Yaris Driver James Pugh on Podcasts and Google

Name: James Pugh

Car: 2007 Toyota Yaris S

Previous cars: 1994 Honda Civic

How’s your commute? Fletcher Hills to Sorrento Valley but I work off-hours — 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., so I never really hit traffic.

Cheapest gas? There’s a gas station right across the street from my office and Qualcomm that knows they can get me and everyone else who limps their car to work so they charge $4.50 for regular. I don’t blame them. I’d be doing the same thing, but I spend too much on gas. So, not there. I recommend you find an Arco or something.

What’s wrong with your car? Nothing major. Need a fan belt and an oil change, but that’s about it.

What cool cars have you driven? Not the coolest, but I’ve always wanted a BMW Z3. I got to drive my friend’s dad’s one time and it was everything I hoped for.

What do you listen to while you drive? I listen to a lot of podcasts. I listen to a bunch of video games and political podcasts, So, Last Gen, Planet Money, etc. When I don’t listen to podcasts I listen to whatever music. I’m not picky.

Do you use your cell phone and drive? Never. I do have a speaker hands-free device that sits on the sun visor which is pretty excellent.

Tickets? One speeding ticket up in [the] Central Valley. Got popped for doing 80.

Where do you experience the worst traffic? Again, my hours are nice, but on the weekends the whole 52 west to La Jolla is always backed up through those lights. Really, if you’re going to the beach, you should expect traffic, anyway.

Any good hitchhiking stories? I was walking around campus up north in Merced, and we were in no position to be driving... shouldn’t even have been walking. We saw a guy we thought we knew from school and asked him to give us a lift back to school, I don’t think he spoke English very well, but he totally gave us a ride. Nice guy.

Accidents? Never been a driver in an accident, but I’ve been a passenger in a couple. A friend pulled out early on a right on red and got swiped in the front.

Your best ShortCut? If you’re leaving Sorrento Valley, most people try to take Scranton south onto the 805, but if you take Scranton west back to Mira Mesa and then onto the 805, you can usually save a couple minutes.

What is your dream car? Probably something American and stupid. I hear the best Mustang is the new GT500, and I’d get a really obnoxious yellow color to stand out/get tickets.

What bothers you most about other peoples’ driving? Impatient people. Settle down, everyone! If I’m going slowly, I’ll keep to the right and you can go around me. We’re all in this together, guys. Nobody is deliberately trying to prevent you from getting to your destination.

Do you use any shortcuts in real life? Google. Before you ever ask anyone a question, try Googling it first; 99 percent you’ll find the right answer more completely without bothering anyone else.