Back in 2004, my mother, who could have been crowned most frugal woman on the planet, invited me to go “somewhere” with her. Turns out she had been concerned about me driving my 12 year old Honda Civic Si, and decided she’d use her IRA RMD to buy me a new Civic. I didn’t know whether I should contact my siblings to let them know she had lost her mind, or if I should consider it good karma catching up to me for putting up with said siblings. I decided to play it cool. Kept my mouth shut. Mom was also known for changing her mind. At the dealer, mom was in charge. She had already decided she was buying the base model 4dr Civic. As she was about to sign the deal, she asked if I wanted to add anything. I said I’d be willing to pay the difference to have keyless entry. Shockingly, she decided to bump up the deal to the LX. We had to return the next day to pick up the car. The date was April 1st, 2004. Seriously, I woke up thinking mom was having fun with me and this was just a big April Fools prank, but no, we went and I drove off in my new car. I worked the afternoon shift back then. On my way to work, I stopped at the Traffic Jam and Snug in Detroit for a carryout and gave the guy at the bar a $50 tip. He was delighted.
I donated my car to WDET because I often listened to WDET and other NPR stations. [I] Can’t imagine a world without NPR. If I sold the car to someone in the neighborhood and happened to see it, dirty and in disrepair, well, that would be a sad thing. So better to just know that it is benefiting WDET.
Molly donated a 2004 Honda Civic to WDET through the Car Talk Vehicle Donation Program.
Thank you, Molly!