Stories - Part 3 - Fun Facts about the Cadillac (unedited version)

Hello from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it (Part 3 Fun Facts about the Cadillac)

• My Year, Make & Model: 1978 Cadillac Sedan Deville

• My name: "the Cadillac"

• The Tiger's name: "Tiger"

• Engine: 425 8 cylinder

• Mpg: City 10-12 Highway: 18-20

• Color: Pistachio Green w/White Vinyl roof

• Mileage: Approximately 450,000 (odometer stopped working at 207,362 about 20 years ago) This is almost the distance to and from the earth and the moon.

• Purchased in 1992 for $450

• Current owner is the 3rd owner

• All mechanical equipment has been replaced at least once except the engine and timing chain

• 1st came to East 2nd Street in 1992 when the black locust trees bloom in the cemetery

• Maximum Capacity ---this is a tie between two memorable rides: The first was the day that my owner put a life-size stuffed thoroughbred prop horse in the back seat. He and a petite Japanese female friend were struggling with it when a homeless guy came by and said "Here's how you put a horse in the back seat of a cadillac" (He got it in and it's head stuck out the window)

The other time was when my owner gave 12 drag queens a lift from Lucky Cheng's to a gay club somewhere around First Avenue and 57th St? (this was years before smart phones so there is, unfortunately, no photo documentation of this ride)

• Notable Road trips:

Gloucester, MA 1992 Whale Watching

Detroit 1999 Last season for Tiger Stadium/Heidelberg Project/Zug Island (where they filmed "Robocop")

Memphis 1999 Graceland/Sun records/Civil Rights Museum

Philadelphia: My owner dropped a colleague off at a swank hotel

And wore a chauffeur’s cap

New Orleans (4 times---had to have lunch at Ugelsich's)

South of the Border---everyone stops there at some point

Pensacola, FL (Almost marooned in a sand dune/very unwise decision by my

owner to attempt to drive me on the beach)

Pittsburgh, PA (Hundreds of times)

• Most memorable road trip moment: Crossing the state line into Alabama while

my owner sang the line from Neil Young's song, "Alabama": "...Your cadillac has got a wheel in the ditch and a wheel on the track....." until his cat pawed him in the face to get him to shut up

• Estimated number of photos taken of me by passersby each week: 350-650

• Most mysterious photographer: A woman who took one photo of me every day for a year and then she vanished

• The Tiger decided to get a gold leash when the Lorde song, “Royals”,

was released.

• Vandalism damage to car while parked on East 2nd Street 1992 to 2011: $0

• Vandalism damage to car while parked on East 2nd Street 2011 to present: $1,900

• Vandalism damage since the tiger has been in the front seat: $0

• Largest response by NY City agencies: Easter morning 2014:

4 fire trucks, 3 police cars & 12 police men responding to a call from someone

on the block that I had been leaking gasoline. Summons and citations as a result of this call: 0 Cost to taxpayers: ?

• Date of retirement: Coming soon. The black locust trees bloomed two weeks ago.