Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Many Different Uses of a Car

You can sometimes tell alot about people by the type of car they choose to drive.I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is essential having four wheel drive in our Siberian type winters in the North Country. Some people don't want to spend all their money on an expensive car loan so they make modest choices purchasing a vehicle that will get them where they want to go. In certain parts of the country people seem to drive a status symbol to reflect their economic prowess.

I've also noticed that the bumper stickers people display on their automobiles tell alot about their politics; whether their child is an honor student, and what college they attended. Probably the funniest bumper sticker I have read had the initials PETA and below that it said "People Eating Tasty Animals", not exactly politically correct but still funny anyway. I'm not too enthusiastic seeing New York Yankee logos on the back windows of pick-up trucks because I am a very loyal Red Sox fan. My daughter gave me a Red Sox licence plate holder for Christmas this past year and I display it proudly.

Have you ever casually gazed inside any of the parked vehicles near you as you walk by? No, not to see if it is unlocked so you can steal stuff but just idle curiosity. I have a rather quirky co-worker who has the most interesting items located in plain site in the back seat and storage area of his little Subaru. Today I noticed he had a rather large guitar amp speaker in his back seat. Not long ago he had an agricultural feed/grain bale in the back. I have also seen him ride around for a few days with a chain saw back there. Maybe he was hoping to meet up with Jason. He once told me he had a cake plate leftover from a birthday party over a year ago that remained in his car until he was looking for something else and discovered it, eureka! There are many random items, pieces of paper,this and that. It scares me a little.

On the opposite end of funky items people ride around with in their car are those people who are neat freaks and you can tell they keep their car vacuumed and detailed reflecting pristine conditions. No eating or drinking in those cars. My car does not contain anything extraneous nor do I let any empty beverage cups or wrappers linger for very long. In the winter I may keep an extra blanket or snow boots in the back in case I ever get stranded in a snow drift. There is however a fine layer of accumulated winter grunge covering everything and the floor mats are a bit disgusting.

I realize that for some people who spend extended time in their automobiles on their commute to work that they might be given a waiver because they probably eat and do various other things while they are trying to drive.I once knew someone who was very focused on practicing time management and he used to dictate case notes into his small hand held recorder while driving down the road. The secretaries in the office use to laugh hysterically as they attempted to listen and transcribe his dictation.If I had tried that I think I would have landed in a ditch. Many states have now promulgated laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving which is supposed to help reduce car accidents. I'm sure there are plenty of other things to distract drivers.

I have had several uncomfortable experiences riding in other people's cars that have resembled the inside of a trash can with no place even to plant one's feet while attempting to balance myself in the passenger seat while sharing space with hockey equipment and old fast food wrappers still containing bits of french fries.Up until that point I had considered that person relatively sane but had to reevaluate that assumption when she asked me to scrounge on the car floor mat for spare change to pay the toll.

I think cars should be exclusively utilized for driving somewhere not storage compartments on wheels for random things we don't know what to do with.

4 comments:

underOvr (aka The U) said...

gaf85,

I have never, ever promoted any message in or on my car. There was that brief two year period in 1969 when female passengers were welcomed with a text message on my dash which read, "You need love like I do too, don't you?"

As a young man, I was ritualistic about washing and waxing my car. Keeping my ride clean had a defined purpose.

As I have aged, I found there were others willing to hand wash my ride for a compensatory fee. The results were pleasing and I no longer expended effort and energy.

Washing my car has become less important since I frequently telecommute. I tell others that I am "Green" but that is deceptive because the truth is I am lazy. I think the seeds were planted when I read about a computer doing a boy's homework.

I do not allow items to remain in my car; that has been a time-honored principle for me. I use to cringe when someone would bring food or drink expecting to ride with me. I try not to object but it is often difficult to refrain from time-honored habits.

So I don't wash or wax and I don't like things in or on my car.

Oh yes, I too drive an SUV with 4-wheel drive. When it snows and others are stuck, I tend to smile.

I know, I'm wrong for that. But it's true.

I guess I don't really care what others think of my car since I didn't buy it for anyone but myself.

I will not mutter one rant about your Red Sox license plate frame. Since I call you my friend, I will suffer listening to your occasional praise for all things Red Sox.

Friendship at times requires sacrifice and I feel mature enough now to handle friendship with one of their fans. Plus you knew about Locutus. Not many people (particularly women) breech that subject.

My break is over, so it's back to work for me.

U

Madame DeFarge said...

I think people can regard their cars as an extension of their homes, which has never really appealed to me. A car goes from A to B and helps with the shopping. I can't understand the concept of a car as a receptacle for detritus, but my husband likes to keep all sort so stuff in the boot, just in case. In case of what escapes me.

gaf85 said...

U., Ah,yes the advantages of a four wheel vehicle. Sometimes I have no excuse in very bad weather to not show up for work.
I wait for it to rain so I don't have to wash my car. My husband enjoys doing this on a hot day ,playing with the hose. (giggle)
Thanks for tolerating my loyalty to the Red Sox.
I wonder what Locutus would have said about blogging or would he have called it borging.

gaf85 said...

Madame, It sounds like your husband needs to feel prepared for anything. "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best".