We’ve all seen the ads, the perkiness, the safety, the features, the giant tablet on the dashboard, the blossoming family relationships when they’ve decided to take the safest option for their families. The sensors, they’ll pick up them soft squishy things that take up car space at the sides of the roads so they don’t dent the bumper, and brake accordingly. Actually, come to think of it, the new ones will do most of the driving while being almost silent. Sure AI will be doing the driving, but think about all the films were automating our lives to machines went well. Loads of examples there.
We, all of us, are sold bullshit dreams, and the automotive industry is certainly guilty of producing their share. Vanilla Sky, the 2001 movie were Tom Cruise (shockingly!) does a lot of shark hand running, ends with a scene of a clear street in New York, devoid of traffic. This scene is fantasy, and it is appropriate that it is so.
It occurred to me today on a walk usually disrupted by the last form of acceptable anti social behaviour, loud private vehicles, that the penny may be dropping for people that cars do not in fact provide the personal freedom that has been advertised. Now that fuel is starting to cost more, consumers may actually be considering how much of their life is being wasted sucking in fumes behind another frustrated driver. My kids said to me in traffic one day; “Father, what is the reason we have bowed down to this insanity?”, not really, but they did say; “Does it cost us money to sit here?!”. Needless to say, I turned the radio up, that usually fixes the noises that come from a car that I can’t fix.
Sold a dream of individual freedom brought to you by extortionate interest rates and horrific balloon payments? Then you may be entitled to compensation. I’m not sure who from, but it’s not from me, I’m taking the FAFO approach to this.
Dan Higgins 
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