Eloise Gift http://eloisegift.com/ Your Gift for Real Estate
I am interested in cars only for the convenience they afford me of covering distance with ease. I may admire one in passing for its color or its shape, if it seems new and interesting.
Apart from the car I drive, don't ask me to identify the make of another. I will be able to tell only if I can get up close to read it on the hood. To be able to tell you the year of the manufacture even of my own, I will have to consult my registration.
However, as I contemplated moving to live in the desert region of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I considered it prudent to own a car that would be highly visible in a land and sea search just in case I ran out of gas while trying to get across some badlands. Whatever brand and model car I owned in Albuquerque would have to be of an easily detectable, bright color.
I am yet to run out of gas or get lost anywhere near any type of badlands. Even El Malpaís (the badlands) Valley of Fires in "El Malpais" are not as bad as the name suggests. Indeed, they can be quite beautiful. On the other hand, I am surprised to discover that my car seems to have stolen my identity. 
On two different occasions I took it into the shop for repairs. Once I temporarily used a rented replacement and on another occasion I borrowed my husband's car. In both instances, people entered a room, saw me and declared, we "didn't think you were here because we didn't see your car." People have come to identify me by my car.
Now I am contemplating changing my car for a younger more reliable brand, not because it is upstaging me, but because it is getting tired. The big decision is: do I choose a completely different car and reclaim my identity, or get another identical and have people continue to look for my car to find me? I am leaning toward snatching back my identity.
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Interesting post.
Carolin Benjamin
Bob and Carolin Benjamin
The Benjamin Team
Keller Williams Integrity First Realty
Gold Canyon, Arizona
Eloise great post and I so agree. I would get a car that "fits" you and your personality. Everyone will start to identify you with your new car. I currently don't have one that does and when it is time to trade it in I will take that into account. Now if I could just figure out what car would "fit" me! Trust me this has been a discussion I have had with myself and a couple of friends for about a year now.
BTW would I be right that the yellow car in both photos belongs to you?
Carolyn- Thanks for dropping by. It appears you are from an interesting area. Do they still have gold there? Here in Silver City, I don't think they have much silver left, but retirees like it there.
Ashley-It is interesting that you should be having such conversations. By the way, you are a good sleuth. My kids used to like looking for Waldo. (Was the the name? ) You would have been good at finding him. I think I just gave my age away.
I drive a SUV and know some people consider them gas guzzlers. But I've found that for transporting clients around nothing beats them. They are quick to get in and out of everyone is comfortable and they are high enough everyone can see. I wouldn't have anything else. I first had a Toyota 4-Runner and now have a Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Wish I had the Toyota back. But I'm contemplating several different models and makes of cars. But whatever it is will be a SUV!
Eloise, I often look to see what cars are in a Real Estate Office parking lot. I have come to know what many of the Realtors drive, so if I see the car of one of the Realtors that I want to speak to sitting in the parking lot, I pull over and stop. Knowing their cars saves me a lot of time. So even if you go to a completely different car and color, it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows what you drive again, and you will be back to your same identity situation. So get what you will enjoy driving without regards to identity.
Eloise, I found this post very amusing. I also have a tendency to see a car as simply a comfortable, reliable means to get from here to there. Living in a household of men...2 sons & a husband, you can imagine that this is definitely a minority opinion! There are 2 things I truly dislike changing until they get so worn out that I have too...they are a great purse & a good car!
Danny- Your comment is right on target with my thinking. I am going through similar thought processes and believe that for the same reasons as you, I will stay with an SUV, but not the massive ones. Compared with mid-sized sedans, the gas usage of the smaller SUV's is not outrageous.
George- so it's the job and not the car, eh? Should I change jobs to lose some visibility? Guess I don't want that. I'll just have to learn to live with it, I guess.
Lola- I am in stiches reading your comment. I could have written it about myself. The Last time I bought a car, my son was still living at home. When I announced I was going to get a new car, he and his step dad perked up, and were out the door before I was ready to drive me to the dealership. When we got there I had to be the referee between them picking out the car for me. It is really very funny to see how much fun they were having.
With respect to purses, that's why I bought Coach over the years. Lately they are getting to be a bit too heavy and I don't like their new styles. A few years ago my husband brought me a cute little purse, really delightful, from one of the Smithsonian museums. He said he was tired of seeing me with the same worn out purse. I took a good look at my favorite companion for several years and realized it was time to retire it. It is still in the closet. You see,
This is too funny! I have a 4 Runner, and it's getting old. And I hate to admit it, but I've hit 2 deer. Not on purpose of course, neither died or were hurt. My car however was all bashed in, but still legal. So I decided I wasn't going to fix it, after all I might hit another deer. Best idea I ever had. Every cop in 2 counties knows who I am and they just wave as I wiz, er, um, drive by!
Based on Lolas comment I think women are practical about their cars. And Danny buy a deer prove SUV!
Dena,
I know people who have hit one deer but not two! One friend told me that if I ever hit one and was asked by the authorities if i hit the deer or the deer hit me, I should say the latter. I guess it depends on the jurisdiction. I am so pleased that I now live where there is little or no danger of hitting a deer. When I lived on the east coast, I lived in great fear of having a deer hit me.
Dena, your story is so very funny. I acan understand why all the cops know you and why you won't change your car. I bet your clients love hearing your story. Don't change your car.
We are all going to get suv's - deer proof or not.
I have a friend that was hit by a deer. She was going down I 25 and the deer ran into the side of her car. It did a bunch of damage, and the deer didn't die right off. How awful is that?