Thoughts from today

Just a couple thoughts I had today about some things to do with cars and technology and just some stuff.

We recently had to buy a vehicle for My Beloved as hers is fifteen years old with some significant miles on it. It's still a good car but it was time to upgrade for her. Why fifteen years you ask? Cause I'm a cheap bast..., uh, nevermind.

Anyway, this new ride is filled with all kinds of techno wonders neither of us have experienced before. For instance, it has a backup camera. On the surface that sounds like a good idea but after I have used it several times I'm thinking I'm not a huge fan. Why? It takes your focus off what is around you. When you're backing up there is more to see than just what is behind you. I've found myself not looking at what may be coming at me from either side as I stare at the screen. Maybe this just takes some time to get used to.

As well, it has a button on the side of the door handle so when you have the key fob in your pocket, to unlock the car all you have to do is put your thumb on the sensor. I'm not quite sure why this gizmo is actually needed. It just seems like something that is completely unnecessary and just one more thing that can go wrong as well as something else to drive up the cost of the car. What, like pushing a button on your key fob is so hard we had to make it easier?

Another thing that actually kind of ticks me off that happens to be in a car commercial but really has nothing to do with cars. There is a Buick commercial that has recently aired that shows the consumer the newer offerings of Buicks that aren't just sedans. It shows four scenes that show the versatility of their SUVs. Then after a few weeks the commercial was down to three scenes; football players, a couple coming from a restaurant and another couple coming out of a building. Cut was a scene of several girls/women in bathing suits holding surfboards. I began to wonder why. Then it occurred to me that most likely, and this is just speculation on my part, someone complained about girls in bathing suits.

Well, that's what ticks me off. Everyone complains about things that have nothing to do with them. What someone likes, someone else if offended by. It has long been established that companies, no matter how large keep apologizing for things that upset random groups. I think it's high time that companies stop running away with their tales between their legs because some group is offended. In these days of social media where everyone has an opinion (including this author) someone isn't going to like what you do and complain. How many times has a clothing company pulled a line of T-shirts because some group didn't like them? Well guess what, that group isn't really going to affect your sales one way or another. These companies need to just say, if you don't like it, don't buy it. We stand behind our advertising / product. The old adage that one unhappy person will tell ten people doesn't really hold any water these days. If you have a better car and sell it for less than the competition they will come buy your product no matter what the complainer yells about. You can't market to 100 percent of the public anyway.

Okay, rant over.