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Last week Texas State University student Tara Monroe made headlines when, after refusing to take a breathalyzer test on the way home from a Waka Flocka Flame concert and subsequently losing her license to DWI charges, she found an alternative mode of transportation. The 20-year-old student got herself a Barbie Jeep — just like the one she had as a kid — and started riding that to class, to the amusement of her peers and the internet in general.
However her antics have also drawn criticism from those who claim Monroe is using the jeep to make light of DWI, a very serious issue which claims thousands of lives per year due to car accidents. Many people understandably see Monroe’s situation as no laughing matter. Monroe’s dad says that he even bought her a perfectly good bike, but as she tells Inside Edition in a new interview: “I am kind of a diva… I don’t like to sweat, I don’t like to work out.”
“I am not trying to make a joke out of that. I just didn’t want to walk to class,” she said.
She’s not alone. Others are jumping on the Barbie bandwagon. “My roommate just bought one, too,” she said. “It’s more just a fun thing to do with your friend.”
Monroe maintains her innocence and denies that she was under the influence when she was pulled over, but does not elaborate on why she refused the breathalyzer test. For better or worse, it looks like she’s started a new trend and probably single-handedly lowered the depreciation value for children’s motorized vehicles. Yard-sale season is going to be booming.
(Via Inside Edition)