Car Keys   
by R. Craig

 I would bet that almost everyone out there knows a car nut. What I mean by that is someone who is passionate about his or her car. One who parks it away from other cars in the parking lot. One who washes it daily and doesn't drive it in bad weather. One who gets real nervous when a passenger rides in it for fear of getting footprints in it. 

 Then there is the other type of car nut who lives for the sake of talking about cars, racing cars, collecting cars, etc. I don't think this is a bad thing. I think it's a good thing. I remember my teenage years working in the gas stations around Apalachin and Vestal. I was fortunate to be at that age and in that era as far as cars are concerned. It was a learning experience for sure and at the time I didn't realize that it would be my living for the rest of my life. 

 I have fond memories of working nights pumping gas and listening to the sounds of the trucks on Route 17. We always had a radio playing and a lot of the local car nuts would come to hang out. Gas was thirty cents a gallon for regular and thirty-five cents for premium which was 100 plus octane at the time. Everybody would be shining their cars and telling racing stories of which most were fiction. The sheriff deputy on duty would drop in for a soda or to say hi once in awhile. 

 If there were a job like that still available, I would probably take it. It made me a car nut and I have no regrets. 

 My son, who lives out of state is not in the car business but he is definitely a car nut. He has a car he races and is really having a good time with it. 

 I think that if you are a parent with a son or daughter that has an interest in automobiles you should encourage them. It kept me out of trouble and taught me a trade. I know that was then and this is now, but the results are the same. 

 There are other choices and opportunities but they could also wind up with the wrong crowd altogether. 

 I would also like to mention that there is a new drag strip opening soon in Tioga Center. It is long overdue in this area and is a great place for people to take their cars and try their hand at racing. Its legal and safer than the street. It also promotes sportsmanship and is a great place to learn about cars and how they work. It will also help the local economy and keep the racing off of the street. If you have never been to a drag racing event, give it a try before you pre judge it. You may become a certified car nut.

 That's a good thing!