This post is due by Tuesday, October 1 @ midnight. No credit given for late posts.
Read the assigned chapters above, and then:
1. Provide 3 SPECIFIC observations about Cars, Culture and Media you learned from EACH chapter of our book, using 2-3 sentences combining the book and your own IYOW analysis. (Yes, the Introduction counts.)
2. Finally, ask ONE specific question you have of Cars, Culture and Media after completing our reading.
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ReplyDeleteCHAPTER 4
ReplyDeleteCars: The way that many consumers buy new cars before they need to is troubling. It's amazing how a single person, in this case Alfred P. Sloan, can introduce ideas that are still followed today. In 1930, Sloan had the idea of providing a range of makes at different prices to appeal to the consumers desire for newness. One example of this is the 4-door jeep wrangler, which differed from the old wrangler only because of two extra doors. Changes like this can can convince people to "upgrade".
Culture: There was a quote from a Swedish person in this chapter who said "Americans are very status conscious". We think bigger is better, and always want our cars to be fully loaded. The chapter talks about how many features that used to be an option with cars (AC, power windows, ect.) have now become standard. We like our convenience and technology. I wonder if this is solely characteristic of Americans though. Do people in Sweden really only buy cars that are practical? Sometimes it's hard to pigeonhole culture in such a globalized world.
Media: The deceptive sales methods discussed in this chapter got me thinking about how human beings have become media machines. The salespeople of today use pretty much every persuasive technique listed on our powertools. Big lies, hyperboles, flattery, bribery, ect. It almost dehumanizes the people who are trying to sell you things because you can never trust them. At least with television ads or magazine articles you can choose not to pay attention, but people are much more difficult. Are people a medium?
CHAPTER 5
Cars: The true cost of car ownership is what stood out to me in this chapter. It seems silly that cars are the 2nd most expensive thing in people's lives, after housing. I understand that having a place to live is a top priority for people, but is having a car really next on the list? We can be putting our money to such better causes. What if instead of 1/5 dollars going to cars, we put it towards public transportation? Or conservation efforts? I do like the idea of pay-as-you-go insurance, because I only drive once a week--if that.
Culture: This book talks a lot about our nations economic crash of 2008. It is crazy to me that while the economic problems we face are far reaching, our mindset and consumption patterns haven't really changed. For me (and I know I can't speak for everyone), it doesn't feel like things are any different. If we really want to improve our economy, shouldn't the realities of the recession be more apparent? We hear so much about it, but nothing really changes. Many people, including myself, fail to see just how bad this situation is. And since we can't see, it's incredibly hard to change our behavior to better reflect our country's needs.
Media: I found it funny that they made a TV show out of Car Repossession ("Operation Repo"). They make TV shows out of anything nowadays! Why should our media glorify things like Car repossession or pawn shops? With current media and production tactics, anything can be made out to be exciting or funny. I was also interested with the concept of gas prices as media. Gas prices are displayed all over the place, affecting when and where people buy their gas. There are promotional deals to save 5 cents on every gallon. Gas stations commonly come in clusters, with one station offering gas for 1 cent less than the other.
CHAPTER 6.
ReplyDeleteCars: This chapter states that we live in a society that is built around cars. Why don't we live in a society built around people? Or better yet, a society built around all LIVING things. We are so obsessed with material things. Anyways, the chapter talks about cars being necessary for our everyday lives--for shopping, getting to and from work/school, ect. It also makes the point that laws and regulations related to the car are the main way we experience the law. This just proves that we live in a society built around cars, because the people that are supposed to protect and serve us are mainly using cars and car related laws to interact with us.
Culture: I really liked the point that the authors made at the beginning of this chapter. They say that " the social contract between the government, businesses, and American workers has radically changed". They go on to say that the wealth inequality in the US is greater than in India, but Americans still think we are "lucky", that we are at the top of the food chain. While it may have once been true that America was the greatest place to live, that isn't exactly true anymore. It isn't bad by any means, but we are far from perfect and have a lot to learn from other countries.
Media: This chapter mentioned racial profiling and targeting through traffic laws and regulations. It talks about how celebrities get DUI's and do other illegal/harmful things in their vehicles, but barely get punished. The way we treat the celebrities in our culture is sickening. They are basically above the law. The media has made celebrities out to be the best of the best, and this has caused them to be immune or exempt from the law. There are so many different classes of people in our country, and each one gets treated differently.
Chapter 7:
Cars: The increase in car traffic discussed in this chapter is amazing. In some cases, traffic has increased by 50% in just a few years. I was just driving on Shelburne road and the traffic was pretty terrible. I can't imagine the hours some people spend in their cars daily.
Culture: I became annoyed by the notion that Americans support more government spending on roads rather than spending on public transit. The quote by a man who said, "This is one of our freedoms. This is why Americans don't use public transportation. We're cowboys--'I ride my horse where I want to go.'" This signifies something fundamentally wrong with our culture. We act spoiled, entitled, and unwilling to change. The problems we face in our country are deeply social, and until we can change the way we think and act, we will continue to harm the planet.
Media: This chapter talks about mobile advertising, such as billboards and roadside stores. It got me thinking about shopping plazas that are basically on the highway. There aren't as many in Vermont, but one that comes to mind is in New Hampshire. The state liquor outlet is on the highway! This has always seemed funny to me, mainly because you are strictly prohibited from drinking while driving, yet it is advertised right there on the road. Advertising is more important than safety and common sense I suppose.
Ch.4
ReplyDelete"Then they would ask, what is the most car I can get for this? The overriding goal became to get the most car not for the least money but the most car for the most money they could afford to pay" (p.62). The idea of "the most car" is intriguing. It is not that people want a car, they want the most car, as if some makes and models have more or less car-iness than other cars. I can only assume that most car means that it has more features, or has better materials. However, from the next line, it appears that "most car" actually refers to "most cost." There is a hidden assumption here then, that paying more gets "the most," whatever that might mean.
"These days, having luxury doesn't just mean purchasing pricey goods, it means pampering yourself" (p.75). Having the most car then, is about what else comes with the car. The car transports you, but a car that also tells you how to get where you're going and conditions your air, and lets you lock all the doors with the push of a single button is more car. It seems to me that we expect our cars to fulfill all possibilities- we would judge a car without air conditioning, because almost all cars now come with standard air conditioning, as being a crappy car. We value a car that can simply get us from A to B less than a car that can get us from A to B with a GPS display and automatic windows.
"A cheap car can actually cost more to maintain (p.76)..." but, "reliability is no longer a factor for the vast majority of vehicles being sold today" (p.77). Considering, "When productivity gains meant that it should have been cheaper than ever to manufacture a car, Americans were spending more and more for them as they piled on options and accessories and upgraded to more expensive models" (p.77). So a cheaper car may actually cost the same to maintain as a more expensive car, because you're not actually getting "more car" with a more expensive model, you're getting more stuff to go with your car. The illusion of a cheap car being unreliable is created then in the shadow of the upfront extra costs of a more expensive car with more accessories.
Ch.5
"When consumer credit really began to take off, right after World War II, car loans contributed the major part of the twenty-fold increase in indebtedness form 1945 to 1960" (p.84). In the 1920s, cars became a more common commodity. I find it interesting then, that the use of credit really caught on by the need to have a car. It seems then, to be a central shifting point in values- instead of working hard to get something, you work hard because you have gotten it. It also strikes me as strange that cars are so central, yet almost seem to require any more, a loan.
"... car prices have risen beyond the means of many, as real incomes have dropped or remained stagnant while other costs have risen" (p.85). The car is central to the America way of life, and without a significant public transportation system, our country necessitates the use of a car. But, the thing that makes life possible is just too expensive for most people. How is it that car prices keep going up, but people make less on average?
"...fifty years of car ownership...the total rivals anything we as a society take on as a task or goal" (p.99). This is wild to think about. Cars so central to our lives and to the functions of our government (both maintaining roads and spending hundreds of billions of dollars "policing" oil), that we will spend our whole lives carrying the burden it places on us, rather than how they were originally intended: to carry us around.
Ch.6
ReplyDelete"The consequences of not having a car in a society built around it can be devastating...The poor often live in rural areas or inner city neighborhoods... the absence of supermarkets in many poor inner-city neighborhoods and the paucity of fresh food and exorbitant prices in the stores located there add to the financial and health costs of being simultaneously carless and poor." (p.104) Most important is the fact that our society is "built around it [the car]-" literally. This section talks about people who are physically outside of, excluded from, main society because they lack a car. Beyond socioeconomics, this is another interesting structuring of our society as mediated by the car.
The poor, "one check away from carless," and the elderly, who often don't drive citing health reasons (even fear of harming others or themselves is a health reason- they're reaction times are slower, their eyesight not as acute) do not represent the ideal American. If the car is such a central part of our society, then why is our society designed to exclude these two large groups? Car commercials tell us that we "deserve" to reward ourselves, or that we should travel to rugged places, but for the poor or the frail, these aren't options. It seems then, that cars (or at least car manufacturers) posit this idea of the wealthy, mobile American as ideal. So what does it say about these groups?
"The bottom line is this: a car-dependent society ages our old people more rapidly..." (p.112). Cars are "rapidly deprecating commodities." Cars are also central to our lives, and as this chapter shows, almost completely dependent upon them. Seiler showed how we define cars is how we define ourselves. Given those points, is it a coincidence that as they both get older, cars and people become less useful? After all, once they can no longer drive old people essentially become "prisoners in their own homes." Unfortunately, you can't trade in old people for new ones, even if the interest is high and you're paying more than blue book value.
Ch.7
"For parents, the drive might represent a few more minutes with their child, but for the child it extends the amount of time he or she is indoors, sedentary, supervised in a structured activity, isolated from the community and surrounded by electronic devices" (p.137). I've never thought about this before. But, for all the freedom we ascribe to cars, for people who have to use them and aren't driving, it doesn't seem very free. Especially if driving is seen as something akin to a reward- it is in place of the inconvenient and stigmatized bus. Against this, beyond the obvious message that cars are the best way to get around, is the fact that the bus doesn't seem too different from the car being more time "indoors, sedentary, supervised in a structured activity."
"Drivers reported higher stress and aggression when traffic congestion was high, and showed it, tailgating and honking at other vehicles" (p.152).The more traffic there is, the angrier we get. And the delays caused by repairs, "get under our skin" (152). It appears we can't win. Why does this make us mad? Is it because we still hold the car as appealing to the ideal of freedom? If that is the case, then it makes perfect sense that these things anger us, as they take away our "freedom" to move as we please.
ReplyDelete"Importantly, people with longer commutes report 'lower satisfaction with life' than those with short commutes- that is, they are simply less happy. These commuters' spouses are also unhappy" (p.165). This does and does not surprise me. It doesn't surprise me because commutes often have a negative connotation; i.e. traffic, arriving at work at the end of one, cost of gas, ect. But I also do find it surprising, in light of Seiler's work and the rest of this book: our cars are the center of our society and of many of our lives, but how is it the people who spend the most time in their cars are unhappy because of it? Aren't cars one of the champion symbols of happiness and freedom?
I would like to know Ms. Lutz, how cars have remained at the center of our society, even though they are now way beyond the means of the majority. Can cars be decentralized?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteThis chapter illustrates the culture of buying a car. The author makes the good point that consumers are looking to spend the most money possible on the most car possible. This certainly is a cultural thing because it is a general trend within American society.
In addition to quantity of car bought, there is the cultural phenomenon of buying a vehicle before the owned is broken. On page 64 this idea is described with the Jeep Wrangler example. Consumers will pay far more for the new four-door model than the two-door model even though they are otherwise identical.
Beyond the ‘over-consumption’ of automobiles, the sellers of such fuel the fire through misinformation. They do so by lying about facts on the car, and costs of purchasing the vehicle. This erodes the consumer’s rational choice. This culturally relevant because of the part it plays in the culture of consumption.
I also found the author’s observation that most cars are bought and rationalized for peak needs (infrequent uses) as opposed to rational needs very intriguing.
Chapter 5
This chapter was very difficult to dissect through a cars culture and media lens, but being an economics major it was good stuff. The comparative cost of major household expenditures was eye opening with transportation being a strong second to housing (another industry with predatory sales, and loans). This can be viewed as culturally relevant because many Americans life beyond their means through credit, as a way to enhance their comparative wealth.
On page 87 the author identifies the trend of over-emphasis on gas prices. This is a cultural phenomenon because people are exposed to the minute changes every day as they, “… drive up to the pump.” Of commodities gas is the changes in gas are definitely over-emphasized especially compared to fluctuations in produce, and interest rates on the loans taken out to afford the car.
In the last section of this chapter Lutz identifies states that an average family over the time of 50 years will spend over $1 million on vehicles. A solution to this massive amount would be purchasing used cars which once again is less culturally acceptable especially for middle class families with the desire to flaunt their wealth.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeleteThis chapter starts with a good example of media using Ludacris’ observation that buses have large windows to humiliate the occupants. Seeing someone ride the bus generally means they do not have a car, which one could take farther in assuming they are poor. I never really thought of this, but I cannot recall any public transportation bus with small windows or even tinted windows.
“For many, no car means no job.” This statement on page 104 illustrates how people without vehicles or adequate transportation can be trapped within their socioeconomic class. In the larger scope of things in this chapter this contributes to maintaining the poor being poor.
I believe the strongest observation in this chapter is the disparity in car ownership between whites and people of color, and the consequences of it. The most drastic one being Katrina where almost all the whites could flee leaving a far larger population of non-whites in the Superdome. The worst part is that cars through emission arguably enhanced the power of the storm meaning the costs of car ownership were externalized.
Chapter 7
This chapter starts with one of the causes for car culture; urban sprawl. Nashville Tennessee is a stunning example of this because despite the fact that it has the lowest population density of any US city it has the highest car related pollution. The phenomenon of urban sprawl is growing problem in the US. Being outside of NYC I have seen it firsthand where there are towns in which one cannot walk to the stores and there is not public transportation either.
On page 135 the author writes about how students get to school. It is increasingly culturally unsound to get to school any other way than a car. In high school this is enhanced because kids want to drive their own cars increasing the number of vehicles on the road. This was true about my high school, where there were no buses and roughly 80% of seniors drove their own vehicle.
The Starbucks’ Effect is another cultural phenomenon occurring. This refers to food outlets like Starbucks that lead to unnecessary and inefficient trips in vehicles beyond pit stops. In my own experience my consumption of prepared food increased drastically when my friends and I began driving.
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteMedia- “…a few SUV owners do use their vehicles for the rugged-four wheeling purposes they are pictured being used for in commercials, but the reality is that…. Less than 5 percent of the American public ever goes off-roading.” (p.72) Car companies use the media, such as commercials, to paint a false image of what the car will be used for. Commercials show SUV’s going through harsh terrains and being able to withstand the elements, but majority of these buyers only use the vehicle as means for transportation. The media helps to brainwash the masses in what they believe they need in a car, rather than what is practical.
Culture- “The American fascination with big vehicles… is here, will always be here, and that’s not going to change.” (p.73) Despite the rising gas prices or environmental concerns, people are still driving big, gas guzzling cars. Americans still have this mindset that the car is a status symbol. The bigger the car you own, the more successful you are and they deserve or “need” to have a big car. This mindset has been engrained into people’s minds for decades and with the reinforcing media, this viewpoint is here to stay.
Cars- “While we may believe our car says something about who we are, we would benefit from thinking of it simply as a mode of transportation.” (p.78) As a society, we have fallen into this trap from car companies and media campaigns that we need certain bells and whistles to our cars. We think of our cars as a tool to express ourselves rather than a method of transportation to get us from point A to B. Americans will spend an arm and a leg for a car, because they are brainwashed into believing they need certain amenities from their vehicle and end up going into debt. If we remember what the purpose of a car really is, we can become conscious consumers and make smarter, more economic car purchases.
Chapter 5:
Car- “The car is not only a major component of household spending, but its costs are often very unpredictable, giving families a sudden and painful financial kick in the shins.” (p.81) Majority of Americans don’t realize the impact a car has on their household budget. They may consider gasoline costs are the costs it would take to repair their car, but rarely do they take into account the insurance, loan payments, or tax burdens. Most American families have multiple cars and with all those costs associated with the vehicles, a large percentage of your family budget is used. From this chapter, I learned cars are really a bad investment, because majority of the money you put in the car you will never see back. The car is an economic burden.
Media- “The automakers happily enable this thinking. Vigorous green-washing and promotion of gas mileage improvements were everywhere in evidence at the 2008 and 2009 auto shows…” (p.89) To combat the rising oil prices, people began to buy smaller cars and more fuel efficient cars. Car companies started to produce hybrid SUVs with better gas mileage. People began to buy them because they are more fuel efficient than the old SUVs, even though besides better gas mileage there was nothing hybrid about them. Society has become more environmentally conscious and car companies are jumping on the bandwagon and turning to green-washing. With green-washing, car companies can slap a name like “hybrid” onto their vehicle and convince people to buy their not so” environmentally friendly” vehicles. They make people believe that they are saving money on gas, while simultaneously “saving” the environment.
Culture- “Gas prices grab the most attention and generate the fiercest agitation at least in part, it seems, because we have come to think of gas as a birthright and a necessity.” (p.90) People still believe that they are entitled to cheap fuel. Oil is a finite resource and we have already or nearly hit our peak oil reserves. Fuel costs are bound to fluctuate and with the rising demand of oil, prices are bound to increase. In response to rising fuel prices, people have reduced the amount they are driving, switched to more fuel efficient cars, and tried to cut down other car expenditures to save money. Our culture is built around cars and ultimately oil and unless we change how our cars our fueled, we will continue to be at the mercy of oil prices.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6:
Car: “Only reason buses have such big, wide windows, to humiliate the poor brothers reduced to riding them.” (p. 101) I thought this was a funny quote to open up the sixth chapter with. When I was in high school, it was seen uncool to ride the bus to and from school. The bus was known as the “loser cruiser.” If you weren’t able to drive, you would find your older sibling or your friend’s older sibling to drive you to school. No one wanted to ride the bus, because it was embarrassing. You had to ride home with the middle school kids. In this chapter, the authors talk about how not every person has the access to a car and has to resort to public transportation to get from place to place. Public transportation is more environmentally friendly, but people don’t view it as such. They view it as limited mobility and a public stigma.
Media: “Launching public relations campaign, they produced materials for schools suggesting that everyone profits when the oil companies do well. “ (p. 122) Oil companies hold great power and influence economically as well as politically. With rising environmental campaigns that negatively target the oil companies, the oil companies responded with public relations campaigns to get people back into people’s favor again. The American Petroleum Institute broadcasted that “you” or the common American owns “Big Oil.” In reality, the average American has very little invested in the oil companies and has little to no tie with oil companies. The oil companies continue to manipulate the media and gain support from unsuspecting citizens.
Culture- “The bottom line is this: a car-dependent society ages our old people more rapidly, and infantilizes them more, than a society in which mobility doesn’t require the traveler have the substantial and specialized range of cognitive and physical skills needed to drive.” (p.112) Most people have the ability drive a car at age 16, but when does the freedom to drive end? In this section, the authors talk about the inequality in our car-based transit system as well as the growing generational gap. At a certain point, the capability of the elderly to drive is questioned and their ability or freedom to drive is stripped from them. They now have to depend on other people for rides, depend on public transportation, or just stay home. It’s interesting to me how excited we are when we first get our licenses, because we finally have that freedom behind the wheel, but we never really think about how this freedom has an expiration date. Question: How will our car culture be affected by the growing elderly population? Will the population utilize more public transportation or will society create an automobile that will help sustain the elderly’s freedom on the road?
Chapter 7:
ReplyDeleteCulture- “I think it’s very emotional. It’s like the gun laws. This is one of our freedoms. This is why Americans don’t use public transportation. We’re cowboys---‘I ride my horse where I want to go.” (p.133) In this section of the book, the authors talk about traffic congestion. Many Americans think they have the solutions to reduce traffic congestion, by increasing the number of roads to drive on, rather than reducing the number of cars on the road. Cars are part of our culture and we don’t want to reduce the amount we drive, but we don’t want to sit in traffic jams. Other people suggest the solution to reduce traffic is by increasing the amount of public transportation, but this thought process goes against the American car culture. People are not thinking about the long term solution. If you increase the number of roads, more people will drive on them and you will still have the same traffic congestion problem as before. Something has to give in order to solve traffic problems, but our culture prevents us from making those changes.
Media- “It turns out that the more time people spend in their cars, the more the shopping decisions they make are last-minute, unplanned, and influenced by mobile advertising.” (p.139) Cars continue to promote consumerism, whether it’s fast food restaurants or what have you. We spend so much time in our cars and we pass by billboards, signs, and hear advertisements on the radio, it influences us to buy things. The more time you spend in a car, the more likely you are to buy something. As we drive, we are constantly bombarded by advertisements and they make us want to buy things and perpetuate our consumerist tendencies. It’s a constant cycle.
Cars-“The average American spends more than eighteen and one-half hours a week in the car, or an astounding month out of every year.” (p.143) It’s amazing to me how long we sit in traffic or commuting from one place to another, eighteen hours. That’s incredible and to think of all the other things you could be doing, rather than sitting in your car for hours on end is aggravating. On top of all that, most of the time you are sitting in your car, alone. Our cars continue to be a time-sucking place of solitude.
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteCulture: “An increase in the turnover rate resulted in an additional 800,000 new vehicles being sold in this country in the six-year period from 1999 to 2005.” It’s no longer in our culture to use something to its fullest. Industries like car companies and cellphone companies make it seem like no big deal to keep upgrading and trading in your “old” technology for the “next big thing.” People are hardly stopping to think about the kinds of impact their consumption is having on the environment and natural resources. They have created an illusion that our old products that we didn’t want any more just disappear.
Cars: “Family members finding ways to share a car, carpool and adapt their schedules to others has become unpalatable.” This made me think about the adjustment my family went through when they moved from South Burlington to Hinesburg. We immediately noticed an increase in the amount of gas we were using because we constantly had to drive back into town for our jobs and school. Carpooling seemed like an easy thing to get used to, but it actually turned out to be a challenge. At first we all felt like we NEEDED our own car to do what we needed to and I think that’s how many families feel, but after a few adjustments and trial and error we were able to figure out a schedule that reduced our trips into town by at least half.
Media: “this insatiability, this thirst to always want to outdo, always trying to be better and bigger” than the next guy.” Because the media has displayed the car as a form of reward, people want to constantly show that they deserve the next best thing. They want to show that they work hard enough and make enough money to get want they want. They have put certain cars on pedestals portraying them as the ultimate prize that everyone should want and only the most deserving will get it.
Chapter 5
Cars: “Peoples cars create more unexpected financial trouble for them on average that their homes, children, or life events such as weddings and funerals.” There are so many hidden expenses and responsibilities that come along with buying a car that people don’t think about. They are so caught up in all the opportunities and luxuries it will bring them they don’t think about the burden it might become to them and their families.
Culture: “While they note that we drive to work, less often do they recognize that we increasingly work to drive.” Being a person that’s not really into cars all that much its hard for me to understand why people have this mind set of working really hard so they can own the car they want, but they will only get to drive it to work and then in their very minimal spare time because they are constantly working to be able to afford the car. I guess those few moments of “freedom” is enough for people, but it seems like they would have more feelings of freedom if they just used public transportation or owned a cheaper car so they wouldn’t have to work so much.
Media: “in response to the rising costs of gasoline, hundreds of thousands of families had bought new, smaller cars; including hybrids such as the Toyota Prius… many were not replacing their SUVs or other low-mileage cars, but simply adding them to the tow cars in their driveways.” That is so American to go buy something new to “solve” their live issues. The media has made people believe that there is a simple solution to all their problems. As we have read buying a car isn’t as simple as it seems and in reality its more expensive to get a new one then to continue using your old car.
Chapter 6:
ReplyDeleteCars:“The only reason buses have such big, wide windows, is to humiliate the poor brothers reduced to riding in them.” There is definitely a point in high school where riding the bus becomes “uncool” or seen as embarrassing. Even though there was a bus that went to every neighborhood in town the student parking lot was always stuffed to the max. kids didn’t want to rely on the bud anymore they wanted to show they were independent and that they had a set of wheel of their own.
Culture: “What these first two factors mean is that the poor can’t live without the car and the poor can’t live with it.” Our communities have been built around the car. Our infrastructure has made it close to impossible for families to live without a car. Owning a car has become so important that some families have to sacrifice other basic needs just to keep their car running so they can get themselves to work.
Media: “one in five people over the age of 65 do not drive, mostly because of health problems or out of fear of harming themselves or others.” This immediately made me think about all the new safety features they are coming up with to prevent people from getting into accidents, to the point where cars are practically driving themselves. If the auto industry moves in the direction of cars virtually driving themselves then it will remove the fear of harming themselves and other people from the elderly making it possible for them to drive longer. Leading to an increase of people on the road and people buying new cars.
Question: If the new age of cars allows for people to drive longer leading to even more people on the road, how will road infrastructure and public transportation adapt?
Chapter 7:
Cars: “The number of hours Americans spend mired in traffic annually has increased by half, accelerating the number of people who say they no longer enjoy driving.” There are literally too many drivers to make it enjoyable anymore. There are too many people that rely on their cars to survive and don’t have any other choice besides poverty… where is the freedom in that?
Culture: “This gives him an incentive to stay at work longer in order to reduce his time stuck in traffic.” So before people were working long hours just to enjoy those few minutes of freedom they felt driving on the road. Now we are talking about people staying later at their jobs to avoid driving and the traffic that comes with it. There clearly is a need for new management strategies to help us adapt to population growth, the consequences of urban sprawl, and the cost of housing.
Media: “Americans made over one and a half million more stops in their cars to get something to eat or to buy a cup of coffee.” Cars are fueling the consumers need to buy. In a car you are constantly exposed to media, whether it’s on the radio, billboards or store windows. “as we drive more we buy more” most of the purchases made on the road are not premeditated they are more spur of the moment decisions based on the surrounding advertisements.
Chapter 4
ReplyDelete-On page 63 Lutz mentions that car dealers take advantage of the price-end of nine. Personally, I don't think I have ever seen a car commercial where the financing options or down payments did not end in the number 9. By changing the price of an option from $500 to $499, dealers are able to increase their sales due to consumers thinking that something for ~$400 is cheaper than ~$500.
-Lutz states on page 71 that their are more cars and trucks in the United States than licensed drivers. Increasingly, families are justifying the need to have multiple cars. Often, this is only due to convenience, as one of the primary reasons for buying a second or third car is because recently-licensed teenager has the 'need' for their own car. Their are usually public transport options available to these families, yet the appeal of multiple cars is too much to ignore.
-Page 76 contains a quote from DDB's Gary Exelbert in which it is suggested that Americans have a fascination with always trying to be "better and bigger." This continuing trend of keeping up with the Joneses has led to many Americans owning SUVs and other large vehicles. Fortunately, the trend seems to be shifting towards the purchasing of hybrid vehicles, both big (Tahoe) and small (Prius).
Chapter 5
-The first page of this chapter contains an anecdote about a woman named Rowena, who is unable to recall how much she has spent for her car insurance, gas, parking, and tickets over the course of four years. All of these factors can contribute highly to the yearly cost of running and maintaining a personal car, yet many people forget or ignore them until it is too late and they owe more money than they can afford.
-Lutz mentions a statistic on page 81 that claims that of the 1 in 3 Americans who experience "unexpected expenses that created financial trouble," a quarter were car related. The expenses that result from a car accident are often difficult to overcome, as vehicle repairs and medical costs can skyrocket quickly. An event that can happen so quickly and unexpectedly is able to fincnaically cripple a family because they don't expect such high costs above what they already pay for loans, insurance, gas, and other monthly expenses.
-Page 87 mentions how Americans are fixated on gas prices because it is a physical number that they see themselves paying every week. Gas is often not the highest expense associated with owning a car, yet it is thought of so often because the other expenses are often hidden (depreciation), or arrive in fixed monthly costs that cannot be altered.
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete-Lutz introduces the chapter by stating that America's car system redistributes wealth upwards. Those below the poverty line often have trouble finding employment because they don't own a car, and therefore cannot reliably get to work on time day in and day out. Unfortunately, the same people find it more difficult to purchase a car due to higher interest rates and shady financing strategies utilized by car dealerships. These two factors result in a positive feedback loop that keep the poor from moving up the fiscal ladder while insuring that the rich stay rich.
-Lutz mentions on page 105 that environmental activists have identified the poor as some of the greenest citizens in the country. Because many poor people are unable to afford cars, and therefore unable to get jobs that would allow them to afford cars, they utilize public transport more than middle and upper class citizens. By doing so, they are inadvertently lowering their carbon footprint and helping to create a less congested road system.
-Lutz approaches the question of race on page 117 when she mentions that African Americans are generally given higher interested rates than their caucasian counterparts. This goes along with the trend that African Americans are often guilty for "driving while black." Due to a fact out of their control, blacks are unable to purchase cars that they would otherwise be able to afford.
Chapter 7
-Page 132 contains a statement that Americans have little say in how much they drive because of the way the country is "laid out." Road infrastructures throughout the country were clearly designed for use by personal cars, rather than public transportation. The negative stigma associated with riding the bus, along with the need to conform to fixed trains schedules, has led many Americans to believe that they have no other choice but to drive everywhere they need to go.
-Lutz mentions on the following page that most people think the solution to increased congestion is to build more roads, rather than decrease the traffic on them. As with most things, Americans don't want to put the blame on themselves, and assume that somebody else will fix all the problems in the country. Unfortunately, more roads would only lead to more congestion, as those who had an incentive not to drive because of limited road access no longer have that conflict.
Is there a simple fix to the problem of lenders increasing interest rates due to factors other than credit ratings?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteCars: On page 70 the author begins to discuss how car salesmen heckle and lie to the customers to get the best deal out them, and to add more money to their own pockets. The more I read about these “evil” car salesmen the less I want to buy a car of my own. The whole process seems too intimidating and with so many numbers and changing figures, I would worry that I too would be sucked up by the classic lies of a salesmen.
Culture: “An extra car has not only become a norm, but an expectation” (p. 71). This quote stuck out to me because it is very true. I feel like it mainly happens when children turn 16 for the driving age. Parents are no longer required to be their children’s chauffeurs and now have more time for themselves. Also if one kid has a car, then that child could then chauffer the other children around, lessoning the burdening on the parents as well. I feel like it is all about maximizing time, and a second car would do that for parents, and in some ways the kids too.
Media: On page 75, Lutz discusses different logos, and one that caught my eye was Audi’s “Never Follow” logo. I am not sure if it means follow trends or follow other cars but either way I found it ironic because cars are trends. Once people see the next best thing they follow in whoevers footsteps (most likely someone well known and rich) and get the same car as the rich do. So with cars, people are always following others to try to prove equality and status.
Chapter 5
Cars: On page 82 the author interviewed a high school teacher and his daughter who lost their car to high maintenance prices. The daughter describes all the things her and her father did in “that car.” This was just surprising to me because she was describing the car as if it were a family member or a pet of some kind. This truly goes to show how big of a role cars play in people’s lives. Once again, I agree with what the author stated in the first three chapters that cars should be viewed as a tool not a family member.
Culture: The trinity to live used to be food, shelter, and clothing (p.80). This no longer exists as the top three needs for households according to Lutz. These are more like 4th and 5th demands on the list. Cars and healthcare have moved past them and become more crucial. This is very intimidating because an inanimate object that causes so many people to lose their livelihoods and become homeless is so crucial to lots of people. I think it’s crazy that this is a necessity for living now, and it disappoints me that humans have become so dependent on something that is so bad for us and the environment.
Media: On page 88 the book discussed how the NY Times reported that with such high gas prices people bought new hybrid, fuel efficient cars. This would make sense, but they also tended to keep their old gas guzzlers as well. I found this to be very classic. Americans tend to hold on to their prized possessions even if it costs them large amounts of money because they have instilled such value in those things. Cars become our status symbols or family members, or crucial for everyday life, and giving them up is too difficult, even if it means smaller costs overall. They think why not keep the old one and get a new one as well, what a waste.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeleteCars: Right at the beginning of chapter six, Ludacris is quoted talking about how buses are a symbol of someone lacking money for a car and that the windows are so big to humiliate people riding the bus. I feel like this is such a common view with so many people. They think that only the poor utilize the buses and its lowers their status, but in reality there are loads of people just wanting to reduce their ecological footprint, or just do not see the need for the car. So I think that those big windows should be there for all the people inside the bus to brag about how much they are saving and that they can afford those big windows.
Culture: On page 104 Lutz discusses the repercussions of being carless...no job. This is very true from where I come from because it is such a rural area and there is no public transit. Everything is very spaced out and most jobs in the “city” are 30-40 minutes away. So as a teenager growing up without a car, jobs were not an option for me.
Media: On page 112 the term “driving while black” came up. A study in Maryland proved that 73% of all people stopped were African American. This was surprising to me and made me relate back to The Republic of Drivers, where African Americans fought so hard for their freedom of driving a car and thought they would get equal rights to driving as whites, but still today, this proves to be untrue.
Chapter 7
Cars: “This is why Americans don’t use public transportation. We’re cowboys—I ride my horse where I want to go” (p. 133). This was one of my favorite quotes of the chapter. I like how a car is now viewed as a horse, even though the cost and environmental degradation is significantly different. I like how old sayings are attempting to be applied to justifying our need for cars today.
Culture: The Starbucks effect was discussed on page 137. It is so honest that people now view making short trips to get coffee or to go to the drycleaners are necessary trips. It proves how dependent we are on our cars, and furthers the view of laziness. All the extra “Starbuck” stops people make in their cars, could most likely be reproduced in the comfort of their own homes, but they can drive somewhere and have someone else do it for them, and the only hassle to them is driving to the location.
Media: Jack Katz did a study on road rage and why people got so angry even when they were not put in danger on page 155. I found this very interesting because I witness small doses of road rage riding with my friends around Burlington. Many start yelling at bikers or other cars for not reacting to the lights quick enough. This scares me because Americans are so dependent on cars, and this is what makes them crazy, so the more people that get cars the more potential crazy people there could be, therefore more road rage. It is a very crumbling effect, ending with overall happiness of driving decreasing.
Question:
On page 98 Lutz discusses that the household cost of a car is over $1 million dollars total. What can we expect for the future with new types of cars and is this the reason why the poverty line is rising?
Chapter Four : The Pitch- How we buy
ReplyDeleteCars: I thought the part where they discussed addressing consumers “unmet needs” was interesting, that they focus on the tiniest details that are significant changes, like “a new style of cup holder or the addition of a light over a passenger makeup mirror.” (65) Suddenly these cars are sold new and create much enthusiasm, whereas hybrid cars which should be the new and exciting thing create high prices and challenging negotiating. In reality though shouldn’t the hybrids be sold more often, so the asking price can decrease and be the new social norm, but are dealers keeping us from reaching our future goals?
Culture: My room mates mother recently went to purchase a car at the local dealer shop, Mitsubishi, and bring in her old van to see how much she could get for it, then she wanted to test drive a car, went for the ride, and after asked the dealer what she could get it for after trading in the van, and he said, “oh you’re not ready for that.. over the weekend bring your husband in and we’ll talk.” What if her mom was a single mom, or a lesbian, the bottom line was she was shocked, I was shocked, and I think society should be shocked. How is this still occurring, is this how car dealers normally work?
“What the dealer plainly had figured out...was that Chris is color blind.” (61) The key aspect I’m looking at in this observation is the idea of negotiating, and more so manipulating. Dealers deceive.
Media: I’m not sure that this would fall under media exactly, but I was thinking about the way the brain works and the way cars are sold. For example, in this chapter it says “dropping the price of the Saab soft-top, for example, just $30, from $529 to $499, could boost sales by 30 percent.” (63) The brain sees the number 4(00) and thinks that that is in their 400 dollar range, even though in reality it’s almost on hundred dollars more than their original 400 range, but the second two numbers almost get dropped because it appears to be much cheaper than $529, even though as it says it’s only a difference of thirty dollars. This is how media and cars salesmen can convince this by triggering something in our brain to convince ourselves it appears numberwise to be cheaper just by viewing the numbers, whereas if one really thought about it, they aren’t actually saving that much money.
Chapter Five: The Catch- What We Really Pay
ReplyDelete“When gas hit $4, I think it was a realization that things are fundamentally changing in this world, and it set off a huge panic attack. ‘If gas can go up that far that fast, what else is going on that I should be worrying about.” (87). I’m not sure, maybe this quote fits under culture, but I think this quote points out something very interesting, those that drive notice each and every day what the gas prices are doing, it’s hard not to glimpse at the price before pumping up, and cringe. But gas is one of the only things we can actually see and feel in the sense that we notice it in our wallet and we feel the financial pressure, but what if we could see the green house gas emissions that were coming out of cars, what if say it was bright pink, and came from every car we saw, would that make us cringe more every time we could physically see and feel what our actions are doing to us.
“To the costs of crashing must be added the ramifying costs of congestion.” (92) First, I found the expenses for car crashes to be incredible, in a negative way, something like $433billion annually for the nation (91). Between the combination of crashes and congestion of cars, two major car issues, results in massive amounts of money spent, safety issues, lower time and productivity rates and excess fuel use. I spent a semester in Copenhagen Denmark, which has incredible bus and bike infrastructure. Because the bus and bike system became the “social norm” unlike here in america where its seen as “too complicating” or “uncool” and “under utilized”, and disadvantaged financial citizens tend to ride the bus as most others have cars, which go in more directions and more options then the bus system in burlington. I guess, the point I’m trying to make here, is how much i noticed that having the right infrastructure and having the majority of citizens use it over cars decreased crash rates and congestion significantly in this city, and how the U.S. could take from this example.
“Short of downsizing to a smaller home or apartment, taking control of spending on cars is the single most effective and painless way Americans can trim debt and save for retirement.” (98). I’d also like to note that the average American spends in their lifetime about $1million on its vehicle (98). I think the combination of these two quotes says a lot about our prioritizing of cars in our life and high demand and use. I think this also tells us perhaps that if we are willing and somehow manage to spend that amount on cars in our lifetime, then shouldn’t we look at alternative options that may be expensive upfront but will have an buy back period that eventually will make it even and then begin saving both the environment and the wallet. I think the lifetime of vehicles and vehicles owners and really important to look at when purchasing and choosing a vehicle, and also simply making decisions, perhaps spending a dollar to take the bus will save you in the long run... immediately the car may be cheap to purchase but in the long run it’ll keep adding up, so what about the reverse, spend the big bucks upfront and save the long run.
Chapter Six: The Rich Get Richer:
DeleteCars: “However, is it not just lack of a car, but car ownership itself, that is helping to make the poor poorer and the rich richer.” (101) This goes back to Republic of Drivers quote, “Mobility is ostensibly a universal right: yet it has been and remains a prequisite of social, political, and economic power, insofar as its true goal is “not movement as such, it is access to people and facilities.” While the car may be challenging to upkeep, it’s evident that those in possession have more opportunities and options than those without, putting them at a much high advantage, creating the division between asset and deficits depending on ownership of vehicle or not, especially challenging as society is built around the vehicle.
Culture: “Without a car, inner city residents, who generally work more irregular hours, must rely on public transit with its scarce service outside of rush hour, leading to their being late or missing work altogether.” (115) I put this under culture, because I found it interesting reading both about New Orleans, and secondly about the fact that says if blacks owned cars at the same rate as whites, it would eliminate nearly half the difference in black and white jobless rates. I think this could also be a cultural issue and trend, the way we don’t make it a social norm to use bus transportation and therefore encourage the development of bus infrastructure. To reinforce lessons learned through Copenhagens example, it’s evident that if riding the bus becomes a social norm that everyone does, not just the poorer or disadvantaged, then everyone would have equal opportunities to get to the work field with reliance of public transport.
“His driver swings the car around to the back and parks in a space with a simple reserved sign amid a sea of testosterone-exuding cars belonging to his traders...the millions that Cohen, his associates, and their ilk made that day alone likely came at least in part from the bundles risk of loans taken on more modest cars in other people’s driveways.” (125) I think this image was a powerful one in depicting the car industry as a whole, especially from the beginning of chapter three in discussing simply how the salesman works to push these vehicles on drivers, and this section demonstrates the hierarchy in the car industry, especially the divide between the risk versus security as you work you’re way up, I think it also says alot about the personalities and personas of those that are higher up, and the way they can drive their fancy cars around without any guilt...
Chapter Seven: What Drives Us
Delete“ Nationally, the rush hour - defined as those peak hours of travel when roads are most congested - has expanded to span more than six hours a day, making it harder and harder to avoid.” (130) This added up to be an entire workweek stuck in traffic each year, this statistic amazed me. An entire workweek of essentially idling, which waste gas, money, time, and emits per person, and entire workweek of emissions that wouldn’t be there if we changed the way our society chose and decided to commute.
Culture: “So when parents let their children drive rather than take the bus (as when they make choices about which car their child should drive) they are also instructing their children in the hidden curriculum of social class.”(137) Just as this section was titled, “Losers take the Bus to School,” I agree that this is an immensely growing trend as parents are getting their children cars as soon as they get their licenses and encouraging this idea that it’s “cool,” and thus decreasing the amount of students that are carpooling and taking the bus. As I’ve reiterated many times throughout my responses this is what the U.S. has created to be the social norm and thus created major divides. This is not how every country operates and I think it’s important to pay attention and look at other countries as examples.
The Starbucks Effect. I’m not going to lie with this point, when I first got my license, I had absolutely no where important to drive to, but I’d find an excuse, something to go buy to find a reason to hit the road, a cup of coffee was top on the list. “Numerous new drivers have told us that the first trip they took after getting their license was to go purchase something, usually food.” (139). At the time I think I certainly did it for the “freedom” and “escape” that we’ve continuously discussed, to be in the car alone playing any music I wanted to, going anywhere I wanted to. This is another aspect society has certainly provoked in our culture, the coming of age, and ability to drive aspect which is safe to say goes hand in hand with consumerism. I think the car has read to consumption, and consumption has also lead to car purchasing.
CHAPTER FOUR
ReplyDeleteCULTURE
On page 65, Luts and Fernandaz attribute the “newness” of new cars to a couple odd features, like improved cup-holders or a slightly different roof; features that in fact amount to an entirely different model. In this way, the price of features that were once separate from the car itself (air conditioning, iPod plug-ins, etc) became analogous with new features. Those features have now become analogous with the new model of the car itself—similar to the way smart phones have eaten up the features we used to pick and choose from (headphone jack, QWERTY keyboard) and become therefore more expensive by new technology that eats them up into one product.
MEDIA
Luts and Fernandez assert the idea that the media and resulting culture have created the idea of the SUV as a necessity, especially for families. Families with young children need the bigger car for “car seats [that] take up a lot of space,” while families with older children “point out that kids are physically bigger than they used to be” (page 75). While station wagon type cars are still available, it is more likely that the media in car commercials we see everyday are more responsible for the shift to SUVs than the size of children and their carraiges.
CARS
I thought it was interesting when Lutz and Fernandez brought up the concept of “good value vs good price,” where we pay what may seem like just a little bit more for a car rationalized to be at a better value. Paying for a car with extras like leather seats and butt warmers is worth more, since a cheap car will cost more to maintain anyways. These “extras” clearly appeal to the emotional, limbic brain in complete contrast to the rational brain, as exemplified when Lutz and Fernandez describe the normally rational woman who goes for the luxury minivan when she sees it on the spot.
Chapter Five
CULTURE
On page 83, Lutz and Fernandez talk about the culture between jobs and cars. It is widely accepted and embraced for especially young people to get a job, with a car as a socially acceptable result even if the job both pays for and requires the car. I thought this was interesting—I had a job in high school that I could bus to and the last thing I wanted to spend my hard-earned money on was a money-drain like a car.
CARS
Luts and Fernandez further this point when they discuss how and where people choose to work/live as a matter of commute vs gas mileage. Those with a long commute choose cars with higher gas mileage, and vice versa. I wonder how this will change as peak oil and gas shortages continue to hit Americans. Somehow, I think people will still rationalize away SUVs and their high costs.
MEDIA
Lutz and Fernandez bring up the act of “green-washing” as car-sellers succeed at selling hybrid SUVs and hydrogen fuel-cell cars set against a backdrop of forests with neon green headlights (p 89). Even though hybrid SUVs still get pretty atrocious mileage and fuel-cell cars are merely a concept, “greening” remains a flawed rationalization for many car buyers.
Ch 4
ReplyDeleteCars: Everyone is buying cars for way more than they are worth. Lutz talks about how people are not being told how much a car actually costs and can end up paying way more for the car. This extra money can either go toward the dealership or the salesperson, but either way the consumer is paying more.
Culture: It was interesting to see the how the culture around buying cars has increased so dramatically to a point where consumers now buy cars just to have ‘whats new’ and ‘whats in’ and can drive away with a new car on the day that they visit the dealership. Quite a change over the times when you had to order your car many days in advance.
Media: It is interesting how things are always advertised, especially cars. The prices always end in 9 which makes the buyer think that it is less money than it really is. For example $29.99 looks a lot cheaper than 30.00 because consumers look at the first number and $20 seems at lot cheaper than $30. Even though in reality they are the SAME.
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteCulture: Pg. 62- It is so absolutely "American" to want to stretch a budget in order to sport a materialistic ammentity that screams high-status, than to settle for the older, not as cool, but way less expensive model of car. It's kind of like the new iPhones- the old ones work just as well and are still just as incredible- they are even able to run on the same software as the newer ones- however, people are willing to empty their pockets for the shiniest new one, and maybe even buy each new model.
Cars: pg 64- This was just a stat that kind of made my jaw drop- even thought it probably shouldn't have, since I'm sure the stat from 2005 until present day is even worse. I was just impressed in the not-so-good way at the number of new cars that had been sold between 1999-2005: 800,000 brand new vehicles. It's a lot of material and a lot of money.
Media: pg 75- This is talking about all kinds of methods and strategies that we have been going over in class in our powertools and our (awesome) radio ads. They talk about exaggeration, complimenting the potential buyer, big lies, etc etc. And in this particular ad, they are talking about a Rolls-Royce- which most people cannot even kind of afford to own.
Chapter 5:
Cars: Pg 82- I chose this passage to comment on because it made a point that it costs entirely more to the individual, who most likely already has many other financial stresses and burdens, to own a car than to ride public transit because if something goes wrong with the car (and it always does), that repair has to be paid out of pocket. If a bus or subway or train breaks down, although it might be a little bit of a hassle at first, one individual does not have to carry the weight of paying for the repair. I had never thought about it that way.
Culture: pg 87- I could really identify with these facts, because almost every single day I hear something about gas prices, either in class or just among people. It is always the main focus of driving a car, even for myself especially if I want to make a trip home or to visit a friend- I always groan about the price it will be to fill my tank up, and not how many miles I'm about to put on my car. It is, I thought, really nicely explained how and why Americans obsess over the visibility of gas prices, which is not even the main cost of the car.
Media: pg 99- I always find it interesting to learn how people made their fortunes, and Money magazine, apparently, interviews "smart" investors- most of whom do not own cars or own old non-flashy ones because they have already figured out/known that cars are a horrible investment of money with a very small benefit. A car really is a liability.
Chapter 6:
ReplyDeleteCulture: pg 103- Okay, so I don't know if this is a well known fact and I've been living under a rock or not but this absolutely shocked me- "The United States is now a more unequal nation than India" talking about incomes, and has royalty. It truly bothers me that as a country or even as individuals this is seen as acceptable- I know this is opening a whole new can of worms, but it is just a crazy and unsettling fact.
Cars: Pg 112- Talking about the car and the color of your skin, I found that it was extremely interesting to do a study in Maryland about who got pulled over and who was truly breaking the law. 73% of those pulled over in the study were African American, while white people made up the majority of drivers on the road. What I found to be most interesting was that white drivers almost doubled the percentage found carrying drugs in their cars than black drivers.
Chapter 7:
Media: Pg. 129- There has been a lot of media coverage in Nashville addressing the issues of sprawl and its environmental impacts. I think it is important for this kind of an issue to be brought to people's attention so that it is known that "escaping" the city to move outside of it, is actually more harmful to the "greater good" of the society. For example it talks about a necessary highway being constructed because of the need to be able to get into the city but live outside of it and runoff going directly into drinking water sources. Also, on page 143 car ads are brought up again- highlighting a lot of selling techniques that we have been studying.
Culture: pg 137- I really liked how Lutz illustrated how we create norms in our minds and our accessibility to luxuries to the point where we deem them to be, and truly believe that they are, essential to our daily lives. We could and have lived without cars before, and if we had to we would be able to survive, however this idea would be tossed out in a heart beat by the average American because they would say that we need our cars to go about our lives.
Cars: pg 155- For this, I actually laughed out loud- I had no idea that there was such a thing as a website designated solely to complaining about bad drivers or those who made us mad. It just goes to show how obsessed we really get with roads, speed, police and our personal vehicles being messed with- as well as our own personal convenience. I have to admit, it is a little scary though- I wouldn't want to find my license plate or anything of that nature up on a website where people with serious road rage could read about it.
I always forget to write my question.
DeleteThis week, my mind really stuck with the experiment with police officers pulling over drivers of color, latinos, and whites- so my question is: if it has been proven in studies that people of color are still being unlawfully pulled over, especially if it is not producing as many results as pulling white people over (the drug stat), then why has this not decreased?
CHAPTER SIX
ReplyDeleteCARS
According Luts and Fernandez, adequate, low-cost medical care for lower income households is incredibly difficult or impossible to get without a car. While I consider myself to be in middle class, far from low-income, this brought up memories of trying to get to free clinics that would be at least an hour and a half away from me by bus, arriving on time for appointments, and having enough time to bus to work, which was another 2 hour bus ride. I can’t even imagine what that must be like in matters of serious illness.
CULTURE
On page 115, Lutz and Fernandez point out that “where public transit has been proposed to link inner cities to the suburbs, it has often been resisted by white suburbanites with claims that can be said to be racially coded.” This reminded me of the point brought up in class about how the roads in Central Park are set up in such a way to block access to lower income neighborhoods.
MEDIA
In their section “Driving While Black, Walking While Latino, the authors make the point that “when power accumulates in a society with persistent racism, the small and large terrors of racial profiling on the road are a predictable result (114). I thought about the backlash that exists in the media: when trying to find a music video about cars, the more interesting ones feature hip hop artists that to be African American or Latino. It makes sense, though: people that come from inner city neighborhoods that finally have the means to own a car are probably going to write music and produce videos centered on this power and freedom.
CHAPTER SEVEN:
CARS:
In this chapter, Lutz and Fernandez talk about the frustrations of suburban sprawl and resulting traffic as more people are working and therefore, driving, to work. For people that work in Silicon Valley or Mountainview in California, companies have developed luxury buses that have computer plug-ins and wi-fi. These buses take employees out of the major cities and into the quieter, suburban areas where their companies are located and actually maximize on productivity.
“Getting from home to school or to the ball field has become a commute rather than a respite or adventure” 136
CULTURE:
On page 137, Lutz and Fernandez cite a kid who claims that taking the bus wasn’t cool and was representative of kids in a lower socioeconomic bracket, and thus uncool. My story is probably unique, but maybe not…in high school, taking the bus after school was cool. The city bus that picked us up took us to the Haight Ashbury, and we all hung out together in the park, at the café, or the record store just because that’s where the bus could take us. There was freedom in that without the lameness involved in having your parents pick you up. My high school banned students from driving (unless carpooling), so they had a sort of parental, authoritative association that buses did not.
Question: These chapters go through all the hidden costs and dangers that cars present in our everyday lives and in society as a whole. Are there any cultures or subcultures in America that use cars or automoibles effectively (without relying on public transportation) and to the benefit of individuals and society in general? How can car-sharing offer alternatives and how much do they benefit people that use them and at what costs?
Cleopatra Doley
ReplyDelete1. Provide 3 SPECIFIC observations about Cars, Culture and Media you learned from EACH chapter of our book, using 2-3 sentences combining the book and your own IYOW analysis. (Yes, the Introduction counts.)
Chapter 4
- Emotion pushes people to buy cars. Our brain quickly processes emotion but slowly processes logic. The car dealer emotionally connects the buyer to the car, so they’re more likely to purchase the vehicle.
- The Prius is a relatively new vehicle that has been getting a lot of attention because it’s eco-friendly. However, the dealer made the price seem like one thing, when in reality it was actually incredibly expensive and negotiation was kind of wrong. But, they ended up buying it anyway, this illustrates the emotion people put into purchasing cars rather than the logic.
- The idea of having a car is foreign to me! The idea of having “not enough” and getting more than one car is crazy to me! But then again, when there’s a family who literally can’t get anywhere efficiently with out a car, I suppose it’s a good idea to have more than one. But there has to be a limit to everything.
Chapter 5
- The catch must be a scary thing to go through. The fact that emotion drives (pun intended) this entire process of getting a car until the very end astounds me. I’m not totally sure I agree that people really don’t logically take in the costs of cars before buying them or getting emotionally involved with the car. I think that analysis really ignores the complexity of humans.
- The Car Loan section of this chapter was really interesting. Understanding how car loans affect people and their ability to buy the car, compared to their ability to actually pay for the car is wild. How does one participate in the culture of cars with out falling victim to it’s debt?
- The gas prices are going up, and car culture is being affected in a big way. Not to mention the environment that’s being affected as the U.S. goes into fracking. How do gas prices affect car culture for the poor?
Chapter 6
Delete- The poor are incredibly affected by Car culture. The fact that the poor still have to participate in car culture in order to keep their job is crazy. I’m glad I live in NYC, because I am able to be car independent, even if I can’t afford a car. Forcing people who are poor into car culture furthers them deeper into poverty.
- Car culture is so embedded in our society that people who cannot afford it are forced into car culture against their will, and against their pockets. Also, the idea of the age gap is very interesting. Older people who have to be less mobile over time, still have to get places! With cars come sociability, and with out that, the elderly become les and less social.
- Katrina was a prime example of the poverty gap and car owner ship. It’s saddening how important car ownership was to get evicted from the areas that got hit the worse. Also, Black people are generally heavily affected by economic strife, and less able to afford cars, and therefore were hit by the disaster worse then their White middle class counter parts.
Chapter 7
- Rush hour is an extremely frustrating aspect of car culture. As car culture becomes increasingly more popular, traffic gets worse. Sometimes it makes more sense to take the train, but car culture gives the illusion of freedom and independence, public transportation just doesn’t promise the same things.
- I grew up seeing “losers” take the bus to school in movies. Growing up in the city meant that everyone, no matter what clique they were in, take the train/bus to school. Your mode of transportation didn’t illustrate your class, or spot in the sociability in school. But watching this idea of losers taking the yellow bus is really interesting, although I’ve never actually been a part of it. But it shows a lot of what growing up is like, and how the faster you’re deemed an adult by owning a car, the cooler you’re seen by your peers.
- Right off the bat of “Capsule Living” I knew I apparently am not the “average American” the author speaks on. A month of ones life in a car seems like a lot, but it’s believable. If I were someone who lived in the suburb, to go meet friends, buy groceries, go to work/school, ect, I would probably spend a lot of my time in a car trying to get to those places. Luckily, growing up, I was able to get most of the things I needed in my neighborhood within walking distance, and even my high school was in walking distance! But I think car culture affects a whole lot in the U.S.
2. Finally, ask ONE specific question you have of Cars, Culture and Media after completing our reading.
Can people with low income participate in car culture as this book illustrates?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteCars
“The four-door Jeep Wrangler highlights how the lure of the new sometimes clouds buyers’ judgement.” (Page 65) The Jeep Wrangler has been in existence for decades and as soon as they created a four door version in 2007, it was the number one selling car in the country. It is ironic that it was the number one selling car because it received a low score on the testing of safety and overall quality. Throughout the years the model of the Jeep Wrangler has not changed much and the newest model has not either except for the addition of the extra two doors. This quote shows how consumers want the newest item all the time.
Culture
“And because American consumers have come to expect not to have to wait for a car, dealers must operate like fast food restaurants, ready to quickly hand over the hottest, freshest product.” (Page 63) Our culture has become so used to having everything ready when we want it, we have no patience for waiting. Car dealerships had to adapt to our needy culture and hold large stocks of cars in every color to have large quantities ready if customers wanted to buy one. In the past you would order the car and then it would get shipped to the dealership. Our culture is impatient and always wants the newest item that is available to purchase.
Media
“The advertising-desire spiral he illustrated, in which consumers trade in their cars for increasingly expensive vehicles, has proven financially disastrous for many American families.” (Page 78) The mindset of most Americans is to keep up with the Jones’ or their neighbors, if everyone in your neighborhood is getting a new car then you will want a new car too. Media surrounding cars has trained Americans that we need to have the new car to be cool and be included in society. Some Americans should not be trying to keep up with the Jones’ when they cannot afford the price tag of the newest fancy car.
Chapter 5
Cars
“Will pay more for the hybrid erroneously thinking this price premium will be offset but gas savings, allowing them to retain their SUV ride in a world that seems to be going green.” (Page 89) Americans enjoy driving cars, especially SUVs and they feel less guilty if they know that it is a tiny bit more efficient than their conventional SUV. Also it is a status symbol, if you are seen driving a hybrid SUV then people think that you might be more conscious about the environment.
Culture
“Men who explain their SUV shows their outdoorsy side to the women they date.” (Page 88) This quote is a prime example of what our culture believes, that men driving big SUVs will be very attractive outdoorsy men that will be able drive you anywhere in their strong SUV. Our culture focuses on appearance of what we drive and what we look like, driving an SUV can make you look outdoorsy even if you are not.
Media
““in response to the rising costs of gasoline, hundreds of thousands of families had bought new, smaller cars; including hybrids such as the Toyota Prius” This quote is ironic because earlier in class we discussed that until around 2006, driving a Prius was seen to be lame. It was difficult to find a Prius to buy or test drive anywhere and now the roads are filled with Prius. It is great that people are driving cars with hybrid engines, but there needs to be more of a paradigm shift in driving less no matter what car you are driving.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6
Cars
“The growth of big-box shopping around the suburban ring also allows those with a car to pay less for groceries and other necessities.” (Page 104) A great example is City Market versus Walmart. Poorer people who live in downtown Burlington without a car are more likely to shop at City Market because of the convenience compared to people with cars that can travel else where to shop.
Culture
“Rex Tillerson, the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil, feels the pinch at the pump just like you and me. It’s just that he has more money in his pay envelope to help deal with it.” (Page 120) It is true that everyone believes that gas is too expensive no matter how much money you have. But it is also true that if you have more money you can buy vehicles that can get better gas milage compared to older cars that people may have if they cannot afford new ones.
Media
“However, it is not just lack of a car, but car ownership itself, that is helping to make the poor poorer and the rich richer.” (Page 101) I have never seen an advertisement for a fancy car with a toothless homeless man driving it, they always have a very attractive person. Not only do they want you to think that you will become that beautiful while driving their car, they want you to think that you are only cool if you own the newest car. Not only are cars expensive, but the maintenance of cars keep poor people from being able to afford them.
Chapter 7
Cars
“Numerous new drivers have told us that the first trip they took after getting their driver’s license was to go purchase something, usually food.” (page 139) This quote reminded me of when I first got my license and that is exactly what I did, I loved having the freedom to be able to go where I wanted when I wanted. Before having my license I would have never had my parents drive me to get a sandwich or coffee from Starbucks.
Culture
“Starbucks effect” (Page 137)
Americans love drive-thrus, although they are not allowed in Burlington most other areas have them. They offer the convenance of eating fast food while never leaving your car and you are able to continue driving to your next location. The Starbucks Effect is when you are out driving and you stop at somewhere like Starbucks or McDonalds to get food that you would not have normally left the house to get.
Media
“But much of the shopping we do is more impulsive and some of this is spurred by the mobile advertising- ads we see on billboards or hear on the car radio.” (Page 139) This is a valid statement, if you are driving to go skiing in the mountains and all of the sudden hear that a store in Richmond is having a sale on ski equipment. You are very likely to get off the highway in Richmond and then continue driving to the mountains, this adds more time to your driving and advertising on the radio is why you went to Richmond.
Chapter 4
ReplyDeletePage 62 talks about how the increasing tendency of buyers to stretch financially and spend more on cars based on the idea to get the most car for the most money and not the right car for the right money. I can see why this became a trend and my thinking might be biased on my lack of car purchasing experience and my major (Environmental Studies) but I don’t see the virtue in this trend. Yes, cars have become a status symbol and many people see it as a representation of themselves but it shouldn’t be at the detriment of their financial health.
Page 73 talks about buying a second or third car for the new teenage driver in the family, but my family did it a little differently. They bought the new car for my mom, my dad got my mom’s old car, and I got my dad’s old car. It ended up being the same result, another car on the road in the hands of a new driver. We did end up with three SUVs in the driveway though, and only one would be used to tow our pop-up trailer. I could have taken the bus or biked but the $200 bus pass, weather, and social pressure pushed me to drive.
Page 78: “While we may believe our car says something about who we are, we would benefit from thinking of it simply as a mode of transportation.” This would definitely help skew the new purchases away from the large, gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks and more towards the more economical higher MPG models. The male ego would not need to be massaged with the purchase of something with the most horsepower, even though a more powerful car is more fun!
Chapter 5
Page 88 talks about a 2007 New York Times report that stated when people were getting more conscious about their MPG and buying Prius’ etc. they weren’t replacing their higher MPG cars, they were just adding them to their fleet. Who are these people that can just keep buying new cars and how can I get one to adopt me? Tendencies like this and people not being able to pay off their loans could have aided the coming of the economic collapse that came just about the time of the report.
Page 89: “When oil prices shot up from under $20/barrel at the end of 2001 to over $100/barrel just six year later…” I had no idea that the rise in oil prices occurred this rapidly. When the price of gas rose to around $4.00/gallon it was my first summer with my drivers license. I definitely felt the crunch at the pump as a teenager with a minimum wage job. I can’t imagine being an experienced driver and seeing the gas prices going up systematically over a period of six years.
Page 90 “In the shadows remain the many other routes to less expensive driving: more durable cars and tires, more affordable insurance, higher fuel efficiency standards, and better land use planning.” I would argue that land planning would bring us the most gain. The most efficient land use plan could create communities that can be car-free. It would take someone much smarter than me, but I’m sure it could be done. It is just the challenge of applying it to a large scale that would need to be developed.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeletePage 105 discusses about how the poor are the greenest among us but the shame of taking the bus and walking causes them to ignore that fact and instead strive to own a car of their own. It’s sad that because of development patterns and public transportation woes that it has become mostly necessary to have a car to function in today’s society, especially with certain people at a disadvantage.
Page 115 talks about how working irregular hours without a car is difficult to do because poor public transportation. I had a problem with this earlier this year when I was looking for a job. Most of what I was finding available were not on the bus line or the times they wanted me to work did not match up with the bus schedule. Luckily, I was finally able to find a job on campus that was well within walking distance from my place downtown.
Page 126 brings up the stat of Toronto spending 8 times as much as Detroit on public transit. I know that it is partly due to the culture of automobility in America but I would think it also has to do with Detroit being the birthplace of the car. The history of automobiles in Detroit and the influence those companies have on these kinds of decisions would probably shock some people.
Chapter 7
Page 132: “Traffic experts know that adding road capacity is not a realistic long-term solution to the congestion problem.” We talked about this in my Systems Thinking course taught by Lance Polya in regards to Shelburne Road. He explained that because of the congestion, it would make driving less desirable, but once they expanded the roads, more people would then drive. The added capacity was all that was needed to attract more drivers and thus bringing back the congestion.
The Starbucks Effect was talked about in this chapter on pages 137-140. The desire to go get a coffee or pastry and congregate with other people was definitely prevalent in my high school with the local Dunkin’ Donuts. Most mornings before school there would be a line out of the parking lot for the drive-thru and the parking lot would be filled with people getting their breakfast. You would see students walking in with iced coffees 15-20 minutes late for first period.
Page 141 “The old-fashioned Sunday drive is not yet dead and maybe it shouldn’t be.” This would be something me and my friends would do a lot in high school. As kids in a town with nothing to do, sometimes we would just get in the car and drive around the area. We would just drive and see if we could get lost and work our way back home. Some of my fondest memories of hanging out with my friends have come on a car ride.
Chapter 4
ReplyDelete1. Although purchasing a car should be a carefully considered decision, Americans are driven by “a boiling stew of rational needs, emotional wants, and impulsive acts encouraged by high-pressure sales tactics”. As a nation, we are intent upon purchasing at the top of our budget, or the maximum amount we can afford. Rarely do consumers purchase a vehicle that comes in under budget, because of the concept that making a larger first investment will ‘pay off’ in the end.
2. Interestingly, America’s consumer tendencies are adding significant costs to the automotive industry. We have come to expect to be able to purchase a car, and then drive away in it. This means that “dealers must operate like fast food restaurants, ready to quickly hand over the hottest, freshest product”. These expectations mean that dealerships have huge inventory carrying costs, which get transferred to the consumer.
3. Americans “tend to buy vehicles for peak needs rather than typical needs”. An example might be a man or woman who purchases a large SUV so that they can fit all the suitcases on a family vacation, when in fact the primary purpose of the vehicle is to commute to work. As consumers, we buy the biggest vehicle we might need, just in case. In reality, we spend more money on gas, and have higher pollution rates for almost no reason. Even when upgrading to more fuel efficient cars, as a collective people we are reluctant to retire our SUVs, just in case!
Chapter 5
1. When considering the expenses associated with cars, surveys show that “one in three Americans in the past year had “unexpected expenses that created financial trouble”… of those, fully one quarter was car-related”. Households across the country suffer from unpredictable financial trouble, which in large part is due to a malfunctioning vehicle. Unlike when public transportation fails, the individual assumes all the risk for their personal vehicles.
2. Introduced in the 1920s, Americans were introduced to the phenomena of buying cars on credit, or “buying things before they had the money to do so”. Consumer credit took the nation by storm, but in the long term added to household debt.
3. “Vigorous green-washing and promotion of gas mileage improvements” create the idea of a new, streamlined, environmentally friendly car. In reality, the vehicle may only get a few extra miles per gallon, and yet the consumer pays a considerably higher sticker price. The new ‘energy efficient’ car would have to be driven for many years to pay for the difference between the two models.
Chapter 6
ReplyDelete1. As Americans put increasing value on their freedom of mobility and ownership of vehicles, there remains a stigma to riding the bus. In fact, “this shame could and should be transformed into pride in being environmentally responsible citizens”. It is necessary to create a paradigm shift to achieve an ultimate goal of equal opportunities, without “making additional car dependence part of the solution”.
2. In California in 2005, African American drivers were being charged on average much higher insurance rates than other races. In fact, depending on a zip code, insurance could increase by more than $1,000 a year. “The insurance scoring practices that result in such skewed rates is a form of redlining that activists are lobbying to have outlawed”. This would prohibit companies from charging more based on a geographic location or zip code.
3. Being in a car dependent society also has an interesting effect on our elderly citizens. Our culture of mobility has increased to the point that without a vehicle in rural or suburban neighborhoods, it can be very difficult to get around, denying any sort of feelings of freedom of mobility. A car dependent society “ages our old people more rapidly, and infantilizes them more, than a society in which mobility doesn’t require that the traveler have the substantial and specialized range of cognitive and physical skills that are needed to drive”.
Chapter 7
1. Sprawl is only one of the factors that results in the terrible traffic that Americans across the country are susceptible to. In fact, the number of cars on the road in the United States has “increased drastically over the past few decades”. “Population growth and the entry of women into the workforce” are also key reasons why we suffer from congested roadways.
2. In an effort to cure traffic and congestion, many uniformed drivers wish to widen the highway and expand on infrastructure to allow for more room. In fact, this would do little to solve the problem of congestion, as “when mobility is increased due to new roads and road widening, drivers who have been avoiding peak hours no longer do so and further housing developments are built”, increasing congestion again.
3. Parents are increasingly enabling their children to avoid school busses, whether it be because they are of driving age, and have a car of their own, or because the parents chauffer them to school every morning. For parents “the drive might represent a few more minutes with their child, but for the child it extends the amount of time he or she is indoors, sedentary, supervised in a structured activity, isolated from the community, and surrounded by electronic devices”. Keeping kids off of the school bus is denying them key socialization skills, or even preventing them from a little exercise.
Q: What might our nation look like if we underwent a complete paradigm shift tomorrow? How would businesses be affected? What would happen to the shopping malls and Starbucks? Would these activities become more trips of necessity rather than social events, or would they continue to act as meeting places?
Chapter 4:
ReplyDelete- On page 64 the authors make note of how often Americans buy cars, which directly correlates with our culture; we live in a capitalist society that encourages the constant consumption of goods in order to be happy, conform, and drive the economy. The realm of automobility, despite the potentiality of exorbitant costs, is not exempt from this consumerist tenet. People buy cars not out always out of necessity, but rather in adherence to the aforementioned cultural norms.
- Car dealers repeatedly use fraudulent and deceitful tactics that perpetuate the above scenario. Often times the consumer is paying an excessive price for a vehicle, is given a loan with interest rates that would not be approved by a bank, and is not informed of vital information on the vehicle that prevents one from making an educated purchase. Thus, the primary medium in which cars are sold (a dealership setting) typically lacks integrity, which puts forth a negative aspect of automobility. (69)
- Luxury has become intertwined with the car culture. On pages 74-75, European automakers note the increasing demand for luxury by the American consumer. This urge for the best has caused many gadgets that were previously custom (electric windows; auxiliary jack; ect.) to become standard. A car culture such as this unfortunately promotes rather than prevents the seedy nature of car dealers.
Chapter 5:
ReplyDelete- Chapter five continues along the same theme of a high price for the price of luxury, as it notes that many Americans enter into debt to pay for an unneeded vehicle. Dealerships encourage this irresponsible purchasing by offering “zero interest and no money down” loans. Thus, the lure of that new luxury vehicle for such a good deal regularly convinces the American consumer to make an unadvisable purchase. (84)
- On page 87 the authors draw the reader’s attention to the ubiquitous gas-price complaints among American drivers. It is posited that in the grand payment scheme, the price of the gas is only a small piece. Drivers gripe about it because it is the most frequent and physical transaction related to the car. Although the oil industry may be getting an disproportional amount of backlash in relation to total cost, I feel that this scheme will benefit the general pubic in the long run. Keeping the latest IPCC report at the forefront, the time to move away from fossil fuels is now. Thus, such a negative relationship with gas companies will encourage a move away from fossil fuels.
- At the end of chapter five the authors inform the reader that investing one’s money in other areas other than vehicles is likely to pay off in the long run. For instance, refurbishing a house will add value that can later be cashed in on, while decking-out a car will not stop it from depreciating. Thus, in order to create a more sustainable future for ourselves and o ur economy, investing in car culture must decline. (98-99).
Chapter 6:
- On pages 102-103 the authors draw a connection between the growing inequality in the United states and the culture of automobility; while some people are so poor that they have to rent tires to pass inspection, others are rich enough to afford a $200,000 Bentley. Unfortunately the former are grossly higher in population than the later, yet the latter hold much more political and financial clout. Thus, reducing the demand for luxury and the inequality in car culture may be a first step in addressing the larger issue.
- Unfortunately car culture is such a central part of American transportation infrastructure and the American employment system, that a positive feedback loop is poverty is created for those non-car owners. Such a system makes deconstructing the inequality paradigm even more difficult. A concrete example is provided on page 104: Andrew cannot accept a job as manager at Circuit City because he cannot afford a car, which is the only viable mode of transportation to get there…
- the Authors note on page 112 that black drivers are more likely to be pulled over and questioned than whites. This holds personal irony for me, as last night I saw two African American drivers that had been pulled over (I forget the street name, but it was one of the streets that intersects college street). Three cruisers with flashing lights were present, and traffic was stopped on one side of the street. Now, I have no idea what misconduct the two black men had committed, but judging by the general vibe of the situation and the typical conduct of the almost entirely white Burlington police force, this big of a scene seemed to be unnecessary.
Q: If our infrastructure transitions to mass public transit, how will the culture of luxury/inequality follow?
Super hot turbo rev here, CARS posse.
ReplyDeleteMIA:
Eli
Ben
Vicki
Will
Alex S
Go,
W
Chapter 4:
ReplyDeleteCars: Cars are often sold not because people need them but because they want them. The cars that people usually buy are not the cars they need, but things that they want. The Jeep Wrangler is the perfect example of that, as people flocked to buy it, but it was rated 17 out of 100 by consumer reports. In order to find each niche of car buyers, manufacturers make many different types of models to suit each person.
Culture: The idea of living on credit, buying now and paying later has become prevalent in how we purchase goods. Credit cards pay for most peoples spending, and financing is now the most used way to buy a car. This has been supported by car dealers, as they try to squeeze more and more out of each customer, rather than finding the car that meets their budget. (64)
Media: Media advertises cars new fancy features more often than how well it drives. "buyers are much more likely to be in the market because they are tired of the current car"(64) due to advertising campaigns that make viewers always want to buy new ones to stay up to date with features.
Chapter 5
Cars: The belief that a car is an investment is a falsehood supported by the auto industry. Each day and each mile, your car loses value. Sometimes the cost remaining of the car ends up outweighing the value of the car. People in this situation often trade in the car, and add the cost to the next car they purchase.
Culture: The art of car selling is one that envelopes understanding the car buyer, and understanding different financial traps. Car dealers try to get as much money out of each buyer as possible, offering longer term financing at different percentages, creating choices that make the buyer feel more comfortable even if nothing has changed. Longer term financing can almost double the cost of a vehicle, even before taking into account the cost of gas and insurance.
Media: The lack of transparency on the worth of a car allows for owners to be blind to the total depreciation of the investment. If each car had a "depreciation gauge" people might be less likely to want to buy a new car and start at a new high level that will immediately drop. Instead, fixing parts of the car would roll back the gauge giving the owner an incentive to do work on their car.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeleteCars: Low income people often have to buy second hand cars, that are usually on their last legs. Costs to repair these cars when they break down comes not only in the form of financial losses, but also in lost opportunities when continuous car failures lead to lost pay or lost jobs.
Culture: Due to the sprawl and community design in many parts of the US it is often required that an employee have a car for, or in order to get to work. Lack of public transportation means if your car breaks down, you are out of luck in getting to work in many situations. Gathering funds to fix your car can be hard, especially if you are fired for being late to work.
Media: The major form of identification people carry is a drivers license. Other forms, such as a passport are frowned upon and people who don't have access to the ability to obtain a drivers license are marginalized.
Chapter 7:
Cars: A lot of frustration and wasted time comes our of traffic, waiting in cars. Apparently a full work week, 43 hours is wasted per person each year in traffic. This is due to how the country is laid out, and where people live compared to where they work. As the number of cars increase on the road, and the hours of rush hour do as well, wasted time in cars, and gas burnt idling also increases.
Culture: The culture of urban sprawl requires that citizens have a car. In one case study of Nolensville, Tennessee, citizens needed to drive to get food and complete other errands. With no public transport, it is nearly impossible for children, and people not wealthy enough to own a car, to get around.
Media: Taking the bus to school connotes a lower socioeconomic status. The inability to drive, or own a car to get around says "i cant afford it" even if that isnt the case. This perspective leads to overwhelming numbers of people who easily could have walked or taken the bus to school getting rides in order to feel in a higher social class.
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ReplyDeleteChapter Four
ReplyDeleteCars: Most “car owners habitually underestimate the ongoing, total cost of a car”(64). Even though it seems like the price of a car is set in stone, there are always the ongoing costs of gas, replacement parts, and insurance.
Culture: As a culture we tend to splurge more on our car purchase. On page 62 Lutz and Lutz talk about how since there are so many options of different features on cars, the consumer is bound to stretch financially for it.
Media: It is interesting how the number 9 while used in marketing is such a huge factor. Even the littlest drops in price can show outstanding results for the dealership and salesman who close the deal.
Chapter Five
Cars: Cars are going to have a depreciating value almost no matter how much work you put into it since its constantly being used and aging. Over time scheduled maintenance is needed and more money needs to be dished out for it.
Culture: The price of gas is a huge aspect of owning a vehicle since it is always fluctuating. Gas prices are something that is always monitored by cultured and you even see it in the news being reported on regularly.
Media: Automakers use green washing in their advertisements to make their products seem more green and better for the earth. However, most of the facts they claim are often exaggerated or not true to make the consumer more interested.
Chapter Six
Cars: “The consequences of not having a car in a society built around it can be devastating”(104). This shows the inequity of the automobile because those who cannot not afford one reach the disadvantage of not being able to commute if necessary or not being able to get to adjacent towns.
Culture: “Only one reason buses have such big, wide windows; to humiliate the poor brothers reduced to riding them”(101). This statement definitely has truth too it. People would much rather be driving their own car because it looks so much cooler!
Media: The media has created an atmosphere where credit score has much more power than it really should. People are judged based on their credit score and it affects their ability to purchase a car.
Chapter Seven
Cars: With the introduction of cars to culture comes the introduction of rush hour- and probably road rage. With the amount of commuting cars daily the highways and freeways become congested with diverging drivers everywhere. It is something we just now “deal with”(130).
Culture: Our culture of individualism and disrespect of public transportation can be summed up by one statement on page 133: Americans don’t use public transportation as much because “we’re cowboys- “I ride my horse where I want to go.’”
Media: Media portrays public transportation, like a school bus, as something lame, only “losers take the bus”(134). People who drive their own cars are portrayed as much cooler and edgy.