solara powered (a flashback)

do any of y’all drive a newer toyota? i do now (but won’t after tomorrow) and kinda dig it, kinda don’t. the LAST rental i got for myself was this same year, make, and model…a 2003 toyota solara. on the last one, i was the first renter to drive it (this one has 11,000 miles on it and that was only a month ago, so i doubt this is the same car, although they are both “fuck me red”). when i got back, they asked if there were any off noises or what-not, since i WAS the first one to put it through it’s paces…

“you’ve got a little wind noise on the driver’s window, right next to the seat belt clip, ” i said. “really?”, leo, the enterprise manager replied, “how bad is it?” “pretty loud,” i retorted, “but it only pops up once you get it up over 110 mph, so i guess it’s no biggie”.

NOT something you tell them, apparently (judging off the look on his face). kinda like when i let the guy at the one downtown know that the explorer he gave me had a governor on it…he said, “i don’t think so…i never experienced that”. “i did,” i said…”but it cuts out at 105, so it’s all good”. confession might be good for the soul, but it sucks for keeping your rental rating cool.

here’s my only toyota issue: the keyless entry. see, the thing doesn’t honk. it doesn’t chirp. it BEEPS. it’s a two door, japanese sports coupe that sounds like a fucking microwave. of course, i wouldn’t have even known, except for when i was stuck in the rain the first time in SA, i got to digging through the glove box and found the remotes, so i put one on the keychain to help me with loading gear and such (last night – THREE complete pc systems in only two loads…not bad, eh?) and it signals locked, unlocked, etc, with a series of BEEPS. why do i find that annoying? i walk away from the car, hit a button on the remote, and suddenly think of hot popcorn.

how odd.