The Year 2043

In the year 2043, it’s almost impossible to fathom how people once drove cars by—gasp—themselves! But yes, dear reader, there was a time when human beings maneuvered their vehicles, often at speeds upwards of 70 miles per hour. At this point, you may be clutching your pearls, and rightly so. Let’s take a stroll down this perilous lane of antiquity and dissect the bizarre driving customs of yore.

The Human Element: A Recipe for Disaster

Once upon a time, humans were in control. Of cars. Imagine entrusting a two-ton metal box moving at freeway speeds to a creature that can’t even remember if it left the oven on. This was a society that willingly put its fate in the hands of someone who might be texting, fumbling with a GPS, or juggling a hot cup of coffee. Unthinkable, isn’t it?

Playing Chicken at 70 MPH

Now, brace yourself: Not only did these cars move at breathtaking speeds, but they also drove in tight lanes separated by mere painted lines on asphalt. Yes, you read that right—painted lines! Vehicles coming from the opposite direction were only a lane away, travelling at equally alarming speeds, and all that stood between them and a certain catastrophe was a strip of colour. It’s like playing Russian Roulette but with Ford F-150s instead of revolvers.

The Hodgepodge Highway: A Chaotic Ballet

Oh, it doesn’t end there. The audacity of it all was this complex dance of changing lanes and merging onto ramps. Imagine seven or more lanes filled with hundreds of cars, each separated by just a few feet. These cars would shift positions, cut each other off, and compete for space, all while approaching exit ramps at high speeds. Chaos! But back then, this was considered a “commute.”

The Horse and Buggy Legacy

You see, roads weren’t always designed for these high-speed metal monstrosities. Originally crafted for horse-drawn carriages, our roadways evolved haphazardly, more out of convenience and the yearning for freedom than a careful study of safety. Had cars been invented as high-speed machines from the start, one can only imagine how differently we might have approached their lanes, laws, and logistics.

If Alcohol Were Introduced Today

To truly grasp the recklessness of it all, let’s consider alcohol—a substance as old as civilization itself. If this elixir were introduced in our modern, safety-conscious world, it would likely be categorized as a controlled substance, locked away behind stringent regulations. Similarly, if our ancestors saw the futuristic self-driving utopia we live in now, they’d probably marvel at how foolhardy their manual driving escapades really were.

So, the next time you’re gliding along in your self-driving car, spare a thought for the daredevils of yesteryear. They braved roads with nothing but their wits and questionable driving skills, living on the edge in a world where the edge was a white line on asphalt.

As we journey towards a future of ever-increasing safety and automation, one thing becomes increasingly clear: The past was a wildly dangerous place, and we’re lucky to have left it in the rearview mirror.