As junior and senior year approaches, many folks are beginning to get their drivers licenses. I hear more and more about my peers having road trips and driving to the donut shop after school. According to a recent survey on HTLA Updates, 65% of juniors and seniors are driving and 47% have their own cars, while 25% share a car.
Levi Edber, a senior at HTLA says he drives a 2009 Honda Accord named Albert, “There is a plus side with not starting out with a new and expensive car because there is less pressure for perfection. I got my car from my grandma, it’s a hand-me-down, and it still drives great. Also, it feels good knowing that I am getting more use out of a car that would otherwise be in a landfill. Why buy a new car when we have so many?” Levi’s car is full of history with a mileage of 145,246. As much as Levi’s car is unique, it is sometimes mistaken as Dr. Batti’s car, who also drives a Honda Accord.
The senior superlative for best car went to Sebastian “Big Sauce” Nazari, who drives a E63S Mercedes. Sebastian loves his car because “it’s really loud and it’s comfortable, it has massaging seats and it’s highly optioned [it has a lot of options].” Not only this, but the car apparently has 603 horsepower and it has a 0-60 of 3.3 seconds with a starting MSRP of 139K. Sebastian got this car in November of last year, “I really love my car. It’s the one thing I love. I’m so grateful for it and I would love to mod[ify] it.” That is when Wilk decided to chime into the discussion to say “That’s how I feel about my Prius.”
Mr. Wilkinson has previously been known for his infamous Prius, as in the 2024 yearbook, he won the “Best Car” teacher superlative. As much as he doesn’t drive a Prius anymore he says “in my heart, I [still] have a Prius”. However, he does wish to own a few Priuses in the future as he stated in the HT Pod, “I’m gonna buy 27 Priuses I’m gonna drive a different color Prius everyday. I’m gonna rap about how many Priuses I have.” Some folks may disagree that a Prius is the best car, but Wilk insists that his “automobile supremacy is eternal””.
On the other hand, Mr. Polish doesn’t drive a car, he prefers to bike to and from school everyday. I asked if he had named the bike and he said “no.” so I asked him if he were to name his bike, what would it be. Off the top of his head he said that it would be called “fancy grandma’s bike”.
Mr. Polish greatly appreciates his fancy grandma’s bike and thinks more people should bike as he stated “I think that [bike] riding is a great form of exercise. I like to be out and get fresh air but most importantly because I don’t want to leave more of a carbon footprint than I have to. Driving a car is one of the ways individuals contribute to global warming and I don’t want to pollute the earth.” Getting to school for Mr. Polish is only a 15 minute bike ride with the bike path so for him it is perfect. Not only does Mr. Polish use a bike to get to school, but he also uses a bike to the library, the hospital, the store, and supermarket. The only times Mr. Polish doesn’t use his bike is when he goes out with his family, as his son cannot ride yet, and he is too big for the fancy grandma bike seat.
As much as LA is a car centric city, we could still try to use public transportation and bicycles to get to places. Our culture only values cars as a status symbol and reflection of our characters because it is ingrained in our city infrastructure. However, Mr. Polish believes that anyone who cares for the environment should do their best to lower their carbon footprint, “especially as young people, you are capable of walking or riding, I get why you may need to drive a car to get further but if you live near the school, why drive? Or why not carpool with your friends?” He said.
Folks of HTLA have a variety of cars and methods of getting around, whether it is a Mercedes, a Prius, or a bike. We live in a big city with many modes of transportation and it is important for us to prioritize our community, safety, and the environment as well. The people of HTLA are as diverse in the cars as they are in their personalities and values.