Auto Revolution

June 9, 2014

Greetings from the revolution,

“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.” ~ Charles Warner

One of the more popular science fiction themes in literature and movies is framed around the concept that at some point we will develop technology to such a degree that the machines will take over.

It is my contention that this is already in progress.  But the insurgence is not coming from the direction you think.   

Yes, computers are steadily becoming more powerful and pervasive, and the concept of artificial intelligence is moving from fantasy to possible.  But that potential is still beyond the horizon.

The machines you have to worry about are in your driveway.   We are already working every day to support them.  Passively, imperceptibly, these machines are edging toward controlling our lives.

There are about 250 million cars registered in the U.S., presumably driven by the approximately 200 million drivers in this country.  This does not count the self-driving cars that Google is working on.  Which means that we already outnumbered.

There was a time when even a Person of My Limited Ability, (PoMLA© is a registered trademark of Wordsmith Inc.)  could do the required maintenance and repairs on the family car.  Open the hood, get out the wrenches, tweak and poke until things sounded better and then get back on the road.

Now, if there is an issue with our cars we have to take them to the local High Priest of Auto Repair.  He hooks them up to another machine which forms a diagnosis, and then through a mysterious method which we are not allowed to see, the car is healed.  In turn we leave an offering for the High Priest so that he may later purchase a large boat.

I have read estimates that an average Joe spends about $10,000 a year to operate a car.

I did some easy math (see PoMLA©) and currently we are spending $2,500,000,000,000, just to drive around each year.   Two and half trillion dollars.  Not counting road taxes and the cost of building bridges and parking ramps and speed bumps and painting parking places on blacktop all of which gets passed along to the American consumer somehow.

So if you were working 40 hours a week, the first $6.25 per hour you earn goes to paying for your car.  The average driver logs about 15,000 miles each year.  More than half of the miles we drive, ironically, are to our jobs.  Where we work to pay for our cars.

I have had lots of cars, some of which I loved like family.  Cars have always represented a piece of freedom.  The ability to go wherever was needed or wanted.  The potential for exploring, adventure.  I have lots of great memories of the windows down and music up, nothing but open road in front of me. 

And I am not against cars or owning things.  But once in a while I wonder if that relationship is upside down. 

In fact we are working for all manner of machines.  We put in overtime to make some money so we can buy a new lawn mower, or a washing machine, or microwave, so that our lives will be easier.  And then we work some more to own a bigger mower, or a newer furnace so our lives will be easier. 

Every utility bill is a statement that says: “You worked a full day to pay for this electricity, produced by a giant machine somewhere, and brought to your house so you can run the other machines.”

I am not a Luddite, and I don’t foresee myself minimizing my technologically saturated life by much.  I like having the option to hop in my car and zoom to the store or go visit someone.  I estimate that it would take about four hours to walk to work, so even with the prospect of another trip to the Auto Repair Altar, I have no plans to trade in my car for eight hours of pedestrian commuting each day.

So with the convenience and the freedom comes a price.  And there is no sense in kidding ourselves about how we pay that price.  But don’t despair.  We are not slaves to our possessions unless we allow that to be true.  We can leverage the modern convenience to provide us with a lifestyle that is more fulfilling, safer, more comfortable.  If what we are trading is time, then it’s up to use the time we gain to our best advantage.

Like so many things, it is a question of balance.  We don’t need a computer to provide that.  Even a PoMLA© knows what to do.

Hope this finds you riding a bike,

David

Copyright © 2014 David Smith