I drive a no-frills, stick shift Neon; and I love it. This is because cars have never provided status for me. At the same time, my partner Earl thinks my vehicle is less than a car. He calls it a coat with four wheels that you wear. And when he pretzels himself out of the passenger’s seat I see his point.
My car doesn’t have grab bars above the doors; it doesn’t have seat warmers; nor does it have a compass that tells you where you are going. But then, I have a keen sense of direction and don’t feel the need for some automated program to tell me where I’m going. I’d be more apt to tell it where to go.
In contrast, Earl drives a gleaming black Lexus with a vanity license plate. The car has everything except Onstar, which is that program that provides directions to the restaurant, directions to the movies, directions to anything you want. I’m willing to bet that the next time Earl buys a car, it too with have Onstar.
In the meantime, the price of gas has begun not only to surge but also to soar. Even though gas is down from its record Michigan high of $3.19 a gallon, it is not cheap. So when Earl asked me this morning if he could take my car, instead of his, to Chicago for the day, I smiled.
His car costs $50 to fill. Mine costs half as much. In addition, I can make a round trip to Chicago on one tank, while Earl requires a fill-up along the way. Of course, I said “Yes.” And I didn’t harp about his previous attitude either.
Rather, I think I’ll just create a bumper sticker for his Lexus that says, “My other car is a Neon.” That says it all.
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