DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Hazel At The Tower Theatre

Q: How long have you had it?

A: Three years, I believe. Almost four years.

Q: Did you get it when it was new?

A: No, I got it from Hertz. They sell them when they're six months old. That's how I got it.

Q: I've heard about that.

A: Yeah, it's a good deal.

Q: How many miles have you personally put on it?

A: All of them.

Q: Wow, did it have any milage when you bought it?

A: There was very little.

Q: Why are you here today?

A: Well, I dropped my son-in-law off to work at Tower Restaurant. I was just going over to look at Tower Theatre to see what, and when, is showing.

Q: Have you been to the theatre before?

A: Oh yes, it's my favorite theatre.

Q: You know, I've actually never been in it.

A: Oh, you gotta change that!

Q: What neighborhood do you live in?

A: Oak Park, 95817.

Q: How old are you?

A: Eighty-two.

Q: You look good for 82!

A: Thank you.

Q: What's your car's main use?

A: Just around town.

Q: Do you have a favorite place to go around town?

A: This is one of them! I go to Trinity Cathedral a lot. That's my church. I answer the phones during the week and I do a lot of meetings during the week as well. That's about a mile from my house.

Q: How much time do you spend in your car on an average day?

A: Well, as you can tell, often, but not long. Let's see, maybe an hour. Seldom an hour? About an hour!

Q: What's your favorite day trip from home?

A: Friends. To visit friends.

Q: Where do they live?

A: Oh, I have a friend that lives in Hollywood Park.

Q: What's the furthest place you've driven to?

A: In this car? Probably the Bay Area, North Richmond.

Q: What did you do there?

A: I have a daughter that lives there.

Q: How long has she lived there?

A: Six months now, but she used to live there. She's lived there about three or four years altogether.

Q: How long did the trip take you?

A: Oh, takes me about an hour to an hour and a half, roughly. I'm slow driver.

Q: What's the longest road trip you've ever been on?

A: Ever?

Q: Ever.

A: Well, I used to live in Chicago, so I've had road trips to Chicago. Oh, I know! We went to the Los Angeles area and then to St. Louis and then to Chicago and back.

Q: Who did you go with?

A: My daughter and granddaughter.

Q: Was it a fun road trip?

A: Yeah, we had people to visit.

Q: What was your first car?

A: My first car was an Austin. That was in…let's see, that was the year I got married, which was in 1949.

Q: What happened to it?

A: We had it for four years, then decided to get a used car, an upgrade.

Q: Do you have any rules in your car?

A: Rules?

Q: Yeah, like no feet on the dashboard?

A: Yeah, it's so much a part of me that I don't even think about it. Nobody goes in this car, or very few people drive in this car except me. It's my soul.

Q: So is that a rule? Nobody can drive it but you?

A: No, that's not true. What are some of the rules in the car? Be civilized, you know. Follow the traffic rules that are required.

Q: If your car had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: How do I put that into words? Patience.

Q: Why is that?

A: Well, it has to wait for me.

Q: Are you a very cautious driver?

A: Not really. Average, I think.

Q: What are some of your favorite features of the car?

A: I like the radio. It's pretty ordinary. The one feature it doesn't have I would like would be a rear windshield wiper. What are the features? Well, I love my radio in my car. Car and the radio go together for me. I always turn it on when I'm alone in the car.

Q: What's your absolute dream car?

A: This is it.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about your car?

A: Well, it's the last in a long line. I got my first Toyota in…let's see, well, my first that I bought myself was about 1972. I've had nothing but Toyota Tercels and small Toyotas since then.

Q: So you love your Toyotas?

A: I do.

Q: What do you like about them?

A: They're very reliable and comfortable and inexpensive. Well, relatively! You know how cars are!