Mad About You

Betsy: We're just ourselves. People aren't dumb. They know about cars. They know what they want, they want to look at things and we just show them. If you serve customers and be honest, you'll stand out.

Ever get an unfavorable reaction when you tell people you sell cars?

Frank: Back in the day you'd say you were a used-car salesman and the red flags really went up. You were right down there with attorneys.

Betsy: When I was younger and people found out what my parents did, they'd go, "Oh, they sell used cars."

Wanda: See, but we care about the reputation of our industry. That's why I've done volunteer work. . . . I wanted to change the industry. As a result of my involvement, now when someone wants to be a dealer in Virginia, they have to go to two days of classes to learn what that means, what the federal laws are, what the state laws are.

What's one tip you'd like everyone to know about buying a used car?

Frank: Cars are created equal, but they don't remain equal. An '03 Camry here and an '03 Camry somewhere else -- yes, they're both '03 and they may be the same model, but what you do to the car and the history of the car are two important factors. Always have your car checked out.

The Umpire

As part of his job, Dan Wilson has several thousand critics sitting behind him nearly every night of the week for six straight months. He's an umpire in the Atlantic League, a conference of eight minor league baseball teams spread along the Eastern Seaboard. When a player walks, the crowd cheers his good luck. When a player strikes out on a no-swing close call, the crowd boos and calls Wilson a bum.

Based in Kilgore, Tex., Wilson hops from hotel to hotel during the season, from Long Island to Waldorf, the home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The 40-year-old toured through Maryland three times this summer to call games for the league, and he provided us with a glimpse of the man behind the mask.

After 11 years of umpiring, do you still feel any pressure being surrounded by emotional fans who are perhaps intoxicated?

Major League umpires have more pressure because they got cameras on every angle, every play. Ours is a smaller scale. You've got four to six thousand fans that see a call differently. Sometimes they see it with their heart rather than their eyes.

What's the most intense fan reaction you've gotten?

I worked a year in Venezuela doing winter ball. It's a different culture down there. Every night there would be things thrown on the field. You'd need to watch out for what's coming from behind. I got pelted with coins and oranges and beer caps. They even threw fireworks.

You probably get managers and players giving you a hard time, too.

Absolutely, but it only appears to happen every night because that's all they focus on on ESPN and "SportsCenter." But you look at the grand scheme, it's rare. It's a working relationship like any other job. . . . You speak to who you're working with, and every now and then you have a little flare-up like any other job, and the next day you move and it's over and done with.

What's the best part of the job?

The travel part is the good and bad of it. You see parts of the country you wouldn't normally see, but then you're away from home for six months out of the year. Eating out every day. Rarely a home-cooked meal.

If you had a microphone and could address the stadium after they boo a good call, what would you say?

Part of it is they don't know the rules in some situations, and they think that every play that's called is a wide-open play. The tough plays are the ones we get crucified on. It's not as easy as we make it seem. Working the plate, you have about 300-plus decisions to make on balls and strikes each night. Some of them are pretty easy. But what we get paid to do is make borderline decisions.

The IRS Agent

Jennifer Abbott, 31, is an Inte rnal Revenue Service agent, a title that may only seem intimidating until you learn that, yes, in fact, she breaks into people's houses to eyeball their financial records. Well, not "breaks into." More like "calls up and politely inquires if she can stop by the house to chat about tax returns, thanks!"

Abbott majored in accounting at Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., worked for an insurance company, then moved to Washington seven years ago to work for the IRS. She lives in Alexandria and regularly volunteers at the library.

Were you mindful of the typical public perception of the IRS when you took the job?

No, actually that never crossed my mind. I saw it as a good opportunity, that it would probably be good to work for the federal government.

What's the best part of the job?

A revenue agent is like a field agent, so I go to the taxpayer's home or business. I travel to a lot of different places in the area and meet a lot of different people.

What's their reaction when you're like, "I'm from the IRS, and I'm coming into your home."

They want to know what they did wrong. The first question is "Why?" And they usually want to clear it up as soon as possible. I think after I meet with them for the first time, they're more at ease.

So they're not panicky?

I wouldn't say they're panicky. I've had people who've maybe had other things going on in their life that made them more upset when I was there.

What's the worst part of the job?

It's a lot of paperwork. The forms I have to fill out. There's a lot of things I have to write.

What's the general reaction when you tell people you work for the IRS?

"Oh, you know I'm not going to tell you my last name." They say it in a jokey manner. After that I usually just get a lot of tax questions.

I bet that gets tiresome.

I guess sometimes it can. . . . In the beginning I was a little reluctant to say I worked here, but I'm used to it now. People just make their joke and we move on from there.

Is there one thing you wish the public knew about the IRS or the job of an agent?

A lot of people might think it's me personally going out there and taking them on, when I just try to explain that Congress sets the laws and rules, and I'm just doing my job -- just like they're doing whatever job they have.

Any tax advice for people?

Be sure you k eep all your records. If you don't prepare your return -- if somebody else does -- make sure you still understand what's on your return. You are ultimately responsible for it.