DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Laurel At Lexington Market

Q: Hi Laurel. Thank you for participating in Defend Your Ride Baltimore. What's the main thing you use your car for?

A: Grocery shopping, these days. It's actually a great car for doing groceries because there are already stains in here, so I'm not too worried if something spills or melts.

Q: Interesting. What about music? What do you listen to when you're picking your groceries up?

A: Oh god, this is really embarrassing. I used to have an iPod in here until it got stolen when my car was broken into. Now I mainly listen to the first three preset stations. The first one is DC's NPR station. The second one is Baltimore's NPR station. The third one is Philly's NPR station for when I'm driving out to see my sister or boyfriend.

Q: That's not that embarrassing. I know a ton of old people who listen to NPR.

A: <laughs> OK, so it's old people and me.

Q: How'd your car get broken into?

A: I was parked in an overflow parking lot in my neighborhood. I live near Hollins Market. I came to my car one day because I needed to do groceries. When I got there, there was junk all around it. There were ketchup packets, forks, toothbrushes and a bunch of things I've been stashing away for years. I guess they ransacked my car looking for anything useful. All they found were old ketchup packets and my iPod. By the way, I hope that person likes the Beach Boys. Anyway, I actually wasn't that upset about being broken into because they jimmied the door. They didn't break the window. The worst part was realizing how disgusting my car was.

Q: Did that inspire you to clean up?

A: Sort of. Some things I just put back.

Q: What do you love about your car?

A: My parents bought it for me in high school, which I'm really thankful for. Also, besides regular upkeep like oil changes, I haven't had any repair problems.

Q: What's the most people you've had in here at once?

A: Just four. Not that many. I have driven with two dogs and a cat in here once. It wasn't that safe because I had to keep checking on them. The cat was in a box.

Q: Do you have any rules when people are in here?

A: No. One time though, I was driving some classmates to an elementary school where we were doing a presentation on nutrition. Someone made a comment about a stain I have on my backseat. It doesn't look that bad to me, though. Besides, I have one that's way worse on the front seat.

Q: What is it a stain of? You can tell us.

A: When I used to teach in a middle school-—I don't even know why I'm sharing this-—I used to eat McDonald's twice a day. Once in the morning and once on my way home. The stain is from wiping my hand against the seat.

Q: I see. Wouldn't have guessed that. This car sounds like it's been holding up pretty well everything considered. What do you think your next ride will be?

A: If this broke down, something cheap. But if it was up to me, my dream car is a Subaru station wagon--the Outback or the Forester. I really like how people look when they're driving Subaru station wagons with their canoes on top of the cars.