Arriving home the other day, I found myself reaching down beside the steering wheel to turn off the ignition key. Of course, I couldn’t find it; I was in a Tesla Model 3. It made me think about the different driving rituals of some of the cars I have driven in recent years.
We need habits and rituals; they keep us sane and make life simpler. Except sometimes we don’t need some of them anymore.
Just thinking about starting the car. With George (my 1964 Wolseley 24/80) I would use the key to unlock the door then put my seat belt on, pull out the choke, turn the key in the ignition, select drive, let off the hand brake, insert a cassette tape for music, check the UBD, and then I’d be off. However, if George didn’t start I did have a crank handle in the boot. Thankfully I never had to use it.
Ruby was my 2007 Hyundai Accent, she had a fob with a button to unlock the door. You’d press that then put the seat belt on, check the UBD, put the key in the ignition with your foot on the brake and clutch, flick the key to start the car, select first gear, take off the handbrake, release the clutch, then move off. Insert CD for music.
Grace was my 2008 Hyundai V6 Sonata. She also unlocked with a press button fob, then you’d put your seat belt on, put the key in the ignition, foot on brake, select drive, move off. Set sat nav. Play music through a CD or a USB or the radio.
With Tess, we walk towards the car with the phone in hand, or pocket. She unlocks, turns on the air-conditioning and picks up playing the music you had on when you last exited the car.
You get in the car, put your foot on the brake. If you are mindful of security you key in the ID code, if you have more than one regular driver you might have to select your driver profile to adjust the seat as you like it. If not, you move straight to the seat belt, and press down the gear stalk to drive. You tell the car where you want to navigate to and off we go.
There’s not a lot in common in the detail of the rituals – perhaps only the use of the seat belt and the brake.
Does anyone else find themselves doing things and then think – oh, this car doesn’t do that or hasn’t got that. Old dogs learning new tricks perhaps.
David Waterworth is a researcher and writer, a retired school teacher who continues to provoke thought through his writing. He divides his time between looking after his grandchildren and trying to make sure they have a planet to live on. He is long on Tesla.