Devolution of driving

[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.