WHY I HATE SPORTS CARS

One of my favorite movies is Two for the Road, staring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.  The film follows a couple over Europe as young lovers, honeymooners, parents, and finally successful but not necessarily happily married.   Who doesn’t love Audrey Hepburn?  There is a restaurant scene in the film where Finney and Hepburn comment on a couple eating dinner in silence.  Their analysis is “married people” no longer talk to one another.

In 1995, I rode as a passenger in the brand new MG Spitfire, with my boyfriend Sam.  He had purchased the sports car in London and we drove to Scotland and Wales, boarded the ferry in Dover and crossed the English Channel.  Camped in a public campground in Paris (no kidding).  Saw that stupid auto race in Monaco.  Traveled through Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Holland.  We were both students spending our days sketching.  We stayed in cheap hotels, and hostels, and we camped in a tent.  I have hated sports cars ever since, and I was never fond of tents.  

The day we picked up the car I told Sam, I want my backpack on top of all the gear, so I could walk away and not listen to the shouting and recriminations should there be an accident.  Cramming all our gear compete with sleeping bags and tent, into the incredibly small trunk and tiny space behind the seats was never fun.  

Years later another friend Bill bought a really stupid Mazda Miata.  Bill was a great golfer, but he couldn’t even get one set of clubs in the trunk.   We drove to the golf course with both set of clubs between my legs in the passenger seat.  Bill was not a practical sort of fellow.  

Sam was in his 20s, Bill was in his late 60s.  What is it with men and sports cars?  I also hate motorcycles, but will leave that for another blog post.

Driving with the top down, wind in your hair and no storage space is not my dream — more like a nightmare.  I like to have a bed, a toilet, kitchen, closet and storage.  Not a lot, but enough for comfort.  That is why an Airstream is my idea of heaven.  I even dream of moving from my 19 foot to a 20ft!  One foot can make a huge difference in an Airstream. Check out the floor plan of the 20 foot Flying Cloud, look at ALL that amazing kitchen counter space  Now that is a dream!

Kitchen counter vs. male sexual organ?  I will take the counter space.