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BEHIND THE WHEEL WITH FEBRUARY 19, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 15 What car do you drive? I actually drive a scooter. It is only on very rainy days and/or when I have items to transport that I drive my trusty old Fiat Punto – which also doubles up as a van (with the back seat lowered) which I use to take our two dogs for a run in the countryside. What do you usually look for in a car? Fuel efficiency, reliability, and practicality. Style? Not really, and the less gadgets the better. Were you scared when you first started driving or were you a natural? My first means of transport was a motorbike, which I got when I turned 18. I also got to drive my mother’s car a number of times. Exams always make me very nervous and it was no different when it came to my driving test. Back then, the motorbike driving test involved setting off, switch- ing on the indicator while still within the examiner’s sight and going round the block on your own. If you came back in one piece you passed the test. My first car was a red and white Citroen 2CV (commonly known as a Dolly) which, apart from the Skoda, was the least expensive car on the market. Loved it! Pity they don’t make them anymore. What was your worst/best car? I have owned three cars – the Dolly, a Fiat Punto and currently, a Honda Fit (which is the family car). They all suited my style and requirements at the time, so I re- ally cannot trash any of them. The Dolly is a fun car; but I was disappointed that its chassis col- lapsed after only seven years – which seems to be an inherent de- fect. Considering that Citroen continued to churn this model out for over four decades one would have expected such a defect to have been ironed out by then! What is your dream car? A Jaguar E-Type. But I’m too much of an environmental activist to enjoy long, fuel-guzzling rides if I ever owned one. I think I’ll stick with the scale model. Do you consider yourself to be a good driver? I think I drive well when I’m be- hind a steering wheel, not least because I’m usually on the scooter and am very apprehensive of other motorists’ bad driving. What do you keep in your glove box? The car’s manuals, log book, a pen, some small change – essen- tially things that are related to the car. Nothing terribly exciting or worth stealing. Do you suffer from road rage at all? And what drives you mad be- hind the wheel? I think road rage is a waste of en- ergy so I sensibly avoid getting all worked up and spoiling my day or mood. However, having said that, if it weren’t for the radio I’d prob- ably get worked up in traffic. It’s a good thing that I do not often ex- perience traffic jams as I’m gener- ally on the scooter and I can choose when to start and leave work and thus avoid peak hours. What’s the best music to drive to? Anything that happens to be play- ing on the radio. There is an ele- ment of spontaneity/surprise in radio that you don’t get from a CD. Have you ever had a crash? Whose fault was it and how did you deal with it? The only crashes that come to mind are those I had with my motorbike/scooter, for obvious reasons. Do you know how to change a flat wheel? Do you actually do it yourself? Of course I do. How can an engineer not change a flat wheel himself? Who would be your perfect passenger? A silent one. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in a car? This is a family paper, right? So I’ll say that it was when I took the Dolly off-roading on the Selmun clay slopes. It trudged along where four-wheel drives got terribly bogged down and stuck. Who cleans your car and how often? Cleaning the car is a waste of time and water. As long as I can see out of the car windows and the head- lamps emit enough light, I’m fine. Have you ever messed up badly while driving? Any funny stories to tell? I was once followed by a crazy guy all the way from Mosta to Mġarr because the guy got all worked up when I flashed my lights at him for driving in the middle of the road. I was driving the Dolly then; he was driving an old Triumph. I took advantage of the slope of the arterial road leading to Mġarr to overtake him, but when I did I could hear him changing gear and accelerating to ram his car into mine. We raced all the way to the Mġarr police station where I stopped and ran in shouting “Qed jiġri warajja, qed jiġri warajja” (he’s chasing me, he’s chasing me). Of course, he had disappeared by the time the police came out. What do you think of Maltese drivers in general? Now that I am a father of two kids, I am contemplating life insurance. Need I say more? Water technology expert Marco Cremona tells RAMONA DEPARES that he prefers getting around on two wheels, rather than four. Me and my car Marco’s trusty old Fiat Punto doubles up as a van used to take his dogs for a run. Photo: Jason Borg “Cleaning the car is a waste of time and water. As long as I can see out of the car windows and the head- lamps emit enough light, I’m fine”
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Have you ever messed up badly while driving? Any funny stories to tell? I was once followed by a crazy guy What do you keep in your glove box? The car’s manuals, log book, a pen, some small change –essen- tially things that are related to the car. Nothing terribly exciting or worth stealing. What do you think of Maltese drivers in general? Now that I am a father of two kids, I am contemplating life insurance. Need I say more? Of course, he had disappeared by the time the police came out.
Transcript of 015
BEHIND THE WHEEL WITH
FEBRUARY 19, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 15
What car do you drive?I actually drive a scooter. It is onlyon very rainy days and/or when Ihave items to transport that I drivemy trusty old Fiat Punto – whichalso doubles up as a van (with theback seat lowered) which I use totake our two dogs for a run in thecountryside.
What do you usually look for in acar?Fuel efficiency, reliability, andpracticality.
Style?Not really, and the less gadgets thebetter.
Were you scared when you firststarted driving or were you anatural?My first means of transport was amotorbike, which I got when Iturned 18. I also got to drive mymother’s car a number of times.
Exams always make me verynervous and it was no differentwhen it came to my driving test.Back then, the motorbike drivingtest involved setting off, switch-ing on the indicator while stillwithin the examiner’s sight and
going round the block on yourown. If you came back in onepiece you passed the test.
My first car was a red and whiteCitroen 2CV (commonly known asa Dolly) which, apart from theSkoda, was the least expensive caron the market. Loved it! Pity theydon’t make them anymore.
What was your worst/best car?I have owned three cars – theDolly, a Fiat Punto and currently,a Honda Fit (which is the familycar). They all suited my style andrequirements at the time, so I re-ally cannot trash any of them.
The Dolly is a fun car; but I wasdisappointed that its chassis col-lapsed after only seven years –which seems to be an inherent de-fect. Considering that Citroencontinued to churn this model outfor over four decades one wouldhave expected such a defect tohave been ironed out by then!
What is your dream car?A Jaguar E-Type. But I’m toomuch of an environmental activistto enjoy long, fuel-guzzling rides ifI ever owned one. I think I’ll stickwith the scale model.
Do you consider yourself to be agood driver?I think I drive well when I’m be-hind a steering wheel, not least
because I’m usually on the scooterand am very apprehensive ofother motorists’ bad driving.
What do you keep in your glovebox?The car’s manuals, log book, apen, some small change – essen-tially things that are related to thecar. Nothing terribly exciting orworth stealing.
Do you suffer from road rage atall? And what drives you mad be-hind the wheel? I think road rage is a waste of en-ergy so I sensibly avoid getting allworked up and spoiling my day ormood. However, having said that,if it weren’t for the radio I’d prob-ably get worked up in traffic. It’s agood thing that I do not often ex-perience traffic jams as I’m gener-ally on the scooter and I canchoose when to start and leavework and thus avoid peak hours.
What’s the best music to driveto?Anything that happens to be play-ing on the radio. There is an ele-ment of spontaneity/surprise inradio that you don’t get from a CD.
Have you ever had a crash?Whose fault was it and how didyou deal with it?The only crashes that come tomind are those I had with mymotorbike/scooter, for obviousreasons.
Do you know how to change aflat wheel? Do you actually do ityourself?Of course I do. How can an engineernot change a flat wheel himself?
Who would be your perfectpassenger?A silent one.
What’s the craziest thing you’veever done in a car? This is a family paper, right? So I’llsay that it was when I took theDolly off-roading on the Selmunclay slopes. It trudged along wherefour-wheel drives got terriblybogged down and stuck.
Who cleans your car and howoften?Cleaning the car is a waste of timeand water. As long as I can see outof the car windows and the head-lamps emit enough light, I’m fine.
Have you ever messed up badlywhile driving? Any funny storiesto tell?I was once followed by a crazy guy
all the way from Mosta to Mġarrbecause the guy got all worked upwhen I flashed my lights at him fordriving in the middle of the road.
I was driving the Dolly then; hewas driving an old Triumph. I tookadvantage of the slope of the arterialroad leading to Mġarr to overtake
him, but when I did I could hearhim changing gear and acceleratingto ram his car into mine.
We raced all the way to theMġarr police station where Istopped and ran in shouting “Qedjiġri warajja, qed jiġri warajja” (he’schasing me, he’s chasing me).
Of course, he had disappearedby the time the police came out.
What do you think of Maltesedrivers in general? Now that I am a father of two kids,I am contemplating life insurance.Need I say more?
Water technology expert MarcoCremona tells RAMONA DEPARESthat he prefers getting around on twowheels, rather than four.
Me andmy car
Marco’s trusty old Fiat Punto doubles up as a van used to take his dogs for a run. Photo: Jason Borg
“Cleaning the car is a waste of timeand water. As long as I can see outof the car windows and the head-lamps emit enough light, I’m fine”
