Early Miles: Learning the Hard Way
My journey behind the wheel started with a true classic: my friend Mike’s 1966 Mustang with a manual transmission. Learning stick shift wasn’t easy at first.
My real breakthrough came down in Florida when I was hanging out with a friend named Taylor, who landed me a job with Brand Scaffold Building.
That job turned out to be a key moment in my life. We built underwater scaffolding 12 to 15 feet beneath the surface to support the renovation of an old Civil War fort.
Years later, that exact experience prepared me for my work with Jerry Blohm in the Miami Art Department, where we built submerged staging off Miami Beach for the rapper Trina’s “Pull Over” music video.
Taylor drove a white pickup truck, and one night after some heavy drinking, he was in no condition to drive. His truck had a clutch, and I volunteered to get our girlfriends home safely from the party we were at.
After stalling out at a few traffic lights and braving a few rough starts, I figured it out. That 20-mile night drive was trial-by-fire, but it’s how I officially mastered driving a stick.
The Evolution of Cars
Over the years, I owned and drove a string of memorable vehicles:
* 1979 Chevy Camaro: My mom bought me this V8 powerhouse for graduation. I loved it, though it eventually met its end in a crash.
* 1981 Chevy Camaro: A V6 model I bought for just $100 because the previous owner couldn’t diagnose a simple fix. My friend Kristian K from the swim team helped me get it running, and I drove it everywhere while playing with my band, AcrimoniuM.
* 1993 Ford Escort: Bought from a small dealer on Andrews Avenue. The dealer even let me take custom lightweight wheels off a wrecked GT model on his lot to put on mine.
* 1989 Ford Probe: Owned briefly during my transition out west before reliance on public transit and cycling took over.
Rebuild, Recovery, and the Open Road
After returning from China and taking time to heal following the loss of my wife, Flor, in 2019, I landed back in Virginia Beach in September 2021.
I started riding a bicycle that my younger brother, Mallin gave me everywhere—clocking 40-mile daily round trips for work, dropping my weight down from 221 lbs back to a healthy 180 lbs.
Eventually, I transitioned back to vehicles, starting with a 2014 Toyota Camry I bought for zero down at Hall Toyota VirginiaBeach.
It was my very first Toyota, and after eight months of driving it, I was completely hooked on the brand’s engineering and reliability.
The Gold Standard: The Toyota Crown
That Camry experience led me straight to a brand-new 2023 Toyota Crown XLE in Magnetic Grey. Having driven everything from Audi Q-series hybrids and luxury sedans to various rentals like the 2025 Hyundai Kona, nothing compares to the engineering of the Toyota Crown.
* Fuel Efficiency: While officially rated around 42 MPG combined, my actual driving yields anywhere between 50 to 60 MPG.
* Endurance: I have driven this car across the entire country—from Virginia down to Florida, across to California, through Georgia, and back.
* Connection: Coincidentally, my close friend and fellow musician Donald Dias recently picked up a new Crown Platinum in the same Magnetic Grey color for his birthday. We’ve been great friends for a while now and actually recorded over 200 songs in 8 days together!
Connect with Hall Toyota Virginia Beach
If you are in the market for a reliable vehicle that genuinely outperforms the competition, go see my brother Mallin Alexander, Sales and Leasing Consultant at Hall Toyota.
* Contact Person: Mallin Alexander
* Direct Phone: (757) 278-5565
* Dealership: Hall Toyota Virginia Beach
* Address: 1877 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Dr. Hakeem Ali-Bocas Alexander reports for Monarch City Buzz—the ultimate student and community guide for Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and the greater Hampton Roads area.
Submitted by Hakeem Ali-Bocas Alexander
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