A few weeks ago Honda announced its Studio E car, which is described most interestingly:

” Studio E is built around the needs and lifestyle of a club DJ and transforms the Element’s cavernous interior into a rolling audio and video studio complete with an onboard personal audio computer for mixing tracks and a 42-inch high-definition plasma screen display. The upright and modular exterior styling remain true to the Element, while the panel sides conceal equipment and provide security for speakers and amplifiers inside.”

Somewhat ironically, this morning A- and I were in the front driveway playing jump-rope (I swing, she jumps) when a tricked out Honda Accord drove by with a cleancut but sullen 20yo man driving. We knew he was coming, because all of a sudden our quiet street was transformed into the subwoofer of a boombox.

I was struck at just how offensive this is, even while knowing that when I had a car with a good sound system (a Volvo c70) I occasionally cranked it up to enjoy a few good tunes. The difference, perhaps, was that when I was near another car, or at a stop sign, I’d turn the volume down to avoid annoying others. But then again, it’s been a few years since I was twenty!