I set out for a weekend in our new Mazdaspeed3, knowing that I was going to cover approximately 700 miles on my trip to New Jersey and back. Golf clubs: Check. MP3 player for car: Check. Satellite radio in the car in case I get bored with MP3's: Check. Snacks and beverages: Check. Clean underwear: Check. As you can see, everything was in order. What more could you ask for in a good road trip than a fun car, free gas, and good music? NOTHING!

That is until I couldn't figure out how to get the MP3 player working with the auxiliary jack in the car. No big deal, I thought, since a local radio station was actually playing some music I like--a rarity. However, as expected, 100 miles into the trip the original local radio station is well out of range, but I'm not finding anything worth listening to while scanning the radio dial. Time to go to satellite radio mode! (The comedy station REALLY helps pass the time). But when I pressed the "SAT" button all I got was a display that said "please call 1-800-blah, blah, blah" (or whatever number is). Unfortunately, my cell phone doesn't have the alphabet on the number keys, so I couldn't even activate the radio. 

I finally get to my destination with some time to spare, so I decide that I'm actually going to read the car's owner's manual and figure out how to get the auxiliary jack to work. Turns out you just need to hit the media button.  Hmm...I think I did that, but maybe I need to hold it down for a longer period. Pressing the button does nothing, so I hold it down 10 seconds...still nothing.

Grrr...

I feel a little better after cursing, but not much.

Only then do I notice a sticker in the center cubby where the AUX jack is located (see image).

Arghh!

How stupid. Isn't it bad enough that its cars are among the few that don't support MP3 CDs? Why would you disable something just so you could have satellite radio? It's like pulling up to a fast-food drive-through only to be told that you can have a burger or fries, but not both... A bit hard to swallow, this was an Unhappy Meal, indeed.

--Mike Leung