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DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Dorothy At The Walt Disney Concert Hall

"I wanted a Toyota Prius. Then I saw the price tag and was like, just kidding."

The Ride
The Driver: Dorothy
Car in Question: 2007 Honda CRV
Spotted at: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Odometer: 47,594
Car's Nickname: Rudy

THE DEFENSE

Q: Hi Dorothy, tell us about your car.

A: It's a Honda CRV 2007. And he's white. I say he. He used to be a she when I first bought her, him. Um, he's transgendered, and his name is Rudy, just like Rudy Ruettiger in the movie.

Q: "Rudy! Rudy!"

A: Yeah!

Q: So is Rudy done transitioning?

A: Oh no, no, I mean he had his tailpipe added, so that's good. He started transitioning because I forgot that it was a girl car and started calling her "him" and so that's why he's sort of transitioning.

Q: That's the good thing about cars. The identity crisis is all about the owner and not the car.

A: <laughs> It's true. It makes me feel normal, so you're welcome, Rudy.

Q: Did you get Rudy brand new off the lot?

A: Yes, I did.

Q: How did you know you wanted a Honda CRV?

A: Actually, I didn't. I wanted a Toyota Prius, and then I saw the price tag. Then I was like, just kidding. I was moving to L.A., so I also knew I wanted something that could tow stuff, which a Prius can't do anyway. I got this one because it has tow capability.

Q: How long is your work commute?

A: I'd say an hour because I take backstreets and not the highway, which would make it two hours, probably.

Q: And where do you commute to?

A: L.A. Live in beautiful, downtown L.A.

Q: What's the worst part about your commute?

A: L.A. drivers. They don't use blinkers, which drives me absolutely crazy because I really don't feel like it's that hard to do. But you know, if they could just let you know that they're going to cut you off with a second ahead of time, it would be helpful.

Q: What's your favorite part about your commute?

A: Being in Rudy. That sounded really dirty. Let me rephrase that…

Q: Do you ever take long trips in Rudy?

A: I've gone to San Francisco before for the weekend, but no, not really.

Q: Tell me about that San Francisco trip.

A: It was two years ago. We went for Gay Pride for my brother, who had kind of just come out of the closet, so we were going to celebrate Gay Pride. It was kind of disappointing for San Francisco, but it was pretty and a good drive.

Q: Why was it disappointing?

A: It just wasn't as in your face as West Hollywood is every night, so it was a little bit of a let down. But it wasn't sad or anything.

Q: How long were you up there?

A: Just for the weekend.

Q: How long did the drive take?

A: I think it took us five hours. Then we stopped at a campsite and camped overnight in a weird cabin. Then we drove another hour or two into the city.

Q: What do you listen to in Rudy?

A: Musical theater when it's just me. Poor Rudy has to listen to me scream along with it. Otherwise, it's stand up comedy.

Q: So who's Rudy's favorite ingénue?

A: Ooh, um, Kristin Chenoweth.

Q: Excellent, so you listen to a lot of the "Wicked" soundtrack, huh?

A: Yeah, too much.

Q: Do you sing along with the soundtrack?

A: Um, maybe a little, yes.

Q: Have you ever been caught at a red light rocking out to Kristin Chenoweth?

A: Too many times, yeah. That's why I keep all the windows rolled up as tight as I can.

Q: If Rudy had a theme song, what would it be?

A: Is there a theme song for Rudy in the movie? I think maybe no theme song, but just the "Rudy" chant. That's also why I named him Rudy, because he's kinda small for an SUV, right? But he's got heart just like Rudy.

Q: I wonder how Sean Astin feels about being named after a car that's transitioning.

A: Actually, he's my fiancé, so we've talked about it, and he's OK with it.

Q: If Rudy had a human emotion, what would it be?

A: Sexy. No, no...passionate, just like Rudy. Passionate and sexy.

Q: If your car slept with a stuffed animal at night, what would it be?

A: A Popple. A Popple is totally Rudy's style.

Q: What's a Popple?

A: They're these stuffed animals where there's a pouch on their back, and you take it, and tuck them in. That's kinda how I describe Rudy. You just tuck it and roll. <laughs>

Q: Tuck and roll, OK! So what do you think your next car will realistically be?

A: Realistically, it will probably be another Honda CRV.

Q: Not a Prius, huh?

A: Nope, I love my Honda CRV now. I'm convinced.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about the car? I see a broken taillight. You might wanna get that fixed.

A: Oh, yeah. Well, Rudy's been in a lot of accidents because he lives in L.A., and that was probably the smallest accident of all of them. I backed him into a rubber trashcan, and somehow that shattered the rear taillight.

Q: How dare that trashcan jump out right behind your car.

A: Exactly. I have a rear backup camera, too, so I'm pretty embarrassed that happened.

Q: Any other accidents? It looks like in fine body condition otherwise.

A: Well thank you. He thanks you, too. You can't hear him, but he did. Yeah, he just got into an accident July 1, actually.

Q: What happened?

A: He got a little overexcited and drove into the back of a Mercedes. That car drove into the back of an Audi. Yeah, he goes big or he goes home.

Q: I love how you're blaming all these accidents on Rudy.

A: Oh yeah! Rudy, like when he gets caffeine in him, he just gets really intense.

Q: But Dorothy never gets into a car accident.

A: No, not me. That's what I tell the insurance companies, too.

Photos and interview by Michael Shen, blogger of lacantdrive.com

Are you ready to Defend Your Ride? If so, email localautos@cbs.com with "Defend Your Ride L.A." in the subject line for submission details.

View previous Defend Your Ride features and other great stories for people who love cars at CBSLA.com/Autos.

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