Pepe Prius
All good things must come to an end. Our pre-owned 2002 Prius, Pepe is no exception. Pepe was totaled this weekend when a giant Cadillac Escalade came to a sudden stop on Bear Ridge Road. Poor Pepe skidded into the SUV’s trailer hitch crumbling the hood, and damaging the radiator. Fortunately, my daughter who was driving her beloved Pepe at the time was unhurt, just shaken up.
Pepe came to us unexpectedly in the summer of 2005, just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina arrived in New Orleans. I had been looking for a small used car and was dreaming of a hybrid. They were out of my price range at the time. As luck would have it, Pam Leahy, my friend and herbalist, sent out an email saying her husband was looking to sell his Prius as he had just bought a new one. I made hubby cut out of work early to drive up to CT to see it. It was love at first sight, the little car was meant to be part of the Rubin Rodeo. Pam’s hubby, Jim, had been a meticulous owner and supplied us with every service record he had. The car was so clean, I don’t think anyone had even sat in the backseat in the three years they owned it. Pepe Prius came home with us that very night.
I remember Pam warning me not to become one of those hybrid owners that looks down on those who drive gas guzzlers, she said it was an easy thing to do. As a dentist and a nutritionist, I have always maintained a level of non-judgment towards people who don’t know what I know, whether that is dental health, food or gas guzzling giant cars. After all, before Pepe, I had been driving the “Beast” our Honda Pilot, not a very small car indeed.
In 2005, all three of my daughters were below driving age. Anyone living in suburbia knows what its like with after school activities. My Honda Pilot required 2 full tanks a week of gas to get the gals where they needed to go. Once Pepe arrived, that changed dramatically. Pepe only needed a fill up every other week. What a difference a hybrid made for my wallet.
Melanie and Pepe: Halloween 2007
As luck would have it, the price of gas skyrocketed in the aftermath of Katrina. As gas neared $4 a gallon, it was clear that Pepe had arrived at the perfect time, we saved oodles of money driving a small hybrid vehicle. The following year, my eldest daughter, Melanie learned how to drive and Pepe became her best friend. She soon became my taxi driver helping me schlep the other two girls to wherever they needed to go after school and on weekends.
Pepe Prius was such a great car that we went on to purchase a new 2007 Prius, Penelope. We got it just in time before the federal government phased out tax credits. How crazy is that? No incentives to purchase green vehicles!
Pepe played a pivotal role in opening my eyes to environmental issues. Its so sad that this sweet little car met his end as a result of a fender bender with an SUV. As gas prices climb even higher than post-Katrina days due to peak oil and Middle East unrest, I hope more people will re-think owning SUVs. Pam was right, hybrid owners can’t help but see SUV owners as foolish! In a perfect world, I’d like to live in a town where I don’t need a car at all, but in the meantime a small hybrid car is the next best bet.
