Freedom ~ My 1st Car

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 29 (AUTOMOBILES)

When I first got my license I was allowed to drive my parents car, but only on the days my brothers needed to go into town. 

We lived out of town so my parents were delighted to have another driver in the family. 

I drove whichever brother needed a ride to wherever they were going, and could do what I wanted until I had to return to pick them up. 

Doing whatever I wanted involved cruising up and down Baker Street in Nelson, British Columbia. 

That was where I waved to my peers who were cruising the same streets. 

Sometimes we would stop for coffee, but mostly we just drove to the end of the several block street & then turned around to go the other way. 

Thinking back to those trips with my 2 younger brothers I wonder what my parents were thinking. 

Nelson's roads are straight up and straight down.

I turned 16 in October in the days before graduated licensing. 

I was just given the keys and off I went as a brand new driver with my 2 siblings in the car up and down steep icy streets.

What were they thinking?

When Chris and I raised our kids they didn't understand why we were so freaked out by the idea of them going in vehicles with new drivers. 

Chris turned 16 in July of the same year I did in the Rocky Mountain area of Alberta - his experiences were exactly like mine, BUT he also saw the evidence of inexperience as a Paramedic. 

Our poor children were allowed none of the freedoms their parents had.

Now back to the story about MY car!

In the summer  of 1985 my parents gifted me the white Pinto pictured below. 

They paid $100.

When I look at this picture I see the rust along the driver's door 

           - I don't remember rust being there. 

In my mind my 1st car was perfect. 

I loved this car.

When friends told me the Pinto was prone to exploding if they were rear-ended I made sure to always watch my rearview mirror when stopped or any other time I might be rear-ended.

I'm not sure why the car shook and rocked when stopped at a stoplight, but the motion soothed me so I didn't worry about it. 

My car gave me my first taste of freedom.

I still lived at home so escaping without my brothers in tow was a delight. 

I had to pay for my own insurance and gas, but I had a job so this wasn't a problem.

The driver's door couldn't be closed from the inside. 

I would open the door, unroll the window, close the door, climb in the window, and close the window. 

It opened from the inside so a repeat performance wasn't needed. 

Wondering what the equivalency would be in 2024 I used an inflation calculator, and realized an equal spend today wouldn't get a running car. 

Then again if my parents hadn't bought the car from a friend of the family I don't think $100 bought any sort of car in 1985 either. 

When you remember your 1st taste of freedom!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

$100 in 1985 equivalency in 2024. Inflation Calculator Clipped, $100
https://inflationcalculator.ca/

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Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

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