DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Todd At Corona Park
"My car is actually a mobile office. It travels with me wherever I need to be."
- The Ride
- The Driver: Todd
- Car in Question: 1999 Red Subaru Forester
- Spotted at: World's Fair New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows, Queens, N.Y. 11354
- Odometer: 152,000
THE DEFENSE
Q: Todd, so what are you doing here?
A: I am here working for a newspaper.
Q: So this is a work automobile?
A: It's used for completing my photography assignments.
Q: You must spend a lot of time in it then.
A: I spend about three hours a day, on average, in my car. I recently moved to New Jersey. I spend a fair amount of time going back and forth for photo assignments. I work in a different place every day.
Q: Is it dependable then?
A: I love my Forester. It's an all-wheel drive vehicle. It does great in dry weather, in wet weather, in the snow. It's fairly unstoppable and it takes a beating on the city streets.
Q: And roomy enough for all your equipment?
A: It's not a big car, it's not a small car, but it holds more than your average hatchback. I can store a fair amount of equipment in it. I fill up the front seat. I fill up the backseat. Fill up the trunk. I fill up the car with cases of photo equipment, cameras, lighting gear, all types of large cases.
Q: Do you ever use it for non-work stuff? Maybe the occasional day-trip?
A: I have a cabin in Pennsylvania and it's my getaway from the urban environment of New York. My car is not only my work vehicle but it also gets me safely to my country getaway. It provides me a means of escape from the hot summers of New York. I lived in New York City and in Brooklyn for 21 years before moving to New Jersey.
Q: Any ideas about what your next car might be?
A: For my next vehicle, I'm considering buying a pick up truck for work and utility purposes. I bought this car used. It was three years old. I used money that my grandmother left me when she passed away, so it was a gift from my grandmother.
Photos and interview by Jai Mitchell
View previous Defend Your Ride features as well as other great stories for people who love cars at CBSNewYork.com/Autos.
