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How we roll: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit
“When I pull up to a bank, I have to turn off the engine so they can hear me,” Hainsworth said. He was barely audible over the din that his car was making. “It sounds like a space ship,” he said. It is a big sound for such a little car, and sometimes it gives the wrong impression. “Everyone thinks I am trying to race them all the time, ‘cause it’s really loud,” Hainsworth said. Hainsworth, 19, a second year philosophy/art major, said he drives to school on days like this one, he tries to ride his bicycle when the weather is nicer. “I am moving over to Olympia so I will be able to ride my bike more,” Hainsworth said. Today, the bike rack is absent from the rear of his car, as well as his bike. When attached, the rack keeps him from opening the rear hatch. According to Hainsworth, he just recently discovered that his bicycle fits inside of the car. This is no small accomplishment however, considering the outward appearance of the car--it is tiny. Hainsworth said his car would probably get the short end of the stick if he collided with anything, including the sedan in the adjacent parking space. “It’s a lot roomier on the inside,” Hainsworth said. The car did not come with cup holders, so Hainsworth duct taped two plastic Hello Kitty cups to his dash. The rest of the interior is original. Hainsworth bought the car for $3,000 a year ago, from another SFCC student who bought the car at a police auction. According to Hainsworth, he suspects that the student who sold him the car bought it for a lot less. “He kind of ripped me off,” Hainsworth said, “I’m pretty sure that’s what he does for a living.” At the time, Hainsworth planned on converting the car over to run on Bio-diesel. He later found out that conversion kits cost upwards of $2,000, and that in the Spokane area it is not always easy to get a hold of recycled oil. For now, he has put his bio-diesel dream on hold. He has also had the car repainted from a sky blue to a mellow mint green. At the end of the day however, it has all been worth it, he said. “I guess I ended up paying more for it than I should, but I like it,” Hainsworth said.
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