What does it mean when you turn up your radio?

There are only a few reasons one would turn up the radio in their car and it is the passengers duty to know them and react accordingly.

1. This is a great song.
For this particular reason a passenger is not only invited but encouraged to participate in a mini car jam session. All air instruments welcome and vocals highly recommended.

2. Lets leave the singing to the professionals.
We all have that one friend who believes she's the next Carrie Underwood. Well news flash sweetie but you probably shouldn't waste your time looking into the next Canadian Idol audition times. I am only turning up this crappy Adelle song to drown out the ruckus coming out of your mouth.

3. This song is deep. Embrace it.
Lyrics often connect with us on much deeper and emotional levels than an artist may anticipate. Connecting with song lyrics while in your car with a passenger in tow is when things can get a little tricky. At this point your only hope is that your passenger understands you on a much deeper level and will let you have your three minutes of pure lyrical bliss without judgment.

In short we all have our own reasons for what with do in our cars and particularly with our volume control. With this I ask you to chose your passengers carefully because no one enjoys a drive with a sub par copilot.

Happy Travels

55,555 kms and counting

What do you hang from your rearview mirror?

Every driver attempts to personalize his or her vehicle, and there are so many ways to do this. A specific scent or air freshener, seat covers, mats, detailing or colours. But the one I find most fascinating is what a driver hangs from their rear view mirror. I am not talking about parking passes, I mean the things an individual has taken the time to think out. The variety is endless.

For example you have the classic baby shoes, dice and mardi gras beads, but when you start to pay attention you will be rather surprised by what you see. Mini skeletons, Hawaiian lais, necklaces, dog tags and children's crafts. The possibilities are endless.

When walking through a parking lot I love looking at these small momentos and trying to picture who the driver of a vehicle may be. Is the driver a owner of the car with dice a young reckless male, or did the woman driving the car with dog tags lose someone close to her.

We all have our reasons for hanging what we do in a space that is highly personally and a constant in our lives. So think about it. What do you have hanging from your rear view? What does it mean to you? 

Don't forget to check your rear view.
55, 234 km and counting.

Snow tires, expensive... but are they worth it?

Everyone always seems to be discussing the importance of snow tires. I however, as a student decided that this would be a place to save cost when purchasing a car this year. I could not have been more wrong.

This winter has been a 'snowpocalypse'. The amount of snow we have received in the last few weeks seems as though it is a sign by which some cruel person has decided to inform me about my lack of preparation. Every drive to school, work or home seems like a field trip through the danger zone with my back end sliding around while my front tires are simultaneously spinning out of control.

And as much as I complain about this awful winter and the horrendous driving conditions it has taught me a lot and reminded me how important it is to always be a cautious driver. Through my bad luck I have learned that if you fail to start stopping way back you will in fact slide through a red light and then feel like you are holding your breath for a multitude of hours. I have learned that if you are having a difficult time getting up a hill dropping down into first will give you more traction. But most importantly I have learned that next year I will be investing in snow tires.

Slow down, and stay on the roads.
54,800 kms and counting.

That Dreaded Gas Light

It appears to me that my gas light is forever dinging and blinking at me. A drive in my car is a constant battle between me and my gas light. This process to have become something similar to a war. I put in thirty dollars and it will feel like I drove around the block and then BAM my lovely blinking orange visitor is back on my dash.

The truth is I'm exaggerating just a bit, but I think most students could agree that they feel like they work to pay for school and to pay for gas.

So here are some gas saving tips
1) don't commute to school.
2) don't drive your car.
3) don't let other people drive your car.

Joking, these are unavoidable but there are somethings you can do to save on gas. Car pooling: Ask around, see if someone in your program lives in the same area. Ask your friends to pitch for gas. SERIOUSLY this is something I am always so afraid to do. The truth is however if they are a good friend and appreciate all the driving you do they'll be willing to hand over some cash for you willingness to drive them.

Drive Safe
54, 746 kms and counting.