably gotten an e-mail from every company you do business with about their response to COVID-19. Just in case you are wondering, here's how TireKicker plans to move forward:
- First, this is a one-person operation and has been for a couple of years now. I already work from home.
- The test vehicles are delivered by two companies who contract with the manufacturers. Both companies (Page One Automotive and DriveShop) have extensive protocols in place for thorough disinfecting of vehicle surfaces and key fobs. Paperwork is now done via DocuSign. Delivery drivers and journalists like yours truly keep a six-foot distance from each other. The same protocols are observed when the car is picked up after a week.
- If you look at the photographs accompanying my reviews (I began using only my own photography and not stock manufacturer images last July), you'll find that there's usually a lot of open space around the cars and no people. There are two reasons for that---one, it's simply better for showcasing the vehicle, and two, I live in an area that has a lot of open space within just a few minutes' drive. I can't remember the last time I interacted with another human being while doing vehicle photography.
- For the duration of the emergency, I will be curtailing the distance of any individual drive of the vehicle. Until now, if I needed to make a bathroom stop, grab a coffee or lunch, no problem.
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| The 35 miles surrounding TireKicker World Headquarters in Folsom, CA. |
The good news is that there is a remarkable variety of roads, some of them among the best driving roads in the country, right out my back door. So instead of a good, long drive, there will be a series of short ones to evaluate each vehicle. And now, like the photography, human contact will be avoided.
If my wife or I should begin to show symptoms of infection, I'll stop driving the test cars and alert the delivery companies. And I'll share that information with you. The same goes for if either of us were to be asymptomatic but to test positive when testing becomes available.
Finally, I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy throughout the coming weeks. And I hope, now that we all have some time on our hands, that you'll enjoy the cars we'll be reviewing and recommend TireKicker to friends.
---Michael Hagerty
