The trouble with young people today

Remember counting down the days to your 16^th birthday? Some of us even skipped school to run down to the government office to sweat through the test that would bestow upon us that coveted, sacred rite of passage into adulthood – the driver’s licence. It was a heady symbol of freedom ... autonomy ... and independence.

But these days, that sacred rite could be on the threatened species list.  It’s true. Young people are shunning the driver’s licence for – shudder – a SIM card.

A study by the University of Michigan Research Institute shows a steady decline in the number of licensed drivers in the United States under the age of 30. There has been 22 percent drop in the number of licensed drivers since 1983. Furthermore, that decline is echoed across countries such as Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Norway, South Korea and – yes – Canada.

Used to be, young folks needed a car to go to the mall and hang out with friends. Now all they have to do is visit their Facebook page or text them. You get to meet more people with an iPhone than you do with a Corvette. Sad but true. You may even get to impress some chicks if you have an iPhone 4S with Siri and some waycool apps.

The U of M’s study found that those countries where folks like to spend lots of time surfing the internet, young people had fewer driver’s licences rates. Could that translate into virtual contact being more important than actual contact? That's more than a little bit disturbing.

Maybe it's be the money. It does cost a lot to buy and maintain a car, and the insurance for a 16-year old male driver is stratospheric. There are much more reasonable – and green – alternatives, like car sharing, taking transit, walking or bicycling.

Possibly. But as Advertising Age noted, just as the automobile shaped a generation like the Baby Boomers, the internet seems to be shaping the Millennials. Perhaps they’re just smarter than we are – texting while driving is deadly. There are no WIFI highways.

Perhaps that’s a lesson that Baby Boomers could take to heart. We might live longer.

Canadian car thieves armed with dangerously bad taste

Last week, when the Insurance Bureau of Canada released its list of the top ten stolen vehicles in Canada for 2010, one thing was clear – Canadian car thieves plied their ruinous trade armed with dangerously bad taste and a clear disdain for the environment.

Take the car at the top of the list – the 2009 Toyota Venza. At first glance, its main appeal would be the freakishly oversize 19” wheels. This is not a pretty car. It is not a sexy car. It is just plain fugly. But according to an anonymous automotive locksmith, in its first year of production, the security system had a loophole. And so anyone can break into it in only 24 seconds. Another reason not to buy a car in its first production year.

Moving down to #2 and #3, we have the more predictable 1999 and 2000 Honda Civic SiR. Not only are these popular with the young tuner crowd, but they can apparently be broken into with a simple butter knife.

Next, #4, #5, #6 and #7 – the 06 Ford 350 pickup 4WD, 02 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD , 06 Chevy Trailblazer SS 4-door 4WD, and the 07 Ford 350 pickup 4WD. It’s unlikely any of these will haul anything grittier than Gucci luggage. They will, however, spend a lot of time at the gas station, where the cashier may or may not be impressed. That’s about the best reason for having one. Those poor cashiers get bored.

But it’s #8 on this list that is truly mystifying – the 2001 Pontiac Aztek. Although it can fold out into a handy dandy tent, the hideous Aztek (nicknamed Asstek) demonstrates that Detroit does ugly like no one else. I even emailed an Aztek owners’ association to ask them what they thought of this dubious achievement, and no one got back to me. Perhaps they were all out celebrating? Or thinking of ways to entice car thieves, like leaving the engine running and a six-pack of brewsky on the front seat.

Finally, #9 and #10, the dependable 98 and 99 Acura Integra.These cars are hot in many ways, unfortunately. And the butter knife that breaks into a Civic SiR? It will apparently break into these as well.

Best car colour? Stealth!

Cop cars are best not seen or heard, but the Stealth models like this one totally rock, as long as they're not in the rear view mirror with the cherry a-flashing. That dark blue ghost finish over the gaudy decals is genius. They know they're not foolin' anyone - as if a Crown Vicky with a massive cow catcher is, like, a regular car.

At least the cops have some imagination. It seems the most happening car colour these days is white, which makes the most exotic ride look like a stupid bathroom fixture. And in Canada, a white car just blends in with winter blizzards. Does anyone really want to be that invisible on the road?

Perhaps it's that lighter coloured cars are supposedly good for fuel economy. Scientists at the University of Berkeley claim a lighter coloured car will have 1.1% improved fuel efficiency over a black car, along with reduced emissions. That's a sound, scientific reason for choosing a car colour.

Especially as opposed to superstitious bunk like green being an unlucky colour for a car. Although anyone who's had a British Racing Green Triumph with the Lucas Prince of Darkness electrical system will probably agree with you. But so far, being "green" hasn't jinxed the Prius or other eco friendly rides - the Japanese tsunami that put most Japanese cars and car parts in limbo for months doesn't count.

Another myth that just won't die is that red cars cost more to insure and are targeted by the gendarmes. Nonsense. Check out any online insurance application and see if that question pops up. As for the police, they don't care what colour car you're driving over the speed limit or otherwise breaking the law.

The late, great Jan Zurakowski, World War II flying ace and test pilot of the Avro Arrow, didn't really care much for cars. But he quite liked his blue and white 1987 Subaru Legacy wagon because the two-tone colour made it easy to find in a parking lot.

Thankfully, blue and red are the colours of choice for cars in the good old Czech republic, the nation that spawned Bohemian crystal and good taste. Hopefully, they're on to something.