RECENTLY I saw this advertisement for an infotainment system for cars. I was interested because part of our work is travel. We used to travel twice a month outside Davao and one thing we looked forward to was the music that we played while driving for four or five hours. Of course, Chona and I have our own preferences but we agree on certain types of music. So it was with interest that I took a look at it.
It was wi-fi-ready. Okay, that would convenient. We can always use wi-fi. GPS off and online. That is a must because that gadget helped us find restaurants and other fun places. Besides, if you went to an unfamiliar place, it does help. Reverse camera. At my age, why not? The only contraption I have right now is the reverse beep or whatever that thing is called. It helps. Bluetooth? Okay. But at my age again, I prefer the audio jack attached to the auxiliary, Old school nga eh. I find the Bluetooth sometimes a bit complicated. At least with the aux cord, all you need to do is get the phone and plug it via and voila, music to the ears. So far, so good. And then I saw... Netflix, Youtube. Hmmm.
The first question in my head was who would be watching Netflix while driving? The second question was, why? In my ancient mind, the only entertainment allowed in a car would be music. Nothing else. Netflix on a moving vehicle? It is bad enough we have morons driving and you add moron plus Netflix? I would not mind if these drivers are like those Fast and Furious drivers. And by the way, you can watch that film franchise on Netflix. And of course, if you are desperate enough to catch the ending of “Vincenzo” that you have to watch it on the way home. But really? Netflix in a moving vehicle?
And then of course there was Youtube. I would be the first to admit that Youtube is a paradise of many things. I mean on Youtube you can watch Olympic games, westerns, listen to audiobooks, learn recipes, be motivated, depressed. Youtube has this vast library of practically anything. BUT and that is a big BUT, that would be better appreciated in the safety of your home or office and not in a moving vehicle surrounded by other drivers who probably saw the ad on the infotainment and had it installed also.
One problem nowadays is the too much thing. If you have cable, look at how many channels you have and be honest with all that variety, what do you end up watching? See, what I mean. I miss the days when we only had three channels. The same thing is true with our entertainment. So many choices. And the worst part is we cannot part from them and that we are so attached with them we bring them with us wherever we go. I know people who bring their phones to the toilet. This mandatory ROTC for young persons will have these people suffering not from marching and saluting but from the very sting of being detached from their phones.
So please, when you drive, drive. “Live up to your name” can wait.