Every since the New Beetle convertible rolled off the assembly line, my heart has ached secretly for it. Secretly because it was not a practical car, it was one of those things that you told yourself in your thoughts, someday I will drive topless, someday. I have prepared for some days, but I also have been known to be impulsive and experience the now, the moment, I grab it and go for it. I feel that some judge me for this quality, and I think some envy it, I love the few that are similar to me and act spontaneous but balance back with some responsibility. Recently the Beetle got redesigned and turned out doesn't really look like a beetle at all anymore. I decided that waiting was no longer something I wanted to do, and I began a search for a used convertible, my weekend car, my let loose mobile, my cheerio free environment. After about a month of searching I really began to get serious and I found the one, it spoke to me, and the stars aligned and it is now mine. The freedom I felt just driving it from the lot to home justified my purchase. I have also had many more thoughts about my new motive of transportation. So I have decided to Dave Letterman it, here is my top ten reasons to own a convertible...
1. Convertibles are fun.
Driving a convertible is the kind of fun that doesn't rely on speed or handling. Even a slow convertible is fun to drive. There's nothing better than being out in the elements while still being in your car -- the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, the smell of nature instead of the chill of air conditioning. When you have a convertible, you look for opportunities to drive -- a beautiful day can be amplified by a nice drive in the drop top.
2. The bugs that you swallow in the convertible will add much needed protein to your diet, plus could help cut the cost of meals.
3. A convertible facilitates multitasking. In an increasingly busy world, any time you can add a second task to your day without any additional effort, you'd be silly to pass up the opportunity. A convertible allows you to add sun tanning to your commute, then you'll prove to everyone that you are not a vampire, two birds, one Twilight Sparkling Stone.
4. If it rains, you can get your morning shower while commuting to work, two birds; one unhygienic stone.
5. Your giant pet giraffe can now ride shotgun no problem. Or now I have no excuse NOT to buy a pet giraffe.
6. The wind in your hair is a feeling like no other, unless you can run really really fast, I guess.
7. You can transport large items. How many times has this happened to you: You're on the road, when you see the perfect, authentic, 10 foot chicken for your backyard, and it's only $10! The only problem is that your sedan's trunk will barely hold a golf bag and the chicken shop is going out of business forever that day! If you were driving a convertible, that beauty would be in your garden right now, and it would have been a magnificent spectacle traveling down the highway all the way home.
8. A convertible is great for a marriage. Think about it--when was the last time you saw an unhappy couple driving around with the top down? It is much harder to argue in a convertible--the combination of wind noise and exposure make a fight much less likely in a VW beetle than a minivan.
9. A convertible gives you entry options. Haven't we all tried the Dukes of Hazard entry into a car at some point in our life, leaping through the window directly into the driver's seat? Well, with a convertible you can actually use those vaulting skills and you won't look as ridiculous as NASCAR drivers going in through the window, plus you save yourself from the possibility of sustaining major head trauma.
10. A convertible fosters an interest in science. I can throw the kids in the backseat (of course after I teach them to get in Dukes of Hazard style), and go for a late night drive with some hot cocoa and encourage them to gaze at the stars and the night sky. Before long I may be chauffeuring a potential NASA engineer or rocket scientist, and I value my kids education.
See there are many reasons I needed this car. I could go on and on, but right now I have to unload a chicken and the giraffe is hungry...01.25.12
