Driving Miss Cranky
For several years now I have railed against the proliferation of touch screens in cars, as they grow ever larger and more complicated. That is part of the reason I prefer older cars and keep them forever. (My trusty mechanic knows me well, and shared his home and cell numbers.) I find screens distracting, preferring to control basic functions with one step – setting the temperature, unlocking a door, tuning the radio.
When in other peoples’ cars, I tend to make snide comments about GPS voices and back-up cameras, not to mention the various alarm bells, since I definitely do not like machines telling me what to do. Rest assured, this applies at home, too. One beep from the oven is helpful, and enough. It doesn’t need to keep hollering at me while I find my shoes, run across the house, and turn the damn thing off.
Therefore, I was gratified to read a recent article in The Economist that justified my dislike of touch screens in cars. A developing body of research supports my instinctive sense that they’re dangerous. Physical dials and buttons provide feedback, letting you learn where they are and reach them without looking. A touch screen requires you to look at it, go through submenus, and be distracted. One study found driver reaction times were more impaired by touchscreens than by drunk driving!
Safety organizations are noticing. Cars sold in Europe will no longer get five-star ratings unless certain basic functions are controlled by real dials and buttons. Europe is ahead of us on transportation in many ways, as our recent sojourn in Basque Country reinforced. We rode electric buses from town to town with the locals, when we weren’t on foot hitting the nearby patisserie, chocolate salon, shoe shop, or wine bar, pictured here. Very inspiring. I think I feel a painting coming…
Oh my, Robyn – your screen sounds like our wine fridge, which we’re convinced is simply a random number generator! We set the temp, it does what it wants. It frightens me that people trust this stuff when we have so many examples of how it goes awry.
No touch screens for me; it’s enough that my fridge digital info screen (not touchable) has lost some of its mojo, so that the fridge looks like it is 77 degrees–no longer can make 3 and 2–scares people when they come in –of course the icemaker no longer works either.
Too funny, Jonathan! Well, I hear the oven – super sensitive skin, ears and eyes, sadly – and am swearing at it to shut up from the get-go. LOL Worth it if you’re getting flourless chocolate cake out of the deal! Doubt I can paint the sounds, but will have fun painting what we saw in Basque Country.
I knew I liked Sue! Good to know the crankiness didn’t overcome the persuasiveness of the argument. 😉 Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Howard. I hope you’re both doing well!
As exemplified just this morning… As a gluten-intolerant, Nicole will regularly bake gluten-free brownies, muffins, and an occasional flourless chocolate cake (my fave). She uses the oven timer (a friendly, simple beep), which she inevitably ignores or doesn’t hear. Next is my “it’s ready” voice, met by the same. Followed 10 minutes later by the oven’s “get your ass over here” siren/beep/ pay attention to me sound. To which she’ll jump out of her chair, run into the kitchen and say “SHIT it’s dry and overdone!” And to which I always say, it’ll be fine…
Can’t wait to see how you capture audio unpleasantness in paint.
My bride would agree with out 100%. I am ambivalent but understand your concerns and discomfort with the screens.