I’m often struck by the monstrous quality of the car-driver hybrid, reminiscent of mythological beasts such the harpy or the minotaur. It’s no secret that many drivers are morally and psychologically transformed once they climb into a car, often being rendered little better than psychopaths unrecognisable even to those who know them best. I often wonder whether drivers are human at all. What’s your take?
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The question is, what happens when self-driving cars are the norm?
Perhaps our morals will improve.
Perhaps driving is not an accurate metric of our morals?
Of course not, but I’m intrigued by the transformation many perfectly ordinary human beings undergo while under the influence of driving.
“It is as if the innumerable laws, regulations and directions with which we must comply were driving the car, not we.”
Max Horkheimer, 1947
OMG I miss driving a car soooo much. The feeling of freedom of driving somewhere no destination in mind, or follow siri somewhere random…I love cars/driving…if I had a car again I would never ever let someone convince me to let them drive it. I will be more responsible.
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That’s probably how centaurs felt about their peculiar endowments. I’m any case I’m sure you’re a very responsible driver. 
Maybe… but i think the hybrid between smarpthones and people are more obvious.
Denmark is one of the most digital countries in the world. You can hardly live without a smartphone. Does it make us more vulnerable?
Try to separate the smartphone from the teenager and you have a catastrophe. 
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@bluebutterfly It’s been argued that the first ape to use a stick was also the first cyborg. Personally I’m quite bothered by car drivers. I remember reading decades ago an essay by Horkheimer in which he details some of the cognitive effects of driving a car, but after much searching this morning I’ve not been able to to locate the text.
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Yes, we create objects, but we tend to forget that the objects - with their inherent limitations and possibilities - create us back. The abe with it’s stick, changes it’s behaviour a bit, compared to the abe without a stick. There is something gained, and something lost.
I’m not a big fan of cars either. I have a driver’s license, but haven’t driven since i got the license, it would be lethal for me and others. I can’t melt into the machine. I’m too self aware and think about how to drive instead of just driving.
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