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The end of Yescar
Aug. 20th, 2010 04:24 pmYes, it appears that it's finally time to say goodbye to this priceless* piece of early 1990s Japanese engineering:
Despite years of repeated attempts by the manufacturing-marketing complex, I never internalized the message that cars are vital signaling mechanisms for status and wealth, and that I should go deep into debt simply to acquire one. Instead I bought something cheap and expendable that could be dented and scratched by underskilled parallel parkers on the streets of San Francisco, leaving me with piles of money to spend on other way more fulfilling things like traveling around the world for months at a time.
However, my hardworking car with nearly 200,000 miles to its name has finally crossed some sort of threshold. Perhaps it was the combination of having to tape the sunroof shut to prevent leaks during the winter and having to deal with dead A/C in the summer. Perhaps it was frustration at having to solve too many 3D puzzles in order to fit large art projects into it. In any case, it was time to move on and get something new.
I now have a reddish-purple 2004 Scion xB. I like the combination of lots of cargo room, compactness of body (it's almost 2ft shorter than my current car, allowing me to squeeze into spaces that only Smart cars, Yarises and Minis tend to get), and really good mileage. It's also a toyota, so it's very reliable. It's a nice blank slate. I want to make some interesting vinyl patterns at Techshop to transform it into something unique. I guess I didn't internalize the manufacturing-marketing complex's message that I could become unique by purchasing any one of their wide array of standardized accessories. Oops.
*Also, yescar is for sale for $1444. I have complete paperwork including from prior owners. No accidents. I have one potential buyer already, if she likes the price. :-)
Despite years of repeated attempts by the manufacturing-marketing complex, I never internalized the message that cars are vital signaling mechanisms for status and wealth, and that I should go deep into debt simply to acquire one. Instead I bought something cheap and expendable that could be dented and scratched by underskilled parallel parkers on the streets of San Francisco, leaving me with piles of money to spend on other way more fulfilling things like traveling around the world for months at a time.
However, my hardworking car with nearly 200,000 miles to its name has finally crossed some sort of threshold. Perhaps it was the combination of having to tape the sunroof shut to prevent leaks during the winter and having to deal with dead A/C in the summer. Perhaps it was frustration at having to solve too many 3D puzzles in order to fit large art projects into it. In any case, it was time to move on and get something new.
I now have a reddish-purple 2004 Scion xB. I like the combination of lots of cargo room, compactness of body (it's almost 2ft shorter than my current car, allowing me to squeeze into spaces that only Smart cars, Yarises and Minis tend to get), and really good mileage. It's also a toyota, so it's very reliable. It's a nice blank slate. I want to make some interesting vinyl patterns at Techshop to transform it into something unique. I guess I didn't internalize the manufacturing-marketing complex's message that I could become unique by purchasing any one of their wide array of standardized accessories. Oops.
*Also, yescar is for sale for $1444. I have complete paperwork including from prior owners. No accidents. I have one potential buyer already, if she likes the price. :-)
