So due to soon-to- be larger family ect, ect, we did the unthinkable and sold the old truck before we actually drove it into the ground as planned. To our surpise, said old piece-of-shit truck fixed up real nice-like and with the help of a very detailed post on craigslist and a $120 detailing, sold in a day for waaaay more than I thought a POS 8 yr old Ford could possibly bring. Yaay. (more on this)
After living truck-less for a few months, during which time we actually voted democratic (gasp) in a major election, we decided we must be losing our American-red state tendencies, so it was either replace the truck or move to France (or California). So we went truck shopping. And maybe to make sure that we never speak of a domicile in France again, we began shopping for a BIG truck.
Enter F150 crew cab 4×4. In my opinion this is a BIG truck. I will not be able to get in this vehicle wearing a short skirt without giving someone a thrill. It has a step to help with the climb, but it’s still quite the workout getting into this thing. It has a full size cab and space in front for 3 comfortably, then three more in back. This thing is huge. The shocking thing about the hugeness of this vehicle, is that it’s not the biggest truck you can get. In fact, the F-150 is more of a mid-sized truck, as far as truck affectionados are concerned. This blows my mind.
Anywhoo, after much trolling over Craigslist and Autotrader and a few promising leads that turned out too wierd or too good to be true….
Jason: “Why is this car so cheap?”
Random person 1: “We found it at the airport”
Jason: “Umm.. ok.” Click.
Jason: “Why is this car so cheap?”
Random person 2: “It’s an alternative fuel vehicle….has a propane tank where the spare tire would go”
Jason: “Where do you keep the spare?”
Random person 2: “Oh, we just toss it in the bed”
Jason: “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having a bed”
Random person 2: “You voted for Obama didn’t you?” Click.
….we found a promising lead at a dealer. 2002, not tan or white (my most hated colors), no leather but interior in great condition, everything else we want, only 96k miles…about the same as the old truck. Jason talks the dealer down a little bit and suddlenly the dealer price is competitive with private party plus we get some peace of mind that the seller isn’t a fruit loop. Done. Yaay.
So the funny part of this story is that G LOVES the new truck. It’s true that she liked and mourned the loss of the old truck for awhile, occasionally asking what happened to it, but mostly handling the loss as well as could be expected from someone that doesn’t understand the concept of money or care about legroom.
As soon as we brought home the new truck she immediately began asking to go for rides in it. We go to the gym on weekends and it’s “can we take the truck?” or to the park..”can we take the truck?” Amazingly, she can get into it by herself (takes some hand-over-hand climbing, and she probably should be wearing a safety harness, but she manages). The real fun begins after we pull out of the driveway. She “oohs” and “ahs” and comments on the trip “the new truck only goes slow” (this on the way to the park as we trundle through the 25 mph neighborhood streets) or “Whee! the truck is going so fast!” as we accelerate onto a highway. Or “I can see EVERYTHING!” (True, it does have better visibility than the Prius). Oh yeah, and God forbid you have the bad taste to refer to the truck as a car. G will remind you, in no uncertain terms, that “it’s not a car, it’s a TRUCK.” Stupid mommy.
So the inevitable question: nature or nurture? is the American love affair with the truck innate? I say yes. We can’t help ourselves. We love the power and feeling of invincibility that comes with the earth-destroyer. Maybe Detroit isn’t in as much trouble as we think. G will be ready for her first car truck in only 13 years.