In college, I drove a Honda Civic too fast, laughing with joy at the freedom my little Mephistopheles (Phil for short) afforded me.
In Boston, having passed Phil on to another young soul, I walked endless miles, and found constant entertainment on the T. I broke my own rules (never run for public transportation) and learned to plead with my eyes for space in a crowd.
In DC, I learned how miserable and dirty public spaces can be - even if there are bans on food and drink to keep things clean. I bought a new car, Iphegenia (Genie for short), and learned to view her as guaranteed personal space.
In California, with the sun shining and windows open, having learned the route home that involves the least time stopped at lights, and with the satellite radio tuned to baseball games, my car has become a place of calm and recovery. A moving meditation, if you will.
Tomorrow, I'd better remember to buy my meditation space some gas.
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
BNYC 2ME
That was a license plate I saw near the office last week. I thought, at first, that it was a plea based on the driving mentality of the DC area (see earlier post). It then occurred to me that the spelling could go two ways. Maybe the driver was looking for a nicer world. Alternatively, the spelling could indicate the driver's heritage - and no one who calls New York City home is looking for a more friendly driving experience. Nope, that driver is looking for commuting cohorts who know how to use the horn, and that driving slow in the left-hand lane is a cardinal sin.
In the end, I have no idea what that license plate is meant to say. I just know that one way, you've got a driver who should be living somewhere else, and another, an accident waiting to happen. Either way, it's a pretty stupid plate.
In the end, I have no idea what that license plate is meant to say. I just know that one way, you've got a driver who should be living somewhere else, and another, an accident waiting to happen. Either way, it's a pretty stupid plate.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Road Warrior
As I was driving home yesterday (and that's still weird to say), I was struck by the lessons I've learned from driving in DC. During my car-free days, I was a hesitant driver, mostly because I was unused to it, or unused to the speed that was involved in not being on public transportation. There was also a healthy recognition that any vehicle I was driving was not mine, and damages are expensive. I'm overcoming that hesitancy, however, and not necessarily in a good way.
Blocking the Box. It took getting passed in the intersection twice, but I've learned that when turning left, you sit in the middle of the intersection, so that, at the very least, you can turn when the light turns red.
Kiss my Bumper. The idea of leaving a car length between myself and the vehicle ahead makes me smile indulgently at the naivete of non-city drivers. If there's enough space for a car, then a car is coming over, so ride that bumper, friend. This does, of course, lead to...
Doing the Jerk. Between following too closely, and the drivers who change lanes whether there's room or not, DC driving is an exercise in stop and start - even at 50 mph. It's a good thing I showed up early for the Prius brake recall.
Serenity Now! Whether it's a day of getting stuck behind cars moving 5mph slower than you want to be going, the guy who honks at you when you don't turn between the two Mac trucks, or the scatterbrain who almost changed lanes into the side of your new car, keeping your inner calm is a struggle. It's worth the effort, however, as I've noticed a marked change in fuel consumption depending on my mood. Because when you're angry, stomping on the accelerator and speeding away just feels good.
Blocking the Box. It took getting passed in the intersection twice, but I've learned that when turning left, you sit in the middle of the intersection, so that, at the very least, you can turn when the light turns red.
Kiss my Bumper. The idea of leaving a car length between myself and the vehicle ahead makes me smile indulgently at the naivete of non-city drivers. If there's enough space for a car, then a car is coming over, so ride that bumper, friend. This does, of course, lead to...
Doing the Jerk. Between following too closely, and the
Serenity Now! Whether it's a day of getting stuck behind cars moving 5mph slower than you want to be going, the guy who honks at you when you don't turn between the two Mac trucks, or the scatterbrain who almost changed lanes into the side of your new car, keeping your inner calm is a struggle. It's worth the effort, however, as I've noticed a marked change in fuel consumption depending on my mood. Because when you're angry, stomping on the accelerator and speeding away just feels good.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
...and when she caves, she caves absolutely.
I'm the kind of girl who hates things absolutely, until I love them unconditionally. Like the color pink, or cell phones, or cars.
The first cave was cell phones. When I went to grad school, moving to the big city, my mom made me get a cell phone. I was pretty sure I would never use it. One year later, I was living without a landline and my thumbs were texting maniacs. Now I've got an iPhone that is almost never more than ten feet from me and bells a whistles tell me about emails, text messages, and Tweets. I go whole days at home without turning on a computer, because I can just check it all on my handy phone.
A couple of years later I fell in love with a pink Puma t-shirt. Suddenly it was a good thing I was a broke grad student, because I would have bought a lot of pink to regret later - I'm no longer anti-pink, but it's not my favorite color.
Nine and a half years, though. Almost a decade I lived without a car, and I loved it. I got to read and people watch on my way to work, pay attention to the scenery, think, and live in a world without car payments, gas stations, or fuel emissions. It was wonderful. I walked to grocery markets, I took buses and taxis - I even ran to catch public transportation. I Facebooked and Tweeted about the things I saw on my daily rides. But then, things began to go wrong - my 45 min commute (each way) began to slow. There was a Metro crash that had people in Boston calling me to ensure my safety, and as a result WMATA slowed down trains, and the wait between trains went from 3 minutes to over ten - during rush hour! After realizing that my commute was consistently an hour and fifteen minutes (again, each way), and sometimes longer, I started thinking. Then WMATA announced a revamp of the monthly benefits system that takes my pre-tax dollars and turns them into Metro fare. Suddenly, instead of monthly rollover, I was going to lose any money left on my card at the end of the month. A daily rider with an unpredictable travel schedule, I stood to lose 30$/week if I had to go out of town for work unexpectedly. My thinking took a more serious turn. And then, I got a ride home from work. Lady and I were going out to dinner in my neighborhood, so she swung me by my place so I could drop some stuff off and change. We pulled away from my office at 5:05pm, and pulled into the drive of my building at 5:25pm - after going around the block and passing a whole bunch of parking spaces.
That was pretty much it, I drafted monthly budgets, researched mileage per gallon and estimated monthly gas costs, looked into parking and started timing my daily public transit time. All this research was for the future, I figured, because I knew the car I was leaning towards, and it wasn't just sitting on the lot waiting for me. The Toyota Prius III, with sunroof package - SOLAR sunroof package - had to be reserved, and waited for, 2-3 months out. But that baby has a sunroof - a SOLAR sunroof, where solar panels power a ventilation system that keeps the car at the same temperature as the outside world. No more coming out to a car interior heated to a sweltering 130 degrees, because a fan that didn't drain battery life would ensure that the car was as only as gross as the outside world.
So thinking 2-3 months in advance, I put out feelers to local dealers, and by most I was laughed at, told that the solar sunroof package came with the Prius IV, and why wouldn't I want leather seats with butt warmers? I stood firm, however, unconcerned about the amount of time it might take - I wasn't in a hurry. Then, however, I got a call from the one dealer who listened to me and said he could make it happen. The model I wanted, complete with solar sun roof package, and the color I wanted, was coming in - how fortuitous. So I caved. Completely. I reserved parking spots at home and at work, and my commute is now twenty minutes. I have time for both coffee and the blow dryer in the morning, and I'm in comfy pants on the couch no later than six, and often by five-thirty. No one gives me dirty looks for touching them on the seat next to me. I've cooked dinner twice in the past work week, and was able to see my parents on the weekend without spending two hours getting there. I cannot tell a lie, I'm in love with a piece of machinery. I could drink coffee with impunity on my morning commute - if my commute weren't short enough that I don't feel the itch for my next caffeine hit. My iPhone loves my car, because the car stereo speakers so gladly sync up with the little gadget, and the bluetooth makes its connection so I can answer a phone call by shifting a finger on the steering wheel. A friendly navigation systems dings when I should make a turn - though she doesn't understand what I'm doing on the Rock Creek Parkway.
I've caved, and all I need now is a name for the new girl. In college my car was named Phil - short for Mephistopheles, because he was devilish, both in fun and ability to fail me unexpectedly. This car, however, is a female, and I've been thinking about names - crossed off Sylvia and Lydia, pondering Andromeda and Iphigenia, I could call her Genie for short - and have had Julia suggested to me. She's sleek and smart, and her 50mpg makes her eco-friendly and frugal, as well. Other suggestions?
PS - there are still things I hate absolutely. I never see myself caving on the issue of hearts. Blech.
The first cave was cell phones. When I went to grad school, moving to the big city, my mom made me get a cell phone. I was pretty sure I would never use it. One year later, I was living without a landline and my thumbs were texting maniacs. Now I've got an iPhone that is almost never more than ten feet from me and bells a whistles tell me about emails, text messages, and Tweets. I go whole days at home without turning on a computer, because I can just check it all on my handy phone.
A couple of years later I fell in love with a pink Puma t-shirt. Suddenly it was a good thing I was a broke grad student, because I would have bought a lot of pink to regret later - I'm no longer anti-pink, but it's not my favorite color.
Nine and a half years, though. Almost a decade I lived without a car, and I loved it. I got to read and people watch on my way to work, pay attention to the scenery, think, and live in a world without car payments, gas stations, or fuel emissions. It was wonderful. I walked to grocery markets, I took buses and taxis - I even ran to catch public transportation. I Facebooked and Tweeted about the things I saw on my daily rides. But then, things began to go wrong - my 45 min commute (each way) began to slow. There was a Metro crash that had people in Boston calling me to ensure my safety, and as a result WMATA slowed down trains, and the wait between trains went from 3 minutes to over ten - during rush hour! After realizing that my commute was consistently an hour and fifteen minutes (again, each way), and sometimes longer, I started thinking. Then WMATA announced a revamp of the monthly benefits system that takes my pre-tax dollars and turns them into Metro fare. Suddenly, instead of monthly rollover, I was going to lose any money left on my card at the end of the month. A daily rider with an unpredictable travel schedule, I stood to lose 30$/week if I had to go out of town for work unexpectedly. My thinking took a more serious turn. And then, I got a ride home from work. Lady and I were going out to dinner in my neighborhood, so she swung me by my place so I could drop some stuff off and change. We pulled away from my office at 5:05pm, and pulled into the drive of my building at 5:25pm - after going around the block and passing a whole bunch of parking spaces.
That was pretty much it, I drafted monthly budgets, researched mileage per gallon and estimated monthly gas costs, looked into parking and started timing my daily public transit time. All this research was for the future, I figured, because I knew the car I was leaning towards, and it wasn't just sitting on the lot waiting for me. The Toyota Prius III, with sunroof package - SOLAR sunroof package - had to be reserved, and waited for, 2-3 months out. But that baby has a sunroof - a SOLAR sunroof, where solar panels power a ventilation system that keeps the car at the same temperature as the outside world. No more coming out to a car interior heated to a sweltering 130 degrees, because a fan that didn't drain battery life would ensure that the car was as only as gross as the outside world.
So thinking 2-3 months in advance, I put out feelers to local dealers, and by most I was laughed at, told that the solar sunroof package came with the Prius IV, and why wouldn't I want leather seats with butt warmers? I stood firm, however, unconcerned about the amount of time it might take - I wasn't in a hurry. Then, however, I got a call from the one dealer who listened to me and said he could make it happen. The model I wanted, complete with solar sun roof package, and the color I wanted, was coming in - how fortuitous. So I caved. Completely. I reserved parking spots at home and at work, and my commute is now twenty minutes. I have time for both coffee and the blow dryer in the morning, and I'm in comfy pants on the couch no later than six, and often by five-thirty. No one gives me dirty looks for touching them on the seat next to me. I've cooked dinner twice in the past work week, and was able to see my parents on the weekend without spending two hours getting there. I cannot tell a lie, I'm in love with a piece of machinery. I could drink coffee with impunity on my morning commute - if my commute weren't short enough that I don't feel the itch for my next caffeine hit. My iPhone loves my car, because the car stereo speakers so gladly sync up with the little gadget, and the bluetooth makes its connection so I can answer a phone call by shifting a finger on the steering wheel. A friendly navigation systems dings when I should make a turn - though she doesn't understand what I'm doing on the Rock Creek Parkway.
I've caved, and all I need now is a name for the new girl. In college my car was named Phil - short for Mephistopheles, because he was devilish, both in fun and ability to fail me unexpectedly. This car, however, is a female, and I've been thinking about names - crossed off Sylvia and Lydia, pondering Andromeda and Iphigenia, I could call her Genie for short - and have had Julia suggested to me. She's sleek and smart, and her 50mpg makes her eco-friendly and frugal, as well. Other suggestions?
PS - there are still things I hate absolutely. I never see myself caving on the issue of hearts. Blech.
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