I like naming cars
I like naming cars.
It’s not that uncommon.What is uncommon is giving your car a full-blown personality, mapping out its likes, dislikes, careers, hobbies, love life.Bit of a worry.I never thought it was odd, because obviously my friends named their cars (otherwise who would my car be dating?)
I had a car I loved a lot. He was a Bogan, a builder, really rough around the edges, but stable, reliable. His name was Cam, short for Camry.
Cam had a fulfilling life and was dating a sexy little number called Betty (who, just between us, was way out of his league).
But poor Cam had a lot of health problems. For the last few years of his life he was in and out of hospital and eventually was put on life support. Sadly, just before Christmas, the time came for Cam to go to the scrap yard.
Even though I was still mourning the loss of Cam, I had to look for a new car to replace him. So I went to Turner’s Car Auctions and brought a racy red Ford who I named Felix. See Felix is supposed to be a lucky name. After all Cam’s medical worries I needed a car who could look after himself. Sadly the name does not make the man. Felix quickly proved to be very unlucky.
Everyone else can tell he’s unlucky (It appears I know less about cars than any other person on the planet) and so Felix is rotting away unwanted on Trade Me.
The purpose of telling you this story (and revealing my embarrassing habit of naming inanimate objects) is that I am now resorting to using public transport. Hence this issue, The Transport Issue, came about.
The Transport Issue explores the various modes of transport which can be used by people like me, who have made silly car purchases, or who don’t drive in this horrible city of gas-guzzling four wheel drives (inevitably driven by Remuera soccer mums).
We investigate how new taxi laws will affect you in “Dirty Little Taxi Secrets”. Joseph Harper explores the pitfalls of public transport in The Trouble With Transport and we see if it’s still possible to hitch a lift in New Zealand.
Happy travels!
Amanda Haxton
In Unison Editor
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