Drive Thru

If someone would've mentioned to me while I was eating my tootsie pop at 6 years old in the backseat of my parents' Toyota corolla, that one day I was to be the proud owner of that very same machine, I really would've paid more attention. I would've been more careful with my spills through the years. I would've done more than shrug my shoulders when I watched handles being worn off the doors themselves windows that wouldn't quite roll down, the trunk that ceased to open, or the significant holes that had been worn into the floor of the car. I wouldn't have giggled when I witnessed the seat belt being broken by a passenger we were giving a ride. I would've sacrificed some of my toys for working a/c as the years went by. But I didn't do any of those things as both the car and I aged, and at 16 I became the less than proud owner of a hoopty.
I realize that there are those who do not have the word, "hoopty" in their vocabulary, and kudos to them. For this population, the esteemed Urban Dictionary defines it this way: "basically, a piece of (crap) car. Usually cheap and/or broken down. Can be any size, make or model, but must (or should) be embarrassing to drive for some reason." By the time I was 16, my parents' little Corolla more then met that criteria. Most of my friends who started driving when I did, had parents who were militant advocates for safety. They wanted their precious children in new or newer cars with excellent safety features, and excellent safety ratings. My parents', however, clearly had the plan for me to be a driving McGuyver of sorts; a teenage driving warrior. My mission, that yes I did chose to accept, was to take this almost car and learn to drive, learn creativity, and learn how to be cool on the inside when your ride is way, way below cool.
I learned, and quickly, how to shake the ignition 3 times to get it to start. I learned that you can't bully a hoopty, they are like mules, you've got to sweet talk them. Who needs a trunk when there's all that room in the backseat! They spoiled me! But even when you KNOW your little hoopty, there are still times when you forget some of the rules....

(Drive Thru continues on second hub Drive-Thru cont'd)