Voices of MainStreet: April Lee

To Sacrifice the Sexy Engine

Jan. 17, 2011

The wonderful thing about Seattle is that it is a walk-able city. I lost 15 lbs. within my first two months of living here. That is how much of a walking-friendly city it is, but plenty of Seattlites commute by car as well. I see a lot of old BMWs, VW Bugs and plenty of Priuses. A lot can be told about the city by the cars people drive. Trucks or SUVs are a rare find here unless you live on the outskirts of Seattle.

Personally, I do not have a car. I walk and take the bus but I used to drive a Pontiac Firebird years ago when I lived just south of Detroit, MI. It had a V6 engine and was a gas guzzler but I did love the car. It was thick, meaty and it saved my life once. My father drove Thunderbirds. I like thick, meaty cars but times are changing and there are new things to think about.

Gas prices are high, resources are being fought over causing all sorts of political and environmental problems but fuel-efficiency cars are still pricey. It’s difficult to decide what to do when thinking of long-term costs and short-term costs. Either way, it’s all expensive. I am pretty happy to use the public transportation system but when time suddenly becomes more valuable than money I will have to get a car, motorcycle or Vespa. I don’t have a long commute, at the moment and cringe when I think of those who have to drive more than 30 minutes one way to work; but I walk for 30 minutes one way to work. I suppose it is the same.

I think fuel-efficient cars are strange. Change is always strange though isn’t it? It doesn’t purr the way I am used to engines purring. It doesn’t really purr at all, actually. Cars are sexy and I feel with this efficiency focus we are losing the sexiness of engines! How disappointing! I would love to wear heels everywhere but it isn’t efficient or practical so I choose to wear flats, every day, instead. There go the sexy shoes, there go the sexy engines. What will go next?! Will I have to cut my long hair because I can’t afford the amount of shampoo and conditioner it takes to clean it? It’s a joke ... sort of.

But we have a world to take care of and, as responsible adults, we must sacrifice, yes? We must do away with the things we desire in order to preserve which is far more important than anything else. It is a beautiful world. I’d like to keep that way.

I can still pretend the sexy engine exists in whichever car I purchase next. I can make engine sounds. That’ll work. Yes.

—April is a well-traveled young woman planting her roots in sunny Seattle, or well, just Seattle. Her writing covers whatever piques her interest and curiousity. Check out her blog here.