Economy cars, saving on fuel

All the powers that be maintain a continuous flow of beratement for driving vehicles that get poor fuel mileage. Then they create laws that are almost unattainable requiring manufacturers to build transportation with unbelievable miles per gallon. We are bombarded with accusations of being insensitive to environmental damage the burning of fossil fuels brings about. We are ridiculed for driving gas hogs. Yet, among the best selling vehicles every year are pickup trucks and SUV's. Why do we insist on driving these things in spite of the fuel costs? Because................they look good and we don't feel like doofeses driving them to and from anywhere.

Apparently there is some mind set that environmentally friendly, fuel efficient vehicles have to be ugly. The majority of us simply don't want to be caught driving an ugly car or truck. And another thing, who says those economy cars have to be painted in such putrid colors? Yuck! Puce? Forest purple? Come on now! What do they use, a mixture of left over paint from the trucks and SUV's? I test drove a small economy model the other day: My head continuously touched the ceiling, my knees continuously touched the door and center console blocking the shift lever, the steering wheel rubbed against my stomach.(No, it's not that big, I've lost weight you know.) I even had to divert my eyes from looking at the car while getting in because it was so ugly and I didn't want to stare.

There are, of course some real cool looking electric cars. But, naturally they cost tens of thousands of dollars at the very least and that is because so many of our tax dollars are used to bring the cost down so even the rich will buy them. When it comes to the majority of us working folk we are given the option of either a gas guzzler or a car we have to park three blocks away because we are so ashamed of the appearance. I ask you now, where are the forward looking designers and engineers when we need them?

I propose that: somewhere there is a Henry Ford quality type entrepreneur who can put together a team to design and build a decent looking, reasonably sized, with an aesthetically pleasing color combination, environmentally friendly economical vehicle that is actually affordable and carries people and things at speeds faster than a mo-ped. And, I also believe it can be built right here in the good old U.S of A. Make it easier on the eyes and they will buy. That's what I think.