Two Tears In a Bucket

An evaluation of a good reliable friend

5-30-02

    Young college students want what we want, when we want it. One major thing most college students want is a “brand new faster than fast car.” Many college students work to pay for school tuition and other expenses, making them financially unable to afford the car of their dreams. What is a car used for? Transportation. Lets look at it like this. Transportation had three children: School, Work, and Social Life. College students use these children everyday. They use their car as a means of transportation to school, to work, and going out.  I surveyed ten college friends and asked them what they want in a car. I wanted to see how my 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity measured up against the criteria my friends established.

With my survey I found out what college students view as a “good car.” It must be fast, modern, presentable, reliable, and cost efficient. It must be faster than fast. It must be able to beat any car in the movie The Fast and the Furious. It must be a 2003 car when we are only in 2002. It must be presentable in the sense I could cruise down Sunset Blvd. on a Saturday night and no one laugh. It must be able to get me to work and school on time. Gas is so expensive these days, so it has to get great gas mileage.           

When measuring my car with that criteria set up by my friends in terms of having a car for Transportation’s first child, School, my car is reliable, but that is it. One out of five, 20%, not a great score. My car is able to get me to school at the proper time, assuming I leave early enough. I will pull into the parking lot, but my car will not be the best looking car there. Due to my car’s lack of good qualities it will not be the target for vandalism!

The middle child Work, is the best behaved. Once again my car was only reliable, one out of five, 20%. At least it is consistent. Going to work is a hassle. One must arrive on time and that is it. No matter what car a student uses to drive to work, a new Mercedes or old Chevrolet, one must arrive to work at his or her assigned time. As long as my car will allow me to do that, my car is usable. For that reason, I will award it a few extra bonus points. Giving it a score of 80%.

The baby of the family, Social Life, is supposed to be the sweetest. Out of the three this child wants the most attention. This child needs this and needs that. When comparing my car as a means of Social Life, it royally failed. My car is not fast, modern, presentable, cost efficient, and in this aspect reliable. Yes it is reliable meaning that it can get me from point a to point b, if needed, but in a social standpoint it is not reliable. Zero out of seven, 0%, even a worse score than before. It is not the car one would want to take out and cruise the city.

            My 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity is not the best-looking car and it is of course not a “chick magnet.”  It is five different shades on tan, from fading, wear and tear. It is dented and scratched on every door panel, roof, hood, and trunk. It does not get good gas mileage and goes 0-60 in two days. The interior is my custom work; I did not like the original brown that was there. I painted the entire inside with my favorite color blue, to give it my personal touch. It has no headliner. I covered the old and worn down seats with black seat covers, giving it a better look. What it is, is this: my means of transportation to school and work. For now these are my two major concerns. Even though it does not fit in the category of a car that a college student would like to drive, it is my car and I have to drive it.

            Is it my fault that I drive this car? My dad bought it at the low price of $400 from a police car auction. When I go out on weekends I avoid driving, and ask my other friends with better cars to drive. Not that I am ashamed of my “lil old bucket,” or that I sit and cry tears of sorrow, but like I found out, it is not socially fit for a college student to drive.   

If my car could talk, it would say,  “I want to be like the other cars that I park next to. I want my paint to have that new crisp cherry red color. I want to have fancy shiny 20” chrome rims and not these 13” stock hubcaps. I want people to look at ME as I drive by that new BMW.  Why can’t that be me? I want to get re-fueled with premium gas and not what ever is the cheapest.

            Through my research I found that my 1986 Celebrity in no way came close in matching what college students want in a car and was unsuccessful in meeting the criteria. It is apparent that much like typical college students my car is the same. They both want something they cannot have. My 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity is not the fastest, the best looking, or even the most cost efficient, but what it is my car. It is my way of transportation. It is my avenue to freedom. Those that drive that new top of the line SUV or that shiny red sports car, can use my bucket to cry in when they walk to an empty parking spot. Asking themselves, “Where is my car?” I will be the one sitting in “Po Joe” while I ride home in the sunset. Dents, ugly paint job, and all, I love my “lil old bucket” it is something I can call my own. No matter what the research says, in my own mind, my car does meet the criteria. It is my best reliable friend.

Commentary: This is a paper that I did for a English class in college. I think that many college or even young people can related to this piece. I can say since the writing of this piece I have upgraded to a 96 Camaro. To those that were like me and did not have the luck of their parents buying them a nice car, don't even trip over it. It is much better then the bus. And if you think people will make fun of you, don't let the insecurity of others ruin your life. Do not let the negativity grow on you.

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