DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Jean At The Cannery
"I haven't given my car its own personality."
- The Ride
- The Driver: Jean
- Car in Question: 2007 Blue Toyota Prius
- Spotted at: The Cannery, 1671 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816
- Odometer: 42,000
THE DEFENSE
Q: Your car doesn't have a nickname. Why not?
A: I don't know. I'm not sure I want to sort of give life to an automobile.
Q: How long have you had it?
A: Four years.
Q: Where did you get it?
A: Maita.
Q: How was your experience there?
A: Good. I knew what I wanted. They had the car. They had it for the right price. I bought it.
Q: That makes it easy. So what are you doing here today?
A: I'm about to go to the gym.
Q: What neighborhood do you live in?
A: Midtown, 95816.
Q: How old are you?
A: I'll take a pass on that one!
Q: Thirty-two?
A: Older than 32. Let's just say that, older than 32!
Q: What's your car's main use?
A: I'm a bicycle commuter, so errands and fun.
Q: How much time do you spend in your car on an average day?
A: Not much.
Q: Do you spend more time on your bike?
A: Probably.
Q: How far is your commute?
A: Embarrassingly, not much, which is why I bicycle. It's just couple miles to work.
Q: What's the best part about the bike commute?
A: The bike ride home. It's a good way to sort of transition out of work and home again at the end of the day. And I save money on parking.
Q: That's always nice.
A: That was the primary motivation, saving money on parking.
Q: Didn't you want to save the environment, too?
A: Yeah, that's certainly part of it. That probably should've been the primary motivation, but I'm embarrassed to say it was the $172 a month I was paying for parking that I no longer spend. That's a big difference.
Q: What's your favorite day trip from home?
A: Summertime, Point Reyes. Wintertime, backcountry skiing.
Q: What do you do at Point Reyes?
A: Hike.
Q: How long does it take you to get there?
A: An hour and a half to two hours, depending on—probably two, that's probably good.
Q: Do you go every year?
A: Oh, multiple times, as often as possible!
Q: What was your first car?
A: My first car was a mustard yellow Fiat station wagon.
Q: Did you like it?
A: It handled like a dream and it bankrupted me on car repairs.
Q: How long did you have it?
A: About three years.
Q: What happened to it?
A: It happily sold. I couldn't afford the car repairs. Great cars when they run, but they don't run. Fix it again tomorrow, is what they always say about Fiats.
Q: Do you have any rules in your car?
A: No smoking, but that goes without saying.
Q: What do you listen to in your car?
A: Mostly CDs.
Q: Well, now's your chance! What kind of human emotion would your car have?
A: I mean, the honest answer would probably be impatience.
Q: Why's that?
A: It doesn't like to be in traffic.
Q: What are some of your favorite features of your car?
A: It's got great mileage.
Q: Is that it?
A: That's it! That's what I love about the Prius.
Q: What's your absolute dream car?
A: A hybrid station wagon. Little tiny hybrid station wagon.
Q: Why a station wagon?
A: It's great for skis, camping equipment, you name it. But they don't make one, so until then, this is it!
Photos and interview by Lisa Palmer
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