Vocal Voices

Blimey, haven't cars changed?

This rental thingy, this Kuga, is a lot different to my old Honda. You get in it - there's nowhere to put your ignition key - there's no key. You start it by pushing a button. But unless your foot is holding the clutch down it won't start.

That done, a disclaimer comes up on this mini tv screen saying "This is all on you son" or words to that effect.

You take put the car in gear and take the handbrake off. But it is not a handbrake, it's this little switch near the gear lever. Off you go and the dash flashes a green number at you when it's time to change up.

You come to a junction, stp and put the car in neutral. The engine switches itself off!
Not to worry, you put your foot on the clutch and the engine switches itself back on! This is obviously some sort of powerful ju ju at work here.

Maneouver it in a tight space and it starts bleeping at you as a warning. I toouched a button on the steering wheel and a voice told me to give it an instruction. What is this, the genie of the lamp?

As a car it's more car than most people would need. Big, wide, comfortable and rides well but for a dinosaur like me a teeny bit complicated.

an interesting post Crommers....

three years ago when I got my new car - a very basic Vauxhaull Astra with no bells and whistles, a colleague happened to buy a Nissan Qashqai 3 weeks later and hers had all the bells and whistles. You name it, it had it and I'm sure there must have even been a tea making function somewhere.

But as we got talking and she said that he car did this, did that etc it got me thinking - at what point will us drivers 'forget' how to drive and lose our sense of awareness. We're going to become so reliant on the car warning us that we'll become quite complacent. Admittedly the one thing I had installed after I bought my car was rear parking sensors but otherwise I like my car. It does what I tell it to do and not the other way round.

Ria wrote:I like my car. It does what I tell it to do and not the other way round.

And that, my dear friend, is how it should be.

Unfortunately, but slowly and surely we are being sucked into this driverless car conspiracy. They will have us all chipped at birth before long.

Yes, Mick noticed how bossy our new Zafira is

My new car has a key, and none of that other stuff, except parking sensors which I like

I wouldn't like a car which tells me what to do

Ours is so old, I hate to think what we'll do when we need another one. Probably buy an old truck

Diflower wrote:My new car has a key, and none of that other stuff, except parking sensors which I like

I like parking sensors too, we decided not to buy a Kia Rio because we would have had to have them fitted. I really like our Fiesta, key and all!

All these dashboard TV screens and the like - I worry it's almost TMI, and I'd be concerned all the new-fangled technology would affect my concentration …… It's what you're used to, I guess

The only time we've had a hire car when ours was off the road, it was years and years ago and I think it was a Fiat Yugo or something like that. Our own car at the time was a Mini. The Yugo was like driving a tank!

Our car is six years old. It is a Merc B150. It has warning lights if the seat belts are not fastened or the doors are not shut. It was fitted with rear parking sensors and a security alarm. This bleeps when the car is locked. Makes peple jump when I do it in a car park and they are walking past.
Many new cars have so many warning lights it can be difficult to know what is wrong. The old ones had one for low oil pressure and one for high water temperature.
Saw a new Ford car on Tuesday night which had been specially adapted. Te accelerator was a ring on top of the steering wheel. There is a foot operated accelorator for use as well. The hand brake was on the right of the steering column. There is a foot brake which is the only normal foot operated control.
There is a brake which is operated by a button on the cente consul. It is behind the gera lever. The car is automatic so it only has forward reverse and park.
When I was in the RAF drove 3 ton trucks. Had to double de-clutch to change gears both up and down. That was driving!!!