DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Pete On 42nd Street

Q: What's your name and what brings you to Times Square?

A: My graffiti name is Pete Ski. I've been doing graffiti since 1979. Right now we're in New York City, Time Square, 42nd Street. I'm here doing my graffiti hats. It's my living. It's how I pay my bills.

Q: How long have you been making these graffiti hats?

A: I've been doing the hats for like six years. You can come see them. I'm selling and making my hats Thursday, Friday, Saturday, right by Madame Tussauds, from 7pm until midnight.

Q: You guys both make these hats?

A: He's the artist. He makes the hats. I just come by and help him out some times.

Q: Impressive operation. What can you tell me about your vehicle?

A: I bought this at a sheriff's auction about a year and a half ago. It's a good vehicle. It's a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. It basically takes my kids to school. I got eight kids, so I need a big vehicle. If you look inside, I have the car seats in there. There's a car seat here, there's a car seat there, there's two car seats in the back.

Q: When your caravan is not used for selling hats or taking the kids to school, do you ever take it on road trips? What's the furthest you've ever taken it?

A: To be honest, the Bronx. But he takes the family and goes upstate.

Q: Are there any rules in your car?

A: No eating, no drinking, definitely no smoking. No playing around.

Q: Do you listen to music in the car?

A: Yes, of course. House music, freestyle, hip-hop, classical music, and jazz.

Q: Does your car have a nickname?

A: The Queen Bee.

Q: Nice, and if Queen Bee had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: I think it'd be happy. Because it gets to go to all these places. It's in Times Square enjoying the sites, and then it will travel to the Lower East Side. I live in Chelsea, so it'll get to see Chelsea Piers. It's like an adventure for the car. Its own adventure. The car's having more fun than us. She's having the thrill, while we're just sitting down, know what I'm saying? She gets to hit the bumps.

Q: What if your car had say, a star sign, what would it be?

A: She must be a Gemini. Her sign has to be a Gemini. We call her the Queen Bee, but she's like a Gemini. She works when she wants to work. But she's a horse though. She gets me from point A to point B and I appreciate that. I take care of her as best as I could. Every four to six months, give her a tune up, make sure the air pressure's good. Give her little baths and stuff like that. You know, I pamper her.

Q: Queen Bee is great, of course, but further down the road, if you were to buy your dream car, what would it be?

A: My dream car would be a Bentley. I don't know if that would happen, but that would be my dream car.

Q: But you're happy with Queen Bee for now?

A: AC's pumping in the summer, the heats pumping in the winter. I can't complain. This is my Dodge Caravan, the Queen Bee. The best car on the road!