Let me explain my history with cars. A friends grandpa let me drive his car while sitting on his lap when I was probably 10. It was somewhere in rural Texas.
At 14 I lived in South Dakota and that is the age when you can start driving by yourself. None of my girlfriends were allowed to but some of the boys were.
The 3 times I've had very close calls were with young guys.
I learned how to drive. On a stick shift. My dad taught me in our Isuzu Trooper. I loved it and felt like a pretty cool girl to be driving a stick shift.
My parents bought me a used 1964 Rambler, its was green.
I was 16. Not only was it a stick shift, it was a "3 on a tree." I think I gave every man over 60 an instant boner driving that thing.
My parents were crazy fun nuts that way.
After the Rambler died, I got their old Isuzu Trooper.
After the Trooper, I bought my conservative uncles used Ford Taurus. It was automatic.
I loved that car. It was pretty boring and ugly but a smooth ride none the less.
After that, I got a used Volvo for my graduation from college present.
I drove it to LA with Iowa license plates. A lot of people honked at me. If you want to get honked at drive around LA with Iowa plates in a Volvo and have blonde hair.
You might as well have a sign that signs, "I'm a jerk, please honk at me" on your car.
I drove that for a long time. For so long I began to think, I really am a jerk. Or at least I must be driving like one.
Until finally I could afford to buy my own car.
I bought a used Jetta.
I bargained with the dealer, offering him a seat at a showing of the show I worked at if they'd lower the rate of the car. I was working for Playboy at the time. The guy didn't take me up on the offer. *crazy
My husband and I loved that little car. Zippy. (not in a speeding way, I've never been much of a speeder)
After the birth of my first we could no longer pick up my parents from the airport with all of us in the Jetta. We sold it and got a used Lexus. This was the beginning of my love of white cars.
I was a fancy lady for awhile.
Then I had another child.....
Then I had another child.
And here I am, driving a minivan. A Toyota Sienna. White. Because white is the safest color car you can drive. (that's why my love of white cars)
So see, I'm not just a mom behind a minivan. I've got a long relationship with cars.
I've always been more comfortable in the slow lane. I've always respected the power of the car, well accept for a few times, I'll write about that later.
I like cars. They all have their own personality. I like the smell of new car. And new car with leather seats. I like getting in a "hot" car.
I just don't like driving fast or dangerously.