Never Stop Driving #72: Let’s Cruise!

Oh, California, you give us hope. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed and approved a bill,  simply named “Vehicles,” which removed the existing laws against lowriders and cruising. Time to go low and slow again, baby! This reversal, some 20 years in the making, is welcome from a state that has aggressive EV mandates. The biggest car-related news from California, however, is the sudden suspension of Cruise driverless taxis. In a statement, the California DMV said it determined that “the vehicles are not safe for public operation.” There is no set duration for the suspension and the company can operate its vehicles if there is a safety driver behind the wheel.

The spark for the suspension, according to Reuters, appears to be an October 2 accident between a Cruise vehicle and a pedestrian. This development speaks to the high safety bar expected of driverless cars that may be impossible to clear. After all, humans create plenty of chaos. Do the robots have to be perfect or were the Cruise vehicles simply stupidly sloppy? We’ll learn more in the coming weeks.

Last week, I was on a different sort of cruise during an eight-day work/fun road trip that provided another slate of rich experiences. In rural southeast Ohio, a gas-station attendant noticed me staring at the Powerball lottery poster. A handwritten number on the poster indicated that the prize was $1.8 billion. “Yep, that’s billion with a B,” the attendant said. “People are going crazy over it.” As I pulled out three dollars to buy a ticket, I asked if he’d seen the studies that claim lottery winners usually end up less happy. “Yeah, well,” he replied, “If I win, I’ll be gone well before they can ask me.” True that.

I felt a bit guilty for playing but then again, I did have a few pleasurable minutes thinking about what I’d do with $1.8 billion. First thing would be to buy this Toyota Celica race car built by Dan Gurney. It’s still listed although the experts at Hagerty Marketplace have intel that suggests it already sold. I’ll live just fine without it.

My trip culminated with a two-day driving rally I organized for friends. I do this every year or so, usually in Ohio, but switched things up this year and hosted in Asheville, North Carolina. I started running these rallies about eight years ago because I simply enjoy sharing the driving experience with others. When folks tell me they want to join but can’t find the time, my response is, “Got it. Just remember that we’re all gonna die someday.”

I enjoy planning the routes and anticipating that participants will feel the same joy I do driving them. That said, it’s a nerve-wracking job. People are spending scarce resources—time and money—and who wants to join a disorganized event? I’ve found that if you have a solid baseline—a few stops on the routes and dinner plans each evening—the rest usually works out. Barring an accident, the unexpected usually adds to the experience. This year, one of our drivers hit an object in the road and bent a wheel, which sent him on a tour of Asheville to find a fix. The locals guided him to a welding shop, where the owner heated the wheel and banged it back into shape. Then he found a new tire. That night, the bent-wheel guy had a terrific tale to share over dinner.

The driving was fantastic, the camaraderie even more so. A shared experience binds people. Since it’s never been easier to organize your own event—I use the Rallista app—I hope you’ll follow my lead and create your own. We need more connections between us.

Speaking of connections, did you see that some 33 states banded together to sue Meta, aka Facebook? They’re alleging that the company employs purposely addictive features to hook kids. Wow. I want to be a free-market libertarian, but I’ve fought the phone fight with my three kids for over a decade and I’m exhausted. You’re hosed no matter what you do: Ostracize the kid from their friends by not permitting a phone or allow one and then watch them go down the rabbit hole. I do think phones are one reason why kids no longer just roam their neighborhoods, a beneficial experience. As a parent, you’re forced to arrange or imagine ever more compelling experiences to compete. I understand Meta’s defense—kids use way more apps than just Instagram—so maybe this is a start of, I don’t know, something?

Sorry for the rant but we all see the empty-calories junk content the algorithms encourage people to create. Here at Hagerty Media, we’ve taken a strong stance against wasting our audience’s valuable time. I hope you agree and if you do, please consider supporting us by joining the Hagerty Drivers Club.

This week, we are buzzing over the rumor that Dodge’s gas-powered muscle cars might not be dead. In a terrific turn of ingenuity and energy, a Ford enthusiast created a replacement engine block for Ford Model As. Super cool! And since many of us are getting ready to store our cars for the winter, here are some tips from Rob Siegel.

Have a great weekend,

P.S.: Your feedback is very welcome. Comment below!

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