Car Talk

1. Sometimes I look at people in their cars and notice whether they're laughing, yammering on their cell phones, looking sad, yawning, singing (BTDT; I've even practiced om-ing for yoga), or whatever. Then I wonder how I look to those people (not that they're looking at me, but...).

2. When I'm in the car alone, sans kids, it's almost an embarrassment of aural riches: Do I get my NPR fix? Do I listen to my folk radio station? Or do I remove "Shabbat Is Here" from the CD player and put in a grown-up CD? Oh my, which one? Usually I have all of 8 minutes to enjoy said riches, but still.

3. I've gotten used to the fact that I drive a minivan. While I'm in it, I'm very happy. Then I get out and glance back and realize, "Oh phooey, I was driving a minivan!" The Odyssey has been great; I especially love the automatic doors. I don't like the way you can't see the nose of the car from the driver's seat (makes it kinda tough to park up against a wall without using the Braille method). There's also a ridiculous number of cup holders. Get rid of the ones in the little pull-out drawer; I need to keep my lip balm there. The cup holders on the little tray table aren't deep enough, so my Poland Springs bottle always threatens to go flying when I take a corner. No one uses cup holders inside the glove compartment. Someday, when I don't have three kids in car seats, I'm going to get a regular sedan again; or, if someone can figure out a way to build a safe SUV that gets decent mileage, maybe I'll go that route. And I'll just keep dreaming about owning a cute little eggplant-colored Mini Cooper....

4. I wish one car would incorporate all of my favorite features from cars I've known. For instance, Andy's Mercedes allows you to keep the heat or AC on for 30 minutes after you get out. This is great when you're running an errand and don't want to get back into a freezing or sweltering car. I had a Mazda that had an option to let the air vents oscillate, which was very nice on a hot day, when you want the AC cranking but not in your face the whole time. My Volvo had the headlights on all the time when the car was turned on; I got used to never having to think about whether to turn them on or to remember to turn them off. Oh, and I miss driving standard transmission; do they even offer it in regular cars anymore?

Comments

[kat]

i have a 2002 accord w/ a standard. it's nearly always an option in japanese cars for some reason.

[Karine]

Funny thing, that with automatic vs stick shift (that's what you were talking about, right?) European cars are stick shift by definition, you can get automatics but they are expensive. I was very surprised when I picked up the hire car in California and found it had a pedal missing!! It didn't occur to me that cars would be automatic "by default".