Greetings, Nemponians,
I’m going to put this out there: March is the worst month.

There are no holidays (at least, with apologies to Saint Patrick, none where you get a day off). It’s still winter, no matter what the calendar says. If, like me, you really don’t care about college basketball, there’s nothing going on sports-wise, either. And, thanks to the writer’s strike, all there is on TV is a glut of reality shows. March is the worst. You know what they say: March blows in like a lion and goes out like a miserable, annoying month that I hate.

Fortunately, you’ve all got an excuse to ignore March for a few days by escaping south, to that sunny subtropical paradise known as Manhattan. The New York Auto Show media days are held March 19-20, and that’s as good a reason as any to shave off your Unabomber beard and go frolic amongst the fresh metal on display within that wonder of 1980s architecture, the Javits Center. I know New York is expensive and you’ve got agoraphobia and you already know about all the cars being introduced there anyway, but seriously: Go to the New York show. I like to roll with a posse and it looks pathetic if we’re only three deep and I have to explain to everyone how all the writers in New England are busy making maple syrup and preparing for the alewife run and doing other New Englandy things. Plus, I’m expecting a brawl with another press association, and we need numbers on our side. Have you seen Anchorman? Then you know what I’m saying.

OK, so you’re going to New York. Good. What else? The March NEMPA meeting at the Globe is where we dole out the Winter Vehicle Awards, and that’s always a swank gala not to be missed. That’s happening Tuesday, March 11. Those of you with mathematical bents will note that this means there are major events on consecutive weeks. This is true. But look at it this way: Since you write (or talk) about cars, you’ve got a nice new car outside to drive to the meeting.
Now, on a different topic, I’d just like to publically observe a happy trend I’ve noted on the past couple rear-wheel-drive cars I’ve driven. Right now I’m driving a Mazda MX-5, the Artist Formerly Known as Miata. The other day it snowed. A lot. And I got in the MX-5 and drove over to my buddy’s house to help him get his snow blower running. I was able to accomplish this feat of derring-do because the car is fitted with snow tires, which make it not only safe in the snow, but hugely entertaining. Hills, unplowed streets, snow so deep that the front air dam was plowing it—no problem.
I’m such a proponent of snow tires that I’m in danger of being implicated in a scandal with the powerful snow tire lobby, but bravo to manufacturers who keep rear-wheel-drive cars in the fleet all winter and fit them with snow tires. When people see you serenely cruising through the powder in an MX-5 or a Jag or whatever, that’s sending a pretty strong message that your car isn’t just a summer toy but a viable year-round machine.
See you at the Winter Vehicle Awards, or the NY Auto Show, or both,

Ezra Dyer
Democratically Elected President
New England Motor Press Association