Texans and Their CarsI don't feel good. Allergy season this year is especially bad in Dallas. Even my doctor has admitted that he's been dousing his symptoms with anything and everything he can get his hands on.
And it doesn't help that we've been having a LOT of red pollution days lately. I learned very early on after my move to this state at the age of 16 that in Texas, EVERYONE likes to have their own ride wherever they go. And so those wonderful HOV lanes are rarely used, and if they are it's by people who are either going to lunch with a business associate or families going out to eat or to a game.
I've asked Tommy about this fascination Texans have with car ownership, and having that owned car with them everywhere they go. He said that's just the way it's always been since he can remember. He can't really understand the concept of NOT having your car with you - if you have one, that is. I believe in many areas of the state they don't even know what car pooling is, especially in the more rural areas.
Now, understand that I grew up in Wisconsin. One of the most conservation-oriented states there is. It's ridiculous what these people go through to save the world. I must admit their public transportation system is outstanding and that is an important side benefit if for some reason you find yourself without a car. However, the removing of the labels and rinsing of the cans and separating of papers and the plastics and the cardboards can get tedious at times - well OK most of the time. And ride sharing was ALWAYS preferable to taking many cars to school, games, movies, work, wherever.
Anyway, I digress. Going back to Texans and their cars. This car pride does take different forms, depending on where you are. If you are in a college town, it's usually enough to just have a car that runs and you can be proud of that. If you are in the country, your vehicle of choice is usually a truck that can haul things, or if you are a teenager in West Texas it could possibly be some sort of sports car you are proud to own and drive everywhere you go..
And if you are in Dallas or Houston...well....that's a totally different story. If you are in Sales, you must drive a Lexus, and if you are the top sales person, you must drive a Jaguar or a Porsche - or if pressed, a Mercedes. If you married well and are home with your kids, your vehicle of choice would be a Lexus SUV or a BMW SUV, or a Lincoln Navigator, and possibly even an H2. Or an Expedition if you bought it a few years ago and your spouse has since had to change jobs and you haven't been able to upgrade for a while. You will drive a fully loaded Minivan if you must, but it's not your first choice. And if you are like me - unemployed and enjoying it - you drive a Cirrus that has been paid off - for a while - and you don't care how those SUV driving, liposuctioned, tummy-tucked, sunbaked Dallasites look at your car. You don't have to work. And you have a pool. So you don't care.
So that's my diatribe on Texans and how they always have to have their cars with them, their lack of use of the HOV lanes, what kind of cars they drive, and how all this car-loving has contributed to many red pollution days. And did I mention that I feel crappy from my allergies? Especially on red pollution days caused by those Texas car-lovers. That is all.
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Comments
Everyone in the MD/DC suburbs has their own car, too,and drives it everywhere. Maybe people who work in DC take the metro, but no one in MD uses the bus unless they are too poor to own a car. Makes for terrible traffic on a daily basis.
Hope you're feeling better soon.
Posted by: catherine on July 30, 2005 11:33 PM
