So I was coming home through Grant Park, dog in tow, and the walk was allowing my mind to wander and tackle some of the big issues rattling around in my brain. Was there any leftover bacon in the fridge?
And then I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye, almost missing it. Parked there, quietly, minding its own business. I couldn’t quite compute what I was seeing – a computer on a car?
I approached with caution – something this unusual might be occupied by some mad programmer trying to sleep off a night of work, or teenagers stealing a few minutes between classes with a bong.
The car in fact was unoccupied, so I had a few minutes to marvel at its exterior – motherboards, adulterated keyboards, odd parts and stenciled drawings covered the painted exterior. Perhaps when the parts ran empty, the owner then resorted to gold glue-like squiggles (puffy paint?)
I am so curious as to the owner of this car. If there had been a FREE GEEK sign on one side it would have made perfect sense; FG is a Portland non-profit thrift store in which volunteers find ways to reuse old computer parts and then share newly made computers and technology with those in need (even trading community service for goods). No signs or indication whatsover behind the thinking behind the design. What, no manifesto?
Any Portlander know the back story or the owner of this car? (Could it be as obvious as this is Chip’s car?)
It was both junky and inspired, and I have to say a little bit of me applauds the person who intentionally adulterates their vehicle as a personal expression (I can’t even get away with a bumper sticker in this household). It’s like a big middle finger at convention and our fetish for newness, for sameness, for approval. This car stands proud in his ugliness and weirdness and says “So there.”
I could never imagine doing anything remotely like this to my car, nor could I envision ever living in a place again that discourages such individual expression. You go, freaky Chip car.
And on a practical note, wouldn’t it be enviable to look for that vehicle instead of yet one more silver mini-van in that giant warehouse parking?
Leave a Reply