My husband’s profession occasionally affords him the extraordinary luxury of driving and reconditioning some of the world’s finest vehicles. He enjoys this perk but recognizes that even the best vehicles with their high price tags come with low comfort factors. Last week he came home from work driving a black Lotus. It was a sporty looking car with a name that conotates speed, luxury and exclusiveness.
When my dear husband arrived home, he complained about just how uncomfortable this high end bomb on wheels was to drive. He challenged me to get in and sit in the driver’s seat. It didn’t take me long to discover exactly why he was complaining. The kick panel was approximately five inches wide which makes entering and exiting the vehicle a challenge for even the most agile person. Once I pretzelled myself into the driver’s seat, that was just mere inches from the ground, I then realized that indeed this expensive ride afforded the driver very little padding on the seat. Not only was there no cushioning for the tush but the seat width was meant for an anorexic.
However, since this high end and high dollar vehicle was entrusted to our care for safe keeping, we thought it would be best housed in our garage for the night. I pushed the garage button on my X10 remote (did you know you can get 6 X10 keychain remotes for the price of one at X10PackageDeals.com? pretty cool, believe me) and we deposited the toy inside the garage for the night. The next morning, my husband had to drive the car approximately one hour south to a dealer and pick up a 2006 Mercedes to drive back. This trip was to be made via the highway. That meant that the driver of the little tuna can was going to feel every pebble on the freeway. Woopee! Just how many bruises can one gain on their backside in one hour?
When my husband arrived home that evening, he expressed his relief at off-loading the Lotus and exchanging it for a ride that offered more than just a high dollar name. Now bear in mind, my husband is only forty years old. He is extremely fit and healthy and can tolerate a pretty good beating but he was certainly rejoicing when he had dumped the Lotus for the Mercedes. He had been fortunate enough to be able to keep the Mercedes over the weekend. Each time he drives it, he make a comment about how nice it rides. The downfall to having such a career is that tomorrow he will probably be driving a beat up Chevy Citation. I suppose the correct cliché would be into each profession a little bomb must drop or perhaps don’t judge a car by its price tag and label.