The Low-Tech Times

I drove to Tennessee last weekend on I-81 and was annoyed at times by drivers operating with cruise control. They set their cruise control and stay in the left lane, often riding alongside 18-wheelers blocking everyone behind them.

Do we really need to add complexity and cost to automobiles in the form of hi-tech automated cruise control? Are people so lazy that they cannot operate a gas pedal?

Aside from my philosophical objections to cruise control, the unnecessary automotive feature wastes gas. With gas prices at $4 per gallon, The Low-Tech Times recommends not using cruise control. When climbing hills, cruise control does the equivalent of mashing down on the accelerator to maintain speed. Drivers would be better off letting their cars slow down on upgrades by not giving it more gas, so long as the engine does not begin to lug. If you have an automatic transmission, practice the art of cresting a hill without the car needing to downshift. This advice applies in situations when there is a passing lane or no one is behind you; otherwise, please do not obstruct the highway with low speeds.

As an aside, I caught myself saying in Tennessee, “Wow, gas for only $3.87!” These are interesting times indeed. I remember fueling up in 1997 for just $0.79 per gallon in Georgia.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 9:42 pm and is filed under THINGS YOU DON'T NEED, automotive features / accessories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.