Category Archives: Automobiles

Optimus…Sonic?

Posted on May 1, 2020 by

Observed on New Hampshire Ave. NW, between Swann and T, Dupont Circle, D.C.:

Posted in Automobiles, DC

Cars Turned Everyone Into Lawbreakers

Posted on June 17, 2019 by

And we’re still paying the price for that. There’s a really interesting article about the effects of the automobile on policing and law enforcement (read the whole thing). For me, this was the key part (boldface mine): Contrary to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Racism, The Rule of Law | 1 Comment

What Internet Era Luddites Actually Look Like

Posted on May 21, 2019 by

You can find them at D.C.’s* National Airport (boldface mine): Every night, several times a night, Uber and Lyft drivers at Reagan National Airport simultaneously turn off their ride share apps for a minute or two to trick the app … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Bidness, Economics | 4 Comments

Superficial Energy Efficiency: The Palazzo Edition

Posted on January 13, 2019 by

There is a ridiculous house on the market in D.C., which has been given the name “Palazzo della Felicita (Palace of Happiness)”, and it’s a 16,000 sq. foot pile of…something. But what cracked me up the most was the eight … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Fucking Morons | 2 Comments

A Modest Proposal: We Should Shut Down The Entire Capital Beltway

Posted on June 24, 2018 by

This was a recent news item (boldface mine): If you felt like traffic around the D.C. area was particularly awful Wednesday, it really was: The effects of a fatal crash on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge rippled throughout the Capital Beltway. … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, DC, Transportation | 4 Comments

They Don’t Make Them Like This Anymore

Posted on April 3, 2018 by

Observed at the corner of 19th and R Streets, NW, Dupont Circle, D.C.:

Posted in Automobiles, DC | 4 Comments

Will Self-Driving Cars Have Less Than 1,000 Accidents Per Year?

Posted on March 22, 2018 by

This week, the self-driving car contingent has rallied, this time behind the argument that driverless cars will be safer than what we currently have. The event that kicked this off was a self-driving car that killed a pedestrian in Arizona. … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Transportation | 1 Comment

Driverless Cars And Chauffers

Posted on March 11, 2018 by

A while ago, I snarkily argued that the problem driveless cars are trying to solve is “misanthropic rich people who don’t view themselves as the kind of people who have chauffeurs–or are too cheap to pay for them.” All kidding … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment

What MLK Thought About Consumer Culture

Posted on February 5, 2018 by

During the Super Bowl, Dodge did a very bad thing by using a Martin Luther King speech to sell pickup trucks. It’s the epitome of the safe, harmless reinvention of King, though the people who proclaim they’re not racist, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Bidness

The Parking Tax

Posted on September 6, 2017 by

This piece on the costs of parking a car is mind boggling (boldface mine): Owning a car is not cheap — and in addition to insurance, gas and parking fees, there is a hidden cost: time spent driving around while … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Transportation | 1 Comment