Many have walked through the LHS parking lot admiring the various cars – white, black, blue, red. There is one car, however, that is especially worth talking about, worthy of a double-take: the car decked out with stickers, lights and dazzling reflectors. “El Coche”, as this vehicle has come to be known, can only lay claim to the infamous chemistry teacher, Mr. Guch.
What gave you the idea to bedazzle your car?
My car is a boring old station wagon and I figured it could use some livening up. I started with just a couple of reflectors to give it some color and my friend thought the car could use some more. After a while, it just became habit.
When did you create El Coche?
It started last July.
How long did it take to deck it out in all those lights/stickers?
About a year. It’s an ongoing project, though, so more stuff is added from time to time.
Do you get strangers in the middle of the street or at a stop light commenting on your car?
All the time. People will ask me how long it took to do and why I decided to make the car that way. Some people have asked if I’m an artist and are surprised when I’m not – some of them insist that I am, even though stick figures are well beyond my abilities. I get a lot of smiles when I drive and a lot of people seem to like taking pictures. Children especially seem to like it. When they comment on it to their parents, I always suggest the parents do it to their car (which results in a lot of nasty looks.)
Are there certain areas you would never dare to drive it; are there areas you have the most fun driving it?
I’d never drive it if I knew there were a lot of cops around, for obvious reasons. There’s no place in particular I wouldn’t drive it and everywhere is kind of fun.
How do friends and family react to it?
It depends on who you mean. My wife claims not to mind, but she won’t drive it to work unless there’s no other way for her to get there. My parents ride in it only reluctantly, but since they don’t visit much anyway it’s no big deal. My next door neighbor Bill Gill thinks it’s funny. He’s 76 and retired and not much bothers him. The rest of my neighbors don’t speak to me, so I can’t tell what they think.