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In response to
"I first drove when I was around 8 or 9. -- nm"
by
Reagen
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My little early driver story
Posted by
Max
Sep 27 '21, 17:01
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I grew up across the street from a retired mobster. He had the nicest house on the block, wasn't mean or anything, but my dad was his only friend in the neighborhood.
Before I was old enough to drive I asked my dad how he could be friends with this guy. My dad said, "Well, he was just a sit-down guy, someone who arranged meetings. In any case, you can be friendly with anyone without being too close. You just treat them with respect and expect the same from them. Just remember two things with these guys: you never mess with their women, or their cars."
Cut to a couple years later, I'm behind the wheel of my family car and pull in the driveway after getting groceries with my mom. Mr. P is across the street in his driveway and sees me get out of the car, beckons me over:
"Hey, you're driving now?
"Oh, no, I'm sixteen and have my permit but my mom has to be in the car and-"
"Aw, pff. Look, any time you want to go out and have fun, take a girl out, you just ask and you can drive any of my cars."
In our driveway: two 1976 Plymouth Volares in cream and beige, and an equally old cargo van.
In his driveway: A BMW, a Mercedes, and a Porsche 944.
I wanted to jump at the offer, but immediately thought of what my dad said and then thought about how Risky Business ended and imagined getting killed for crashing a mobster's car. So I kind of politely said thanks but never took him up on the offer.
Summer of 1992 I came home from college break, walked in the house and said, "Dad, explain: DeLorean. Across the street." "Oh, you saw that? Yeah, Mr. P bought one for his son." "Okay, but why are there *two* DeLoreans in his driveway?" "Oh, well the first one broke down, but instead of fixing it he just went out and bought another. I think that one broke down too."
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