Steve Vehicles -- by Judy

  Steve purchased a Citroen--one of the big ones with the weird hydropneumatic suspension.  When the car was on, it would raise up like an elevator and it was self-leveling, specifically built for bad roads.   If you wanted to, you could press a button and it would go even higher, standing on its tip toes.  These cars were very unusual looking and seldom seen, even in the Bay Area.  

  

  Steve and I decided it would be perfect for a road trip to the Southwest.  The route would take us through Yosemite where we planned to camp the first night.  At the time, I was obsessed with bears. After several incidents with them in Yosemite, I was convinced that bears sought me out.  Steve would take none of my concerns seriously.  By time we reached the campground we were arguing about bear strategy.  I had a bad cold so decided I would sleep in the back of the car. Steve decided he would too. Things escalated when I declared, that if I slept in the car, we had to take the food out of the car.  I wasn’t sleeping with any bear bait.  Steve didn’t want to offer the food to the bear by putting it outside, plus he thought I was ridiculous for worrying.  My final words to him that night were…”If...when, the bear comes make a lot of noise”.  

  I was just dropping off to sleep when I felt my side of the car move significantly downward.  I opened my eyes, looked out the window right into the eyes of a big bear--inches away.  He was surveying the inside of the car.  I said....”Steven, the bear is here.  Look out the window.”  I have never seen such a fast reaction in my life.  I swear Steve shot out of his sleeping bag like a bullet  across the front seat onto the horn which he started honking repeatedly.  The bear left right away, but Steve continued honking.  “Steve, I said, if you keep honking we will lose the startle effect”   

  The next morning we surveyed the campground.  The ranger was taking reports.  A bear had broken the rear light out in one car so he could reach through into the trunk and shred the contents as he fished them out.  Another had it’s roof top carrier opened like a can and its’ contents strewed around the campground.  We got off easy.

  Everywhere we stopped on that trip, the car drew attention.  Sometimes we found it surrounded by curious men.  Steve would answer questions, show them the motor and then blow everyone’s mind when he demonstrated the hydropneumatic suspension, as we pulled out of town.  He was in his element.

To see a citroen in action, click here