Driving With The Dogs: Safety For All

This is Mae & Nubbyns. I love my dogs. I love my dogs so much that last year I spent more after veterinarian than I did at the pediatrician. Or on insurance for my daughter and myself. Or on food. WellŠ that last one is not true. My dogs love me, they love each other, they love protecting me ( as much as you can protect if you weigh 12 pounds or 5 pounds). I even have documentation of how fierce these dogs are because the other day I took a break from writing on my computer using my MacSpeech voice-activated software and didn't silence the microphone. Here is what was recorded when my dogs saw a suspicious looking tamale seller rolling her cart down the sidewalk while I was out of sight:

and a a room and and and a man and and and and and and and and and and and and and in in an and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and a US and a day and a this is

I guess that the incomplete sentence at the end was me returning to the room and interrupting them; they didn't want me to know that they actually speak words that are in human dictionaries.

One thing I really love is taking my dogs to the beach, to friends' houses for play dates, on road trips and quick errands when I know I won't be getting out of the car. Luckily my 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe has a nifty feature that suits us perfectly while on the road: these touring cars were designed to hold luggage, go fast and be safe and the netting between the backspace and where the driver sits is the perfect barrier to keep both the dogs and me safe.

For one thing, if Mae had her way, she would be driving. That is an unsafe distraction that could lead to accidents and hurting me, my passengers, others on the road and Mae because my airbags would hit her 5 pound frame so hard.

According to one article that I found, in driving tests it was determined that a 13 pound dog sitting in the backseat unsecured would hit a passenger in the front seat with 396 pounds of pressure. At the moment of impact that means a dog's weight multiplied by 30 would result in a 70 pound dog hitting you with 2112 pounds of pressure. The chance of a dog surviving that is very low and for humans in the car? It would not be pretty.

There are seatbelt style restraints designed for dogs but the best solution, to be absolutely certain that no one would be unnecessarily hurt in the event of an accident, is to make sure that the dogs are in a confined space or a crate secured to the seat.

My dogs may not like when I leave them at home if I am in a car other than my BMW but knowing we are all safe is better than traveling in a pack.

Miss Motor Mouth

Stumble It!

15 and Ready To Drive: Prepping Your Teens Driving Training

Today is a very special day. I was woken by my daughter before 6 AM so that I could get dressed and get out of the house with her to walk to her high school with enough time to stop by our closest independent purveyor of fine organic coffees . On a normal day I wouldn’t get my coffee until after I have left her at the gates of the high school but because today was her 15th birthday she decided that she wanted to take part in my ritual. All growed up, I guess she figured, after a lifetime of begging for a morning cup of tea/hot chocolate/cider/coffee like an adult only to never drink it by the time the first bell rang, that she would give it a try again.

About halfway to the school Little MissMotorMouth mentioned, ever so casually, that in April she can get her learner’s permit and begin driving. I’d forgotten how closely I was approaching that corner when I wrote this article about choosing her first car.

Out of curiosity I rang my friend and insurance agent, Jim Seilsopour, and asked him what I need to do to begin getting prepared for 6 months from now at 15 ½, when she will be allowed to have a provisional permit. According to Jim, an agent for State Farm, I will not be charged for insuring my daughter during the six month provisional permit, or until she gets her license. This seems like a huge liability for an insurer but because of my driving record, my daughters good student standing (B average or above) and the fact that she is a girl ( contrary to what the OB/GYN told me a few hours before she was born), not only is her learning time not going to cost me more but my rates will increase only about $25 a month for the 2001 Kia Spectra. It may not seem fair that insurance leans favorably towards young female drivers but Jim pointed out that it is the direct result of uninsured teens who are boys being more likely to “borrow” the family car without being licensed.

If you have a teen who is 15 and, like my daughter, you feel is trustworthy enough to begin the learning process, here are some things that you can do now to get ready for your driving teen:

• In order to get the provisional permits at 15 ½ your teen will need 30 hours of professional drivers’ education (classwork). There are many online options, local private instructors or programs through school system.-at 15 ½, your teen will need to complete DL44 and submit it to your local DMV along with parental signature, social security number, proof of true full name (birth certificate), proof of registration to complete six hours of professional driving instruction and the application fee.

• Contact your insurance agent to find out when you need to have your teenager added as a driver to your policy.

• As many parents require their teen to pay for their own insurance and gas, now is the best time to begin talking to your teen about how they are going to make money to pay for these things.

• Introduce your young driver to Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program online, and if at all possible, attend one of the events.

• In the following six months after the teen as received a permit, they will be required to drive at least 50 hours with an adult above the age of 25, 10 of the hours must be at night.

For now, I need to start discussing jobs with my girl. Although she might have been feeling pretty big for her britches this morning, all ready to begin the countdown till she can start to drive, I do know this: when I got to the gate of the school this morning right before the bell rang, she handed me her to-go cup with her coffee, and it was still completely full.

Stumble It!

Best Cars For First Time Drives: From A Worried Dad

I find myself wondering about the best safest vehicles for my kids...and my oldest is still three years away from getting behind the wheel. Now I have a better understanding of why I drove my parents nuts as they prepped me for driving; picturing my son behind the wheel makes me wince.

Obviously, being cool and looking good are the prerequisites for the vehicles being chosen by most teens. As parents, we're obviously thinking more along the lines of Sherman Tank safety and speeds reserved for the common scooter.

Here's a nice list that tries to meet both expectations and need somewhere in the middle. These 10 vehicles make the cut based solely on safety ratings, (4 or 5 stars) curtain air bags and electronic stability controls either as an option or standard. some of these also meet the "cool" requirement but also register a tad higher on the cost scale. Wise consumers doing their research will have no problem finding a quality used car with low miles and a clean vehicle history report.



Chevy Impala

Retail: $21,995 | Engine: 211hp V6 | MPG: 18/29
Nice conservative ride; safe, good mileage and has good potential for customization to increase cool factor.



Chrysler 300

Retail: $24,595 | Engine: 178hp V6 | PG: 18/26
Another full size vehicle; nice ride for a 1st time drive. Buy it for your wife, and have piece of mind that every will be safe. And look great too!



Ford Taurus

Retail: $25,845 | Engine: 263hp V6 | MPG: 18/28
A trusted name, strong track record and an updated design. May be a little "stuffy" but its engine and overall performance still packs a punch.



Honda Accord

Retail: $20,995 | Engine: 177hp 4-cyl MPG: 21/31
One of the safest mid-sized sedans on the road; newer modern updates appeal to younger drivers even more.



Honda Civic

Retail: $15,445 | Engine: 140hp 4-cyl | MPG: 25/36
The Civic has also been updated with modern styling; also widely accepted by young drivers and also holds its value very well.



Mazda3

Starting: $13,895 | Engine: 148hp 4-cyl. | MPG: 24/32
Fun, safe & roomy; sedan or hatchback. Tops on my list for its size, sportiness and overall practicality.



Nissan Altima

Starting: $18,855 | Engine: 175hp 4-cyl | MPG: 23/31
All around consumer leader in styling, fun factor, safety and gas mileage.



Subaru Impreza 2.5i

Starting: $17,640 | Engine: 170hp 4cyl | MPG: 20/27
Another safe and sporty model that ranks at the top of most young drivers; also ranks very high in safety levels. High production quality is a plus.



Toyota Prius

Starting: $21,60 | Engine: 186hp 4-cyl | MPG: 48/45solid, reliable with
Besides the obvious economical benefits, safety ratings rank well; Do the extra research as the market is creating a wide band of prices.



Toyota RAV4

Starting: $21,610 | Engine: 186hp 4-cyl | MPG: 48/45
The only SUV to make the list; all due to its safety, best in class size, overall performance and the ability to hold its value.

Keep in mind...who will be driving this vehicle? How often, how far and with who? All important factors when considering the best car to buy for your young or first time driver. Get a CARFAX report, check the safety ratings and compare your overall cost of ownership for the vehicle.

Best of luck. Don't wince too hard.

Eric Miltsch

Stumble It!

High Performance Carbon Fiber & How Tuners Might Help the Environment

The other day, after returning from a trip out of town, I went to pick up my dogs from the kennel (they like to call it summer camp). As I parked on the street in this semi-industrial, older area of Long Beach, I happened to glance across the street and did the complete cartoon double take. Wha?

Sitting in front of this strip of anonymous looking workshops was a Datsun 2000, a gorgeous new Mazda RX-8 and a kitted out custom RX-7. I was drawn across the road like a magnet and was walking around all 3 cars like a complete idiot. How many girls dressed like a cross between Olive Oyl and Frida Khalo show up at a tuner shop wanting to see more? Not many, I would imagine. A young employee came to the bay door and asked me if I wanted to come inside and see more. Of course, I did! Inside was a small army of mostly RX-7's stripped down and just waiting to be gussied up into the high performance sexy beasts that they can become. Ah- the smell of Bondo on a warm afternoon! The shop is called Asuka Designs. Here is a great video of the owner of Asuka explaining the benefit of carbon fiber bodies:

Now the interesting aspect of carbon fiber bodies is that they aren't just for the tuner crowd anymore. The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, along with Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler are working to bring carbon fiber bodies to all cars at a lower cost. In an article by Physorg.com, spokesman Bob Norris for Oak Ridge Labs said:

"Whereas today the cost to purchase commercial-grade carbon fiber is between $8 and $10 per pound, the goal is to reduce that figure to between $3 and $5 per pound," said Norris, leader of ORNL's Polymer Matrix Composites Group. At that price, it would become feasible for automakers to use more than a million tons of composites – approximately 300 pounds of composites per vehicle – annually in the manufacturing of cars.

Carbon fiber is 1/5th the weight of ferrous counterparts used in automobile manufacturing while it has the same strength properties which if used in even half of the structural and semi-structural elements in a car can reduce the weight by 60% and reduce fuel consumption by 30%. Greenhouse gases and emissions could be reduced by as much as 10-20%.

Not only would these cheaper and strong fibers be made of recycled plastics, lignin from wood pulp and cellulose so therefor better for the environment, safety tests with the new fibers are showing that they are just as strong, if not stronger than ferrous materials. Cars made with plastic elements are neither as strong, good for the environment (PVCs keep us relying on the oil industry) and to a real car enthusiast- plastics, in my opinion, do not allow for good design integrity. Additionally, the better that they learn to make low-impact carbon fiber, the cheaper it will become which will inevitably lead to less expensive car that utilize any fuel source- especially alternative fuels.

Interestingly, although carbon fiber will eventually go down in cost to the manufacturer, don't expect to be getting a Tesla Roadster for any less than current retail price. Part of the development and sales of that vehicle are counting on lower manufacturing cost of both the carbon fiber body and the batteries so that eventually, they will be actually able to make a profit on the high performance Roadster.

So while you may chuckle at the kids and older kids driving around in a tricked out tuner with a tail end that makes their car look like a grocery cart with a really big handle, many of the components that they are experimenting with to make their cars more high performance can change the way that all of our cars are made eventually to be lighter, meaner and greener.

Stumble It!

Chevy Uplander: Call It A MiniVan PLEASE & Not A CrossOver!

I recently wrote about a friend’s search for a new vehicle to carry his growing family of soon-to-be three kids… all in baby seats or boosters at the same time. We concluded (and he later purchased one) that a new Honda minivan met his needs the best. A van’s balance of roominess, ease of entry and exit, cargo loading ease, comfort, and relative fuel efficiency won the comparison.

This week, while traveling on business I found myself behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Uplander minivan. The brain trust at Chevrolet, however, seem somewhat embarrassed to just call it like it is and suggest that this should be called a “crossover sport van.” Forget that the only thing “crossover” about this vehicle compared to their previous effort is an added on ungainly snout and a slightly raised ride height. And the only thing even remotely sporty about it… well I give up.

My thoughts throughout my two-day drive kept coming back to the same thing: that General Motors wasn’t even trying hard when they designed this car. Were the people behind this project just so bummed at being reduced to working on a mere minivan rather than a new Hummer SUX6000 that they just phoned in the details? Was an assignment to the minivan design team the automotive equivalent of graduating from the police academy only to get assigned to traffic control at the local airport?

I always try to look at the positive side of every vehicle and this does have a few decent details. The dashboard materials appear to be high quality and are sufficiently elegant in appearance, the engine and road noise are muffled, and even though it matches nothing else on the car, the upper door panels have real (!) stitching on the faux leather that actually looks nicely finished.

But then you turn to the details that make other minivans so endearing to millions of American families and you just have to wonder what happened:

Fuel Economy… I averaged only about 15 mpg during my brief time with the car… vs. EPA ratings of 16/23 city/hwy which themselves are nearly identical to the ratings for the larger and heavier 2009 Traverse SUV that claims 24 mpg on the highway. What’s the point of driving an “unhip” minivan if you can’t even rationalize that you are saving money on gas?

Comfort… the front seats were fine, if nothing to write home a about, and the standard cloth upholstery was pleasant and looks durable. However, the middle seats were tiny… seemingly undersized for the car. I suppose that this lets them claim more legroom that actually exists. The rearmost seats were larger… a split bench, but again, compared to the multi-adjustable units in vans from competitors weren’t even a decent effort. The middle row seats were crammed all the way over to the sides near the doors which left them feeling cramped but did allow, I suppose, for a larger space in the middle to walk-through to the rearmost seats.

Flexibility… those rearmost seats again, unlike nearly every other van on the market, neither fold flat into the floor when not needed nor do any other neat tricks like turn into a rear facing bench. To utilize the full cargo capacity one needs to remove the heavy seats and find a place to leave them for the duration. The ONLY storage space for storing odds and ends like baby wipes, cell phones, and other detritus that usually fill up the family truckster was a Pep-Boys style bungee net strung between the front seats. There was no convenient enclosed storage areas for anything. The only place I found to rest my cell phone was inside the cupholder that extended from the dashboard. Seriously? You’ve had 25 years to try to copy features from nearly every family hauler on the market and you missed the most basic needs of families with small children? I won’t even go into the fact that nearly every other van out there also has second-row seats that slide, fold, retract, and will probably milk a cow.

I can’t imagine anyone in the market for a minivan test driving models from multiple manufacturers and deciding to buy an Uplander

So I end with the thought that GM’s half-hearted effort, if you can even call it that, at competing in this segment is a symbol of why the company is struggling so much. In the hyper-competitive vehicle business if you don’t even enter the game aiming for best-in-class you might as well just give up and go home.

Fortunately for GM, I believe that much has changed at the company and newer vehicles like the new Traverse, the Malibu, and some others represent more competitive offerings. I just hope that the attitudes that permitted a car like the Uplander from seeing the light of a dealer showroom have been exorcised as well.

Steve Haas

Editors note: I think that this rental displeased Steve! XOO,M

Stumble It!

Bristol Motor Speedway Caters to the Family

A few weekends ago NASCAR charged into Bristol, Tennessee and opened it's doors for the final time this season to the world that is NASCAR. Race Week at Bristol (BMS) is not just a normal week not only to the people who work there but to the fans as well. When you attend a race here at Bristol it's not just go check out the race and that's it. There's a whole week of festivities in place for everyone to take part in. The main focus for these events is to bring the family out and everyone enjoy themselves.

Race Week at Bristol started on August 18^th and went through August 24th. The first event of the week took place on the 21st. Everyone was bound for the “Food City Family Race Night.” Where you can rub elbows with your favorite drivers, get autographs, and grab some free grub. There's also live music throughout the day and all proceeds from the ticket sales go to charity. It's one of the few ways you can meet the drivers and stand next to the cars without having pit passes.

Next up on the Race Week agenda is the Transporter Parade. After the Food City celebration ends there's a few other things that go on. The transporters that take the cars from track to track line up for a very long parade back to the speedway. The streets line for miles for fans to see the trucks make their way slowly back to the track. Not only is this great for the fans but it's also great for some people inside the transporters themselves. Each one has a very special passenger from either the Make a Wish Foundation or Children's Miracle Network to ride shotgun for the length of the parade. To add to the dramatics of the parade along the route from Family Race Night to BMS at four different points fireworks were be rocketed into the sky.

After the racing is finished the Speedway still does things in the racing off season to support Speedway Children's Charities. “Speedway in Lights” has been an annual event for the last 11 years. As you drive onto the track itself you will view animated light sculptures. The tour is 5.2 miles long and continues outside the speedway's 0.5 half mile oval. Last year's event held over 200 exhibits and over two million lights, it's definitely a spectacle! The usual favorite among families is the Christmas Village display. Here your kiddies can pose for pictures with the Jolly Old Man himself Santa, roast marshmallows and have a nice cup of hot coco. Outside of the track there is also an ice skating rink for you to take part in, the rink is set up in the parking lot. For an additional charge you can try your hand at it or just watch everyone else have a great time on the ice.

Bristol definitely pulls out all the stops for the families that attend their events. I'm sure everyone who attends these events would give them a huge “thank you” if it was possible because they really put a lot of time and effort into a good time. Thanks Bristol from us the fans to you guys!

DrifterMama

Stumble It!

NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle Loves His Ford Lightning

Today are the trials leading up to this Sunday's Pepsi 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in what I fondly call Fontucky, aka, Fontana, California. Between practice loops, I managed to grab Greg Biffle and talk with him about his loyal fans and if he thinks that they are also loyal Ford owners because of him. He said that he thinks that because NASCAR fans are some of the most loyal fans out there that the ones that cheer him on do tend to be Ford owners.

I then asked him what his favorite car to drive and was completely surprised by his answer: he loves to drive his Ford Lightning more than anything else. I love this guy! He thinks that the Special Vehicle Team designed sporty performance version of the F-150 pick up is his favorite drive.

The Lightning was featured as Brian O'Connor's ride in The Fast and The Furious and was also in the video game NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup. It has a supercharged Triton V8 and can haul butt and a boat at the same time.

These powerhouses were only made from 1999 to 2004 and like the rest of the F-150 family, maintain their value pretty darn well. A 2004 model with 60,000 miles on it can be had from $16-18,000.00. Not a bad price at all considering what you are getting!

More to come from Fontucky later!

Michelle Naranjo

Stumble It!

Hauling A Family: In Defense of the Minivan

I recently received a phone call from an old friend. He's expecting his third child in a about a month and is faced with the need to upgrade his car. For at least the next year, he'll have three kids in boosters or infant seats at the same time and these simply won't fit in his Honda Accord sedan or his old Saturn LW300. In other words, he needs a car capable of seating 6 or 7 people to allow for the width of those infant seats. A few years ago he may have just run out and bought a used SUV or a minivan, but he's concerned about purchase cost, fuel cost, and drivevability. Neither he or his wife want to drive a really big vehicle that handles poorly and is a bear to park. What to do?

My wife and I have a Mazda5, which is essentially a miniature minivan with seating for 6 in three rows but compact and light since it's based on the platform of the Mazda3. However, while it works great for us (one child) I counseled my friend to check one out in person and to bring his big double stroller to see if it will fit with one of the rearmost seats unfolded. I like the car because of its flexible seating, reasonable price, and ease of use, but I wasn't sure that the fuel-economy trade-off between it and a larger minivan would be worth the relative lack of overall space for someone with 3 kids.

I started to wonder what the real mileage difference was between popular "crossover" SUVs, hybrid SUVs, and minivans. I picked some similarly equipped models to represent 3-row seating options from mid-sized SUVs, large cross-over SUVs, minivan, and a compact minivan. Here are some basic stats, thanks to Edmunds.com








First, I was somewhat surprised to see how large "mini" vans have become. The Odyssey is perhaps the standard bearer for the class and it weighs more than 4300 lbs. Then again, it makes efficient use of that bulk in terms of interior space. Fuel economy is about the same as the Toyota Highlander, a midsized crossover (albeit with AWD in this configuration). Though, that Highlander costs nearly $10,000 more (MSRP) than a mid-level Odyssey. The Odyssey's fuel economy is also nearly the same as the large Saturn Outlook SUV. The fuel-economy benefits of the Highlander SUV are quickly overshadowed by the huge cost of entry ($15k more than the Odyssey will buy a lot of gas).

While minivans suffer from an image problem, these days I might be tempted to argue that SUVs are suffering more. Despite the weight and poor fuel economy being nearly the same, I hear few people describing Odyssey drivers as wasteful. Perhaps it's because people buy these for very practical reasons: ease of entry and kid-loading duties through sliding doors, low lift-over height for the cargo hold, huge storage space... surely a rational decision for a family of 5. Our Mazda5 is a wonderful vehicle that is in a niche of its own here in the U.S. (The Kia Rondo is the only slightly similar configuration available), but once those rearmost seats are up it could become difficult to load all of the detritus that comes with hauling around a 6-year old, a toddler, and a newborn. For large families who don't need four-wheel drive (most people most of the time) a minivan seems to offer the best balance of functionality, cost, and fuel economy.


Steve Haas

Stumble It!

Changing the Way You Drive Increases Safety & Reduces Traffic Jams

High fuel costs are impacting us in ways that we probably never realized. It is now being reported that traffic reduced 9% nationwide between January and May of this year. That number seems pretty low to residents of larger cities and in Los Angeles, I can tell you from personal experience that journeys that used to take 1 1/2 hour will often only take 45 minutes. It is changing the way that Angelenos measure distance: we used to measure in the estimated time that it would take to travel from one spot to the next.

In Georgia, a recent report indicated that traffic deaths dropped 33% and attribute part of that drop to rising fuel costs. "Higher fuel costs lead to less miles driven." People are being pickier about reasons to jump on the road and that is increasing safety! Who'd have thunk!

This all sounds like good news to those of us on the road but there are still some practical driving tips that can also help with safety and reduce the amount of time spent on the road.

1. Maintain a safe distance. Remember that trick for staying 10 feet behind the car in front of you for every 10 miles per hour that you are driving? Keeping that rule going can reduce Shockwave traffic jams, a phenomena that is at the root of most traffic jams and many rear endings on crowded roads.
2. Reduce your speed. Trying to get somewhere more quickly than everyone around you just doesn't work and is dangerous. Speed also affects your fuel economy: every 5 mph over 60 will cost you an additional $.30 according to the EPA.
3. Motorcycles are increasing on the roads and accidents will increase if car drivers do not stay aware. Constantly checking rear and side mirrors for bikes "splitting lanes" (driving between lanes of cars) is more essential than ever. Getting caught by surprise by a bike suddenly cutting in front of you is sure to start a shockwave traffic jam.

Less traffic is always a good thing but for those times when you have to be on the road with everyone else, safety is essential.

Stumble It!

Buying a Car For a Teen Driver: Some Tips & Ideas

When I was learning to drive my dad took my out in an empty field in a '47 Willys Jeep that was painted school bus yellow. Seems that my dad had bought it from the local school superintendent who had the Jeep painted every year when they were repainting the school buses. But that was off road time: learning how to start, stop, change gears, how a choke works (like algebra, I never used that knowledge again). When it came time to choose a car that would be mine-all-mine my parents went through the usual list:

1. Sherman Tank
2. Golf Cart
3. Slightly used smaller car
4. Moped
   

Now this was 25 years ago and I ended up with what was behind door #3: a 1980 Honda Prelude (that I named Erma, in case you are interested). It was red, had a sunroof and was much more safe than the '67 Mustang convertible I preferred.

Flash forward and my daughter is now 14 and so I am having to start thinking about what I would want her to drive and the options are pretty darn similar to the choices that my parents had:

1. Monstrous SUV
2. New compact car
   
3. Slightly used smaller car
4. Scooter

Let's break these down into their pros and cons for teen drivers:

SUV Pros: These are safe if hit by a smaller car, a compact car or a scooter. They are inexpensive these days due to the price of gas. Teen drivers have better visibility behind the wheel and can be seen better. Kid can roll like a gangsta.
Cons: Too many seats means too many teens which can cause distractions for the driver. Fuel is going to be very expensive. If the teen hits something/someone, damage will be higher because if the weight and size of the SUV. Your kid will look like a gangsta.

Compact Car Pros: New cars will have the latest in safety. Very fuel efficient. Shiny and properly maintained could last through college. Less room = less kids = less distractions.
Cons: Size makes them difficult to see. New cars cost more. Dings happen and maintenance issues may arise with newer models. Not suitable for teens who play the tuba or the double bass.

Used Car Pros: Will have up to date safety features if less than 5 years old. More car for the money with amenities. Dings and scrapes will hurt less because it didn't cost as much. Your kid won't drive a nicer car than you.
Cons: Could have unknown maintenance issues. Probably won't last through college. Won't have that new car *BLING*. Kid might decide to invest in a huge spoiler.

Scooter Pros: Fuel efficient. Easy to maintain. No chance of hurting a passenger. Parking is easy. Your kid will get a label. I promise.
Cons: C'mon! Its a kid on a scooter in grown up traffic!

My daughter wants the scooter and that might work for us because we are only 6 blocks from her high school but new California laws say that she has to have a motorcycle license so she will be without wheels until she is 16. Major bummer for her! (that so dates me!)

Honestly, I like my Twitter buddy Snosnap's idea: he bought himself a 2003 Scion xB that he is tuning to his kid in a man's heart's content and is planning on saving it for his son's first car. That won't be for another 7 years but as he recently told me, "I drive it because I love it, but I do also want to keep it running 'til my son can drive. It's a Toyota, it should last :)"

I like his logic. Think Little Miss Motor Mouth will like a 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe and I can upgrade?

Michelle Naranjo

Stumble It!