DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Dan Zevin, Author Of "Dan Gets A Minivan"
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- The Ride
- The Driver: Dan
- Ride in Question: 2010 Toyota Sienna
- Spotted at: Westchester, N.Y. 10504
- Odometer: 140,000+
- Car's Nickname: Maxivan
THE DEFENSE
Q: Hi Dan. Welcome to Defend Your Ride New York. It's not every day we see a minivan. What can you tell us about yours?
A: It's a 2010 Toyota Sienna. Its main use is hauling my children, my children's friends, my children's friends' friends, friends of my children's friends' friends, random individuals I've never met, Costco merchandise, skis, beach chairs, bikes, scooters, groceries, footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, kickballs and goldfish crackers. I spend approximately one to 24 hours a day in it.
Q: Wow! It sounds like you have a lot of official business in your minivan. Considering all the driving you do, where's your favorite place to drive to?
A: My favorite daytrip is Costco. The first time I ever went to Costco was with my father. It was just the two of us, but we took my minivan because he insisted we'd need it for all of our purchases. I didn't believe him at first, but he was right. We managed to fit nearly the entire inventory of the warehouse into Maxi that day. I guess I got a little carried away. I've never been more grateful for a collapsible third row of seats.
Q: Minivans are practically required for Costco trips. When you're driving around town, running errands and chauffeuring everyone around, what kind of music do you listen to? Do you ever rock it out with the family
A: Whenever Katy Perry's "Firework," comes on--which is every two seconds--the entire family rocks out uncontrollably. It's like we're The Partridge Family in their bus--except we're the Zevin Family in our minivan.
Q: If your car had a human emotion, what would it be?
A: If my minivan had a human emotion, it would absolutely be "sexy," at least now that I've customized it with hot-rod flames that you'd normally find on a Harley Davidson. I also hung a disco ball on the rearview mirror. I drive on the highway and people honk and give me the thumbs up. Anyone who thinks minivans are uncool has never seen mine.
Q: Why did you get your minivan? Was it purely for the convenience of the size?
A: Prior to this car, we were leasing an entry-level minivan called The Mazda Five. It's a mini-minivan, which was small enough to park on the street back when we still lived in Brooklyn and the kids were smaller. The second we left Brooklyn for the 'burbs, I returned the Mazda and bought the bigger, huger, more gigantic Sienna. Now I feel like I can never have enough space.
Q: What do you think your next car will be?
A: My next car is going to be an aircraft carrier. I'm spoiled. Once you get a little more space, you just want more.
Dan is the author of Dan Gets a Minivan: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad. His previous book, The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grownup, was optioned by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions. A finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, Dan has followed his readers through each phase of life, from post-college coping (Entry-Level Life) to tying the knot (The Nearly-wed Handbook) to developing a disturbing new interest in lawn care and wine tastings (Uncool). Dan lives with his wife, kids, and pet rabbit in the suburbs of New York, where he has become an active member of his local Costco.
