New windshield, strange reactions

I recently replaced the windshield in my 2000 Civic. The surface of the glass was pitted throughout; I imagine it was caused by the sand and salt that are sprinkled so liberally on the roads here in winter. Driving had become a headache, especially when heading into the sun as I often do on my commute.

The reactions I encountered, from friends to the people at the glass company itself, surprised me. Without exception, everyone reacted as though this was a somewhat unusual matter. "So there's no actual crack?" the woman at the glass company asked. "Interesting; I've never heard of someone replacing the windshield for pitting," a friend said.

One of the very few reasons I could think of for this being uncustomary is that most people must replace their car before they feel the need to replace its windshield. I spent $250.00 getting this done, which is less than the average car payment. Seems reasonable to me!