Two for the Road is a hangout for mystery writers Tammy Kaehler and Simon Wood to chat, reminisce, gossip, speculate and argue about all things motorsport.

Monday, August 6, 2012

My Car Talks to Me

by Tammy

I got an e-mail from my car this week. Really.

See, a month ago we leased a new car (a Buick Verano: needed something to drive more than one other person around in, got a great lease deal), and because it's a brand-new car, it comes with all the bells and whistles. It's got Sirius XM radio and OnStar. And I love the fact that someone will call me if they sense I've been in an accident.

I was also told I'd get status updates, but I didn't think much about it. I was too busy trying to adjust, after going from my 1989 BMW 325i to something that felt like a rental car.

Then it e-mailed me.

OK, OK, OnStar e-mailed me to tell me my left rear tire was 3psi low.

The most interesting part of the experience so far has been telling my parents about it and having my mother ask if that wasn't creepy, that some system knew so much about where I was and what I was doing. And wasn't that a little Big Brother?

My opinion? It's awesome. I don't care who knows where I'm going, but if there's technology available that can help me avoid problems I wouldn't otherwise know about? (Or can reach out to me if I've been in an accident?) Sign me up.

I realize this is a generational thing, because I know people my parents age who refuse to use club cards at the grocery store because they don't want someone tracking what they purchase. But in this day and age, any authority can track pretty much anything about me through credit card logs and my cell phone. So why not add my car to the list?

What about you? Do you embrace technology? Do you want e-mails from your car?

Now excuse me, I have to go find an air compressor....

2 comments:

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  2. Who would have thought about it? As long as they have a working, quality system that ensures our safety and would not disclose to anybody regarding the places that we go, I think this technology is very favorable. It’s a huge plus when it comes to safety.

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