The proponents of car sharing and public transportation overlook one huge factor: personal car for most of us are more than mere a means to get from A to B. It’s a getaway, a refuge, a fortress of solitude when you feel blue, and a party house when you don’t. The car, especially for young people, is where some of the best experiences of their lives happen for the first time.
Yes, we’re talking about matters of intimate nature here. We don’t know it for a fact, but we’re sure many a young people have lost their virginity in the backseat of a car. And it’s usually a crappy car, because young people cannot afford – or don’t have access to – a nice one. But that’s what makes the whole thing special. Years later when you remember that first time it invariably brings a smile to your face. You think of that car fondly, even if it was the most horrid piece of junk ever. You form an emotional connection with that car.
The personal car is also an important part of a young person’s social life. It’s not just about how cool you are if you have a car in high school. It’s just that hanging out with friends always involves going some places, and a car makes that a lot easier. More than that, and we’re talking now about the other end of the spectrum, driving can be a therapeutic solitary activity. There have been many times when going for a drive has calmed me down I was sad or pissed off. There is something magical about being alone with your thoughts, your car and an empty road.It’s meditative.
And then there is all the nice places you visit in your car, all the travels with loved ones, all the adventures. A man’s, or woman’s, car is part of his or her life. It is more than a mere machine. That is why we think all these car sharing services that are popping up left and right these days are doomed to fail. Don’t invest in these start ups and never buy their stock. people are always going to want to have a personal car. Even the most hard-core greenpeace advocate cannot deny the privacy and piece of mind a personal car brings. A shared car is like a motel room. You use it when you are in a pinch, but you never like it.
Surprisingly though, one of these newfangled technologies is actually very much in favor of the personal mobility. Autonomous cars, we reckon, are going to catch on a lot sooner than anybody thinks. Sure, it takes away the joy and the calming effect of a nice drive. But it makes everything else one does in a car a lot more, let’s say, productive! When you go on a road trip, for example, you can have a lot more fun on the way if you don’t have to drive. Similarly, if you are planning to get busy with you beau in the back, you don’t have to waste time looking for a quite place. You just tell the car to circle the neighborhood as you take care of the business. Best of all, you can get drunk off your behind and still go home in your own car.
Every man can name every single car he has ever owned, not just because he has liked them all. It’s because he has cherished memories associated with each one. Dare we say it? Using shared car services and stuff like that takes away from your manhood. There.
