Probably more than any other status symbol, a limousine exudes wealth, luxury and “having it all.” Most such vehicles in my part of the country are hired by average people who pretend, if only briefly, that they’re a part of the so-called “good life.” The irony is, if you ask them, many will tell you they wish they were rich enough to own their own limo and employ a chauffeur

But few stars who arrive on camera at movie premiere events don’t own their own limousines or employ personal drivers. If you’re Kelly Ripa or Regis Philbin, for example, you may ride to work in one every day, but doing so is a perk provided by the studio, and the driver comes with the car. In New York City, where parking is always an issue, it just is not practical for stars to own and maintain and pay a chauffeur to drive a vehicle that costs about the same as an average home in middle America.

But I know that no matter what I may say, all the facts in the world about limos will not change people’s perception of them. And perception is everything.