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spiritwoman45
22314 posts
7/23/2014 1:47 pm
These “New Fangled” Gadgets




I remember when my mother got my grandmother clothes dryer. She refused to use that “new fangled gadget” and continued to hang her laundry out in the dead of winter for 6 months before she finally relented. Lately I have been feeling a bit like that myself.

For the last 30 years or so I have mostly driven 2 kinds of vehicles – a basic truck / van and a sports car. In the meantime mainstream passenger vehicles had become a gadget person’s dream come true. When I rented a vehicle to get us home from our ill-fated trip the largest thing the agency had on hand was a full sized sedan. Plenty of room for the stuff but …………. I got in it and saw the entire center console was a board of buttons, lights and switches. I rented a car, not the space shuttle! It took me 15 min. to figure it all out sufficiently to drive it out of the parking lot.

A couple of weeks ago Chuck got a new “comfortable” car. Same story. I put off driving it as long as I could but have finally had to. I can manage all of the functions associated with driving still leave the sound system off. It has too many possibilities. It plays music from a variety of sources, reads audio books, takes and sends phone calls and translated texts into voice. Not sure about e-mail but I think it can do that as well. Oh, and it does everything from voice commands. Now I have watch what I say in front of the car. So far I ride in silence.

Starting it? It has no key. Instead there is a FOB that unlocks everything when it is near the car. Good, as you can’t lock your keys in but it is possible to unintentionally leave your car unlocked since locking is automatic when you take the FOB away from it. You then have to make sure it is in park and have your foot on the break before pushing a button to start it. A light touch turns on the auxiliary switch, a longer press for the starter. I remembered the old starter buttons from my childhood and laughed.

I still to face the task of getting another truck / van type vehicle soon. I will be putting that one off as long as possible.

I have always been good at driving but with all of the new electronics I may need to go back and be reeducated in electrical engineering! I have a granddaughter who will be learning to drive soon. Maybe I should trade skills - have her teach me about the electronics and me teach her about driving.


Spiritwoman ^i^


Hawkslayer 88M
13299 posts
7/23/2014 5:19 pm

You need a degree to open the door on some of these newer vehicles, Spirit. I hope my old van sees me out for a few more years.

Alfie...


It only takes a drop of ink to make a million people think. There are many stories.


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 9:55 pm

    Quoting  :

Just picturing the professor in the VW. Did you have a tweed jacket and a pipe too?

I had a couple of VW's myself back in the day but they were vans (talk about a full fledged hippie). Good thing cars can't talk.

For over 30 years I have driven sports cars that don't have stuff that doesn't have to do with driving or basic work trucks. Definitely my preference. Driving is driving and electronic gadgets are not part of the picture.


Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 10:02 pm

    Quoting  :

That is a significant loss. My neighbor is in a similar situation and all she has now is a small dog. We don't even have bad weather as a justification here. However, it is a very useful vehicle and if you don't do a lot of driving to need high mileage you can be safe and comfortable for quite a while yet. I have to get another truck or van type vehicle for moving crap around and camping but am seriously considering just renting one when I need it. I have to face the fact that although I still do a lot of physical stuff at my age I may not be able to do so long enough to get the thing paid off.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 10:04 pm

    Quoting  :

I have never seen a self parking one. Luckily I don't have any difficulties parallel parking even a large vehicle. Had to master the challenge when I got my first RV and then perfected it when I learned to drive an 18 wheeler.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 10:10 pm

    Quoting  :

You'd have lots of fun with Chuck, the original gadget guy. We laugh about even with all of his health problems he will likely meet his end in an accident becasue he was playing with the gadgets instead of paying attention to driving. He has his phone set up to do so many things he has a hard time just making a phone call by dialing the number.

I have learned to use electronics and appreciate them in their place. My husband was an aeronautical engineer turned IT person and my current companion is a programmer / computer person. However, when It comes to driving I don't like the distractions. Salivate radio, Onstar and readouts that I can access when I want are enough for me.


Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 10:13 pm

    Quoting  :

I have had occasion to use rentals several times in the past year. Talk about - not really different, just enough to confuse you.being different. Reminds me of when I moved to Canada and things were only slightly difference, like the electric company being called the hydro and the public transportation (MTA) where I was from being called the TTC. somehoe it is easier when things are very different.

Spiritwoman ^i^


spiritwoman45

7/23/2014 10:14 pm

    Quoting Hawkslayer:
    You need a degree to open the door on some of these newer vehicles, Spirit. I hope my old van sees me out for a few more years.

    Alfie...
That is what happened here. Old Red gave up the ghost and I went instantly to the space shuttle like rental. Quite a shock.

Spiritwoman ^i^


friendly133 76M
5418 posts
7/24/2014 6:29 am

Anything new - I must have it if I can afford it and it so happens that I can't afford most. Life is simplified or shall we say I keep it simple, SpiritGirl.

My affording, as I always tell myself, is anything costing more than 50,000 rupees is expensive (60 rupees + US$ 1)


Have a great day !!


"To fight the darkness do not draw your sword, light a candle" - Zarathustra


spiritwoman45

7/24/2014 10:33 am

    Quoting friendly133:
    Anything new - I must have it if I can afford it and it so happens that I can't afford most. Life is simplified or shall we say I keep it simple, SpiritGirl.

    My affording, as I always tell myself, is anything costing more than 50,000 rupees is expensive (60 rupees + US$ 1)


    Have a great day !!

Unfortunately here in the US the vehicles available on the lot have all sorts of crap on them inflating the price. In order to get something basic you have to go to a place that sells work vehicles (for trucks and vans) or special order cars without the gadgets. My only personal gadget indulgence is keeping a newer, well functioning computer at my finger tips.

Spiritwoman ^i^