"Leave the driving to us"

[zrath]

This was posted on a friend's LJ in reply to one of those "World Of Tomorrow" articles.
This particular article was "Life In The Year 2008" and was written in 1968.
I had a sort of epiphany...


I think I have gained an insight into why Americans don't seem to take driving seriously.
All these World Of Tomorrow articles always emphasize the automated highways and robot cars.
Americans don't want to drive, they just want to push a few buttons to program the car, then goof off playing poker or something.
Nowadays, they'd be talking or texting on their cellphones like mad, or surfing the Internet on their laptops.
I am aware that some people already do that.
Europeans are more involved in their driving. Driving education is tougher and more expensive.

I think distances also plays a factor. America is a big country, full of straight lines and gentle curves.
Europe is small and twisty and requires more driving acumen.

I am not ready to surrender my car to a robot.
I like being in control.


I can sort of see the appeal of computer highways and robot cars. It would cut down on the amount of idiots who
cut me off, throw themselves at me and my lil' truck, or just plain do absolutely some of the stupidest crap ever.
But I bet you the idiots who still find some way to screw things up.

You can pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hands! :D

Comments

[zeeth_kyrah]

Whereas I like cruise control until I'm in a pack of cars on the interstate (nobody ever keeps the same speed unless they're following someone) or entering an area with tight curves (I don't feel safe letting the car speed around that curve, even if I would go faster when I'm on the gas - cruise control doesn't understand how to slow down going in and speed up on the way out). If I know such things are ahead of me, I'll tap the brake to put the cruise on standby, and put foot-on-metal until the worry is past.