Driving

Wrinkled Wisdom – Thinking about Buying a New Car? Ugh!

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Remember how excited we used to get about buying a new car?  Loved choosing a color and matching it with the interior and seat colors.  Loved that new car smell and shine.  Loved the new audio systems that let us play for our favorite albums on cassette tapes and CDs while driving!  Not today!  New models are loaded with tech that is more overwhelming than impressive.  The manual sure doesn’t help.  Buying a new car is now a source of frustration, not joy.  And, prices?  OMG!

Just look at those dashboard designs.  Swapping knobs and sliders for intricate touch screen displays on dashboards in new cars is more distracting than useful.  How about simple, reachable controls that we can use without taking our eyes off the road?? 

A friend drove her granddaughter’s car recently and couldn’t find the lights or the windshield wipers.  Enjoyed the line from the guy who said jokingly that his wife’s new car came with a semester at MIT to learn to use the turn signal.  Could that the reason why so many drivers don’t give you a head’s up when they are turning?  Doubt it. 

Remember when we were kids and could name the make and model of every car on the road?  Each design was distinct.  Check out the look of today’s Chevys and Jaguars.  The difference?  The price.  We can blame the designs on aerodynamics, which led to these similar shapes and silhouettes across brands.  The aerodynamic design reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency.  But it’s made cars monotonous!

Speaking of monotonous, black, gray, silver, and white cars now account for about 75 percent of cars sold.  One reason for this descent into automotive blandness?  Brighter colors raise the cost of the car.  Seems ages since Bruce Springsteen sang about a pink Cadillac and Prince warbled about a little red Corvette.  

We learned to drive on a stick-shift green and white 1957 Chevy.  There is some good news!  Paint companies have developed technologies to apply two-tone paint on cars more efficiently, reducing costs.  Two-tone paint jobs are making a comeback.  You still pay a premium, of course.

The term “wretched excess” was used to describe the cars we saw on the road in the late 1950s.  The 1959 Cadillac De Ville was almost 19 feet long!  Parallel parking that baby must have been entertaining.  And, think of the gas mileage!

We are all interested in saving money at the pump, hence the popularity of today’s hybrids and electric cars (EVs).  Interestingly, nothing new.  The first successful EV made in the U.S. debuted around 1890.  Its top speed was 14 mph.  A speed monster!  Henry Ford’s 1908 Model T dealt a deadly blow to the EV.  It was affordable.  Gas was cheap.  And, electricity for EVs was rare outside of cities.  Sound familiar?  EVs all but disappeared by 1935.

In 1905, a patent was first filed for a hybrid.  It was designed to use the electric motor to augment the gasoline engine and increase acceleration from zero to a sizzling 25 mph in 10 seconds.  Whoopie!

They say you’re never too old to learn something new.  But it gets annoying!  We’re not alone.  Studies show new car owner satisfaction has dropped. 

So, our Wrinkled Wisdom for today?  Let’s lobby for a return to “dumb cars” with fewer exasperating tech features and unnecessary bells and whistles!  Do your research before buying a new car.  Know your car’s trade-in value so you won’t be duped.  Test drive your favorite models.  Oh, and eat before you go to the dealership.  Buying a car can take hours and hunger can inhibit your ability to make a good decision.  Or, use a car broker, never set foot in a dealership, and save some calories.

P.S.  Please note that the smell we referenced as an olfactory perk of a new car is caused by chemicals being released by the car’s leather and plastic, which can cause eye and nose irritation.  Even has a name: off-gassing!  No worries.  Easy fix.  Just open the windows.

Old Is the New New

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No, we aren’t talking about consignment shops. We’re talking about the changing face of America.

The world’s older population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.  There are now over 72 million boomers and another 50-odd million people who belong to the “silent” generation.  And, our growth is outpacing every other demographic group.  In fact, by 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older.  A virtual tsunami of oldies!

Old is the new new!  That should earn us a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T!  With this reference, we are broadening the feminist theme of Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit.

Interestingly, speaking of respect, did you know we have our own government agency?  It’s called the National Institute on Aging (NIA).  It’s part of the National Institute of Health, which we all know as NIH, and is charged with studying aging and extending our healthy, active years of life.  Alzheimer’s disease is an important focus.  Oh, and testosterone therapy.

There is power in numbers.  Money talks.   Ah, sometimes adages and their general truths are apropos if a bit overused.  As a group, we oldies have tremendous economic clout.  Seniors control nearly a third of total U.S. net wealth.  Advertisers need to catch on!

And, marketers are wising up…albeit…slowly.  They are recognizing that we spend and it’s not just on cruises, medical alert systems, senior living facilities, and Depends.  Research underscores that we are significant buyers of cars and Apple products.   Hence the recent AARP headline:  Automakers Rediscover and Create for Boomers.

How propitious that self-driving cars are being developed just as we are aging!  How very thoughtful.  And, another fun headline: Self-driving Vehicles and Baby Boomers: A Budding Relationship.

Yet, advertisers have a long, long way to go.  Today, less than five percent of advertising targets the baby boomer market.  Most advertising dollars are spent catering to 18 to 34 year-olds.  Forbes magazine calls us the most neglected, wealthy group in the history of marketing.

And, important to advertisers, we Google.  We check our e-mail on our smartphones. We order stuff online.  We use social media.  We have Facebook pages.  We check out YouTube.  In fact, baby boomers describe themselves as heavy Internet users. The average broadcast media viewer is now over 50, which is really a profound change that will greatly impact television advertising.

Marketers, do the math!  Get over gerontophobia.  And, learn to talk to us in a way that reflects some reality.

And, wow, do they have a lot to learn.  Most seniors don’t like the advertising aimed at them.  It isn’t realistic or respectful, according to polls.  It’s stereotypic.  We want ads that capture our attention, entertain us, inform us, and respect us.

Okay, we all don’t look like Jane Fonda at 79.  Who can afford that much cosmetic surgery?  However, we do enjoy a beautiful oldie being featured in ads for L’Oreal skin cream aimed at women of all ages.  One of our favorites is an ad for Aldi, a German discount grocery chain with stores in the U.S.  It features an older woman, who, after pointing out the teas she buys for her husband, shares with the viewing audience: “I don’t like tea.  I like gin.”

As marketing changes and matures (is that a pun?), we hope to see an end to articles and discussions about ageism being the last politically correct prejudice.  We understand that mockery of older people masks fears of growing old.  We’re guilty.  Remember when we were in our 20s and dissed 30-year olds as over the hill?  Maybe that’s already changing.  A recent study shows that the younger generation’s greatest fear is their phone batteries running low.  We could create a fun analogy about aging, but won’t.

So our wrinkled wisdom for today?  Lift a glass.  Make a toast.  We’re not invisible anymore!  Give to the National Institute for Aging.  Yes, it’s a federal agency, but Congress made an exception and it can accept donations.  And, it’s OUR federal agency.  If an Aldi store comes to your area, shop there.  The management obviously has a great sense of humor.  When advertisements feature seniors in a fun and respectful manner, buy the product— after you Google the reviews, of course.

 

Bad Drivers

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Bad drivers are, well…driving us crazy!  This is a ubiquitous problem.  All ages are guilty.

Yes, there are tailgaters, drivers who let everyone merge in front of them, and people who go at a snail’s pace through lights so you get stuck waiting for the next green light.  Grrr!

We will ignore the issue of dogs in the back of pickups because we thought the hate mail might be more than we can handle.  Some other fools can point out that an estimated 100,000 dogs die each year riding in the back of trucks—flying out during an accident, falling out accidentally, or sliding out the back of an open tailgate.

No, we are talking behaviors that cause us to spew profanities, cause road rage, and are undeniably dangerous: driving through red lights—not amber, RED; cruising at or below posted speed limits in the left hand lane; texting or talking on cell phones; and…driving while old.

There is no law that says if you’ve been stopped at a light you have the right to go through the next one.  More and more drivers routinely go through red lights, especially turn lights.  We get it.  Some turn lanes have short green lights.  Cope!  Running a red light is insane, overworks middle fingers, and really dirties the crosswalk with all that glass from the accident.  Weigh patience with wildly increased insurance payments.  Red means…stop!!!

We just don’t get the cruising in the left lane thing.  Are people oblivious?   Arrogant?  Vision-impaired?  Paternalistic?  If I have to go the speed limit, so do you?  Nah…nah…nah.  It is not your job to patrol the roads and keep people at or below the posted limit.  Let those rabbits speed ahead and draw the traffic cop’s attention.  When there are five cars behind you and you are being tailgated, take a hint.  That’s what rearview mirrors are for.  Move right!  You are generating frustration, leading to outrageous behavior by other drivers who are looking for any chance to pass you on the right.  You might not be in an accident, but could you cause one??  Yup.

Left lane hogs came in third in a recent study of causes of road rage.  Tailgating came in second and, wait for it, texting topped the charts.

None of these annoying and dangerous behaviors have gotten the attention that texting while driving has instigated.  Have you seen those videos??  Death and destruction everywhere.  Heck, a safety organization has even deemed April “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.”  April is an appropriate choice; texters are fools.

Texting is the culprit in 80 percent of all teen crashes.  A concerned group in Colorado, Texting Thumb Bands, posts these stats.  Texting while driving causes 6,000 deaths and 330,000 injuries per year, kills 11 teens every day, makes  “texters”  23 times more likely to have an accident, and is the same as driving after drinking four beers.

Another group has invented a new phrase: “driving while intexticated.”  Very clever.

So, texting is a no-no.  But, even using hands-free technologies to talk on the phone while driving apparently isn’t safe.  Estimates say that cell phone use is involved in 26 percent of all car crashes.  (We were surprised it was that low!)  Like everyone else, we thought that hands-free devices were the responsible choice.  Not true.  Our brains are distracted by the conversation.  Research shows that talking drivers scan the road less and miss visual cues, potentially resulting in drivers not seeing items right in front of them, including stop signs, pedestrians, and bicyclists.  Hands-free does not equal emotion-free.  Here’s a concept…if you want to text or talk…pull over!!!

Even our hi-tech dashboards are distracting…the radio, GPS, DVD player.  Car companies say these technologies—that increase car prices—are safe.  But, are they?  Nope.  Car makers are not particularly prone to the truth.  Think Volkswagen and GM for starters.

We will not get into DUIs and DWIs.  That’s easy.  Don’t drink and drive!!  Many of us have been lucky and not stopped; but, more importantly, we didn’t hurt anyone and learned our lesson.  Take designated drivers seriously.  Don’t even get on a bicycle!

Marijuana is an interesting contrast.  A new study finds that drivers who use marijuana are at a significantly lower risk for a crash than drivers who use alcohol.   What?????

Hmmm.  It could be that pot smokers who get behind the wheel tend to drive slower than the speed limit.  Driving stoned somehow makes 25 miles an hour feel like 50.  Totally entertained by the “Saturday Night Live” spoof—a billboard urging stoned drivers to “speed up.”   Still not a good idea.  Stoned drivers are twice as likely as an unimpaired driver to have an accident.

Lastly…the tough one.  When do you give up your car keys or take them away from mom or dad?  Driving is a key to many oldies’ independence.  This is a very individual issue.  Some oldies are fine.   But, most of us are going to outlive our ability to drive…by 10 years.  That’s a startling stat.

Clues are vision, hearing loss, dexterity, disease, and medications.  Okay…here’s an obvious one.  If you have dementia, don’t drive.  Our dad’s driver’s license was automatically renewed when he was 85.  Hey, at least make him take a driver’s test.  It’s hard to tell a parent it’s over.  If he failed his test…problem solved.  No family angst.

The “conversation” about the keys should emphasize that you care.  And, importantly, include research you’ve done on transportation that is available to them.  Options.  Options are always good.

We giggled over some online, last resort advice.  Disable the car by removing the battery cable or distributor cap.  Honesty is not always the best policy, apparently.

So, our wrinkled wisdom for today?  Get the message when your friends are silent when you say you are a good driver, or when they always insist on doing the driving, or when everyone is passing you on the right.  Save money for a self-driving car. (Although they may not be the panacea we are all hoping for!)  Remember that it is important to complete your personal hygiene at home.  And, also remember that not all states have laws that fine drivers for obviously dangerous behaviors.  Write your legislators and demand new or tougher laws/penalties for running lights, left-lane hogs, texting/cell phone use, and other dangerous driving behaviors.  Since we are old, we hate to push for mandatory driving tests for those of us over 70.  But, crap, probably a good idea.  And, PUT YOUR DAMN CELL PHONE AWAY WHEN YOU’RE BEHIND THE WHEEL!