The “Beater Car” (aka Don’t Take a Brand New Car on A Trip)

Seven weeks ago (though I started drafting this entry five weeks ago), we went on our first vacation since our Antarctica cruise, and more importantly, our first vacation with Joshua!  We drove to PA to my parents’ home, and then the next day drove on down to Williamsburg, VA to spend a week with my folks and my brother.

Joshua, the traveling boy!

Joshua was a trouper.  He traveled well, going to sleep after a half hour in the car (thanks to a parent putting the “mamoo” (aka pacifier) back in his mouth whenever it fell out and he started to get grumpy) and then sleeping for about four hours straight.  He’d wake up, we’d feed him, and then whoever was in the “hot seat” (read: back seat next to Joshua) got to try to keep the boy happy (or at least tolerant) about staying in a car seat for the next one-to-two hours until we reached our destination for the day.  Apart from resurrecting the 3:30 a.m. wake-up and feeding, the vacation went as smoothly as days at home do.  Joshua was mostly a pleasant little boy to be around.  My brother got to meet his nephew for the first time, and the proud grandparents got lots of cuddles and good be-around-the-baby time.

So, to the title of this entry…  The Beater Car.  The day before we left for Williamsburg, we purchased a new car for me.  This car was many months in the deciding (a long story for another time).  In the end, I got a brand new 2010 Subaru Legacy – a decision both James and I were happy with.  I needed something new because my good ole 1998 Subaru Impreza just wouldn’t cut it as a family car – something about it having only two doors and a trunk that wouldn’t fit the stroller…    So, we made the decision, signed the paperwork, and drove it home Friday afternoon.  James was reluctant to take my brand new vehicle on a long road trip for the very good reason that we weren’t familiar with it yet and thus would likely not be (or feel) super safe and secure on the roads.  So, we took James’ Buick, which now it affectionately termed “the Beater car”, since it’s the old one and can be beat upon without much concern.

It turns out it was a really good thing we didn’t take the new car.  You see, on the way to Williamsburg, we were behind a small tour bus.  I was driving.  I noticed a plume of blue-gray smoke coming from the bus’ tailpipe and an unpleasant odor.  I dutifully switched the fan to Off so I wouldn’t subject my sweet two-month old to such noxious fumes (oh, and us too).  Then, I noticed the road below the bus was dark.  I thought to myself, “Self,” I thought, “There must have been an awful lot of cars that have driven through here that had little oil leaks.”  Then I realized that it was fresh oil… that was spewing from the bus!  I was trying to pass it, but the car in front of me was keeping pace with the bus (perhaps to tell the driver he was pouring oil?), so I was stuck to the left just behind this bus that was slowly but surely coating us with a fine mist of oil.  It was on the car.  It was on the windshield.  I didn’t want to try to use the wipers because I knew that would just smear the oil… but I was having a challenging time seeing.

But wait!  As if that weren’t enough… then the bus started hurling PARTS!  Big pieces of plastic and metal came tumbling out from under the bus.  By this time, the car in front of me had finally passed the bus.  James said “Punch it!” and I thanked my lucky stars that his car is a V-6, and we got around the bus.  He rolled down his window and signaled to the driver that he needed to pull over (though his engine was probably seizing by that point and he’d’uv figured it out sooner or later).  Fortunately, nothing hit the windshield, but we acquired a few dings in the license plate, hood, and some scrapes along the two sides of the car.  And that’s on top of the coating of oil!

All I can say is (after being thankful for no more damage than that), thank goodness we didn’t take my brand-new car on this road trip!  And now I’m a bit traumatized to drive behind buses.

Advertisement