Sixteen Log Cabins

I learned to drive in a Mercury Bobcat. If you’ve never heard of it, I’m not surprised. It was a rebranded Ford Pinto. Pintos were notorious in the early 70’s, when it was found rear-end accidents – even at moderate speeds – caused them to explode. Ours was a wagon, not a sedan, so maybe the fatal design flaw didn’t apply. (We never actually got rear-ended, so I don’t know.) It was a powder blue woodie, but the “wood” was stickers applied to the sides. There was a hatch for loading things (or unsecured people) in back. It had only two doors, which meant if you wanted access to the back seat, the person sitting in front had to exit and fold the seat in half first. When I earned my first driver’s license, my car was even worse: an ugly Toyota subcompact with a standard transmission and a cowardly engine. I think I know why I’ve never liked driving.