DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Latease At Franklin Park

Q: Hi Latease! Thank you for participating in Defend Your Ride Boston. So what made you purchase the Vibe?

A: We bought it in 2009, shortly after we found out that I was pregnant with our second child. We were driving a Toyota Camry. We realized that it was definitely not going to be big enough for two car seats, and two or three adults. We knew we needed to get a bigger car. I knew I didn't want a minivan. An SUV felt like too much car for me. I'm only 5'2". I wanted something that was sort of midsize, affordable, and also cute.

Q: What is your favorite part about your car?

A: It is size. I really like the size because I feel like I'm in the same league as people driving an SVU, who are just sort of cruising through the snow, and are able to see a little bit higher. But at the same time, it's not too big, where I feel the car is in charge of me.

Q: Sounds like you found the perfect car for you.

A: Yes, I think my car complements me. It's cute. I feel like it's stylish. It's got a cute interior. I really like the Pontiac symbol.

Q: And what brings us to Franklin Park this morning?

A: It's part of my commute for dropping my daughter off at school in Jamaica Plain.

Q: Is that your main use for this car?

A: Really just to get us where ever we need to go. Any sort of family day trips, but mostly for me to drop my kids off at school and commute to work. My husband likes to use it on the weekends because he thinks it's a better car than our other cars. He really likes it. He thinks it's sporty and cool, and safer because it has airbags.

Q: Does this sporty, cool, car have a nickname?

A: It's just the Vibe. The kids call it, "Mommy's car." We have three cars. We've had the Trans Am for 13 years. We got the Toyota to replace the Trans AM because it doesn't sit too many people comfortably. Then we got the Vibe to replace the Toyota. We ended up keeping them all because of the weather and whatnot. So when we are going out the kids say, "Whose car are we taking?" My daughter calls the Vibe, Mommy's Car, the Trans Am, my husband's car, and then the gold Toyota is my daughter's car. She calls it, "Her car."

Q: If "Mommy's Car" had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: Just one? I'd have to say hip and selfless. Hip because it's the right size for me. I'm a mom, but I'm not your soccer mom. I like to go out with the girls and it looks good, so it complements. And it's selfless, because I feel like that car has been better to me than I've been to it. I haven't made any sacrifices for it, but I feel like it has sacrificed for me, in some strange way. I've made some poor choices on the road and it has been there for me.

Q: Since you have two kids, do you have any rules in your car?

A: Make sure the music is loud enough. I come from a singing family. My daughter loves to sing. My husband got her into singing a lot of old soul, R&B and Motown. She loves to sing. My son loves to dance, so the music needs to be loud enough.

Q: Do you have any tricks to driving and parking in Boston?

A: Really, I just sort of go with the flow. I try not to let other people's neurotic, crazy driving, affect me. I try to be a patient driver. I really definitely take my time. I just try and take my time and be patient.