>
>  Last concern first:  I don't name vehicles, including my VW camper.  They
> are objects, not organisms.  They are not sentient, they do not have
> personalities, they do not have any of the attributes of critters except a
> metabolism, and I am in complete control of that (except when something
> fails that I am too ignorant to discover or fix).
>

Not being critical of McNeely - live and let live - however while the things
he states are technically true and accurate we do name our buses. Never
named any other vehicle though.

Sure they aren't sentient - but to us they are more than a "car" and it's
fun. They also become very personal items - like a musical instrument does.
I've always named my instruments because it's so much more personal to say
"Hand me Stella" than it is to say "Hand me my guitar" - it's a lifless item
sure but it's more than that in a way.

Lifeless doesn't mean without character and every bus we've had has had a
character of it's own.

Names can't be forced though - the '86 Vanagon we had was nameless - because
a name just never developed. It didn't get a name until it became a parts
van - then it was called "Parts" ;)

Mostly though - it's just fun.

Again - not criticizing McNeely, his Vanagon is more of a tool for his
family - and that's cool too.

--
Thanks,

Jeff
'85 GL (Gertie)
'90 Carat (Grover - the noble parts donor)
'78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus