wedding road trip

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Since we were in the Detroit area, it only made sense that we stop by Ford World Headquarters, the place where Roxy began her transformation from idea to our badass car. We finally got to meet Scott Monty, the social media genius who promotes Ford on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. To our total surprise, he turned out to be a talking computer, sort of like Max Headroom. Ha ha! Just kidding. Scott was incredibly nice, funny, and kindly gave us his most of his day.

We weren’t sure what Scott would have in store for us – a filmstrip on Mustangs? Marital advice from Edsel Ford? Actually, he introduced us to Ford’s sustainability efforts, including a meeting with their Director of Sustainability, John Viera, and a tour of green efforts at the River Rouge factory. I was – to my surprise – impressed. Rather than prattle on like a corporate shill (word up, Rob) I’ll hit the highlights:

• An F-150 assembly plant with a green roof, surrounded by man-made wetlands and bioswales, as well as permeable paving in their parking lots, which all helps with storm water capture and treatment. Even better, rather than highlighting crap like how many stumps the F-150 can pull in an hour, signs on the factory tour listed information about the use of recycled materials and energy savings.
• A Director of Sustainability who frequently goes to meet with environmental groups to discuss Ford’s efforts, with both sides sometimes finding common ground and sometimes agreeing to disagree. I give them credit for engaging with people who probably aren’t very nice to them.
• A genuine concern of being accused of “greenwashing.” Admittedly, they generally don’t find something sitting around the office, like a recycled paperweight, and tout it as proof of Ford’s commitment to sustainability. Rather, they work on new ideas, like capturing energy from the exhaust system for use in making the engine more fuel efficient.
• Pursuing social efforts, like HIV prevention, as part of their sustainability campaign, rather than restricting it to environmental issues.

In addition, Scott introduced us around the office and bought us lunch. He powered down a tostada salad – which may not be sustainable, though he looks pretty fit – and shared some thoughts on marriage.

P.S. Ford did something else incredibly nice when we visited. They cleaned Roxy inside and out – like really cleaned her, so she looked brand new. They also gave her an oil change and a tune up. Admittedly, she was starting to dog a little and didn’t have the same kick as when we first got her, but she’s got her super acceleration back.

Day 32: The Death of Roxy

Since we are in Roxy’s homeland, aka Ford Country, it only made sense to visit our pal Scott Monty and the rest of the crew at the Ford World Headquarters. While I plan on writing about the entire visit, I feel the need to first share with you the most disturbing moment of our trip to date. Keep in mind that this moment beats out Chris and my almost breakup, Dutch the Horny Dog, and the nose-breathing coffee house stalker.

Scene: Scott Monty’s Office, Ford World Headquarters, late morning. Scott is furiously hacking away at his Blackberry as Chris scans a nearby magazine.

Jaime: So, Scott… what happens to media fleet cars like Roxy after they’ve, you know, jumped the shark?
Scott: (completely serious) Well, typically after they’ve served their time, they are taken away and destroyed. (note: he actually used the word “destroyed.”)
Jaime: You don’t give them a makeover and resell them? Or at least turn them into rental cars?
Scott: Na, when they’re done, they’re done. It’s not like there’s a pound for media fleet cars. We usually dismantle them and reuse the parts.

Later, at the Ford Rouge Plant, I saw a map that laid out the locations of  the various operations. My eyes zeroed in on one building that is simply called, “Tool & Die.” While someone might try to tell you that the Tool and Die building is where machinery can be fixed or altered, I’m here to say that they are flat out lying. Tool and Die is the place where media fleet cars go to be slaughtered and turned into automotive hot dogs.

It’s no secret that we love Roxy in a deeply personal way that is almost a little embarrassing. Okay, a lot embarrassing. So the idea of her not going to Media Fleet Heaven hurts my heart. I am working on a plot to save her from this fate, but I don’t know how to do it without doing something illegal or involving circus midgets. So I’ll have to keep thinking.