DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Katie Near Venice Beach

Q: Hello! I haven't seen the Extended Edition before. What exactly does that mean?

A: The trunk is a little bit longer than most Jeeps. Most Jeeps, when you pull down the second seat, the trunk is pretty short. So this has got about an extra six to twelve inches on it.

Q: Does that come in handy?

A: It totally does. I'm able to get a lot more junk in there, whether I'm going camping or biking. I've fit three different bikes all in the trunk of my car before I got a bike rack, so it really helps.

Q: Your Jeep is very red. Do you have a nickname for it, like Little Red or Big Red?

A: I guess I would call him Prince. I love Prince's music, and I've always loved the song "Little Red Corvette" even though this isn't a Corvette. I like the line, "I'm gonna try to tame your little red love machine."

Q: Nice. So how long have you owned Prince?

A: I've owned him for seven years, so in 2004 we got him pretty much off the lot. I actually had a white hard top Wrangler before I had this car. I drove it into the ground. It literally stopped on me in the middle of the freeway in Ohio. We had to push it off the freeway. Luckily, it had stopped right before the exit to the Chrysler Jeep dealership, so we were able to push it into the dealership and exchange it on the spot for value. Then we bought this guy.

Q: Wow, that's very serendipitous.

A: It is. I loved my first white Wrangler. I knew I wanted a soft top after that, which is kind of funny because I hardly ever take the top off of this Jeep.

Q: You must be living the California dream, cruising around L.A. with the top off?

A: I've got about the worst luck in the world with taking the top off this Jeep. I think every time I've ever tried to do it in the seven years that I've owned this car, it starts raining, regardless if the weather report says it's supposed to be clear skies.

Q: Bummer. Tell us about your commute. What is your favorite part?

A: My favorite part is going up over the hills on the 405 right before you get to Ventura. You literally get to see the entire San Fernando Valley just spread out in front of you. It's probably the most peaceful stretch of road—unless there's an accident or massive traffic—that I've ever seen. I've had many a revelation going up over those hills.

Q: Sounds beautiful. Thank you for talking with us today. Just one final question please: Do you have any sort of overarching philosophy when it comes to driving? I know L.A. can be tough.

A: I think you need to keep your hands on the wheel and look at the road. Enough people in this town forget how to drive the day after they turn 16 and get their license. So, you know, I hate the "I own the road" mentality of California drivers, especially when you're trying to get down to the Promenade or something like that on a Saturday. Nobody will give you the right-of-way, and five cars try to turn on a yellow light. You know? Take your time.