[palo verde]

we got a car when I was 4 years old and our family still lived in manhattan
we spent more time driving around looking for parking place than it took to get there
rofl I thought that was normal part of having car
that it was big game
after you arrive you drive in circles for 45 minutes
and each time you see a spot it turns out to be pump (fire hydrant)
half the time my dad would simply double park
''you stay here, if a cop comes tell him your daddy will be right back''
Love, Palo

[andysandmikesmom]

We lived in a two story bldg, my family living on the second floor, and my aunt and uncle and cousins on the first floor...my uncle had a very generous and fairly well off boss...in the summertime, he would let my uncle use one of his cars over the weekend...it was a big old station wagon...we would all pile into the car, and go out to the Forest Preserves, for picnics, and went all different places...we thought it was just grand...

Then my uncles boss sold him one of his old cars, a 41 Ford with running boards, for $50...we thought we were very rich,having a car in the family, even if it was my uncles car...after about 6months my uncle bought himself a newer car, and sold this old Ford to my dad for $50....my dad bought it, but he did not even have a drivers license...he had to go take the test, voila, now we had our own car and driver...I guess he bought that car, when I was around 10...

We took that car everywhere.....shopping, picnics, little side trips...we just thought it was so wonderful to have a car, something which todays kids take for granted...

Eventually, dad took out a loan and bought a newer car..that old Ford, went to the old cars retirement home(junkyard, no doubt)....but it served at least 3 families quite well, in its time...

Dad hated taking out a loan for a car...he never wanted to owe anybody anything....every time we were out in our 'newer' car, dad would drive by the bank, and point out to all of us, that we really did not own that car, the bank owned the car, until the loan was paid off...once the loan was paid off, dad would drive by the bank, and give them the finger, and laugh...

That was the first and last time he ever bought a car on a loan...from that day forward, as soon as they paid off that car, they began to save money for another car, and would pay only cash for any car...what kind of car we got, and how new, and in what condition, was always determined by how much money dad had saved up....