This summer, I finally bit the bullet, and decided to save up the money from my co-op and buy my own car. I was sick of slogging around town in the middle of July on my bicycle in sweltering weather, and I hated having to deal with Amtrak and Greyhound any time I wanted to visit my parents or my partner, and so, I took to Craigslist. I wanted something cool but practical, with air conditioning for not too much money. In the end, I realized, with the options I had, I would have to settle for 2 out of 4 of these requirements at most. Would it be cool and with air conditioning? Practical and affordable? I settled on the last two. I ended up with a car fit for a grandpa, a White 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis. But, it was reliable, affordable, and with low miles and air conditioning, it was absolutely perfect. And when I finally got to buying it, I found out a few things about the whole process.
When you buy a car, be sure to add at least 10 to 20 percent on top of the base price for fees, registration, repairs, etc. The car was about 1500, but then I had to add on about 300 to get it registered, taxed, and for some minor tune-ups. And that doesn't even include the price of insurance, which is a whole other story. As a white male in my early twenties, it is obvious that I pay a little over 100 dollars a month for insurance. And it makes sense, a lot of my demographic act like boneheads behind the wheel. So, even after buying the car, you'll pretty much have to make payments on it every month.
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But another thing I learned is that, despite all the setbacks and sticker shock I experienced, there is nothing quite like sliding into the bench seat, buckling up, setting my GPS, and driving onto the open road, the nearby world my oyster. I remember thinking, "I have a free weekend, I wonder if I could check out this Mr Robot exhibit in New York City?" Before I had my car, I would have had to find somebody else who wanted to go, buy a ticket, or mooch a ride off of somebody. Now, I could just go, without any limitations, any forethought besides 24 hours in advance. Now I know that I can get somewhere in an emergency, I don't have to rely on people for rides, and I can pick up more groceries than I could ever carry on a bicycle.
And it may be pricey, it may be a little daunting, and it may be nerve-wracking, but I love my new car, and it is such a rush to be able to go to Toronto, to New York, to my home in Amherst, and my partner in Waltham, without more than a thought, and a check-in with people I want to see. I can finally see the world from the driver's seat, even if people think I'm a grandpa or a taxi. And I ride, and I ride, and I ride.
