2023學(xué)年完整公開課版TheGreatCarCulture

TheGreatCarCulture

“WhatEnglishmanwillgivehismindtopolitics

aslongashecanaffordtokeepamotorcar?”

Whodecideditwasreasonableforordinarypeopletodrive?Whodecideditissafetoallowthemajorityofpeoplewhochoosetodosotherighttomovethemselvesaroundinhuge,heavyvehiclesatspeedstoohightoallowthemtostopwithinareasonabledistance?

Whodecidedthatdrivingacarwasaright?WhodecidedthatitisreasonabletoallowpeopletoburnuptheEarth'slimitedfossilfuelsuppliesinthisway?Touseenoughpetroleumtobathinjusttotraveltoworkeachandeveryday.Whodecidedthatitwasentirelytheconcernofthedriverandthecarmakerhowpowerfulanenginecanbeusedinacar?Whodecidedthatitwasnotreasonabletochangetherulesaboutthesafetyofavehicleonceitwasfirstregistered?Whodecidedthatwhenthereweretoomanycarsfortheexistingroadsthattheanswerlayinmoreroadsratherthanfewercars?Nobody.NobodydecidedthatweshouldhaveahugecarcultureandacultureoftheRightToDrive.TheCarCulturedidnothaveamotherorfather,itjustgrowed.Nowithasgrowntothesizeatwhichitistoopowerfultoresistorcontrol.WearenowHomoautomobilicus;themotorizedman.

Mymothertellsmethatfirstwordswerefoodandcar.Thataboutsumsitallup.Butwhyarewenowsodazzledbythecarthatwecannotthinkstraightaboutit?Wearecaraddicts.Likealladdictsweseewehaveaneedforouraddictionandweareblindtoallreason.Wearefascinatedbycarstoanextentthatissimplynothealthy.Ifyoudoubtthatcaraddictionisapowerfulevilforcesimplytrythefollowingexperiment:watchMTVfor15minutesandcountuphowmanycarsfeature,Ibettheyoutnumberguitarsby5to1.CarsonMTVareaspecialexampleofourcarfixation.Theyareputtheretogivethemusicanauraofsexandglamour.

Intheinnocent1960scarmanufacturersusedsexywomentohelpsellcars.Thishasnowcomefullcircle.Sexycarsareusedtosellmusictoanaudiencetooyoungforsex.Somanymusicvideosfeatureexoticfastcarstogaintheattentionoftheiryoungaudience.Carsareglamorous,putnonentitymusicianbehindthewheelofasupercarandthemusicianbenefitsfromtheassociation.ThemakersoftheMinimighthaveconsideredgivingonetotheBeatleswasgoodpublicitybutIbetthatalltheFerraristhanfeatureonMTVwereboughtorhiredwithmusicmoney.FerraridoesnotbenefitfrombeingassociatedwithDrDre.

Whatisasupercarfor?Whatdoesitdo?Tometheanswerisfairlyobvious,itisastatement.Itsays

IhaveverylargeamountsofmoneyandIamflauntingthefacttoyou.Foryoulowlifestoaffordoneofthesewouldtakealifetimeofsaving.DrivingthisshowseverybodythatIamquitesimplybetterthanyou,andbetterthanyoucouldeverbe.IfyougotoneIwouldgetsomethingelseinstead.Eatmydust,loser.

Theyaretheequivalentoferminerobes,goldchains,liveriedcoachmen.Theyareconspicuousconsumption.Theyaredesignedasphallicsymbols,theirjobisnotsomuchtoshowwomenthattheownersaredesirablemalesbuttoshowothermalesthattheownersarebettermales.Theirtransportroleisverymuchsecondary.Thepurposeisnottogoquicklyfromthevillatothebeach,IamquitecertainIcoulddobetteronatenyearold250ccmotorbikethatanyhamburgerflippercouldafford.Thepointisnottotravel,buttobeseentotravel,nottotravelfastbuttobeseentohavetheoption.

Supercarshavenobenefittothecivilizationthatallowsthemtoexist.Theyuseupscarceresourcesandtheycontributetotheperceptionofinequalityandunfairness.Theyarebeautifulobjectsbutsoarepyramidsandcrownsandfeathercloaksthattakealifetimetomakeandcostthelivesofhundredsofrarebirds.Theyareobjectsthatbelonginmuseumsonly.

Whataboutmoreordinarycars?Whatshouldbedoneaboutthem?Ifeelthatthecarculturehasevolvedbydefaultanditistimeitwascontrolledbysomesortofrationaloverview.Nobodydecidedthatpowershouldbeavailableinunlimitedamounts.Itjusthappened.Nolargecountryeverdecidedthatanupperlimitonenginesizeorpowershouldbeimposed.Carmakershavesimplysuppliedwhateverthecarbuyerwaspreparedtopayforinthatparticularmarket.InBritainthedemandforsizeandpowerwasmodest.litreengineswereaboutthenorm,andcarlengthsandwidthsweremodesttoo.IntheUSAhighernormsdevelopedbecauseoflowerfuelpricesandwiderroads.Drivinga7litreAmericancararoundinBritainisdifficult,manyroadsaretoonarrowforyoutopasswithoutworryandparkingspacesarealltoosmall.Thereisnolawtostopyoudrivingsuchacarbutitisdifficult.InItalymanyroadsareevennarrowerbuttraffictravelsfastwhenitcansoItaliancarsaresmallbutoftenwithhighperformanceengines.Itallhappenedbyaccident.OnthesubjectofaccidentIsuspectthatIndiancarsaresoslowandheavybecauseroadsaretoobumpytoallowgreatspeedincomfortandthelikelihoodofcrashesissohighthatheavyslowbutsolidcarsmakealotofsense.

Howfastisfastenough?

IthinkweshouldasktheGermans,nobodyelsehasaclearerideaaboutfastcarsinactualuse,legally,ontheirownroads.OnlyGermansdesignfastcarsfortheirwivestodrivehomein.

ManyGermancarsarelimitedto250Km/h(155MPH)bytheirmanufacturers.Ithinkthisiseminentlysensible.Itispossibletomakecarsgofasterthanthis,itisevenpossibletomakecarsgofasterthanthiswithoutbeingunabletostop,butitisbloodydifficult.

BMW,Mercedes,AudiandPorschecametoagentleman'sagreementthat250Km/hwasquitefastenoughandtopushthingsfurtherwouldbeabadidea.Todoitsafelywouldmaketheircarstooexpensive,todoitanywaywouldbecriminalnegligenceforprofessionalengineers.Itwasbetterallroundtoputalimiterin,andtheymadetheiragreementatjusttherighttime,beforecompetitionhadhotteduptoomuchtosetaceilingatanalmostreasonablefigureof250.

Ithinkthatinsurersofcarsshouldbeunderalegalobligationtocertifythatthevehicletheyareinsuringcannotbedriveninexcessof155MPHandthatanydriverofavehiclewhichisnotlimitedtothatspeed(orobviouslyincapableofexceedingitbythelawsofphysics)isdrivingwithoutinsuranceandliableforanautomaticsixmonthsprisonsentence.

Whatpossibleexcuseisthereforwantingtotravelmorethan155MPHonordinaryroads?Comeon,bereasonablehere.Itisdangerousbydefinitiontobeexceedingthesafedesignlimitsofthevehicleandalmosteveryvehicleisunsafeatsuchaspeedsintherealworld.Thatmeansthecarisputtingotherpeopleindangertoo.Thedifferencebetween155MPHandabsolutelyflat-outwillbeeffectivelyanegligiblelossofutility.Ibetifyouaddedallthemilesdrivenbyallcarsonallpublicroadsontheplanetyouwouldn'tcomeupwithmorethantenthousandmilesperyearbeingdoneinexcessof155MPH,atinyfractionofafractionof1%ofthetotalroadmilestravelled.Soaridiculousamountofmoneyisspenttoexceed155MPH,usuallyforamerematterofseconds,usuallywhenpeoplearenotactuallygoinganywhereinparticular.Itdoesn'tadduptoasensiblewaytorunatransportsystem.

Atinyhandfulofcarswouldneedtobeeitherretro-fittedwithspeedlimiters,ordeclaredtobemuseumpiecesandtrackdaycars.Anycarthatcouldbesuspectedofbeingcapableofexceeding155MPHishardlylikelytobetheoneandonlyroad-worthycarownedbyadisabledpennilessoldgranny,isit?Itsurelywouldnotcostmorethan￡20foracartobeissuedacertificatebyatestingstationthatshoweditdidnothaveapower-to-weightratiowhichrequiredittobefittedwithaspeedlimiter,andsucharequirementcouldbeaddedtotheannualtestthatallcarsoverthreeyearsoldarerequiredbylawtohave.

Thiscouldbethestartofanewdealbetweencarsandthestate.Weensureourcarscan'texceedtheoverallnationalspeedlimitof155MPHandthestateensuresthatroads(atleastsomeofthem)aremadesafeforthosespeeds.Anybodywhowantstoraceontheroadsshouldforfeittheirrighttodrive.Atall.Ever.Racetracksareforracing,roadsarefortransport.

Ifanupperlimitoncarperformanceisimposedbylawthereasontokeepusingconventionalinternalcombustionenginesandoilbasedfuelsreduces.Electricallypoweredcarshavebeendesignedatmanydifferenttimesbuthavealwaysstumbledbecauseofperceivedlackofperformanceandrange.Batterytechnologyisimproving,poweredbythemobiletelephoneboom.Thisnewtechnologycombinedwithnewrealismincarperformancecouldbetheanswer.Zeroemissioncarsforall.OK,nottoday,butitissurelycomingalongsoon.

ForsomeverystrangereasonthatIcanneverunderstanditseemsillegitimatetoasktheownerofacartostopusingitormakechangestoit.Why?Wearequitehappytotellhotelownersandlandlordsthattheyhavetomeetnewregulationsorceasetrading.Wealsodosimilarthingsforaircraftandships.Itisalsoquitecommonforownersofcomputersandtelevisionsetstobeleftwithauselessdevicebytheadvancesintechnology.Icannotseewhycarsshouldbeanexception.

Carsneedseatbelts,efficientengines,quietandcleanexhausts,safebrakesandsomeofthemneedspeedlimiters.Thatisit,theyneedthem.Ifyourcardoesnothavethem,fitthem,orstopusingit.Itisreallyquitesimple.Timeschange,thefactthatyourcarmetalllegalrequirementsonceisneitherherenorthere,standardschange.Acarisapieceofmachinerythataffectseverybodyitpasses.Ifitisnoisyordirtyitpollutes.IfitisveryuneconomicalitdepletestheEarth'sfiniteresources,thataffectseverybody.Ifitistoofastforsafeoperationitshouldnotbedriven.Carscankill.Lifeisahereditarydiseasewitha100%fatalprognosisbutthatdoesn'tmeanweshouldnottakereasonablestridestoavoiddeathwhenwecan.

Wearenowlivinginacarcultureandthereisnowaybacktothedaysofthehorse.Butwearestillthemaster.Thecarisourservant.Ihavenotmentionedmuchaboutthebenefitsofthecar,theseareselfevident.

Weneedtogetthingsinperspective.Carsareessentialtomodernlifebuttheyneednotbequiteasallpowerfulandsacredastheyhavebeen.Wedonotexisttoservethem.Theyexistforourbenefit.Ifwemakeafewchangesinthewaywerunourliveswecancontinuetoenjoythehugebenefitsofpersonalmobilitywithoutpayingsuchahighpriceforit.WhatIamsuggestingispruningthecarculture,cuttingbackonexcessestoallowthewholetreetosurviveandprosperlonger.

MyfirstcarwasaCitroen2CV.Ithadamaximumspeedof72MPHandtheBritishmotorwayspeedlimitisandwas70MPH.IfounditquitesufficientforthejoboftakingmewhereIwantedtogo.NaturallybeingayoungmaleIwantedtoseejusthowfastitcouldgo.OnaverylonghillImanagedtogetthespeedometerneedletoburyitselfintheendstopat85MPHasIapproacheda90degreebendandhadtoapplythebrak