SUMMER ROAD TRIP '07!!!...Kind of.

I find it difficult to deny today’s man-made environmental problems, but it’s even tougher to remember all of the trendy, new ways to minimize my carbon footprint.  Never before were eco-friendly suggestions so ubiquitous, and this leads me to fondly remember a youth when the truth was a bit more convenient.  One ozone-saving precaution has been advertised since at least the 90’s, though, and to good effect: carpooling. 

            But in the urban sprawl of South Florida, do any of my co-workers actually live close enough to conserve-n’-swerve?  Even if they did, it would be nearly impossible to agree upon radio pre-sets.  Sure--the gang consolidates into one vehicle on the way to lunch, but this is usually thrown out when individual errands need running afterwards.  Since I began working, there has been but one exception to this pattern: when one DailyMe staffer dropped his car off at the shop after lunch, we consolidated into my “whip” for the ride back to headquarters. 

            Admittedly, this was the first time a respectable, non-relative adult sat on my passenger side.  And even though I had more than a fair warning, it didn’t strike me until the door opened that there might be a code of conduct for this sort of thing.  Not that I hadn’t done the obvious housekeeping—I cleared trash from the floor, and even turned off my guilty-pleasure music (Devo, obviously)—but I figured that wasn’t enough.  In an impromptu attempt to satisfy my co-worker, I blurted out those famous words:

            “Is this an all right level for the air conditioning?  Oh, and that seat reclines.”

As a long-time car passenger, I’d formerly wondered WHY people ask those two rapid-fire comfort questions.  I mean: if human bodies are all comparably sensitive to temperature, can my notch-of-choice really damage the guy?  Plus, the passenger seat in a sedan always reclines.  The experience taught me that these quirky inquiries are necessary only for the driver’s peace-of-mind.  Much like the restaurateur lavishes a food critic with a nice table, I had to offer comfort to the passenger before his time came to judge my driving skills.  Because that is the real underlying fear. 

            My driving skills were well-honed, however, and my living cargo seconded that.  I was left with only one concern.  My “faux-lleague” (as an intern, I’m hardly an equal) was only given an estimated time to pick up his car, and we ran the risk of getting back to the store too early.  I knew that waiting with him would only cut deeper into my daily break-time, but did my obligation to the man extend farther than a quick drop-off?  After all, we’d already been through so much together (6 traffic lights, two times a-piece).  I ultimately decided to stay with him until the job was done, but this verdict lacked moral foundation.  His “car place”, it turns out, was attached to one of my favorite wholesale retail stores…you know, the type that gives away food samples. 

            So whether or not I made the right decision, the real winner was the environment (and driver/passenger conversation).  When the environment gets the gold medal, we get valuable rain.  Keep it up!

--John the Intern

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