Object of the Day 19 – Toy Tow Truck
The first vehicle I chose and bought for myself was a used Datsun pick-up truck with a stick shift. It was turquoise. I loved my truck. I still remember the smell, a mix of vinyl, dirt and oil. I had sedans after that but never felt any fondness for them until we bought a minivan which I liked so much I named it named Baby.
I loved Baby almost as much as the truck. I had the truck in Southern California where the open bed didn't matter. Baby was perfect for Seattle and I hauled a lot over the years: art supplies, my inflatable kayak, building supplies, and people. There is something so satisfying about being able to haul big things around.
Baby was a perfect companion for 20 years. When it was time to replace it, I wistfully thought of a truck, but the truck landscape has changed greatly from the 70s. What would have been a large truck is now called a small truck and big trucks are monsters perfect for taking that hay out to the back 100 to feed the cows. To see someone climbing out of one of these in the grocery store parking lot is odd. And I do mean climb. You need a ladder to reach the running board. Besides the fact that they look absurd in an urban setting, they are hard to justify in terms of money or the environment.
Other countries still make little trucks, adorable little trucks, but car manufacturers think Americans want giant vehicles with giant price tags. So we replace Baby with a sedan. Sigh.
I loved Baby almost as much as the truck. I had the truck in Southern California where the open bed didn't matter. Baby was perfect for Seattle and I hauled a lot over the years: art supplies, my inflatable kayak, building supplies, and people. There is something so satisfying about being able to haul big things around.
Baby was a perfect companion for 20 years. When it was time to replace it, I wistfully thought of a truck, but the truck landscape has changed greatly from the 70s. What would have been a large truck is now called a small truck and big trucks are monsters perfect for taking that hay out to the back 100 to feed the cows. To see someone climbing out of one of these in the grocery store parking lot is odd. And I do mean climb. You need a ladder to reach the running board. Besides the fact that they look absurd in an urban setting, they are hard to justify in terms of money or the environment.
Other countries still make little trucks, adorable little trucks, but car manufacturers think Americans want giant vehicles with giant price tags. So we replace Baby with a sedan. Sigh.
This truck was Micah's. I appropriated it because I love trucks (well that, and he grew up). If I could find a small truck with good gas mileage at a great price, that is what I would drive. For now I collect toy trucks.
