8 ms·

My Life in Cars

45 points by aarghh 6y ago

ur-whale 6y ago
https://archive.is/Gsgwv https://archive.is/Gsgwv
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
mymythisisthis 6y ago
Perhaps if auto makers didn't program the check engine light to go off ever x amount of miles, people might like cars more.
- krimpenrik 6y ago
  Source?
- sokoloff 6y ago
  Some cars do have maintenance reminder lights that come on with mileage. Those are distinct from the "check engine" light. No cars have that programmed on miles, but rather based on sensor data indicating a possible problem.
  - sandworm101 6y ago
    My car's check engine light is tied to milage. When "oil life" drops below 5% the engine light comes on until i acknowledge it. After 0% the light will not go off. (Honda civic.) It is the same light as for sensor problems.
    - sokoloff 6y ago
      Does it turn on the OBD Malfunction Indicator Light (the MIL or yellow "check engine" light) or another service indicator? My wife's Honda tall Civic (CR-V) has a "service required" light, which is different from the check engine light. This can be reset by the owner, following the process in the owner's manual (presumably after doing the oil change and other service items). My wife's car can also get a genuine malfunction from a too low oil level, which does light the MIL. This cannot be durably reset by user action (other than remedying the underlying condition).
      - sandworm101 6y ago
        It is the same light as for errors from the vapor pressure sensor. That i can say. As for every other fault i dont know.
- presentation 6y ago
  Even if that were true, that doesn't rank even in the top 20 reasons why I dislike cars.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
mrpopo 6y ago
The author is conflating the "fun of driving" with the necessity of driving 20km every morning and evening to get to work. Many people who don't really enjoy cars are now caught in a car-centered society where they have no choice but to drive to go anywhere. Even those who enjoy driving should not be allowed to have too much fun and take risks on public roads. If you want to have fun driving, get your car of choice and go to a car circuit. Do not endanger others driving recklessly on scenic roads. It's just irresponsible.
- kiliantics 6y ago
  Here here. Even if you can manage to live such that you are not forced to drive in order to get where you need to go, you are still forced to share almost all of the space on your way with cars. And the reckless/inconsiderate drivers pose more than just an inconvenience, it's a real life-or-death threat that one is forced to live with.
- sandworm101 6y ago
  The vast majority of accidents are not linked to joyriding. It is alcohol, and to a lesser extent other drugs. Lethal accidents are the norm at 3am, not rush hour. And we have to be careful about causation statistics. A drunk will be speeding, but the accident is the result of the drunkenness rather than speed as there was no rational choice to speed. Nor was it reckless driving. Stop letting people get behind the wheel after drinking. Solve that problem. All the other sources of accidents are secondary at the moment. And use seatbelts. I am constantly shocked by how many americans still refuse to do so. Seatbelt use in back seats was still not manditory when i lived in new england. "Depending on which state a driver is in, not wearing a seat belt in the front seat is either a primary offense or a secondary offense, with the exception of New Hampshire, which does not have a law requiring people over age 18 to wear a seat belt. In the front seat, the driver and each passenger must wear a seat belt, one person per belt. In some states, such as New York, New Hampshire, and Michigan, belts in the rear seats are not mandatory for people over the age of 16." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation
  - 6y ago
ehnto 6y ago
> Mine was close to the last generation of car nuts. Surely not! Certainly the car is no longer the poster child for societal progress, but there is no shortage of car enthusiasts.
thomasfl 6y ago
Private cars has in many cases been a disaster for most cities. I got so fed up driving 20 km an hour for 20 years to pick up four kids in kindergarten, that I eventually sold the car smd started bicycling. I still get stressed out just by sitting in some of those cars. Autonomous cars is at best a distraction. Cars makes cities spread out across too larhe areas.
jwr 6y ago
I think future generations will learn from history books about how the auto industry managed to elevate a transportation tool to a desirable status symbol, self-identity proxy, or even a cult for many. I think it's really impressive. What's even more intriguing is that these days, when we know about climate change and pollution, people still don't see cars as tools. When you look at it from the outside, buying 1.5 tons of rusting steel just to transport your ass (that's 2 tons in the US, I guess because of heavier asses?) from point A to point B should not be tied to your perception of self-worth and your social status. And yet. A related thought: I think placing the exhaust in the back and down at the bottom was a master stroke. The driver doesn't see or smell the pollution. I think a very effective measure to make people realize the pollution issues would be to require that the exhaust be placed in front, pointing upwards, and require adding a non-toxic colorant so that you can see the fumes.
rasz 6y ago
Real title should be 'My Life in Car Ads'. Reading this, or maybe the illustrations, reminded me of William Gibson 'The Gernsback Continuum'.

My Life in Cars

45 points by aarghh 6y ago

ur-whale 6y ago

https://archive.is/Gsgwv https://archive.is/Gsgwv

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

mymythisisthis 6y ago

Perhaps if auto makers didn't program the check engine light to go off ever x amount of miles, people might like cars more.

krimpenrik 6y ago
Source?
sokoloff 6y ago
Some cars do have maintenance reminder lights that come on with mileage. Those are distinct from the "check engine" light. No cars have that programmed on miles, but rather based on sensor data indicating a possible problem.
- sandworm101 6y ago
  My car's check engine light is tied to milage. When "oil life" drops below 5% the engine light comes on until i acknowledge it. After 0% the light will not go off. (Honda civic.) It is the same light as for sensor problems.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    Does it turn on the OBD Malfunction Indicator Light (the MIL or yellow "check engine" light) or another service indicator? My wife's Honda tall Civic (CR-V) has a "service required" light, which is different from the check engine light. This can be reset by the owner, following the process in the owner's manual (presumably after doing the oil change and other service items). My wife's car can also get a genuine malfunction from a too low oil level, which does light the MIL. This cannot be durably reset by user action (other than remedying the underlying condition).
    - sandworm101 6y ago
      It is the same light as for errors from the vapor pressure sensor. That i can say. As for every other fault i dont know.
presentation 6y ago
Even if that were true, that doesn't rank even in the top 20 reasons why I dislike cars.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

mrpopo 6y ago

The author is conflating the "fun of driving" with the necessity of driving 20km every morning and evening to get to work. Many people who don't really enjoy cars are now caught in a car-centered society where they have no choice but to drive to go anywhere. Even those who enjoy driving should not be allowed to have too much fun and take risks on public roads. If you want to have fun driving, get your car of choice and go to a car circuit. Do not endanger others driving recklessly on scenic roads. It's just irresponsible.

kiliantics 6y ago
Here here. Even if you can manage to live such that you are not forced to drive in order to get where you need to go, you are still forced to share almost all of the space on your way with cars. And the reckless/inconsiderate drivers pose more than just an inconvenience, it's a real life-or-death threat that one is forced to live with.
sandworm101 6y ago
The vast majority of accidents are not linked to joyriding. It is alcohol, and to a lesser extent other drugs. Lethal accidents are the norm at 3am, not rush hour. And we have to be careful about causation statistics. A drunk will be speeding, but the accident is the result of the drunkenness rather than speed as there was no rational choice to speed. Nor was it reckless driving. Stop letting people get behind the wheel after drinking. Solve that problem. All the other sources of accidents are secondary at the moment. And use seatbelts. I am constantly shocked by how many americans still refuse to do so. Seatbelt use in back seats was still not manditory when i lived in new england. "Depending on which state a driver is in, not wearing a seat belt in the front seat is either a primary offense or a secondary offense, with the exception of New Hampshire, which does not have a law requiring people over age 18 to wear a seat belt. In the front seat, the driver and each passenger must wear a seat belt, one person per belt. In some states, such as New York, New Hampshire, and Michigan, belts in the rear seats are not mandatory for people over the age of 16." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_belt_legislation
- 6y ago

ehnto 6y ago

> Mine was close to the last generation of car nuts. Surely not! Certainly the car is no longer the poster child for societal progress, but there is no shortage of car enthusiasts.

thomasfl 6y ago

Private cars has in many cases been a disaster for most cities. I got so fed up driving 20 km an hour for 20 years to pick up four kids in kindergarten, that I eventually sold the car smd started bicycling. I still get stressed out just by sitting in some of those cars. Autonomous cars is at best a distraction. Cars makes cities spread out across too larhe areas.

jwr 6y ago

I think future generations will learn from history books about how the auto industry managed to elevate a transportation tool to a desirable status symbol, self-identity proxy, or even a cult for many. I think it's really impressive. What's even more intriguing is that these days, when we know about climate change and pollution, people still don't see cars as tools. When you look at it from the outside, buying 1.5 tons of rusting steel just to transport your ass (that's 2 tons in the US, I guess because of heavier asses?) from point A to point B should not be tied to your perception of self-worth and your social status. And yet. A related thought: I think placing the exhaust in the back and down at the bottom was a master stroke. The driver doesn't see or smell the pollution. I think a very effective measure to make people realize the pollution issues would be to require that the exhaust be placed in front, pointing upwards, and require adding a non-toxic colorant so that you can see the fumes.

rasz 6y ago

Real title should be 'My Life in Car Ads'. Reading this, or maybe the illustrations, reminded me of William Gibson 'The Gernsback Continuum'.