Recently, my manual transmission Passat suffered reverses such that it made no sense to continue with the car (I loved it). Since TLOML has wanted a Prius for quite a while … we got one. We traded in the Passat as part of the deal, and my primary car has become what was formerly “her” Nissan Altima. Keeping in mind that my most conservative instincts involve either foreign policy or driving, a few impressions have emerged over the last few weeks:
First, the most obvious: as a condition for buying the Prius, she had to check a box that provided, “I agree that I will always drive this vehicle so cautiously that I am a danger to me and to all vehicles around me.”
As to the Nissan: we’ve had it for a good number of years. I obviously have driven it from time to time. I’ve always considered it a “good” car – reliable, not terrible pickup, good gas mileage – in short, the perfect car for my spouse, who derives no satisfaction or fulfillment from driving. Now that it has become “mine,” I’ve become acutely aware: that I don’t have to put a key in the ignition to start the car; that it unlocks itself when it knows I’m nearby; that it knows whether it is light or dark, and turns its own lights on; and that – most importantly – once it starts down the road, I don’t have to do anything as we accelerate. I have become superfluous.
For those that decry the coming of the driverless car … count me amongst your ranks. As far as I’m concerned, I’m already subjected to one …
McCoy's Noise 