cars

Cars, cars, cars. Cars are everywhere. In the city they scurry about like giant insects swarming the streets, swelling the parking lots and congesting the intersections. They speed across the country on interstates and connect distant points. They contain us and define us, they give us a sanctuary and shelter.

David Byrnes’ famous quote from his movie ‘True Stories’ comes to mind.

“Expressways are the cathedrals of our time.”

We are in church then, communing with our god of modernity I suppose. Worshipping speed and convenience as we whip along at speeds barely imaginable in the old horse and buggy days. The great arches and massive bridges of our expressways span the distances but also expand our imagination. Our thoughts fly through the air along with our car. Billboards display services and products so we can be informed. The sky is the limit. The pigeons are angels.

Cars are cocoons. We’re insulated from each other and from nature. When we emerge, like a butterfly from the chrysalis, we are in a new place and a new space and we are different than we were before.

Cars are what we wrap ourselves in when we want to go somewhere. It’s a costume. Cars reflect our personality: I’m a Mustang, I’m a Cherokee, I’m a 4 wheel drive Subaru Forester. And if cars are characters, personas, archetypes then what are the stories they are telling us? Only the driver knows for sure as he sits on the throne and drives his car through the world, around obstacles and through intersections, over mountains and to the sea. Or she.

There are movies about Cars. People write songs about cars. Tracy Chapman singing Fast Car at the Grammys. Cars fill up our world, they pack our roads. In the middle of rush hour you can barely move but they’re still selling even more cars on the TV commercials. Get away with your family and have an adventure in your new car. They don’t actually tell you anything about the car but they do tell you all about the fantastic adventures you’re going to have driving around in your Accura MDX. The AMA (American Medical Association) actually provides incentives on its website for doctors to buy their new Mercedes-Benz EQ. I think that’s cute.

I own a car. I think it’s cool. If I want to get from place to place quickly and in comfort, I’ll start up my 2008 Toyota Prius and drive. Especially if it’s raining or really cold and I can’t ride my bike. I’m not against using technology. I just think we should use it to our benefit. Choking the streets with cars and flooding out downtowns with parking lots is not to our benefit. Filling our sky with CO2 and other pollutants is not to our benefit either. Maybe we could use technology for our benefit, not get addicted to it like a drug, not knowing where to stop with it.

There are 290 million cars in the United States and it’s unlikely that you will see two of the same kind, make and model, in the course of a day. There must be thousands of different cars to choose from.

The logos of the cars are designed to entice your eyes and form an image in your brain of something comforting yet exciting.

Stable and strong yet ready to roll at a moments notice.

A leisurely ride with a touch of luxury. Quick and agile.

As an avid bicyclist I really do resent having to breathe the air coming out of those tail pipes. The motorists don’t care because they’re in the cabin sitting comfortably with the filtered air on, can’t smell a thing. I would like to have a little post it sign that I could stick on the side window of the cars sitting at the intersection spewing poisonous gas into the air we breathe saying basically that. Excuse me but there’s poison gas coming out of your tailpipe into the air we breathe. I haven’t done it yet. Don’t want to get run over the next time.

Actually bike riding is a viable mode of transportation for up to 8 or 10 miles or whatever your range is. You can put panniers on the back rack, a little dingy bell, some lights - you’ll be ready to roll.

Ok, now back to ragging about cars. One 6,000 pound car (a Suburban for example) carrying a 140 pound lady to the grocery store (a pre-determined and frequent destination) must be the most inefficient mode of transportation every invented. Of course you could drive your Hummer if you really want to be safe and get about 12 mpg. You could drive an M1 Abrams battle tank to the store if you wanted to be absolutely sure that you would be safe. Blast ‘em out of there if they’re in your way. Park anyplace you want. Probably have a hard time getting hold of an M1 Abrams battle tank, not for civilian use, but that would be cool. Until everyone started driving their Abrams.

podcast music :: Auditive Escape - Eerie Figure 32:07