DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Erin At The Massachusetts State House

Q: Hi Erin! Thank you for participating in Defend Your Ride Boston. Tell us about your car. What's awesome about it?

A: It's a 2004 silver Volvo C70 convertible with a V6 and leather heated seats. The heated seats are crucial. One of my favorite things is to put the top down when it isn't really smart to do so, like early fall, crank the heat, and put the tushy warmers on.

Q: Sounds awesome, but isn't Boston too cold for a convertible? Do you get to use it much?

A: Three months out of the year, so it wasn't the smartest buy. But I push the limits! I was driving around with the top down in October of this year.

Q: Other than the convertible top and heated seats, what made you pick this car?

A: I had been commuting back and forth from Boston to Dartmouth, where my parents live, taking the bus, taking the train. I was living in Beacon Hill at the time. It felt convenient to not have a car. I could walk to work. I didn't have to worry about parking. But the final straw came when I was racing to South Station to take the bus back home to Dartmouth for my friend's bridal shower. And I missed the bus! I had Crate & Barrel packages under both arms! I just threw them on the ground. I was totally annoyed. At that moment I said, "I'm going to go buy a car." The next day I started looking for cars.

Q: But why this one? What drew you to it?

A: I wanted something that spoke to my personal style, something that was safe and practical, but still had a sense of sass and fun, like me. I had never actually seen a convertible Volvo until I bought this car. It just spoke to me.

Q: In addition to joyrides and bridal showers, what else do you use your Volvo for?

A: To drive to work at the State House and then to cover events at night. I freelance as a writer. I write mostly about fashion events and nightlife in Boston. I think that is where the style piece comes in. Style is so much a part of my life. My personal style is fun and a little loud, but tastefully so, kind of like my car.

Q: Where do people fit with all of your clothes and stuff in the backseat?

A: I move it from the backseat to the trunk. The trunk is insanely small! I usually have clothes strewn across the back because I'll go from my day job to events at night. I'll often need a pair of heels or a dress to change into. I usually only have people in my car if I'm going to the beach in the summer, but for the most part, it's really just me.

Q: Do you have any rituals or things you like to do by yourself in the car?

A: Yes. In the winter, when I'm driving to work, I like to have my cup of coffee in my cup holder, plug in my iPod and rock out to embarrassing songs that I wouldn't listen to with anyone else in the car. It kind of gets me through the traffic.

Q: What kind of embarrassing music?

A: Britney Spears, Kesha, really girly sassy, fun, dance songs. I kind of dance in my seat a little bit. I probably wouldn't do that if I had someone else in the car.

Q: Sounds like fun. I wish it were warm right now so we could go for a ride with the top down. OK, last questions, what is the thing that you love most about your car?

A: The fact that it is a convertible. Volvos are one of the safest cars, so it's also very practical, but it's topless, so it's also sassy and a little provocative.