Do you have a car?
“A Jeep.”
What kind?
“Cherokee.”
Why did you get it?
“It was my son’s, and my car died about the same time as he made bad grades at school, so I took it away from him. I was making the car payments.”
Do you like it?
“I’d rather have a car better for transporting flowers. Taller, lower to the ground, and maybe rubber or plastic in the back so I could wipe up water. But I want it for errands too. I’ve only got one child left, and he’s sixteen.”
What car would you have liked when your children were little?
“Whatever had the most space and ability to separate the children and keep them quiet. I also liked to be able to reach back to them. Maybe a console barrier between the two. DVD players, video games, anything would help.”
Did you or your husband drive on car trips?
“My husband.”
Did he control the music?
“Yes, and I hated it.”
Do you eat in the car?
“No.”
Would you like internet access in the car?
“Maybe for maps and restaurants, but a GPS would do, if it had restaurant reviews.”
Voice-activated?
“Yes, and I want it to give me verbal directions.”
Where would you like it positioned?
“In the center of the dashboard, a little down from eye level.”
Do you use the phone in the car?
“Yes, pretty often, when people call me. I’d like a good speakerphone.”
Would you like a digital or analog display?
“I guess digital.”
Do you listen to music in the car?
“Sometimes, but it’s not a priority. I listen to it more on long car trips. I really like to listen to the news, but right now all I can get is these right-wing talk radio people, and I can’t stand them.”
Would you like satellite radio so you could get better news?
“Yes.”
Would you care for a CD player, an iPod that you could use in and out of the car, or a built-in iPod?
“I don’t really care about having lots of songs or access to a big music database. I guess maybe the built-in iPod, so I could download music in the car. I don’t have time for iPod or CD compilations otherwise. I really care more about whether the car is comfortable and that it works.”
Would you like to pay a monthly fee for unlimited download access or pay by song?
"Pay by song."
Do you want a leather interior?
“No, I want cleanable fabric and a waterproof cargo space.”
Do you care about the car’s exterior?
“No.”
Would you prefer a van or an SUV?
“A van, because of space and gas mileage.”
Would you drive a hybrid?
“Not until it was perfected.”
What if you got special parking spaces by the door?
“I might then.”
Do you have any love of vintage cars, memories of favorite cars, or car nostalgia?
“No.”
What was the worst part of long car trips?
“Fighting children. I want them completely separated, listening to separate devices that I can control from the front seat.”
Would you like a built-in cooler?
“It isn’t that hard to just pack a cooler in the kitchen.”
Do you care about the quality of sound in the stereo?
“No.”
Road noise?
“I don’t like it.”
Would you listen to books on tape?
“No.”