Unnecessary respect and envy

Much to my amusment and partly to my dismay, my unexpected need to search for a new car has taken me on a journey of varied trials, and finally to settle on a nice luxury car. I've only had the car for a mere two weeks, and I can already say that I could not be happier about my purchase. I have to admit that having the windows down, sunroof open, and the music blaring as I headed down to the beach has been very satisfying. Having a vehicle which you can feel the acceleration push you back into your (leather) seat when you floor it has probably had me smiling near continuously since I bought it.

I had to move my friend's car a few days back and as soon as I sat in that cloth covered driver's seat, I knew that I had already become accustomed to being able to slide right into the leather wrapped seat where the leather just guides you right into that perfect spot. One would think that being in such a slippery seat would not be fun or stable when one chose to throw that car around a few fast turns. I tested this theory and found that the seat kept me in the same spot just as well as my old cloth covered seat did. *grin* I have yet to find something that this car can't handle.

As many know, the parent company of Lexus is Toyota. So, the mechanical parts of my car are basically Toyota Camry and Avalon parts. In fact, when you lift the hood up, the word Toyota is all over the place. I looked up the repair manual for the car and I was referred to the Camry manual. For the most part, when the ES model is updated, the old model gets turned into a Camry.

So, I am very aware of the fact that I am really driving a Camry in disguise. What I am currently taking great amusement out of is the fact that the key fob with the golden "L" in a circle has garnered me a large amount of respect and envy. If I empty out my pockets, I can see people's attitudes instantly change when they see this status symbol that is associated with wealth. I imagine this is akin to dressing up in a business suit and getting better service.

I have had women that I've met for the first time ask me what I drive, and when I tell them, they suddenly are very interested in what I do for a living, where I live, and one even asked me how much money I made. There's nothing to do but keep these types of women at arms length as far as I am concerned. The funny thing about trying to stay away from them is how persistent they become as they try to get closer to me.

What's even funnier in my eyes is when I humbly proclaim that I drive a Lexus and these people think I am even wealthier than I appear to be. One person told me to stop being so blase about owning a thirty thousand dollar luxury vehicle. I burst out laughing right there. To stop this guy from getting angry at me, I told him how much I paid for the car and he declared that he was going out shopping for a used Lexus.

I guess that what was truly unexpected about owning this Lexus is the amount of unnecessary respect and envy I have encountered. I am truly enjoying every moment I have driven the car, and since this car came with a one year warranty, I don't have to worry about it for at least that amount of time. All I have to do is drive, put in gas and change the oil. Now how great is that?

As for the person who requested a picture of it, I will get one taken as soon as I give the Lexus a carwash and a gleaming coat of wax. I promise. Now if only the weather would cooperate.