Date posted: November 2, 2007 - Friday
Title: Cruising down the highway?
Current mood: incredulous
As a child of the 50's I was supposed to be into Detroit heavy metal. Or, at a minimum, be able to recognize a make and model of car from 50 yards as it sped down the street.
But, being the contrary SOB I am, or maybe just an oddball, I wasn't into cars at all. Despite taking driver's ed in high school, I didn't get my license until I was in college. I didn't have access to my first car until I was about to graduate from college. I didn't buy my first car until I was in graduate school after my Army service.
Yep, a late bloomer all around.
So, coming from the perspective of a guy who considers a car just a device to get me from one place to another and haul groceries home, I find car ads on TV to be rather silly and very excessive. Some of the models advertised cost about as much as my parents paid for the house I now live in.
Living in Southern California having an automobile is as necessary has having water and electricity coming to your house. Public transportation sucks for the most part.
Still, I have never bought into the "bigger is better" of "new model every year" schools of automobile appreciation. All the hypes for cars that tear up the environment "off-roading" have always left me cold. And I don't really think I need to worry about acceleration to avoid another car falling out of the sky, or braking to stop me from dropping over a cliff into a deep ravine.
But I think the topper came as I was watching television the other day. I have found the need for GPS and cars that talk back to you or send you e-mails about their condition to be a little extreme. Jesus, just read a map or check your oil once in a while.
And I don't need a jack for my I-Pod either.
So imagine my reaction when I saw an advertisement for a car with not just one, but TWO, DVD players installed. Who in the hell needs a DVD player installed in their car; let alone two?
It's a car for Christ Sake! You aren't going to live in it. Or at least I hope you don't have to live in it. And the average driver only travels about 11,000 miles a year so I can't see how this would be necessary.
Obviously the selling point is for people with kids they need to occupy. But what does that say about how we treat our children? Are these children so without resources they have to be 'entertained' every waking
