Modern cars - why I hate them

[Ed Doe]

Tom, your VAG didn't have enough power.

Classic example of how far things have got; when I passed my test (not even that bloody long ago!) it was a basic requirement for the motorist to be able to parallel park. Now there are cars that do it all for you. If all cars had this and no one had to judge gaps for themselves, or work out how to park properly, would this improve our spatial awareness? Would this keep motorists sharp, and good at controlling their vehicle? No. It makes it too easy.

You make a point about old people not being able to drive if the steering is too heavy. Sorry, but if it's got to the point where you cannot operate a steering wheel in a stock 306, you just shouldn't be driving. No argument, you should have your license removed from you.

As Ruan has sortof pointed out, the car market has been driven to some extent by the fact that it's not socially acceptable to be into cars. The amount of my other mates who almost visibly recoil when I say I'm into cars is unreal! The art of driving a car properly is fast becoming extinct as a combination of the nanny state f*cking up all the good roads with speed cameras, and people not giving a shit about how they drive because "its only about getting from a to b". f*ck that, you should have an interest in cars if you are priviledged enough to be allowed on the roads. And cars should make people concentrate too. Sod all this ABS ESP bollocks, you don't need them. As Ruan has alluded to, they mask what is actually going on at the wheels of the car until it's WAY too late for you as a driver to take corrective action. It gives a false sense of security, that somehow everything will be ok and safe becuase the electrics will save you. Newsflash, you're driving a tonne and a bit of metal at high velocity, and you don't even know half of what is keeping you on the road.

My advice to the UK;

Strip all the safety crap out of the cars on the road today, turn off the speed cameras, wait for the pillocks who can't drive to kill themselves and chalk it all up to natural selection.