DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Sean At Enoch Pratt Free Library

Q: This seems like a silly question, but why is your car nicknamed The Egg?

A: It's sort of shaped like an egg and it's white. A friend of ours had one and theirs was red. They called theirs Nugget. Nugget got into an altercation and had to be dismantled and shelved. They sort of get a tear in their eye when they see the Egg and reminisce.

Q: How'd you get it?

A: My son drove my 2003 Honda Accord into a telephone pole. By the way, probably the least safe car on the road is the Honda Accord. He walked away from the car after he split the telephone pole in half. I was getting this car for him, but with no third car, naturally it became mine.

Q: You have 85,000 miles on your odometer? That seems like a lot for a car this new.

A: I live in Cecil County and I work in Baltimore City as a graphic artist for a manufacturer. I drive 100 miles every day! It's about 50 minutes in the morning, then an hour and 15 in the afternoon. Because my hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., I'm able to beat traffic.

Q: Is this a comfortable car to spend two hours in every day?

A: Honestly, the Honda was a little more comfortable. This gets 40 miles to the gallon, though. That's its saving grace.

Q: Have you taken an especially long trip, besides your normal commute?

A: I went all the way to the Black Forest in upstate Pennsylvania, which is about an hour away from Niagara Falls. It was great! This is the only car that Toyota put out that hasn't been recalled. It was made in Japan. I think that has something to do with it.

Q: Do you have any sort of driving philosophy on the road with your car, The Egg?

A: My philosophy is don't drive angry. I get in the fast lane and drive 80 miles an hour, but if people want to cut me off, they can. I don't care.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share with us about your car?

A: It doesn't have power anything. The window are manual, so that's not great. But again, it's great on gas. That is its biggest feature. The seats are a little stiff. The wheel base is shorter, so it's a bit bumpier than the Honda. But the price difference is dramatic. One costs $11,000 and the other costs $25,000. It's a great car for anybody! That's about it.