Life in plastic, it's fantastic! Engineering student, 20, rides a BARBIE JEEP around campus after her driving license was suspended

  • Tara Monroe, a student at Texas State University, had her license suspended after refusing to take a Breathalyzer test during a traffic stop 
  • Afterwards she bought a hot-pink Barbie Jeep on Craigslist for $60 
  • The 5ft 3ins college junior uses the 12-volt battery-operated vehicle to transport herself around campus at 5mph    

Having been barred from driving her car after a DWI arrest, a creative Texas State University student switched to a different set of wheels - a hot pink Barbie Jeep. 

Tara Monroe, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, had her license suspended after she refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test during a traffic stop on her way home from a concert. 

Her father drove from the family's home in Kingwood to San Marcos to take away her vehicle, leaving Tara with only two available modes of transportation: a bicycle or her own two feet.

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Real-life Barbie girl: Tara Monroe, a 20-year-old Texas State junior majoring in industrial engineering, bought this Barbie Jeep Wrangler second-hand after getting busted for DWI 

Real-life Barbie girl: Tara Monroe, a 20-year-old Texas State junior majoring in industrial engineering, bought this Barbie Jeep Wrangler second-hand after getting busted for DWI 

She has dubbed her new set of wheels 'Charlene' in honor of the little girl who sold her the vehicle

She has dubbed her new set of wheels 'Charlene' in honor of the little girl who sold her the vehicle

No buyer's remorse here! Monroe says her miniature mode of transportation beats riding a bicycle

No buyer's remorse here! Monroe says her miniature mode of transportation beats riding a bicycle

But Monroe went a different route, instead purchasing a pink-and-purple, 12-volt battery-operated plastic Jeep for $60 on Craigslist. 

Speaking to My San Antonio, the 5-foot-3 engineering major said that when she went to pick up her new ride, the vehicle's previous owner, a young girl named Charlene, looked around in confusion asking where was the little one who would be cruising in her Jeep.

'I'm the little one,' Monroe told her.

Since then, she has become something of a local attraction on the Texas State University-San Marcos campus, where she can be seen cruising daily in her miniature automobile.

No need for speed: Monroe's tiny hot-pink Jeep has a 12-volt battery and its top speed is only 5mph

No need for speed: Monroe's tiny hot-pink Jeep has a 12-volt battery and its top speed is only 5mph

Local attraction: People around San Marcos, Texas, have been snapping pictures of Monroe and her unusual ride and sharing them on social media, including this photo

Local attraction: People around San Marcos, Texas, have been snapping pictures of Monroe and her unusual ride and sharing them on social media, including this photo

Social media users have also taken notice of Monroe, sharing snapshots of the 20-year-old going around town at 5mph in her Barbie mobile.

Monroe, who was arrested on March 4 with a $3,000 bond, said she is flattered and surprised by all the attention garnered by her second-hand toy Jeep, which she appropriately nicknamed 'Charlene' after the little girl she bought it from.

'This is the best way I could have gotten my 15 minutes of fame,' she said. 'Basically, it was the best decision I’ve made in college, yet.'

She told My San Antonio: Most people don’t find the things me and my friends do very funny, just immature, so I didn’t expect to get this big of a reaction. People who don’t know me are shocked but my friends weren’t even surprised because I do stuff like this all the time.'

 

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