Gratuitous Automotive Posting (TM)

On renting a car for my expedition into the Heartland this past week, I came across a "feature" brand new to me, namely, a radio volume control that automatically adjusts itself to the speed of the car, playing the radio louder the faster you go.

Sooper Sekret Message to Detroit: Cut this out right now.

Labor-saving devices are one thing and I appreciate them in their place. But devices that attempt to anticipate the preferences of the person using them are just a step away from Cylons. Perhaps I should say "dictate" instead of "anticipate", since I couldn't figure out how to disable the bloody thing. A short step, indeed.

Whichever genious came up with this idea no doubt patted him or herself on the back in anticipation of all the thanks a grateful driving public would heap on his or her head for sparing them the nuisance of having to turn up the volume at higher speed. But did it ever occur to this benighted busybody that some of us might not want the music to get louder? Or that sometimes we do and sometimes we don't? And that we are now forced to exert just as much effort to turn the damn radio down? And that really, in the end, it is none of his or her goddam business, much less that of the car, how loud a driver plays the radio and when?

As you can tell, I find the thinking behind this feature to be gauche and obtrusive. It is forward and assuming and simply takes for granted that its pushiness will be welcomed. I find such behavior hard enough to endure in people. I sure as hell don't want to start getting it from machines as well.

YIPS from Steve: Welcome back, Robbo---we missed you!