Mike Burdick (mburdick@unmc.edu) writes:
> What is it about these things that causes people to seemingly go overboard?
> [...] When talking about a "normal" car, most people are happy with one (or
> one per driver in the family). [..] With LBCs, people seem to throw reason
> to the wind and accumulate cars like they are limited edition plates.
For me, American cars are transportation devices, in that you get in, start
it and drive to your destination. I mean that not in the sense of "I hate
cars; I just use them to go from A to B, and never change the oil."; what I
mean is that they isolate you from the world in the same manner as a plane
or train, and they attempt to shield you from their inner workings using
such means as heavy soundproofing, air conditioning, power everything, big
sound systems, etc.
The LBC does none of the above (particularly if you have neglected to check
the oil recently). The LBC is a celebration of things mechanical, a chance
not only to be transported in style, but also to experience the whole process
of getting there. You are intimately in touch with all the labor, noise, fuss
and bother going on beneath your feet as thousands of parts do their best to
stay assembled and propel themselves, and you, down the road. An LBC owner is
not interested in cars as transportation, he or she is interested in cars as
artistic, temperamental, complicated, somewhat human entities, with all their
accompanying faults, foibles, personality quirks, funny noises, horror stories
and adventures along the way.
Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc. Internet: acg@hermes.dlogics.com
441 W. Huron UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!acg
Chicago, IL 60610 FAX: (312) 266-4473
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