Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 05/01) - You know you're driving an appealing vehicle when a police officer pulls you over just to get a better look at it.

Deb Antoine, left, drives a Harley Davidson/Ford F-150 pick-up truck while Shawna Kidd owns a PT Cruiser. They definitely don't lack for attention while behind the wheel. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

That's exactly what happened to Deb Antoine while en route from Grande Prairie, Alta., to Fort Simpson in her new 2001 Harley Davidson/Ford F-150. The chrome-laden, black truck caught the longing eye of the law in a parking lot in Dawson Creek, B.C.

"He said, 'I've only ever seen one in a magazine. Do you mind if I take a look at it?' So he checked the truck over from one end to the other," Antoine said, laughing. "I said to him, 'Do you want to get in here and sit behind the wheel?' And he said, 'Could I?' It was unbelievable."

Shawna Kidd hasn't been delayed by the authorities, but she has received plenty of compliments on her 2001 PT Cruiser. People have stopped and stared, and teenagers have told her she has a "cool" car.

Kidd said there were a number of selling points, such as the rave reviews from automotive journalists and the fact that her golf clubs fit nicely in the back.

"I was completely attracted to the body style of the vehicle because it's so reminiscent of automobiles from the '30s," she said. "I figured it was as close to a hot rod as I was going to get at my age."

Antoine's pick-up truck is a limited edition. It's one of only 200 made this year, the second year of a five-year deal between Harley Davidson and Ford. She was looking for a 2001 Mercury Sable when she opted for the truck instead.

"I wanted something comparable to my car in comfort and style," she said. "When (the salesperson) opened the doors, that was it, I just had to have it."

The drawback to owning such precious, new vehicles is that they are inevitably going to get banged up. Kidd encountered -- horror of all horrors -- a speeding tractor trailer on the dirt highway between Fort Providence and Fort Simpson. With rocks flying in all directions, she pulled to a stop and...

"I actually thought about getting out and throwing myself across the hood of the vehicle so it wouldn't get any rock chips," she laughed.

Sure enough, she's expecting a can of touch-up paint to arrive in the near future.