Name: Maria DeLucia-Evans
NPR Station: WAMC, Albany, NY
Vehicle Donated: 1999 Mazda Protege
Car Talk: Hello Maria! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Maria: I live about 30 minutes west of Albany, New York in the small town of Knox, nestled in the New York Helderberg Mountains.
I’d like to say I’m a writer, but since poetry and fiction don’t pay the bills I am also a Community Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, teaching financial literacy to primarily low-income families. It’s rewarding to help teach basic budgeting skills and connect people to valuable community resources.
For fun, I enjoy tea parties, Hide-and-Go-Seek, Go Fish, and dancing the Nutcracker -- all with my two-year-old, of course.
Car Talk: What are your favorite NPR shows?
Maria: Car Talk. (I’m probably required to say that, right?)
Car Talk: Okay, Maria. You just earned your $50 from Tom and Ray. Now, tell us... what are the good shows you listen to?
Maria: Thanks. I’ll put the money towards the repairs I need, after following Tom and Ray’s lousy advice over the years. My other favorite shows include World Café, All Things Considered, and Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! I also love that if I miss something, I can listen online.
Car Talk: Thanks! (We swear, Maria received no coaching before this interview!) What's your excuse for listening to our lousy show?
Maria: I first started listening to Car Talk around 1990, when I was a kid. My parents would force us to listen to NPR in the car (my requests for the local pop radio show were always denied). And then one day Car Talk was on and I thought, Hey, this is kind of funny even though I’m 13-years-old and really don’t care or know anything about cars! Of course, I never admitted to my parents that I actually liked it, but from then on I was hooked. My husband and I love to listen to it, and maybe someday we can force our daughter to listen as well!
Car Talk: Too bad you’re not breaking the cycle of Car Talk. You know, you can get counseling for that, right?
Maria: I’m a glutton for punishment. But at least I can say Car Talk has never caused a fight between my husband and me, unlike some other NPR shows.
Car Talk: Sounds interesting - give us the dirt!
Maria: I was home alone and heard a car pull into our driveway. The engine shut off and I thought, Oh, good. My husband is home. Ten minutes pass and he doesn’t come into the house. Now our house is tucked down into the woods, so at night it’s completely surrounded by darkness. You can’t see anything out the window.
More minutes pass by, and suddenly it’s been twenty minutes and I’m terrified, absolutely freaking out. I crawl into my bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and wait for the ax murderer to (obviously) break into my house and get me.
A few minutes later I hear the front door open. My heart is pounding so loudly, I can just barely hear the ax murderer head to the kitchen and get a glass of water. I scream as he comes into the bedroom and flips on the light.
My husband.
Why, yes, he did come home twenty minutes ago, but was listening to Selected Shorts and needed to stay in the car to hear the end of the story. Thank you, NPR, for the Driveway Moment from Hell. Thank you.
Car Talk: Selected Shorts: the most frightening show on NPR. Who would have imagined? So, tell us about the Mazda you donated!
Maria: It was the first car I ever owned. I purchased it when I was 22-years-old and had just graduated with a degree in Speech Communication and Political Science from Syracuse University.
It kept me in good driving stead for the next twelve years. If it could talk, it would probably tell you about the six jobs I've had, the five boyfriends who came and went, the master's degree I earned, health issues I've survived, the incredible husband I found, and my two-year-old daughter, Myla, the love of our lives. (Hopefully, it wouldn't tell you about how the cigarette burn got in the back seat. And I, of course, have NO idea how it happened. I SWEAR!)
Car Talk: So you had to get rid of it, before Myla started asking questions about your shadowy past. We understand. Anything you won’t miss about the car?
Maria: It was speedy, that's for sure. It took me a few years (and a few speeding tickets) to learn how to get the zip under control. The driving “re-education” class I was required to take also helped.
A steady and reliable companion, it never once broke down on me! And, more importantly, it never held things against me: like the house I hit, the laundromat I backed into, or the time I parked in the not-so-good side of town only to discover a crunched passenger side door. Simply put, I loved that car.
Car Talk: Why did you decide to donate instead of sell at a huge profit?
Maria: I choose to donate it because I couldn't bear to simply sell it. It was better than a Craigslist ad for $500 and I wanted its legacy to live on by providing funds to such a great program.
Car Talk: How was the donation process? Any surprises?
Maria: The process was surprisingly easy. And the customer support was great - I called a few times with questions and everyone I spoke to was friendly and helpful. The only surprise was how sad I felt when the flatbed truck arrived to haul my car away. I waved goodbye to the Mazda, and tried to pull it together for the rest of the day.
Car Talk: Did you replace the Mazda?
Maria: With my husband’s influence, I replaced the Mazda with 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
Car Talk: Perhaps, “replace” is too strong a word but tell us, how does the Jetta stack up to the old beloved Protege?
Maria: It’s slowly growing on me, thanks to the sunroof and the peppy acceleration. Mind you, working AC helps, too! And I love the gas mileage of a diesel -- as long as I can find a station to fill up at!
Car Talk: If someone reading this was thinking about donating a car, what would you say?
Maria: Of course I would say, “Go for it!” It’s an easy way to get rid of your car without going through the hassle of selling or junking it. Simply send in your paperwork and they come tow it away. Oh, right -- it’s also a great way to support your local public radio station!
Car Talk: Thanks Maria! Good luck with your new wheels, and go a little lighter on the gas pedal this time, okay?
NPR Station: WAMC, Albany, NY
Vehicle Donated: 1999 Mazda Protege
Car Talk: Hello Maria! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Maria: I live about 30 minutes west of Albany, New York in the small town of Knox, nestled in the New York Helderberg Mountains.
I’d like to say I’m a writer, but since poetry and fiction don’t pay the bills I am also a Community Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, teaching financial literacy to primarily low-income families. It’s rewarding to help teach basic budgeting skills and connect people to valuable community resources.
For fun, I enjoy tea parties, Hide-and-Go-Seek, Go Fish, and dancing the Nutcracker -- all with my two-year-old, of course.
Car Talk: What are your favorite NPR shows?
Maria: Car Talk. (I’m probably required to say that, right?)
Car Talk: Okay, Maria. You just earned your $50 from Tom and Ray. Now, tell us... what are the good shows you listen to?
Maria: Thanks. I’ll put the money towards the repairs I need, after following Tom and Ray’s lousy advice over the years. My other favorite shows include World Café, All Things Considered, and Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! I also love that if I miss something, I can listen online.
Car Talk: Thanks! (We swear, Maria received no coaching before this interview!) What's your excuse for listening to our lousy show?
Maria: I first started listening to Car Talk around 1990, when I was a kid. My parents would force us to listen to NPR in the car (my requests for the local pop radio show were always denied). And then one day Car Talk was on and I thought, Hey, this is kind of funny even though I’m 13-years-old and really don’t care or know anything about cars! Of course, I never admitted to my parents that I actually liked it, but from then on I was hooked. My husband and I love to listen to it, and maybe someday we can force our daughter to listen as well!
Car Talk: Too bad you’re not breaking the cycle of Car Talk. You know, you can get counseling for that, right?
Maria: I’m a glutton for punishment. But at least I can say Car Talk has never caused a fight between my husband and me, unlike some other NPR shows.
Car Talk: Sounds interesting - give us the dirt!
Maria: I was home alone and heard a car pull into our driveway. The engine shut off and I thought, Oh, good. My husband is home. Ten minutes pass and he doesn’t come into the house. Now our house is tucked down into the woods, so at night it’s completely surrounded by darkness. You can’t see anything out the window.
More minutes pass by, and suddenly it’s been twenty minutes and I’m terrified, absolutely freaking out. I crawl into my bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and wait for the ax murderer to (obviously) break into my house and get me.
A few minutes later I hear the front door open. My heart is pounding so loudly, I can just barely hear the ax murderer head to the kitchen and get a glass of water. I scream as he comes into the bedroom and flips on the light.
My husband.
Why, yes, he did come home twenty minutes ago, but was listening to Selected Shorts and needed to stay in the car to hear the end of the story. Thank you, NPR, for the Driveway Moment from Hell. Thank you.
Car Talk: Selected Shorts: the most frightening show on NPR. Who would have imagined? So, tell us about the Mazda you donated!
Maria: It was the first car I ever owned. I purchased it when I was 22-years-old and had just graduated with a degree in Speech Communication and Political Science from Syracuse University.
It kept me in good driving stead for the next twelve years. If it could talk, it would probably tell you about the six jobs I've had, the five boyfriends who came and went, the master's degree I earned, health issues I've survived, the incredible husband I found, and my two-year-old daughter, Myla, the love of our lives. (Hopefully, it wouldn't tell you about how the cigarette burn got in the back seat. And I, of course, have NO idea how it happened. I SWEAR!)
Car Talk: So you had to get rid of it, before Myla started asking questions about your shadowy past. We understand. Anything you won’t miss about the car?
Maria: It was speedy, that's for sure. It took me a few years (and a few speeding tickets) to learn how to get the zip under control. The driving “re-education” class I was required to take also helped.
A steady and reliable companion, it never once broke down on me! And, more importantly, it never held things against me: like the house I hit, the laundromat I backed into, or the time I parked in the not-so-good side of town only to discover a crunched passenger side door. Simply put, I loved that car.
Car Talk: Why did you decide to donate instead of sell at a huge profit?
Maria: I choose to donate it because I couldn't bear to simply sell it. It was better than a Craigslist ad for $500 and I wanted its legacy to live on by providing funds to such a great program.
Car Talk: How was the donation process? Any surprises?
Maria: The process was surprisingly easy. And the customer support was great - I called a few times with questions and everyone I spoke to was friendly and helpful. The only surprise was how sad I felt when the flatbed truck arrived to haul my car away. I waved goodbye to the Mazda, and tried to pull it together for the rest of the day.
Car Talk: Did you replace the Mazda?
Maria: With my husband’s influence, I replaced the Mazda with 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
Car Talk: Perhaps, “replace” is too strong a word but tell us, how does the Jetta stack up to the old beloved Protege?
Maria: It’s slowly growing on me, thanks to the sunroof and the peppy acceleration. Mind you, working AC helps, too! And I love the gas mileage of a diesel -- as long as I can find a station to fill up at!
Car Talk: If someone reading this was thinking about donating a car, what would you say?
Maria: Of course I would say, “Go for it!” It’s an easy way to get rid of your car without going through the hassle of selling or junking it. Simply send in your paperwork and they come tow it away. Oh, right -- it’s also a great way to support your local public radio station!
Car Talk: Thanks Maria! Good luck with your new wheels, and go a little lighter on the gas pedal this time, okay?
