We went to Six Flags this holiday weekend and, once again, someone stopped to ask us about our car. The conversations are pretty much the same. By this time, I have the responses memorized.

Here's the car: a Toyota Prius, a gas-electric hybrid that is in such demand there is a waiting list for them. We waited about three months for ours, but we were very lucky.

So, on to the standard conversation:

Curious Passer-by: So, do you like your car?

Us: Love it! Never go back to gas-only.

C. P.: Do you have to plug it in?

Us: No, it charges itself, using energy from the brakes, actually. Or the gas engine if it really has to.

C. P.: Do you have any trouble with it?

Us: No, it dragged our family and luggage up and down Pennsylvania with no trouble.

Me: I put over 700 lbs of people in it and drove them up Tug Hill without even noticing.

C. P.: So what kind of mileage are you getting?

Dan: Depends on the trip, but we average about 48-49.

C. P.: Don't you have to replace the battery in those?

Dan: After 100,000 miles or so. But we factored that in and we're still coming out ahead because of the gas mileage.

C. P.: So it's a small car ...

Me: I had three guys in the car, one over six feet, and everybody had plenty of leg-room for a 3 1/2 hour drive.

C. P.: Any drawbacks?

Us: Well, our relatives won't drive it. When our children visit their grandparents, we have to transfer car seats. The grandparents won't trade cars anymore. Can't convince them that it's just a regular car.

Are we done? Good. We can go into Six Flags with the kids, then. :)