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Sept 25, 2003 I thought about this column a few weeks ago. Then, while cleaning out a filing cabinet, I found an article dated October 21, 1993, entitled “’Zippy’ Affordable Describe ‘94 Geo Metro Coupe.” I smiled when I came across it. It was like a sign, an omen. “Write about the car!” It seemed to say. And so I am. The inspiration to write about my Geo came from a road trip to Chicago. I filled the tank before I got there, because everything cost more in Chicago. I saw a sign for a gas station asking $2.25 for a gallon of premium. “That’s a lot,” I thought. Five minutes later I was thinking about something else. I’d be a little concerned if gas went for $5 a gallon. With reduced hours at work, money is extremely tight right now. But fortunately, I don’t have to drive very far to get to work, and my Metro gets 46 miles per gallon in the city; 49 on the highway. Because I’m so spoiled by the efficiency of my little car, I tend to look at every other car on the market as a gas guzzler. I borrowed my mom’s car recently for a trip to Cedar Point. Her Neon is no SUV, but it was a shock having to make two stops for fuel. I think my Metro would have made it there and back on a single tank. I originally bought the car in a fit of rage. I was burned on a used vehicle that looked perfectly fine but turned out to have had a different engine installed. As a result of faulty installation, the casing for the engine wiring harness was burnt. Trying to find another one was a nightmare. So I cut my losses and decided to start again. I was determined to buy brand new. I didn’t want to, but I was a year into a job that required a reliable vehicle with fuel efficiency, since I was not only driving 33 miles there and back, but also having to drive it to various assignments during the day. It was either a Hyundai Excel or the Metro. I like cars, I really do. However, I was also realistic. I was living at home, which meant I didn’t have certain expenses, but I wanted to have a car payment that was low enough so that if I did quit my job while in the middle of paying off the car, I could continue to make payments if I landed a job that paid even less than my stressful associate editor position (that scenario actually happened; and job-wise I went from bad to worse, but in a different way). So. I did actually looked at a convertible RX-7; it was definitely sharp-looking, but when the sales person couldn’t get it started, I figured it was just as well. The $11,000 price tag might have seemed cheap to some, but I thought I’d be stretching it. No, I had only two choices, being as poor as I was at the time (and sadly, still am). The Geo Metro or the Hyundai Excel. The Excel was actually cheaper, at $6900 and change. However, one of the features triggered a memory of a friend’s car. The Excel had those seat belts that slid on a track when the key was turned in the ignition. My friend had purchased a 1987 Ford Escort as her first car and the passenger side seat belt was non-functioning, as it was on a track, and was stuck three-fourths of the way up. It was distracting to have a seat belt in your line of vision, if you were looking out the window; or distractingly to your right if you were looking straight ahead. Either way, you knew that the belt probably wouldn’t help you if you got into an accident. So I went with the Metro. I’d just have to buckle up myself, without the aid of the ignition. True to form, I neglected using seat belts until Princess Diana died in a car crash. If she died in one of the best made cars on Earth, I’d better take some precaution, if only to ease my mind. And that impulsive, angry decision to buy my own car with no one to guide me paid off. November 4 will mark the 10th anniversary of finalizing the purchase of the car. I remember that day; my niece was with me and it was her birthday. I stopped at a Wal- mart to call her mom to confirm that yes, my niece really wanted the Barbie Fountain Pool. During this phone call, my niece said she had to go to the bathroom. I said “okay” and continued talking to her mother. I soon realized that when a four-year-old has to go to the bathroom, she means NOW. I won’t go into the details, but let’s just say my niece left a little bit of herself at Wal mart, and we took home a little more than I expected. Along with the Barbie pool, she ended up with a whole new outfit, including underwear. And I ended up with a good laugh and the best investment I ever made in my life. My little car has taken me more places than my college degree has; it certainly has come more in handy. My Metro has taken me through the Midwest, the South, and Canada. Sadly, they don’t make them anymore. I have well over 125,000 miles on the car and I know that sooner or later, I’m going to have to take my chances on another vehicle. I don’t want to think about that though. If I had to do it all over again, I’d buy the same car: stick shift, no stereo, no airbags, no prestige. Basic transportation. It’s held up despite being driven head on into a guardrail at 30 miles per hour. And I wouldn’t trade it for any SUV on the road. Why should I? At 46 miles to the gallon (49 on the highway) not only can the gas prices shoot up without much concern on my part, I can laugh at the people who buy these motorized behemoths because they feel more “secure.” After seeing one SUV tipped over on its side on a local highway I affectionately refer to as the “Lima Road Death Trap,” I thought, “yeah. They’re safer.” Sure they are, folks; sure they are. ------------ About the author: Gloria Diaz is an opinionated citizen of Generation X (member since 1967) who occupies herself by dabbling in photography, writing and as a written communications processing specialist for the government. She has written for several diverse publications including Scram, Spleen, The Fort Wayne Free Press, and for the Huntington County TAB. Email Gloria Diaz: Scoop5767@aol.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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