Bimmer day..
I particularly enjoyed this assignment, and I liked the way it was edited. So here goes..
******************
Vol. XX, No. 254
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Motoring
Seven heaven
Being of the middle class with just one car, the number coding scheme with its questionable efficacy spares me a degree of road rage once a week, even as it forces me to spend Mondays as an ordinary commuter and pedestrian.
Who wouldn’t jump at the chance of a day being chauffered around in a bmw 7 series? My day kicks off with a ride on a bumpy tricycle, a frumpy FX, and a cramped standing-room-only train. An additional five- to ten-minute walk or a taxi ride is optional, depending on where coverage takes me.
One particular Monday early this month was different. It was not what you’d call perfect weather. The sun was not shining any brighter and no birds were singing, but there was a Sterling Silver BMW 730Li in our village waiting just for me, along with a chauffeur to steer it through the heavy Monday morning traffic. (A dream come true, but seeing it parked right next to my six-year old sedan was a sudden jolt back to reality which I deliberately ignored.)
Unfortunately, my calendar was empty that Monday of all Mondays and I had no official excuse to parade around the metro, leaving me no choice but to tell the driver that we were going to BusinessWorld’s offices in Quezon City.
So, I got in the car. And it dwarfed me.
My barely 90-lb. body felt inadequate in the roominess, but my legs were happy being fully stretched out, lounging while the world passed by.
It was just as well that I had left my fake Prada sunglasses at home: push-button window shades took care of the morning glare. Besides, the car was so fancy, with lots of buttons and controls, that it probably had one used for ejecting passengers audacious enough to sport counterfeits.
I resorted to busying myself with texting to mask the awkward feeling of being out of place inside a swanky ride — not a very good idea since the driver was not used to driving within the innards of Pasig City. Missing a couple of turns, however, proved the manageability of the 730Li when it came to making U-turns on tiny streets.
Since the city roads were mostly congested, there was no chance to put the 7 Series to a speed and power test, a pity since the spec sheet promised zero to 100 kph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 244 kilometers per hour. Then again, Metro Manila precludes any chance at all for vehicles of all types to run free, so to speak.
Decided on the magnanimous gesture of sharing the BMW fun, and the Arts and Leisure team decided to have coffee and an impromptu meeting at a nearby coffee shop.
Probably the last word in tems of car space. On the way and back, my boss, Lali Herrera, was impressed by the car’s luxurious interiors, while fellow reporter Jeffrey Valisno shared my sentiment about the luxurious space. His advice: "If your boyfriend ever says the standard breakup line, ’I need space,’ give him a BMW."
Like kids, we pressed button after button and explored what we could do to the seats, the windows, the monitors, and everything else our curious fingers could get to.
If there was one thing I did not particularly like, however, it was the iDrive — not because of its complexity but because I felt a more subtle button or pad was needed to match the inside’s sleek and elegant lines.
Put the 730Li through some inelegant paces, though, as my 50-kilo rice subsidy for the quarter was waiting at the office. What better way to bring it home in style than to haul it in a BMW, and a 7 Series no less? Word of advice for those considering similar endeavors: me and the sack would fit in the trunk and still travel comfortably. In fact, there was probably enough space to fit me and eight sacks (not that I needed the poundage of those carbohydrates).
My last challenge for the 730Li was a trip to Shangri-La Plaza mall car park, as suggested by my editor. Spiralling up the ramp is always fun (for me, at least), and experiencing it this time from the backseat made my head spin a little. I was glad to make it to the seventh level in one piece, but what was I worried about? No scrapes for all its bulk.
Day over and it was time to recline the rear seats and relax all the way home. We were at the village gate when the realization hit: the middle-class interruption with the classy Bimmer life was over. And just like how goodbyes happen in movies, the rain was softly falling as I closed the car door.
