AUTORNOTIVE
Car power!

Automobiles

much more

than just transportation

OVER THE past 100 years, the car has become an impor-
tant component of our daily lives and our society as a
whole. As motorists, we tend to overlook this fact because
the automobile is taken so much for granted (particularly
in Canada where it is comparatively cheap to own a car).

The fact is, the automobile is a
cornerstone of our personal
transportation system and thus
our economy. It provides us with
personal freedom and mobility
unmatched by any other transpor-
tation device. It gives us power,
prestige and enjoyment. The
automobile is embedded in our
culture, our songs, and our litera-

ture. And as a potentially danger-

ous instrument that we control,

the car requires us to act respon-"

sibly.
Don’t let anyone tell you the

Greg
Wilson

automobile is merely a means of ©

getting from cne point to another.
This just doesn’t explain our
engoing affection for the
automobile.

Remember when you first got
your driver’s iicence? All of a
sudden, a whole new world open-
ed up. You could now travei hun-
dreds or even thousands of miles,
instead of a few miles. You could
experience different sights, sounds
and cultures. You could now go
where you wanted, when you
wanted, in comparative safety and
comfort.

Owning your first car is one of
the great joys of life. ft didn’t
matter how old or run down it
was, it was your first car and it
was your car. Your friends were
envious, and all of a sudden you

became more popular. With this -

new freedom and respect, your
life changed dramatically, for the
better.

Having your own car was also
good for your social life. You
now had a vehicle with which to
pick up your date (or be picked
up in). You could now discuss
private things in private, some-
thing that you could never do at
your parent’s home or in a public
place. The car provided a stage
for: your development as a young
adult. The automobile was always
a great place to get acquainted.

The car is one of the few
private enclaves where you can
turn up the stereo as foud as you
want, adjust the heater to your
preferred setting, recline your seat
to a comfortable position, and go
exactly where you want to go.

For some people, the car is a
mobile symbol of wealth and
power, something to be seen in
and, presumably, admired in.
Most of us will try to deny that
expensive-looking cars impress us.
But in my experience driving dif-
ferent types of cars, I have found
that I get more respect from other
drivers when I drive expensive new
luxury cars.

As a machine which you con-
trol, the car provides you with a
sense of power and self-con-
fidence. As a driver, your life,
and those of others, is in your
own hands. The car forces you to
be responsible. Most of us have
developed responsible driving
habits and a healthy respect for
other drivers. Some of us haven’t.

AUTOMOTION

It’s quite true that cars pollute
more than they should, and in
some areas of the world there are
just too many cars. But these are
problems that can and will be
solved with solutions like electric
cars and intelligent highway
systems.

Mass transit might be the an-
swer for urban transportation
planners, but they only see one
portion of the entire picture. Mass
transit is an alternative people ac-
cept reluctantly if they cannot af-
ford a car, or cannot drive a car
for one reason or another. People
don’t take the bus because they
know it contributes less overall
pollution into the atmosphere, or
because they want to heip cut
down on traffic congestion. The
nature of human beings is selfish,
not altruistic. And this must be
taken into account in the devel-
opment of improved transporta-
tion systems.

For now, if I want to sit in
traffic while the Fastbus whizzes
by me full of happy commuters,
that’s my business. If I want to
pay exorbitant parking rates in
downtown parking lots, that’s also
my business. I love my car, and

“derive a tremendous amount of
satisfaction from owning it.

POINTS TO PONDER

A survey of senior citizens in
Florida last year revealed that the
thing they feared the most, apart
from getting ill, was losing their
driver’s licence.

In Hong Kong, the theft and
smuggling of expensive luxury cars
to communist China is 2 regular
occurance.

In Beverly Hilis, California,
there are more Mercedes-Benz
cars registered than any other car.

Despite terrible air pollution,
heavy traffic congestion, and a
poor standard of living, car sales
in Mexico City are increasing
dramatically. The most popular
car is the Volkswagen Beetle,
which is still made in Mexico.

Crime prevention reviewed

THE NORTH Shore YMCA, in
connection with the West Van-
couver City Police, will host a
one-hour workshop designed to
educate the public about burglary
prevention techniques.

The workshop will begin at -

7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 at

the YMCA located at 1735 In-
glewood Ave. in North Van-
couver.

Admission is by donation, with
the proceeds going to the Youth at
Risk Program.

For more information and to
pre-register, call 926-5541.

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NORTH SHORE MAZDA

700 BLOCK MARINE DRIVE
NORTH VANCOUVER

987-4458