By: Jonathan
Accepted by: Carnegie Mellon University

…"Got to give the engine more revs," Dad scolded.

I figured that it was already pretty loud in Manhattan, and some more noise couldn’t hurt, so I stomped on the gas pedal. I had never heard the Ranger’s engine sound like a ticked-off bumblebee in my five months of driving it.

"That’s it! Roar with the engine! Let it roar!"

Hearing my father compare a puny four-cylinder runt of an engine to the king of the jungle was making my sides shudder. For all of it to be happening on 42nd Street made it seem more bizarre than it already was.

"To do a high-speed launch, you’ve got to give it plenty of revs. Let’s see you pass this guy here when the light changes," he challenged.

I put all my focus on the accelerator, the clutch, and the traffic signal at the corner of my view. The light changed; my right foot mashed the gas pedal while my left expertly engaged the clutch. The Ranger flew through the intersection, and I merged in front of the drowsy driver next to me.

The mystery that held my freedom hostage was gone. The third pedal was no longer an enigma; it was an accomplishment.