DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Veronica At The Third Street Promenade

Q: What's your car's main use?

A: Pleasure and business.

Q: What kind of business do you do?

A: I'm an agent in the commercial music video world.

Q: Sweet. What kind of agent?

A: Below the line, so I rep crew, DPs, production designers, costumer designers, editors.

Q: What's your agency's name?

A: It's called 9 Agency.

Q: And your sporty Subaru, are you putting a lot miles on it each day?

A: Well, I only visit set when it's necessary, so that, and including meetings...not as many miles as you'd think. I'm mostly working from home. Maybe in a month, I might put on, I don't know, 150 miles?

Q: Wow, that's pretty good. Given that you're not in the car that often, what do you like the most about driving in L.A.?

A: Because I'm not in the car that often, I like driving my car. When I am put in a position where I have to go out to the Valley, or go somewhere a little bit farther than is in my, I don't know, 15 mile radius, I'm happy to do so because I am driving my car. I'm not stuck in it, and it hasn't turned into my enemy. It's my little joyrider, so that has been great. I've also driven it on extended trips to Vegas, for example, and it's a perfect car to drive to Vegas.

Q: Do you go to Vegas often?

A: I would say maybe three times a year, and I drive every time. More times than not myself, but sometimes I'll go with my boyfriend.

Q: I notice that it's a stick shift. Do you prefer standard transmission vehicles?

A: Yes, I learned how to drive on a stick, and my dad forced me to take my driver's test on a stick. I failed twice before I actually passed because--of course--of nerves, and being young and getting on and off the freeway and getting gears stuck. It was terrible. But today, I'm thankful that my dad forced me to drive on a stick because I feel like I'm a pretty good driver due to it.

Q: Do you believe that people who drive standard are better drivers generally?

A: I think that people kind of go on autopilot when they drive an automatic car. You know, just two pedals, move your wheel, and that's it. You're forced to listen to the engine when you drive a stick--at least that's the way I was taught. You need to hear what the engine is telling you to do. There's a lot more thought that goes into driving. You're forced to use more of your senses to drive a car. I mean, you're literally driving the car--not the other way around.

Q: I've noticed a lot of Italian paraphernalia in your car. What's going on with that?

A: I am half Italian--even though I feel like I'm full Italian--and half Chilean. My dad raised me, so I tend to side with the Italian side of me. I have an Italian license plate holder on the back of my car, which I'm very proud of. I also have a soccer fan scarf that always rests on the backseat of my car just to kind of represent. I'm a big soccer fan. I'm also a big fan of Italy. I do represent it in my car. That's my only little place to show it.

Q: Did you get the scarf when Italy won the World Cup?

A: I got it prior to Italy winning the World Cup. I got it before, so while I was watching the matches, I had it around my head.

Q: How did you celebrate when they won?

A: I drove the other Subaru that I had before this. I was actually watching the game at my dad's house in Brentwood. I got on surface streets searching for any Italians in the streets who might be celebrating, to which there were none. Then when I got to Abbott Kinney, to my surprise, there were probably five cars filled with Italians--like off-the-boat Italians--screaming and honking, going up and down Abbott Kinney. I joined them in the celebration. Out of the car window of my Subaru, I was hitting hands--like giving high fives--to Italians who were speaking to me in Italian. I was flabbergasted! I didn't know how to respond.