Steinman, Bill wrote:
> Well said. I have often equated the risks of driving my Healey with a
> motorcycle. One must simply determine whehter they are willing to take
> the risk, and if so, to drive accordingly.
Funny that. In the 1970's I bought and learned to ride a motorcycle
because the higher price of gas put me into the negative income category
trying to commute 50 miles in a car. When my TR3 came along in 1986 I
sold the bike because I figured the TR was 80% the fun of a bike only
much much safer (Mind you whilst one a bike I'd been rear ended by a car
in traffic, dropped a bike at around 50 MPH coming out of a curve into
black ice, had someone pull out in front of me from a cross street then
freeze up, had cars decide they wanted my lane more than I did and more).
I look at the current On Star commercials on TV and am amazed at all the
ways were have cocooned ourselves from possible danger and wonder if we
have done that with life as well. How long before we all have implanted
life sign monitors with GPS that calls an ambulance when a body
parameter goes out of safe limits? I installed seat belts in my 1960
Land Rover and my TR3A, and upgraded to better horns. But my cars are
no more dangerous now than when they were new. And back then they were
considered safe vehicles.
So by driving my cars today am I living any more dangerously than I did
when I learned to drive? Are big modern SUVs any more dangerous than
being hit by a mid fifties caddy? I drive a whole lot more defensively
than I did as a teenager and like to think I'm a better driver than I was.
When I ride in a friend's modern car I feel like important motoring
sensations have been lost. Its more of a sitting in the living room of
a climate controlled house, listening to the stereo whilst watching the
world go by on a widescreen TV type of experience.
I guess I'm just addicted to the neo-classic motoring immersed in life
experience, where just driving is a fun life experience. And I still
think it is every bit as safe as it was when the cars were built. More
so since I have seat belts.
TeriAnn
|