Cars in General

 Elon Musk says that a car that does not drive itself will become like owning a horse.  I hate to break it to Musk, but he has a lot of hurdles to jump if he wants to get to that point, most namely insurance companies and infrastructure.  Then the biggest hurdle might be convincing those who enjoy driving a car to give up that enjoyment.  

Some guys and some gals are car people.  We like cars.  I was watching a video by a mechanic who specializes in old cars.  He had a Buick Centerion from 1976 in his shop for repairs.  He said right out the beautiful old Buick with huge chrome steel bumpers was a brick now.  Why?  He couldn't get the parts to fix it.  There are some of us who actually love to drive without all the nanny tech and idiot lights now on cars.  

My first REAL car was an MG with four on the floor.  My wife learned to drive a manual transmission in that car.  It not only had no electronics on it, but one had to do almost everything for oneself including shifting.  I learned to shift by watching the tach.  Yes, it was a mechanic's car, which I learned to be by owning that.  Now, these days I never touch a car unless it it is to clean and polish it.

All this nanny tach has caused me to be more relaxed behind the wheel including self-breaking.  All this stuff wasn't on my 1971 MG.  It wasn't particularly fast, but it drove so well.  It was a blast to drive.  Now with lane keeping assist I hardly have to drive these days.  But I've learned something about built-in tech these days--it fails.  I bought our car thinking it will be our last car.  But will the tech in our car last that long?

Technology in today's cars WILL fail.  One needs skills as programmers to work on today's cars.  The tech in self-driving cars will not last.  When will my car be like a horse?  I'm betting it will be some time, if ever, my car will be like owning a horse.  Musk has a lot to bet on with his vision of self-driving cars.  I'm betting my Avalon will outlast his cars of today.  

There are times when I miss my old MG.  I can see a day coming when owning a car won't be necessary.  Never mind the self driving cars.  If it comes to that ownership of cars will totally disappear.  Self driving public transportation will be the norm.  Can we rely on technology to get us from point A to point B?  Ownership of cars just might be like owning a horse.  

But the one thing technology will never replace will be the pipe with old time tobacco.  Sure, lighters have replaced matches, but there are even younger pipe smokers that don't like the taste of lighter fluid.  They still prefer a match over a lighter.  I'm not sure matches will ever be out of favor by many pipe smokers.  Pipe smoking is old school and always will be.  But then pipe smoking could be enjoyed in a self-driving car, if it is even allowed.  I'd smoke my pipe in my car today if and when my wife allows for it.

Today, it is my Nording Number 3 pipe with a bowl of Autumn Evening.  I thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave