Parked in dappled morning sunlight, with Table Rock Mountain in the background, this is my 2000 Toyota Solara, bought brand-new 20 years ago in Charlotte, NC, but has spent almost all those years in SC. Since day one, I’ve always parked this car with the intent of avoiding dings on the doors, seeking out the end of parking aisles and going as close to the curb as possible, to give other cars plenty of room.
20 years, no door dings.
Nonetheless, that did not stop a runaway shopping cart from banging into the side, putting a scratch near the gas tank door; that did not stop me from dropping a heavy metal object on the back bumper as I pulled it out of the trunk, causing a scratch on the bumper; that did not stop almost 20 years of neglect for the paint job to result in a car I was embarrassed to drive; that did not stop an 18 wheeler from changing lanes without looking and smashing the driver-side rear quarter panel; that did not stop me from having the terrible habit of applying the brakes using just the right corner of the brake pedal, resulting in my foot slipping off the brakes, pressing hard on the accelerator, and causing me to ram my car into the side of a Walgreens building.
But at least, no door dings.
Of course, what you see in this photo is not the result of those mishaps. It is the result of my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, my contracting prostate cancer which had to be removed because of that exposure, my receiving full VA disability for a number of months, and my using that extra money for body work, new bumpers, having my car given a back-to-the-metal paint job, plus new headlights, plus new wheels.
Why didn’t I buy a new car instead? Why spend more money on the car than it was worth? Because the one thing I did right was keep up the maintenance on the car; it is mechanically sound. Because, even if I had enough money for a new car, which I don’t, I could never afford insurance and property tax for it. Now I am charged with getting my money out of that investment. I gotta avoid getting the car totaled, or passing on, before I get my money’s worth.
I have an incentive to drive safely and defensively. And I have an incentive to stay alive for a lot more years. If I kick the bucket too soon, I’m gonna be … uh … very angry.
One thing has not changed: I still park my car in a manner to avoid door dings; so far, so good. One thing that did change is that now I hand-wash my car. No more high-pressure drive-throughs. No more whirling rag monsters that made a car wash feel like a carnival ride. In addition, once a year I take my car to have it professionally cleaned and waxed. And I’m keeping my eyes open for lane-changing 18 wheelers and buildings that don’t have enough sense to get out of my way.