Devolution of driving

[SlakeMoth]

Good editorial on the evolution of the car and driving - pretty good analysis of the disjointed drivers on the road.  Like the final paragraph...

ganked from http://discovermagazine.com/

Peer Review: Dreary Driving

Driving used to be about taking on the world. Now it’s about being tucked in for a nap.
by Douglas Rushkoff

The driver in the TV commercial looks able enough. Then he pulls up next to another vehicle, hits a button labeled “park assist,” and sits back passively while his Lexus turns the steering wheel, backs up at precisely the right angle, stops before it hits the curb, and neatly pulls itself into the open spot. The perfect parallel park, brought to you by microchip and Japanese engineering.

This luxury feature is just the latest in a long string of technological leaps forward for the automobile, but somehow the sight of a car literally parking itself makes me wonder if we’ve gone too far.

Admittedly, my misgivings about the changing dynamics of driving are largely emotional. America is a nation in which automobiles have long served as symbols of personal freedom, rugged individualism, and good old machismo. That’s how they’ve been sold to us, anyway. In our mechanized world, a V-8 engine’s horsepower stands in for the real horse a cowboy would once have had to bridle.

Horseless carriages were originally associated with wealthy dandies in goggles and scarves—men too weak to wrestle a wild beast to their transportation needs. But as Ford’s assembly lines began churning out machines by the thousands, Madison Avenue came to the rescue with a new image of the automobile as an extension of the spirit of the American male. Instead of proving his machismo by breaking in a wild stallion, he would get a hulking steel extension of himself to master. Until fairly recently, a man’s man was supposed to know enough about spark plugs and fan belts to pop the hood and get a little grease on his hands now and again.

The slow evolution from muscle car to computerized chauffeur started innocently enough. Simple mechanical conveniences like power steering and the automatic transmission enabled people with a bit less muscle or coordination to force the wheels and engine of an unwieldy hunk of metal to their will. Now anyone can cruise down Main Street like a greaser from American Graffiti.

But integration of the microchip into the automobile has taken things in a new direction. Along with power doors and windows, electronic transmissions, and remote-start ignitions comes a corresponding alienation from the inner workings of our vehicles. Today’s car has essentially no user-serviceable parts inside it; a mechanic’s garage is a clean, computerized facility staffed by specialists in lab coats. We’re no longer really supposed to understand how our cars work but rather to marvel at what they can do by and for themselves. As a result, instead of serving as the car’s master and caretaker, we have become its pampered child.

Consider what driving now entails. Cruise control relieves us of the responsibility for manning the gas pedal, while even newer technologies warn us if we’re about to go off the road. Cars can monitor our eyelids for signs of fatigue and even call for help if we manage to get into trouble despite all this protection. Yes, we may be safer, but driving has shifted from an act of independence—our first taste of potentially reckless teenage freedom—to an activity hovered over by a vigilant electronic mother, scanning the road ahead for danger.

As if to compensate for all this mothering, our car exteriors have grown to incorporate Daddy too. Drivers looking for that lost sense of power buy gargantuan SUVs in which they tower over everyone else. Yet behind the tinted glass of even the most menacing tank is a mobile family room: a self-contained, hermetically sealed set of comfort zones in which each passenger is coddled, warmed, entertained, and even nourished individually. Instead of looking out the window to play “I spy,” kids stare at their own personal DVD monitors, unlikely to notice they’ve actually left the house. Even the driver can ignore the world beyond his windshield and simply follow the calm instructions of the talking GPS-enabled navigation system. No need to learn local landmarks or ever take an unexpected turn. The family may as well be teleported to their destination.

That’s what bothers me most about the evolutionary path of our vehicles—and about many of the other technologies we bring into our lives under the rubric of “convenience.” It’s one thing to use an electric mixer or a gas oven to bake bread; it’s another to throw the ingredients into a computerized box that bakes the bread for you. The latter assumes that the task has no value in itself, so it’s better not to be present for it. It is the same logic that leads people to use cell phones in the street or iPods on the bus, acts that make these spaces even less interactive or friendly than they were before.

Increasingly detached from the tasks and surroundings of our daily lives, we are also less connected to the civic, social, and physical reality on which we depend. This way of using technology looks to me less like a quest for the independence of an adult than like a long, disempowering trek back to the blindness, security, and absolute dependence of the womb.

[Flyer]

Great editorial .
Not only have our vehicles become extensions of our living rooms, but our driving skills continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate.
We have given up our personal responsibility for safety, as we now have "safety" built right in our vehicles. (Air bags, "crumple zones", alloy-steel door intrusion beams, ABS, ESP, etc.).
Government has abdicated any responsibility by allowing the issuance of MV licenses like so many daily newspapers; it's now just all about revenue generation.
Put more cops on the road, give 'em the tools to enforce the rules already in place, and stuff the courts full of cell-phoning, burger-chewing, DVD watching, latte sipping asshats. Yank their licenses and MAKE 'EM WALK!

[M.Brane]

 A much easier way would be to make it mandatory that unless you have a physical handicap you take your drive test with a manual trans, and get graded on the proper use of the clutch/gear choice. That would fail most people today for sure.

[Jeff N]

Nice editorial.

Does anybody heel and toe anymore?

[1moreroad]

I wouldn't know where to begin with this whiny little op-ed.  He's bought into a fake little marketing scheme as sure as anyone who chooses to purchase cars with auto park, power windows, etc.  He bought his car for freedom.  Same reason people buy SUVs that so many of us all complain about -- because they could go off down some dirt road even if they never drive it farther than the nearest (paved) mall parking lot.

But what does he do with it?  Probably commutes to work, somewhere around 15 miles each way.  In traffic.  Where all the V8 horsepower in the world does no good.  But a good sound system is nice to have.  And A/C when you're stuck in 100 degree, humid heat not moving.  Cell phone or drink in the cupholder?  Not a problem when stopped dead on an interstate or at a traffic light or at a traffic light on the interstate like we have in LA.

Lab coats?  How do you think we get the horsepower we do out of the engines we have?  It used to be that 1 hp/in^3 was an accomplishment.  Now we've far exceeded that.

Manual transmission?  Sequentials and now even some automatics get better gas mileage.  Ferrari's computer shifter -- introduced 5 or 10 years ago -- is smoother and quicker than anyone not named Schumacher (sp?).

Look, I'm all for the open road.  I've driven two vehicles cross country and neither had cruise control, although the next one I'll drive across country this summer will.  But I'm the exception.  Few of us have actually driven cross country (BlackIce and professionals excluded).  I'm excited as is my Dad because, at 63, he'll be doing it with me for the first time.  Driven the length of the Atlantic Coast but never cross country.  The fact is that many of us buy cars for creature comforts that we appreciate while stuck in our daily grind, and we're better off for it.

Besides why are we special?  If we're all so "pure" why not pedal everywhere we go?

[M.Brane]

 I don't have a problem with all the features, but you should understand how to actually drive before you can have 'em.

 You wouldn't recommend a fully loaded Goldwing to a new rider would you? Same concept. Priveledges should be earned not taken for granted.

[sammyseaman]

 I don't have a problem with all the features, but you should understand how to actually drive before you can have 'em.

 You wouldn't recommend a fully loaded Goldwing to a new rider would you? Same concept. Priveledges should be earned not taken for granted.

+1
I wonder if/when bikes will start to make a dramatic transition that way? Auto trannies, clutchless trannies, airbags, outriggers, heated everything, cruise control, dvd. One reason why the Triumph Bonneville is calling to me. Simple, simple, simple. I'm sure we'll have bikes that you can actually work on for a long time and the friendlier easier bikes to ride will help get new riders involved it. Makes me wonder.

[county]

the... security...of the womb.


Well, I was pretty comfortable in the womb.

[Kootenanny]

Nice editorial.

Does anybody heel and toe anymore?

+1

BTW, I "heel and toe"--learned as a teenager driving junkers that demanded it, and my Spitfire still does.  Trying to teach my wife, though...

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I thought it was well-written.

My car has none of the acrutruments that the author complains about (not even a radio, let alone a dvd player), so its easy for me to bash anyone else      Also, I find myself almost bored when I'm driving a "modern" car: there's nothing to do! Nothing to shift, the wheel turns with one finger, the brakes stop the car with the slightest of pressure, I can accelerate up hills... Where's the challenge??  


Oh, and I've driven across country (three times, actually) in a 5-speed manual transmission, in case anyone's counting.

[highside]

Yeah, things really started going down hill when they put seatbelts and airbags in cars. Making the cost of an accident lower just encourages people to pay less attention. Take out all those features and line the interior compartments of cars with rusty nails and broken glass and I bet people would pay a hell of a lot more attention to what they are doing.

^ That idiocy makes exactly as much sense as this editorial, but it doesnt specifically target wealthy people who can afford brand new luxury cars, and thus make the rest of us feel superior, so it won't be met with the same enthusiasm. It is amazing the sort of crap that people are willing to accept as long as it targets someone they dislike.

[natronazx6r]

Good editorial on the evolution of the car and driving - pretty good analysis of the disjointed drivers on the road.  Like the final paragraph...

ganked from http://discovermagazine.com/

 

[Morgan]

Nice editorial.

Does anybody heel and toe anymore?

No need.  The computer does it for you.  Sadly people think this is a marvel of technology to embrace and spend thousands of dollars on.  People seem to want to emulate life on every level rather than just put the effort in and learn the skill.  I heel toe my bike and my Jeep on nearly every downshift, for free.  It took me a while to get to the point that I could do it smoothly under hard braking on the bike, but the reward for practice is a good one.  

[Global Rider]

Does anybody heel and toe anymore?

You need to ask that when the vast majority of cars sold in North America come with an automatic transmission.

Worse yet, what percentage of Corvettes come with an automatic transmission?  

MB or BMW models available with a 5 or 6 speed in Germany are only available with an automatic transmission in North America.  

You really have to ask yourself if drivers on this continent are really as enthusiastic about driving as they are made out to be.

Lets not even get into the professionalism and skill level of the drivers. That would be a complete joke!

[Berry G]

Nice editorial.

Does anybody heel and toe anymore?

Depends on the corner. Some require left foot braking.

That was a great editorial. I never thought about it but to me the motorized vehicle (2 or 4 wheels, or winged) is an extension of, well, me.

I don't see 98% of the drivers today thinking of their cars as much more than a toaster.

[Uncle Bob]

since I work on cars for a living, I get to spend large portions of the day driving around some of the fancy stuff thats out there now.  Some of them are so over the top, you need to read the owners manual just to figure out how to start the dang things.  When the new GM's came out with the convoluted info station on the dash, I literally had to read the owners manual just to figure out how to display the odometer!  

I think the funny thing about this race by manufacturers to add the most bells and whistles as a marketing ploy, is just like programming the clock on the VCR, most people that own such cars, DON'T know what they can do, how to do it, or what means what.  Hell, most people don't even know what the oil pressure light means.

Simply put, the average person doesn't care enough to educate themselves on most aspects of cars, whether it be driving, maintenance, safety etc.  

[Rogue]

I agree with Uncle Bob and Global Rider's points.  The average driver around the world does NOT care about driving anymore than they care how to program their VCR's (remember those? ).  

Personally, I'm looking forward to the day when our cars give us the option to "Self-Drive" in the highway.  Given the number of stupid, attention-challenged drivers out there, I think I would want the computer to do the driving than the dumb-ass stuck to the cell phone, or eating a fookin hamburger while in the fast lane of a busy Interstate!  I believe this will eliminate a lot of the problems/issues we have with stupid drivers.  Motorcycles of course, will not have the self-drive mode.  I don't see how.  In any case, motorcycles by their very nature are meant for those who ALWAYS want to be involved in the ride.  This is why most AVERAGE people stick to cars.  Motorcyclist are not average people thank goodness!

Although the piece is very well written and makes some very good points, it focuses too much on the actual driving.  Yes I agree that before anyone is given a license, they need to learn how to drive on "manual control" only.  Then, later they can be given the option to automate the driving.  And that is the key word:  Option.  Future cars should give drivers the option to automatically drive themselves.  So those who don't care to drive, can still transport themselves in a safe manner.  Yet, those who LIKE to drive can choose to drive themsevles and be involved in the experience.

Right now, we are in a transition period.  We only have the pieces of the puzzle.  Transmissions that can act like an auto but can be switched to manual give lazy drivers the option to just step on gas and brake, yet give drivers who want to be involved the option to go manual.  GPS gives lazy drivers the option to be told when and where to turn, while drivers who want more involvement can just turn it off.  

Global Rider asked an intersting question:  How much does the NA driving community like driving compared to say, Germany?  Well, NA considers driving as a way to get somewhere in this vast continent.  Germans consider driving as a sport and a luxury.  Thus the existence of the Autobahn:  the ultimate road in which to test a car and driver's limits, and Germany's strict driving laws and licensing program.  They need that to weed out stupid drivers for the most part.  And this is why there are more automatic Corvettes than manual Corvettes in NA.  Most people who buy them buy them for looks. For 2008, Chevrolet will drop the 4-speed overdrive automatic trannies and offer the 6-speed autobox with a sequential/manual shifting option.  Thus, satisfying both posers and drivers alike.

[Bodhi]

Most cagers hate driving. They want to do everything they can to alleviate boredom. They want the drive to be like sitting in an armchair, listening to music, chatting with friends, relaxing, and having the car practically drive itself. Then when a hapless motorcyclist gets hit by one of these absent-minded denizens of the road, the first thing out of their mouth is "I never saw him". Op ed pieces inevitably follow regarding how dangerous motorcycles are because they are hard to see.

[JTM]

Ok, someone please educate me "What is heel and toe"

I drive a truck with a M5 transmission every day, and I don't know what this is.

[M.Brane]

 Heel & toe is using one foot to operate the brake, and throttle simultaniously so you can match RPMs while downshifting, and brake seemlessly with a manual trans. Some heel/brake toe/gas, and others visa-versa but the concept is the same.

[Global Rider]

Global Rider asked an intersting question:  How much does the NA driving community like driving compared to say, Germany?  Well, NA considers driving as a way to get somewhere in this vast continent.  Germans consider driving as a sport and a luxury.  Thus the existence of the Autobahn:  the ultimate road in which to test a car and driver's limits, and Germany's strict driving laws and licensing program.  They need that to weed out stupid drivers for the most part.

Well you'd think is a vast continent such as ours and "your" Interstate highway system, they'd have limitless speed limits. On the other hand, having driven in the right lane of the I-90 (Buffalo to Chicago), you'd think a major highway would be kept in better shape. The tractor tailers wore such deep grooves in the right lane, something like a Corvette would bottom out.

Its a treat to drive on the autobahn where people understand what a passing lane is. When there, we regularly cruise at 190 km/hr (120 mph) and still get 32 mpg (US) but you'd think that at almost $8 per US gallon, they'd wise up and slow down. But they like their speed and cars. Little wonder a BMW or MB runs so well at 120 mph...its their cruising speed. I was passed on my bike by a Porsche that was doing an easy 265 km/hr (165 mph) and thats a very conservative estimate. I had to hold the paint from getting sucked off my gas tank.

As for driver's licences, be it for a car or bike, you don't want to know what the courses cost compared to over here. But courses don't teach you an attitude. For some reason their driving attitudes are quite different from ours. There is a lot less attitude on the roads there where I feel safe doing 100 mph in the rain there.

[rcmnz]

How 'bout the new Volvo's?  Flashing lights and audible warnings indicate you are about to run into the car in front of you. Or, even more pertinent to this discussion, there is a vehicle (a motorcycle in the commercial) in the lane to your right as you signal a lane change.  Then, I may have misunderstood the ad...it may actually be like the visual/audible indication a Navy pilot recieves when they've got a lock on a target.

Just something else to lull drivers into complacency, secure in the notion the machine will get them out of whatever situation they get into.  How about a little situational awareness?  Preaching to the choir.

[JTM]

 Heel & toe is using one foot to operate the brake, and throttle simultaniously so you can match RPMs while downshifting, and brake seemlessly with a manual trans. Some heel/brake toe/gas, and others visa-versa but the concept is the same.

I do that with the sides of my foot

[VIVID1]

I agree 100% and that’s why I drive a 6 speed manual car with power 'assisted' steering and never use the cruise control.

I “drive” my car  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I agree 100% and that’s why I drive a 6 speed manual car with power 'assisted' steering and never use the cruise control.

I “drive” my car  

Ooo - I'm jealous! I only have 4 speeds. Unless I count reverse. That gives me 5!!!

[Rogue]

Well you'd think is a vast continent such as ours and "your" Interstate highway system, they'd have limitless speed limits. On the other hand, having driven in the right lane of the I-90 (Buffalo to Chicago), you'd think a major highway would be kept in better shape. The tractor tailers wore such deep grooves in the right lane, something like a Corvette would bottom out.

Agree 100%.

Even over here in CA were road maintenance has become an science, the right lanes on many Interstate Highways are broken up by the big rigs that constantly ride it.  I actually had that exact experience you had.  I was on the 'Vette and hit one of those broken concrete blocks on the right lane--I thought for sure I had lost my front wheels or at least bent them!  It felt like I hit a curb.

In any case, the Interstate System was designed to do one thing very well:  move freight across this vast continent.  Notice how much effort they spent on making it straight as an arrow with goods and services aimed at large vehicles such as trucks.  In contrast, Germany makes an effort to include some gentle curves on their autobahn to make it more interesting to drivers and keep them awake at high speeds.  Their own research suggested that long straight and boring driving at low speeds induces sleep.  At least that's what the Discovery channel said!  

In the US, driving is suppose to be a previlage.  But most people treat it as a right.  They have a right to drive.  They have a right to drive most anyway they choose.  Now in theory, this is okay as long as proper enforcement of traffic laws are followed.  But it isn't.  In reality, most law enforcement agencies focus a large part of their efforts on speed enforcement.  I estimate they put about 70% in doing that.  We can debate all day as to why.  The bottom line is, US drivers are programmed to watch their speed and be speed Nazi's, but they ignore just about everything else!  Well, okay.  Not completely ignore but it could be so much better.  Think of how much better drivers would be if LEO's enforced the use of turn signals, proper lane discipline, limiting distractions while driving, on a regular basis.  If the LEO's would make it their mandate to take half of their efforts in enforcing speed to only those three I mentioned, our roads would be such a better place to spend time in.  Sadly, they don't.  

[jimmystartup]

I do that with the sides of my foot

It is the same thing. For me, the only way to do it is a modified heel/toe because I wear size 12EEE and just don't fit in a lot of foot wells.

[Uncle Bob]

It is the same thing. For me, the only way to do it is a modified heel/toe because I wear size 12EEE and just don't fit in a lot of foot wells.

hehe, some cars, you have no choice.  A 240Z for example, my big feet are incapable of hitting only the gas peddle.  I had to take my shoe off.

There's been a few others like that, but I'm drawing a blank

[atypical1]

I, for one, love all the gadgets in our car. Yup, we own a Lexus that has a lot of gadgets (heated and cooled seats? Yes, thanks, I will take those). Some of them are really useful (back up camera and sensors are really trick for someone like me who mainly rides and can't judge the size of the car). My wife commutes to work and she loves having all of the features (many of which you cannot use while driving BTW). But when she gets on the 5 she is not looking for a spirited drive. She is looking for a safe and comfortable commute.

The same for our old Toyota truck. It is clean and comfortable and transports my wife, me, and our 150 lb Great Dane to the beach every Sunday (as well as us to Burning Man, Yosemite, Mexico, etc). It doesn't have the same features as the Lexus but it does have more than my '79 Scout did.

Not everyone wants a "drivers car" and the technology does not necessarily need to remove the skill it takes to drive. So what if someone cannot drive a manual transmission? Does that really, really matter? When I am stuck in traffic I don't want to be messing around with the clutch thank you very much. I like having the creature comforts.

How many of you have "farkles" on your bikes? GPS, heated grips, heated gear, huge windscreens, etc are all creature comforts. Using the logic of the original article we would all still be riding 1920's Indians or something equally archaic. But we don't. Instead we ride bikes that are liquid cooled and wet clutched, have plenty of power, and are comfortable to ride (most of you do anyway... ). Does that make you any less of a rider? Does that mean that your skill level is less than the "old school" riders? I don't think so.

[Uncle Bob]

there is a big difference between GPS, heated gear, etc, compared to some of the stuff they put in cars.  Blind spot warning device (people too lazy to turn their head and look)  Lane wander warning (people on the phone, wandering all over the place) frontal collision monitor (people that don't notice they are not braking when they should be).  This is a small list of the devices that are questionable.  They are not to assist a good driver.  They are purely to assist a bad driver.  

Granted, they are "good" because they will help prevent accidents, but vice versa, it allows, or even encourages, bad drivers to continue being bad drivers (or even become worse drivers).  Now they guy who's eating, reading, on the phone, can safely do it with little attention to the road.  All he has to do is listen for the warning buzzers.  

I think this is the real issue the original article was regarding:  Devices that not only remove yourself from the experience, but remove any form of ability from driving.  By removing the necessity for skill, I worry that (some) people will find new ways to drive like idiots.  Far from a stretch.

[atypical1]

Actually I don't think the original article was really talking about the safety features. His complaint seemed to be that these devices removed the driver from the experience of driving and he even goes as far as to say that these are removing the operator from society and away from the interactions of life. I would argue that the experience of driving is purely subjective (as that of riding) and that there never has been much interaction with other folks while driving. At least not in my memory.

I still contend that you can make the same argument if you apply that logic to many of our bikes (especially those damn Gold Wings... ).

[Uncle Bob]

people harp on the goldwing, I don't get why.  It has the usual features that a lot of bikes have, with a nicer sound system.  A larger wind-screen, ABS and cruise control isn't exactly a mind blowing level of features, you can get those on many bikes.  The air bag is a favorite example of silly features on the GW, but its not exactly effecting the rider day-to-day

His example of automated parallel parking is a prime example of what I'm refering to.  This device is purely for the person that finds it difficult.  Lets the computer do what the driver can't do, or has trouble doing.  Instead of learning to do it properly, you just close your eyes and let the computer take over.

And heaven knows, many people find slow speed manuevering difficult.  If you ever doubt that, stand around a busy, tight parkinglot sometime and watch bad drivers try to negotiate them.  Its terrifying to watch (especially if your bike is park there)

[atypical1]

The Gold Wing comment was really meant as a joke because a lot of folks have the perception that the Gold Wing is less of a "riders bike" because of the features in the same way that people think that the parallel parking feature in the Lexus makes it less than a "drivers car". It is just a comfort feature and a way for them to sell cars. Just like the sound system, heated seats, etc. is a way for Honda to sell Gold Wings.

[1moreroad]

Atyp ~ I thought Snowbird already proved you're Mr. Big City and more interested in conspicuous consumption (and flashy cars, apparently) than Real Life.  You drive a Ducati, too.  Yep, I think we all know your type.  

I mean, heck, I figgered it out on teh interweb so it must be true, right?

[atypical1]

Atyp ~ I thought Snowbird already proved you're Mr. Big City and more interested in conspicuous consumption (and flashy cars, apparently) than Real Life.  You drive a Ducati, too.  Yep, I think we all know your type.  

I mean, heck, I figgered it out on teh interweb so it must be true, right?

 

Well the Lexus is pretty much the anti-flashy car. The Duc cost less than quite a few of the bikes here so I can't be THAT much into conspicuous consumption. Although an MV would be nice....

[M.Brane]

I would argue that the experience of driving is purely subjective (as that of riding) and that there never has been much interaction with other folks while driving. At least not in my memory.

 I think it's the exact opposite. Anytime you are driving or riding with others around you are in a constant state of interaction. Your decisions affect each other tremendously with dire consequences for poor ones.

 Though I've never ridden a Wing I believe it takes a bit more skill to ride than the average bike. They are big, powerful bikes that could get you in plenty of trouble real fast if you were unskilled or careless.

[Berry G]

hehe, some cars, you have no choice.  A 240Z for example, my big feet are incapable of hitting only the gas peddle.  I had to take my shoe off.

There's been a few others like that, but I'm drawing a blank

Size 8 here but I have to "big toe little toe" in this area...

[Kootenanny]

people harp on the goldwing, I don't get why.  It has the usual features that a lot of bikes have, with a nicer sound system.  A larger wind-screen, ABS and cruise control isn't exactly a mind blowing level of features, you can get those on many bikes...

I make the odd comment about Gold Wings, and your comment illustrates my point nicely.  Please note, the following are my opinions.

"A nicer sound system..."  Sorry, but a stereo does not belong on a motorcycle.  
"A larger windscreen..."  The larger the windscreen, the less you feel the wind.
"ABS..."  Well, I'll give you that one.  Don't have it, but I hear the latest systems are pretty good.
"Cruise control..." On a motorcycle?  C'mon!

Then, there are the features you haven't mentioned: reverse gear, built-in GPS monitor in the dash, cupholders (don't actually know if those are stock, but I've seen Wings with 'em).  And I know there are aftermarket kits with "outrigger" wheels that deploy when the bike is below a certain speed...

Everything mentioned is designed to remove the rider somewhat from the raw "experience" of riding (except maybe the reverse gear, which is there because the bike is just so damned big and heavy).  I guess for those to whom riding consists of droning hour after hour on the interstate, these distractions might be welcome...and to each his own, I'm sure Wing owners love their bikes...but for me, if I can't rail a few corners, I'd rather drive a car (most of which have fewer distracting gizmos than the Gold Wings we've been discussing...).

[JTM]

I make the odd comment about Gold Wings, and your comment illustrates my point nicely.  Please note, the following are my opinions.

"A nicer sound system..."  Sorry, but a stereo does not belong on a motorcycle.  
"A larger windscreen..."  The larger the windscreen, the less you feel the wind.
"ABS..."  Well, I'll give you that one.  Don't have it, but I hear the latest systems are pretty good.
"Cruise control..." On a motorcycle?  C'mon!

Then, there are the features you haven't mentioned: reverse gear, built-in GPS monitor in the dash, cupholders (don't actually know if those are stock, but I've seen Wings with 'em).  And I know there are aftermarket kits with "outrigger" wheels that deploy when the bike is below a certain speed...

Everything mentioned is designed to remove the rider somewhat from the raw "experience" of riding (except maybe the reverse gear, which is there because the bike is just so damned big and heavy).  I guess for those to whom riding consists of droning hour after hour on the interstate, these distractions might be welcome...and to each his own, I'm sure Wing owners love their bikes...but for me, if I can't rail a few corners, I'd rather drive a car (most of which have fewer distracting gizmos than the Gold Wings we've been discussing...).

you for got to mentions Goldwings now have airbags per Honda's global site.

What is the point of riding a motorcycle with all of that (you can fill in the word) on it.

[Kootenanny]

What is the point of riding a motorcycle with all of that (you can fill in the word) on it.

And here I thought I was   but the first reply is in agreement!  Thanks!

[Fun Dog]

I like shifting gears in my car.
I like shifting gears on my bike.

I do not like automatic transmissions, Sam I Am.
I do not like them with Green Eggs and Ham.

[JTM]

And here I thought I was   but the first reply is in agreement!  Thanks!

Sorry I'm still learning that I can post here and not just lurk.

[radman]

Actually, as a hot rodder since the age of 12, I have to say todays stuff is pretty damn impressive.  I recall the lengths we had to go to to get more performance out of a car-yet my best streetable work in the late 60's would get toasted on a road course by a Malibu straight off the showroom floor.  The only problem is that then, to do 100mph, both car and driver had to be better than average.  Now, anyone can go into the showroom, grab that plain Jane Malibu, and get it on.  The performance stuff is beyond what we could even dream of then, yet the same showroom situation applies.  But instead of the average person ramping up to equal the cars potential, the car has been dumbed down to lessen the talent needed to explore it's capabilities.  Thus we have people scared shitless of driving in slippery conditions buying 4 wheelers that allegedly can transform ice into velcro-and drive off the road in droves.  These same folks would have stayed home back in the day-but no more.  Effortlessly cruising at 80mph while text messaging is commonplace now, occasionally resulting in a mishap-something that 30 years ago would have been impossible to even contemplate, much less successfully accomplish day after day after day-can you imagine driving the 64 BelAir with a 230" six, a three speed, no PS/PB and trying to do what drivers do today?

[TuffguyF4i]

I have mixed feelings on both sides of this issue.

Being an engineer, i love all forms of electrical and mechanical gizmos.  They are the stuff of life for an engineer.  However, i have a real problem with the detachement that people have in a car from the the world around them, sometimes, because of those gizmos.  
Although, i think that the people that wrap those gizmos around themselves, never really gave a shit about driving in the first place.

What i think is missing, is the lack of respect for equipment (cars) and money.  Americans are sucessful.  We buy cars, use them, and throw them out for the next model, whether we can afford to or not.  We don't figure out how to fix things because we don't need to.  Kids have parents that have never worked on a car, so they have no idea of where to start.  It is a huge mystery box that you put a key into, gas into, and it takes you magically from A -> B.  How could this person actually consider driving a privaledge or sport, if they know absolutely nothing about the machine?

[Tar Snake]

  The only problem is that then, to do 100mph, both car and driver had to be better than average.  Now, anyone can go into the showroom, grab that plain Jane Malibu, and get it on.  The performance stuff is beyond what we could even dream of then, yet the same showroom situation applies.  But instead of the average person ramping up to equal the cars potential, the car has been dumbed down to lessen the talent needed to explore it's capabilities.  

Well said. This is the heart of the editorial and the problem with driving today. If cars were improving and drivers were upping their skills to match, driving would be an activity drivers would pay attention, and it would be easier on the road for motorcyclists to predict what is going to happen.

....but for many driving some they do in the background, that they have to do, and what they really want to do in the car is other activities like making phone calls, watching videos, eating, computing, et al.

It's almost like what we needed to do was 1st develop a mass transit infrastructure for, well, the masses.... and then work on roads and vehicles for those who are willing to learn driving skills.

[SlakeMoth]

Couldn't help it - had to dredge this thread up upon finding this gem:

"I put my complete trust in the sat nav and it led me right into the path of a speeding train."

and yes, Req, I spend entirely too much time at boingboing.