Old car epiphany

Awesome insight.

George Orwell had a ton of insight (Ray Bradbury, too, for that matter). Call it Big Brother or the Algorithm, but we are always being watched.

gadgetreview.com

"Your next car purchase comes with an unwelcome passenger: a federal mandate requiring surveillance technology that monitors your every blink, glance, and head nod. Thanks to Section 24220 of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NHTSA must finalize rules forcing all new passenger vehicles to include “advanced impaired driving prevention technology”—essentially turning your dashboard into a judgment-free zone that’s anything but judgment-free."

1. Joe Biden. Democrat controlled House. Democrat controlled Senate (with VP Commiela as tie-breaker). The democrat party are the true fascists, and their lapdog media never reported this.

I feel like Europe is ahead of us. My times in rental cars, you got that camera staring right at you, speed constantly montiored in the roads, cameras everywhere. Tickets in the mail. You drove in the bus lane by accident at night, well your your ticket is in the mail, late on paying, doubled, tripled etc.

"On the other hand, I read that starting with 2027 model year, all cars sold in America will be required to have active driver monitoring for substance abuse."

To add if this is true, adding network access to cars is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. Insurance companies have apps that monitor your driving habits with your smartphone to help calculate actuaries for your insurance rates. Don't enable, expect your rate to increase.

Having a car that has network access for "safety" in the event you need help is just the water warming on us frogs. Several years back, maybe 10 or more, it was suggested in congress to have a kill switch so cops could disable your car for whatever law(s) were passed.

CA has pushed to enact legislation for car registration cost based on how many miles you drive. CA did the major EV push 20 years ago and gas taxes started to fall so they increased registration on EVs to cover road/bridge maintenance, people saved at the pump but the state found a way to get its pound of flesh. A Tesla or Prius causes a lot less road damage than an F-250 or a Suburban.

With smartphones being so widely in the majority of pockets, it is easy to track our whereabouts via cell towers.

Sounds all Twight Zone, right? Look back less than 20 years ago where we were with personal privacy compare to today. The movie, "Enemy of the State" was a bit too far out there with govt surveillance capabilities, however, there was a reason Gene Hackman drove a 1970s El Camino.

I miss my 1968 Firebird.

@TheOne&Only - spot on. I looked up same 2021 IT Infrastructure Act and saw it. When Obamacare was passed, $40B was earmarked for IT systems - $40B in 2008 would be $60B today.

You are spot on, Dems scream "NO KINGS" and "TRUMP IS A FASCIST." They just need to look in the mirror. They have done an amazing job of indoctrinating Useful Idiots, in this case "Blue Shirts" and "Dem Youth."

This is why Dems view Conservatives/MAGA evil, and Conservatives/MAGA view Dems as "mistaken." Who wouldn't want to kill of evil?

Trump/MAGA is "the fly in the Marxist ointment" like John McClane was in "Die Hard."

We need to call them out for what they really are - Marxists - and push back hard. This is why I am so "verbal" here in TUSCL. Naked chicks are great, Dems are everywhere, even here.

The Great Almighty Dem FDR back in the 1930s looked at how he could use Mussolini's Fascism in America. And, FDR's FHA was the one that created "Red Lining" neighborhoods.

The One & Only: I thought only Skibum609 was allowed to site "1984" on TUSCL! I state this purely in jest, but thought maybe Ski changed his TUSCL moniker.

“Cars as an investment.” Many people collect all sorts of things as a hobby and I think their excuse for dumping so much money into whatever they’re into is the “it’s an investment” excuse.

Remember your stuff is only worth what the next guy is willing to pay.

I like OPs stream of consciousness to go from old cars to appreciating life and strip clubs, while lamenting being monitored by big brother technology.

Cars have never been an investment. They only increase in value in very very rare instances, and even then, after subtracting the cost of storage, insurance, and maintenance over many years (or decades) the net increase in value is significantly less than investing in real estate or gold. Calling your vehicle an “investment” is just what we do to justify the expense.

I once tried to justify the cost of my boat as an investment by setting up an LLC charter company and renting it out to myself, then taking advantage of the losses on my taxes. Unfortunately it didn’t work with my accountant. My boat is not an investment.

OP sounds like me after 2 gummies

My car is a 2018. The collison detection automatic braking slams on my brakes. A good 80% of the time I see no obstruction. My first though is it is going to cause someone to rear end me or road rage at me.

I sometime hold the steering wheel lightly. About once a month the car yells at me to put both hands on the wheel.

^ mmmhhhhmmm this surprised me. I thought Goldmonger only traveled by helicopter or private jet…

This ain’t a pretty picture.