Date:         Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:05:08 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      More?  New? Better? nah! (editorial content)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

I've recently returned to VW ownership, first with an old Beetle  ('72) and now an older Vanagon.  Makes me wonder about 'stuff'.            
     When driving either of my 'new' vehicles I often look around at the other stuff on the road and think things like...'Hey, lookit that Honda Element, is it ten times the vehicle that my $3k vanagon is?"  Or.."how about that_____,(mmm, I can't even think of a car that compares to a Beetle...but)  do I want one of those?  Could I fix that in the middle of Nevada with a screwdriver and some pliers?"
    After 33 years of Automotive Evolution, I figure my Vw Vanagon is right up there with the best new stuff available.  Is that just me?

   I watched a lady get into her Chrysler mini-van the other evening.  She walked up thumbing her key fob till the lights blinked and the horn beeped...Up went the rear door, automatically..(Good thing my van wasn't parked behind her, or my pickup with the light bar..)  She stuck her kid into the toddler seat, after dis abling the automatic seat belt function, then went round and got in, again thumbing the key fob...More blinking lights and horn  then the door slid shut, automatically and down the hatch came, automatically.Seat belts wrapped her up and away she went.   Wonder how all those Gizmos will be working in 35 years?  The doors didn't even have handles...Wonder if that POS was worth $20k+ to her?..musta been..
  Dunno, ya gotta wonder about a culture that finds people buying Hummers for daily drivers and who find pushing a key fob more desirable than pushing a mechanical door latch...
   Don Hanson