
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 20, 1995                   TAG: 9510200022
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LOCO MOTORISTS

Take note, ye who have gone into debt for a vehicle in hopes the opposite sex would go head over wheels for you: An overwhelming majority of respondents to a survey conducted for Bridgestone/Firestone said they have never accepted or refused a date because of the car involved. Of the few who have, though, two-thirds were women.

The survey has given us a few other peeks under the hood of our mania over motor vehicles.

Eight out of 10 car owners claim they have never named their autos. Among those who did, Betsy was the most common name. Thirty-six percent of the nicknames were female, but it's not a gender thing - men were as likely to name their cars as women.

Time for a road trip? The traveling buddy of choice (from a list of notables) was Robin Williams (no lack of conversation there), followed by Julia Roberts (who cares about conversation?). President Clinton was a distant third.

Favorites to leave by the side of the road: Rush Limbaugh and Princess Di.

All those songs about pickup trucks and broken hearts are not falling on deaf ears. Most drivers in the survey tuned their radios to country-western stations. Classic rock 'n' roll was second; pop was third.

What we've known all along has now been documented. Men are in love with their cars. When asked if they love their cars more than they love the women in their lives, as many as four out of 10 men said yes.

by CNB