The Future of the Automobile Lecture

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Gimme an I! Gimme an N! Gimme S E C U R I T Y! What's that spell? Yay, insecurity :-)

It's not about insecurity, it's about the political correctness going wild nowadays. At least for me it seems like the perception of private cars as a sign of personal success (or eventually misfortune), and car culture as somewhat of a manhood deal, leads to some pressure to its extinction.

No matter if one drives a Peterbilt or a Prius, it's not a crime to be a man. Yet...

[Xist]

One of my friends used to randomly talk to me throughout the week. Many times she would call me while waiting for food, and then claim that she almost never ate out.

Waiting at the drive-through is boring!

"I wanted to tell you that I am dating someone.
Sorry I haven't talked to you much. Just going to focus on the new relationship. Hope everything is going well for you. We'll have a great night."

Does that sound scripted to anyone?

What I thought was weird was she always acted like she was the mature one that made good decisions.

I love my car, but she needs plenty of work. As far as I know, I still have a periodic CEL. Between that and the rattling at acceleration, I need to check my exhaust again. Perhaps a heat shield is loose. Maybe I have an exhaust leak. If not, then I will need to live with it, because the next option is a bad computer, and I am not spending $1000 on my car to fix an annoyance!

My driver's window does not go all of the way up and I am missing the trim pieces on the inside of both mirrors. I am not sure what other mechanical issues there are. Eventually, I want to paint her white. I think she is a beautiful car, but I have a bent fender, scratches on the passenger door, and the paint is crazed. Also, black is horrible in Arizona! Painting an old car is definitely smarter than replacing the computer!

This is my friend's car:


It is ten years older than mine and was probably in worse shape when she bought it, but I doubt that she had a trustworthy mechanic inspect it. To the best of my knowledge, she only fixes her car when it breaks down, and she rear-ended someone.

Having an old car is not necessarily bad, but when you spend your money on shoes, clothes, and cell phones, while driving your car into the ground and other vehicles, I think it shows horrible priorities.

People do consider cars to be a status symbol. If you have a new car, it appears that you can afford it. If you drive a wreck, it appears that you cannot afford better.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

Does that sound scripted to anyone?

That sounds like she is telling you she is not available to have a romantic relationship, or even a flirtatious one with you, and that you may have shown some amount of interest in her, but got into the friend-zone.

People do consider cars to be a status symbol. If you have a new car, it appears that you can afford it. If you drive a wreck, it appears that you cannot afford better.

I drive a newer wreck. What am I projecting?

If I had millions in the bank, I'd probably own the same vehicles I have now. Perhaps I'd buy a slightly newer truck; one with a healthy transmission, working speedometer, cruise control, AC, and straight front-end.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by niky

Telecommuting is a potentially much bigger threat to motoring than EVs...

I don't think telecommuting is a threat to motoring in general, just to commuting. It's been years since I've driven anywhere for work, but I still drive to go hike/bike/ski/horse trailheads, visit friends, trips to grocery & hardware stores, haul hay & firewood...

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

It's not about insecurity, it's about the political correctness going wild nowadays. At least for me it seems like the perception of private cars as a sign of personal success (or eventually misfortune), and car culture as somewhat of a manhood deal, leads to some pressure to its extinction.

No, because if it were simply about owning a car, then a silent Tesla or other EV would be just as good (or even better, given the cost & performance) than an oversized something with a big V8 and inadequate mufflers, probably belching black smoke into the air. ("Rolling coal") It's IMHO just insecurity that makes these guys (and they are mostly guys) think that a) they neet to prove their "manhood" to a world that mostly doesn't care; and b) the best way to do this is to inflict their noise & stink on the rest of us.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Xist

Having an old car is not necessarily bad, but when you spend your money on shoes, clothes, and cell phones, while driving your car into the ground and other vehicles, I think it shows horrible priorities.

http://imgur.com/gallery/ihF13ie

[niky]

She's hedging her bets. Keeping extra men in the bank.

Then there are women who like having guy friends without the (overt) pressures of courtship and sex. I've known quite a few women over the years like that.

Driving per se isn't going to go away. Geography conspires against any move to remove the automobile completely. But the urban lifestyle must, by needs, be anti-auto... it's the only way for the urban model to survive into the next few decades.

Those of us who live outside it may continue, though, to enjoy long walks on the beach and long drives through the countryside.

[Xist]

The real winner here is my girlfriend. She has been hearing me complain about my annoying friend for three months.

Gallifrey falls (no more)!

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by niky

She's hedging her bets. Keeping extra men in the bank.

Then there are women who like having guy friends without the (overt) pressures of courtship and sex. I've known quite a few women over the years like that.

Yes, yes, I'd wager you are right. That's why I'm always advocating for not having female friends (if you're a straight guy). I even tell ex girlfriends that I'll never talk to them again when i break up; not to be mean, but just to make it easier on the both of us to move on. My wife really appreciates that I have no loose ends on past relationships.

I prefer to get my drama fix from Judge Judy, rather than life.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

No, because if it were simply about owning a car, then a silent Tesla or other EV would be just as good (or even better, given the cost & performance) than an oversized something with a big V8 and inadequate mufflers, probably belching black smoke into the air. ("Rolling coal")

Doesn't need to be a landyacht, something like a Lotus Seven replica or a Baja Bug would already suffice for weekend racing. Electrics feel more like an appliance-car better suited to daily commuting.

It's IMHO just insecurity that makes these guys (and they are mostly guys) think that a) they neet to prove their "manhood" to a world that mostly doesn't care; and b) the best way to do this is to inflict their noise & stink on the rest of us.

It's not about a need to prove manhood for anybody else to see, it's just a matter of personal preferences.